Family Tree of Gaia and Satan Family Tree of Gaia and Kronos Zeus Poseidon
Few figures from ancient mythology are as popular and well-known today equally the Greek gods. You lot can discover them in books and movies, company names and Halloween costumes, and fifty-fifty in space, where tons of astrological features are named subsequently them! But what if you lot want to know more most the Greek goddesses and gods than just their names and a vague thought of their function? In this article we'll provide a comprehensive guide to the Greek pantheon, starting with an introduction to the Greek gods and their mythic origins. And then, nosotros'll exercise a deep dive on the Twelve Olympians, go over some other important minor deities, discuss Greek gods family tree, the history of their worship, and wrap up with all the places you might encounter this ancient pantheon today! Every bit in many ancient religions, there were hundreds of beings recognized as deities past the Greeks. These deities were by and large associated with abstract concepts like retentiveness and justice and natural forces and features like rivers, seasons, death, and rebirth. There were also gods associated with agriculture and craftsmanship (like shepherding and blacksmithing) and the social order (i.east. union, the law). These gods were understood primarily as inexorable forces that governed human being beingness, merely they likewise had a human aspect. These gods too marry, have children, fight, intermingle with mortals, insult each other, take vengeance, make state of war, and create great fine art. They have hierarchical and familial relationships. Mythology shows the gods both pain and harming both mortals and each other in fairly equal measure, and not necessarily in accordance with mod conception of justice or fairness. To the modern observer, ancient religions tin seem truly bizarre. The gods seem petty and irrational—not chivalrous or better than humans, simply embodying the entire spectrum of human strengths and foibles while simultaneously ignoring human conventions (the Greek gods' family unit tree is incredibly complicated—and incestuous). But to the Greeks, the gods were not meant to behave amend than humans or judge homo acquit; they were merely the absolute forces that ordered the universe and drove all phenomena. Their human aspects simply made them intelligible. Mount Olympus, the mythic home of the Greek gods. Photo by flickr user stefg74. In the Greek view, the main gods of Olympus were far from the original gods of the Universe. In the start was just Chaos. From Chaos came four beings: #1: Eros, who represented not just honey but the power to reproduce Gaia birthed Uranus, the sky, from herself. Gaia and Uranus and then had many children together, who were known as the Titans. Amongst the Titans were both gods and monsters. Uranus was not pleased with Gaia'southward monstrous children, and and so attempted to forcefulness them back into her womb, causing her incredible pain. Because of this, Gaia had her youngest son, the Titan Kronos, desexualize his father with a sickle and cast the testicles into the sea. Kronos so became ruler of the gods. He took his sister Rhea as consort. But as he had overthrown his own father, he feared his children would overthrow him. And so he consumed each of his children equally they were built-in. However, with her last child, Zeus, Rhea tricked Kronos by offering him a stone wrapped in swaddling instead. She hid Zeus on earth, where he was raised by a nymph. When he grew to manhood, Gaia helped Zeus drug Kronos and then give him a potion to make him throw up all of his siblings: Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia. With his siblings as allies, he established himself at Mount Olympus and led a war confronting Kronos and the other Titans. With his victory, he became king of the greek gods and goddesses. He imprisoned the defeated Titan men in the depths of Tartarus. However, he allowed the Titan women to remain above and in fact went on to have children with many of them! He likewise married Hera and made her his consort. To the Greeks, Rhea, Cronus, and the Titans well-nigh likely represented the gods who were worshiped earlier the worship of the main Olympians were established. The Battle Between the Gods and the Titans, by Joachim Wtewael, 1600 The number twelve had bang-up symbolic significance to the Greeks, then there always had to exist twelve master Olympians. This is regardless of the fact that far more than twelve gods lived at Olympus, and some of the Twelve barely resided there if at all (like Poseidon and Hades). Myth holds that Hestia forfeited her place every bit one of the Twelve when Dionysus ascended Olympus, to go along the correct number. Who was among the Twelve was not ever consequent, either—some descriptions kept Hestia and left out Hades, for example. Even so, the following Greek goddesses and gods were those near commonly named as the Twelve. Illustration of Zeus by Paul Bransom, circa 1921 God of: Storms, fate and destiny, law and order, kingship; male monarch of the gods. Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted Equally: A strong, mature, kingly man with a nighttime beard. Symbols and Icons: Thunderbolt, eagle, oak, bull After Zeus threw down Kronos, he, Poseidon, and Hades drew lots to divide upwards the cosmos. Zeus got the sky. The earth was considered equally nether the mastery of all three brothers. Zeus' main original attribute was as a weather god; thunderbolts forged by Hephaestus were his chosen weapon. Afterward, he came to symbolize order, the constabulary, and fate; he was considered more powerful than all the other gods and thus his rule went unchallenged. He had a huge number of affairs with both goddesses and mortal women, and the many children resulting from said affairs. He oft took animal class to seduce mortal women. Other than the story of him overthrowing the Titans, most of the best-known myths of Zeus today center effectually his seduction (or rape) of various women. Here are some notable ones: Leda: Leda was the wife of Tyndareus, the Queen of Sparta. All the same, Zeus desired her, and then he transformed into a swan and either seduced or raped her, depending on the version of the story. Leda besides slept with her married man the aforementioned night, and then laid two eggs. From one egg came her children with Zeus, Helen (of Troy fame) and Polydeuces (or Pollux). From the other egg came her children with Tyndareus, Castor and Clytemnestra. Europa: Zeus saw and desired the beautiful Europa, a Phoenician noblewoman. He disguised himself every bit a white bull in her begetter's herds. When out with her handmaids, she admired the cute bull and climbed atop his dorsum. He seized the opportunity to accept her abroad, swimming across the sea to Crete. After Zeus had several children with her, she married the king of Crete. The proper name of the continent "Europe" comes from Europa. Danae: Danae was the girl of a king. This king heard a prophecy that her son would overthrow him, so he locked Danae in a tower and so no man could touch her. Withal, Zeus transformed into a shower of gold, came in through the grates of her belfry, and impregnated her with Perseus. The king threw Danae and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. Zeus asked Poseidon to bear them to safety. The Peacock Complains to Juno; Gustave Moreau, 1881 Goddess of: Marriage and childbirth, women, and the heaven and stars; queen of the gods Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Ordinarily Depicted As: A beautiful, royal matron wearing a crown Symbols and Icons: The peacock, the cuckoo, the pomegranate, the cow As married woman of Zeus, she was queen of the Greek gods. She was undeniably powerful in her ain right, only was not really considered Zeus' equal; in myths about direct confrontations between them Zeus ever emerged the victor. She was considered somewhat stubborn and quarrelsome; she and Zeus had a tumultuous relationship. She was known for tormenting Zeus' many lovers and so had a reputation for existence "jealous." Every year, she renewed her virginity by bathing in a jump at Nauplia. Many of Hera's appearances in myth revolve around her attempts to torment the lovers of Zeus and the children resulting from these unions. Heracles and the Milky Way: Hera repeatedly tormented Zeus' kid with the mortal Alcmene, Heracles. (Zeus' attempt to placate Hera by naming the child in her honor was not successful.) She set up many obstacles against him throughout his life. One notable story about Hera and Heracles was that when he was an infant, Zeus tricked Hera into breastfeeding Heracles, presenting him but as an abased child. When she realized who he was, she yanked the baby from her chest, and the spray of milk that followed became the Milky Way. Lamia: Zeus took a beautiful queen of Libya as his mistress, and she bore him multiple children. Enraged, Hera killed Lamia's children and turned her into a monster (typically role-serpent) who devours the children of others. Cirta mosaic of Poseidon and Amphitrite, circa 315-325 God of: The body of water, inundation, drought, earthquakes, horses Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Unremarkably Depicted Every bit: A mature, nighttime-bearded man with a trident Symbols and Icons: The trident, the horse, the dolphin, the balderdash, the tuna When Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades defeated their father Kronos, they drew lots on who would rule over what, and Poseidon drew the body of water. He is thought to exist much like the sea: capable of being both regal, at-home, and stormy by turns. Like his brother, Zeus, he was known to have many lovers. He was considered to take the power