War and Greek Mythology

• Zeus- ruler of heaven and earth; father athena; god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightening, law, order, and justice. Had a temper and was known to hurl thunder bolts
• Athena- Goddess of wisdom, skill, and warfare (and peace), intelligence, battle strategy, and handicrafts. she was born from Zeus' head fully formed and armored. A special patron of heroes- such as Odysseus. She was the patron of athens( the city was named after her)
• Apollo- god of music, arts, knowledge, healing
• Zeus was his father Artemis was his twin sister
• he is associated with the sun, and sister with the moon
• Poseidon- god of sea, rivers, floods, and earthquakes
• brother of Zeus
• Aphrodite- goddess of love, desire, beauty, sexuality
• her lovers included Ares(god of war), Adonis(demi-god desire), and Archises (mortal who fathered a baby)
• Demeter- goddess of grain, harvest, agriculture
• Zeus' sister
• Greek mythology most likely unfolded over time to become part of culture and origin story
• The fighting spartans:
• greeks were certainly a warlike people- especially the spartans
• spartans were known for their tough,ruthless infantry: soldiers who fought on land
• spartan boys were trained by the time they were seven years old
•  the phalanx:
• close-rank, dense grouping of warriors
• armed by long spears, swords, and interlocking shields
• soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy, until they broke through their ranks
• strategy, a systematic approach
• leaders tended to be in the back
• Athens naval power:  
• athens had a great infantry, too, but nothing could compare to their navy
•  their most effective weapon was the trireme
  
  • trireme was a technological marvel
  • fastest ship in the world at the time 
  • rowed by up to 170 men on three levels 
  • could be used as a battering ram 
  • agile, fast