to give sailors safe passage. He is often credited with creating the horse; he rode effectually on the surface of the sea in a chariot pulled by magic horses. The Greeks believed that sacrificing a horse would win Poseidon'south favor. Patronage of Athens: Poseidon and Athena were both in bitter competition to go the patron god of Athens when it was a newly-founded urban center (and before it was chosen Athens, of course). Athena proposed they hold a content for the patronage of the metropolis: each would present a gift to the city and the male monarch, Cecrops, would guess which present was best and therefore which god would be patron. Some versions of the myth have Poseidon giving the people a spring, which turned out to be saltwater and so useless. Some versions have him creating and gifting the city with the horse. Either style, Athena gave the urban center the olive tree, which Cecrops accounted the ameliorate gift. Athena became patron and the urban center was chosen Athens in her honor. Fresco of Demeter by Cosimo Tura, 1476-1484 Goddess of: All plants and fruit, agriculture, grain, bread, fertility, and newlyweds. Origin: Child of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted As: A crowned, blonde, somewhat voluptuous, mature woman bearing grain. Often portrayed with her girl, Persephone, or in a chariot drawn past horses or dragons Symbols and Icons: Corn, pigs, fruit, poppies, sheaves of wheat, the cornucopia/horn of plenty. The name "Demeter" has 2 potential derivations; it could hateful either "mother world," or "giver of grain/barley." She was primarily a Greek goddess non just of nature merely of tillage; she taught humanity how to cultivate grain. As such she was likewise considered the giver of bread. Without her blessing, aught grew and people starved. Rather than dwell in Olympus, she spent most of her time wandering the surface of the earth with her daughter, Persephone. Mother and daughter were often worshiped together, especially every bit role of the Eleusinian mysteries. This was a mystery cult centered at Eleusis that promised initiates entrance into the blessed paradise Elysium in the afterlife. The contents of the mysteries were closely-guarded secrets. Nosotros have a full general idea that they were primarily a ritualized presentation of the myth of Persephone, simply we don't know all the specifics. And then many details of the mysteries remain a mystery to this day! Many agrarian festivals were held in her honor throughout Hellenic republic. Demeter was too a goddess of fertility, and the priestess of Demeter was responsible for explaining the duties of marriage to newlywed couples. The nigh of import myth about Demeter is the myth of the abduction of Persephone—a story that has endured in the popular imagination through the nowadays day. The Abduction of Persephone: The god Hades wished to ally Persephone, only he knew that it was unlikely that Demeter would allow anyone to ally her daughter as it would separate the ii. So he petitioned Zeus, who gave him permission to abduct Persephone. When Persephone was gathering flowers with her companions, he came along from the earth, snatched her up onto his chariot, and descended downwardly with his new bride into the Underworld. Demeter, distraught, searched everywhere for her girl with the help of the goddess Hecate. But she couldn't detect Persephone anywhere on earth. In her grief, she made it so all crops failed and all vegetation withered. Somewhen, the Greek god Helios told her he had seen Hades comport off Persephone. Outraged, Demeter went to Zeus to need her daughter be returned. Zeus complied because humanity was starving, and commanded Hades to return Persephone to the surface globe. Hades did return her. But before that he offered Persephone a single pomegranate seed to consume. Because she had eaten of the fruit of the Underworld, she had to return there part of every year. Thus she spends a third of every twelvemonth (or half, depending on who is telling the tale) in the Underworld, and the rest of the twelvemonth on the world's surface with her mother. This myth is used to explain the cycling of the seasons: when Persephone is above ground, Demeter is happy and things grow. When Persephone is in the Underworld, Demeter is sad and the earth is barren (so, wintertime). 16th-century painting of Hades God of: Rex of the Underworld, god of death and funerals; also considered the god of the metals and riches of the earth and soil Origin: Kid of Titans Kronos and Rhea Usually Depicted Equally: A dark-disguised, mature man; had ii ordinarily depicted aspects: enthroned in the underworld, or pouring earthly riches from a cornucopia Symbols and Icons: Black sheep, cyprus, narcissus His proper noun has 2 possible derivations: ane pregnant "he who makes invisible," and some other meaning "receiver/embracer of all." He became god of the underworld when he, Poseidon, and Zeus drew lots to encounter who would control which realms of the creation. However, he was allowed to ascend Olympus at will, although he did not know what transpired on earth or on Olympus when he was in the underworld. He presided over the trials of the dead. He was considered a chthonic deity—associated with the earth and underground equally opposed to the heaven or ocean. The Greeks considered him somewhat pitiless and he was non well-loved; unsurprising for the god of expiry! He was also often referred to euphemistically, with names like "Clymenus" (the illustrious) and "Eubelus" (the giver of good counsel) due to Greek superstition. He was also known as "the subconscious i" because he had a helmet that fabricated him invisible. Similar Poseidon and Zeus, he had several extramarital dalliances; although of an lodge of magnitude less, it seems. By far the most notable myth near Hades is his abduction of Persephone; come across Demeter's department above for this myth. Athena past Gustav Klimt, 1898 Goddess of: wisdom and reason, battle strategy/warfare, handicrafts, weaving. Patron goddess of Athens. Origin: Was the child of Zeus and Titan Metis. Fearing his child would usurp him, Zeus consumed the pregnant Metis. Later, he endured a "splitting" headache—until Hephaestus split open Zeus' caput with an axe and the fully-formed, armor-wearing Athena emerged. Usually Depicted As: Wearing body armor with a shield and a lance; or wearing a helmet and the aegis, her greatcoat printed with the face of Medusa. Symbols and Icons: The owl, the olive tree, the goose, the serpent She represents logic and rationality to such an extent that she cannot exist "afflicted by Aphrodite"—she cannot fall in love. Equally such, she is a sworn virgin. She is too considered to have a somewhat androgynous aspect. She has a shut relationship with Zeus and was thought to sit down at his right hand and give her wise counsel when occasion required. As opposed to being aligned with natural forces, Athena is primarily a goddess of civilization. She was considered a force of ability and wisdom who protected the constabulary, the state, and social institutions. In many ways she is the opposite of her fellow sworn virgin goddess Artemis. Equally protector of the state, she as well had an attribute as a goddess of warfare and battle; she was considered the goddess of military strategy. This stands in dissimilarity to Ares, who was the god of thoughtless boxing-animalism. The Greeks took it as somewhat self-evident that Athena surpassed Ares in battle. She was considered, much like Hephaestus, a peachy innovator and creator of many of the useful crafts used by humankind. Pretty much any carefully-designed invention or craft commonly used for homo industry was idea to be inspired or created by Athena. She was notably considered the inventor of weaving. She also created the olive tree. Athena was a especially beloved goddess by the Greeks; she had many cult sites and they frequently sacrificed bulls to her. Nosotros've already covered how Athena became patron goddess of Athens in the Poseidon section, just in that location are also other notable myths most her. Arachne: Arachne was a young Greek woman who claimed that she was a amend weaver than Athena herself. Insulted, Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. Athena wove scenes of the gods' glories and triumphs, while Arachne wove scenes of the gods abusing mortals. There is some variation in exactly what happened—some versions claim that Arachne's weaving was superior, and some that Athena won. Nonetheless, Athena was enraged by Arachne's insult to the gods through her woven scenes and turned her into a spider, weaving merely webs. Bonus: Want to read more almost spiders? Cheque out our manufactures on myths of the camel spider and why yous shouldn't fear garden spiders. 1497 painting of Hephaestus by Andrea Mantegna God of: Craftsmen, blacksmiths, burn down, volcanoes Origin: Typically considered a child of Hera and Hera lone. She conceived him herself, just when he was born bedridden, she threw him out of the heavens. He was rescued and raised by Thetis and Eurynome. He was after welcomed back to Olympus after proving his skill as a craftsman. Depicted As: A heart-aged, bearded man with the tongs and hammer of a blacksmith, commonly wearing a short-sleeved tunic and cap; sometimes riding a ass. Sometimes visibly crippled; sometimes ugly, especially in post-ancient depictions. Symbols and Icons: Hammer, anvil/tongs, axe Hephaestus is notable for beingness the simply primary Greek god of Olympus with a disability. Aphrodite was not happy to be married to him and engaged in an ongoing affair with Ares. Hephaestus was the craftsman of the gods and made many of their most prized possessions, for instance: Hephaestus taught man the crafts associated with smithing and equally such was oftentimes worshiped in tandem with Athena, who was as well associated with crafting. He was also known for his healing abilities; his priests were renowned for their noesis of healing snake bites. Equally Hephaestus was often ridiculed and mistreated for his lameness, many of his myths are about shaming those who cross and denigrate him—even the other gods. Aphrodite and Ares: Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, but they did non take a happy marriage. She had an ongoing affair with Ares, god of war. Helios, the Greek sun god, revealed the affair to Hephaestus when he saw the lovers cavorting together from his chariot above. Enraged, Hephaestus decided to lay a trap. He hung a fine-woven, invisible internet higher up their trysting-identify and told his married woman he would exist gone for some time. When Ares and Aphrodite were in flagrante delicto, the net dropped, trapping them in an dotty encompass. Hephaestus invited the gods to come view his unfaithful married woman and her lover. The goddesses declined, just the men went to run across. Hephaestus demanded back the bride-gifts he had paid for Aphrodite, but Zeus refused and told him they needed to piece of work out the marital manner themselves. Ares was ordered to pay a fine to Hephaestus. None of this, of grade, made Aphrodite faithful to Hephaestus. "The Birth of Venus" by Giorgio Vasari, 1556-1558 Goddess of: Love, passion, beauty, sex activity Origin: When Uranus was castrated by Kronos, his testicles were cast into the sea. Aphrodite rose from the foam that formed around the testicles. Depicted As: A beautiful, nude woman; or in a clothed, seated style similar to other Olympian goddesses Symbols and Icons: Apple, myrtle wreath, scallop beat out, the pigeon, the swan, the rose, the pomegranate "Aphros" ways foam; while Aphrodite's principal aspects were related to love and sexual practice, she was also a goddess of the bounding main. She rescued shipwrecked sailors. She besides guarded plants, and was (somewhat unsurprisingly) the goddess of prostitutes. In some regions she was too a Greek goddess of war and considered the lawful wife of Ares; her connection to war mayhap explains the coupling of Ares and Aphrodite throughout myth. She had a magic girdle fabricated my Hephaestus that fabricated the woman who wore information technology irresistible; she would loan it to Hera when Hera wished to recapture the attention of Zeus' wandering center! Unlike virtually of the other female person gods, who tended to have a fairly limited number of lovers, Aphrodite was known for her many mortal and immortal lovers. She was known for her jealous nature; while she was very generous to her worshipers, she was spiteful to those who denied her. Aphrodite myths typically concern her love diplomacy. Her liaison with Ares and the trap laid by Hephaestus was already described. Other than Ares, her virtually famous lover was Adonis. Aphrodite and Adonis: Adonis' parentage is not consequent in myth, but in all accounts his pregnant mother was turned into a myrrh tree and he was born from the tree some time afterwards. Aphrodite was taken with the baby and gave him into the care of Persephone. All the same, Persephone refused to give the child back. To solve the dispute, Zeus (or sometimes Calliope) decreed that Adonis would spend four months of the year with each goddess and the remaining four months however he chose. He decided to spend eight months of the year with Aphrodite. (Information technology is unclear at exactly what betoken in the story Adonis becomes a boyfriend and the lover of Aphrodite, but that is how he is typically depicted.) Unfortunately, Adonis is gored to expiry past a wild boar. In unlike versions of the myth, the boar is sent past a different god or goddess to take retribution against Aphrodite for some perceived wrongdoing. Ane of the nigh famous versions has her immortal lover Ares sending the boar to impale Adonis out of jealousy. Aphrodite hears Adonis' cries and rushes to his side, where he dies in her artillery. She turns his blood into the anemone bloom. Adonis was really a cult figure in ancient Greece and the subject field of many mystery cults concerned with the Underworld, resurrection, and immortality. He and Aphrodite were sometimes worshiped in tandem as part of these cults. Mars by Has Thoma, 19th century God of: state of war and battle (specially bloodlust), but likewise associated with backbone and ceremonious order Origin: Child of Zeus and Hera Depicted Every bit: Either as a mature armored warrior or a nude youth, but almost ever with his helmet. Symbols and Icons: Spear, woodpecker, vulture, dog, peaked warrior's helmet While Athena represented boxing strategy and cunning, Ares represented bloodlust and battle frenzy—he enjoyed conflict for its own sake and was known to aid both sides by turns in the battles of men. In add-on to battle and bloodshed, he was also said to cause plagues and epidemics. Equally an agent of violence and anarchy, he was not well-loved past his parents or the other gods (except for by Aphrodite). Similar near of the other male person gods, he had many lovers, but Aphrodite was the nearly notable one. Because he was an agent of violence and chaos, he was not necessarily hugely pop across Greece. He was worshiped primarily in the northern parts. Additionally, the Spartans believed they were descended from him, and at a sure point in Spartan history he received human and dog sacrifices. He wore a golden helmet and bronze armor fabricated past Hephaestus. Some Ares myths accept already been mentioned; he was humiliated by Hephaestus for his affair with Aphrodite, and he killed Adonis because he was jealous of Aphrodite'due south dearest for him. Merely here's one other: The Areopagus: The site where criminal trials were held was named later Ares because he was, in myth, the first being tried there. One day he came upon a son of Poseidon trying to rape his daughter, Alcippe. To protect her, he killed her attacker. Poseidon was furious and demanded justice for the expiry of his sons. A trial was held and twelve gods acquitted Ares, saying his violence was justified. Diana la Casadora, Pedro Lira, 19th century Goddess of: Nature, wild creatures, hunting and archery, virgins, childbirth, and witches Origin: She was a child of Zeus and Leto, delivered on the island of Delos because that was the only place that would offer Leto sanctuary from Hera'south wrath. Usually Depicted Every bit: A girl or young woman with a bow and arrow, usually with a stag or hunting dog Symbols and Icons: Deer, cyprus, the moon, acquit, palm tree Her name is typically thought to hateful "healthy" or "vigorous." Artemis is primarily a nature goddess and was often identified with local nature goddesses in her worship. Every bit a immature girl, she begged her male parent to be able to remain a virgin forever; he granted her wish. Priests and priestesses of Artemis took vows of chastity. Artemis protects women and wild fauna, especially the young. She was a goddess of the natural world. In spite of her status as a virgin goddess she was also associated with childbirth. Hunting with her silverish bow, she wanders the forest with her companions, who are mostly female. Some of her notable companions include the Pleiades, the seven sisters. However, several of the Pleiades did not remain virgins and concluded upward having children, like Maia, who diameter Hermes to Zeus. She was considered responsible for the sudden deaths of girls and women, only could also protect, cure, and heal these things. Her twin brother Apollo was in many ways her analogue; they had a shut and complementary relationship. Some traditions placed them equally husband and wife, merely this is non the virtually mutual interpretation. The almost famous myth about Artemis is the myth of Actaeon. Actaeon and Artemis: The immature hunter Actaeon came upon Artemis bathing naked in a woodland spring. He was so struck by Artemis' beauty that he remained to lookout man and was discovered by the goddess. As penalisation for his transgression, she turned him into a stag, and he was hunted downwards and ripped to pieces by his own hunting dogs. Rosalba Carriera, Apollo, 18th century God of: Prophecy, the sunday, music, verse, the arts, archery, healing Origin: Kid of Zeus and Leto; built-in on Delos Usually Depicted Every bit: A beardless, beautiful youth (naked or robed), ofttimes holding a lyre Symbols and Icons: The lyre; eagles, snakes, crows, cicadas, wolves, dolphins, ravens, the laurel tree, the number 7 Major Relationships Apollo was 1 of the nigh widely worshiped and beloved Greek gods of Olympus. Like many of the gods, Apollo had a somewhat dualistic aspect; he was both the patron of the virtually civilized arts, similar music and poesy, and capable of extremely vehement and barbaric acts. Apollo was a close analogue to his sister, Artemis. While she was a goddess of wild nature, he was much more closely associated with culture; she was continued with the moon and he with the sun; while she was thought to exist responsible for the sudden deaths of women and girls, his arrows caused the sudden decease of men and boys. Artemis had a silver bow, and he had a wooden ane. Both gods also had a healing aspect. As a god of culture, Apollo protects flocks and cattle and the founding of towns. Additionally, Apollo was a god of prophecy; one of the most famous oracles in Greece, the oracle at Delphi, was dedicated to him. And of course, similar many of the gods, he was known for his many lovers, male and female—although he was not very lucky in love, with many of his pursuits and affairs having tragic ends. Many of the myths of Apollo center around his unfortunate pursuits of women and men. Daphne: Apollo loved the beautiful Daphne, who had sworn to remain a virgin. He chased her until she could run no more. She cried out to her grandad, river god Peneus, for help. He turned her into a laurel tree so that Apollo could not touch her and she could remain forever a virgin. Cassandra: Apollo gave Cassandra, a princess of Troy, the gift of prophecy in an effort to win her affections. When she rejected his advances, he cursed her that no one would ever believe her prophecies. Hyacinthus: The cute young man Hyacinthus was one of the lovers of the god Apollo. However, the west wind, Zephyr, besides loved Hyacinthus and was jealous. Then one twenty-four hour period when Apollo and Hyacinthus were taking turns throwing the discus, Zephyr blew Apollo's discus off-form, causing it to strike and kill Hyacinthus. Apollo turned the dying homo'southward blood into a flower, the Hyacinth. Photo of ancient Hermes vase past Nicolas Vollmer God of: Travel and merchandise, eloquence and insight, luck and the unexpected, athletes, messenger of the gods, bringer of dreams Origin: Child of Zeus and Maia, ane of the Pleiades Depicted As: Typically depicted with his winged sandals and hat, sometimes with a sheep on i shoulder Symbols and Icons: Winged sandals, winged helmet, caduceus (a winged staff with two snakes twined effectually it), rooster, tortoise, ram, hare, crocus "Hermes" is probably derived from "herma," the heaps of stones that indicated boundaries and marked landmarks. As the messenger god, Hermes was both a god of travel and of social communication. He protected travellers and guarded those who crossed boundaries. He had a mischievous, trickster aspect; he was the god of all communication and eloquence, whether it was honest or not. He was oftentimes able to get abroad with charade simply because he was and then charming! He also guarded thieves and prostitutes. As a figure of arts and crafts and cunning, he was credited with many inventions, including the lyre, music, the alphabet, numbers, measures, weights, astronomy, gainsay, and gymnastics. As a messenger, he was also considered a god of diplomacy and protected embassies and diplomats. He was a god of dreams in his messenger aspect every bit well. Finally, he was tasked with leading the souls of the dead to the underworld, and was i of the only gods with complimentary passage to and from there. Hermes had a peculiarly illustrious childhood, engaging in wild feats as soon as he emerged from the womb. The Cattle of Apollo and the Lyre: The day Hermes was born, he left his cradle to look for adventure. He decided to steal 50 cows from Apollo's herds. Using trickery and cleverness he covered all the tracks so his offense couldn't be traced. Afterwards a long and fruitless search, Apollo finally used his ain oracular powers to discover Hermes. Hermes denied stealing the cows, simply Apollo didn't believe him and brought him before Zeus. Zeus was delighted with Hermes' cleverness and did not punish him, simply ordered him to return the cattle. When it came time to return the cattle, Apollo found Hermes playing a new instrument he had merely made out of a turtle crush—the lyre. Apollo offered to permit Hermes keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. Hermes agreed, and the gods were friends from that moment on. Reproduction of plate depicting Dionysus by Arthur Elam Haigh (1896) God of: wine and drunkenness, celebration and festivity, simply also madness and frenzy. Origin: Child of Zeus and Semele. Considered "twice-born" because his mother died while pregnant with him afterward beholding the full glory of Zeus. Zeus saved the child past carrying him to term in his own thigh. Depicted As: Before he was portrayed as a bearded man and after as a cute, merely somewhat androgynous, young man Symbols and Icons: Grapes, the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped-staff), panthers and leopards, the vino cup, the ivy wreath Dionysus was connected with vino, drunkenness, festivity, fellowship, and nature. His cult was too associated with fine art and literature. All the same, there was a dark side to his worship, every bit he was connected likewise to frenzy and madness—the untamed wildness both of nature and of beverage. His entourage consisted of wild spirits of fertility, like the sileni and the satyrs. He was as well considered to accept power as a prophetic deity and a healer of illness. In his aspect as a nature god he was the protector of copse. He was considered somewhat effeminate or androgynous in nature. The ecstatic nature of his worship attracted many female person followers, but was not as popular among men, who were uncomfortable with the female wildness associated with his rites. In that location are non a huge number of myths centered on Dionysus, simply he does characteristic in one well-known story. Male monarch Midas: For Male monarch Midas' hospitality to Dionysus' foster father, Silenus, Dionysus offered the king whatever boon he wished. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. Realizing that he could not eat or drink and even turning his own daughter to golden, Midas repented of his selection of gift and prayed to Dionysus to take it away. Dionysus told him to launder in the nearby river and the souvenir would exist taken. Every bit there are literally hundreds of Greek gods and goddesses, this is not a comprehensive listing. But nosotros have outlined the about notable greek gods and goddesses other than the Twelve Olympians. Atlas by Guercino, 1646 Atlas was a Titan, the Son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene or Asia. He was was in the Titan army that fought confronting Zeus and the Olympians; as penalisation he was made to bear the weight of the heavens. In art he is typically depicted every bit a man holding up the sky or the stars The Jump Witch by George Wilson, circa 1880 Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus; the story of her abduction by Hades was detailed above. Many of her attributes as a goddess revolve around this tale. Her return to the surface earth at the terminate of winter is what caused spring to brainstorm equally her mother allowed new growth, and her journey to Hades in the autumn caused plants to wither and die as her mother killed living things in her grief. Thus she became known equally a Spring goddess every bit well equally the Queen of the Underworld. She was worshiped with her mother as function of the Eleusinian mysteries and associated with immortality because of her cyclical passage into the underworld and return to the surface world. In her dual aspect equally the bringer of spring and the queen of the Underworld, she was associated with both life and death. She is known for either bestowing favors or her wrath on the many heroic visitors to the Underworld in myth. She aided Hades in cursing the souls of the dead when necessary. Sometimes she was known as the mother of the Erinyes (the Furies) with Hades, just not always. She was depicted both equally a young agronomics goddess with her female parent, with a torch and sheaves of wheat, and as the throned Queen of the Underworld, sometimes besides Hades. Her major symbols are the torch, wheat, and the pomegranate. Evelyn de Morgan, Eos, 1895 Eos, Greek goddess of the Dawn, was the child of Titans Hyperion and Thea and the sister of Helios, the lord's day, and Selene, the moon. She is most notable in myth for cartoon the ire of Aphrodite afterwards taking Ares as a lover. The jealous goddess cursed her with insatiable lust, leading her to kidnap a number of handsome mortals. Carmine-figure plate with Eros past Ascoli Satriano Painter, circa 340-320 BC. Courtesy of the Walters Art Museum. Eros was originally considered one of the very first Greek gods—the son of Chaos who allowed for not just love, merely fertility to come up into the universe. Through the power of Eros other gods were able to reproduce and the universe every bit we know information technology was bundled. In later years, Eros was demoted to a mere son of Aphrodite (with Zeus, Ares, or Hermes depending on the tale) and simply an ancillary assistant to her powers of love, sex, and fertility. Maximilián Pirner, Hecate, 1901. Hecate, daughter of Titans Perses and Asteria, assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, lending her torches so the search could proceed into the nighttime. When Persephone was found, Hecate remained below with Persephone and became an underworld goddess. Hecate supervised religious rites, was the mistress of demons, and was the patroness of witches. She was accompanied at all times past a black cat and a black dog. Her shrines were institute at crossroads, and the Greeks would lay sacrifices at crossroads during full moons to worship her. Hecate was a goddess that virtually Greeks worshiped specifically to avoid the misfortunes she had the power to visit upon them. Relief of Helios, circa 390-275 BC Helios, Greek god of the dominicus, was the child of Titans Hyperion and Thea and the brother of Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn. He was sometimes called the "All-seeing" because he was said to encounter all that passed on earth from his chariot that pulled the sunday beyond the sky. Helios was sometimes equated with Apollo, who was too associated with the sun, but they did take separate identities equally deities. Hestia tapestry, 6th century Egypt Hestia was the first child of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, making her sister to Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hades. Some accounts place Hestia equally one of the twelve Olympians; others say that she abdicated her place in favor of Dionysus so that the number could remain twelve. Afterwards both Poseidon and Apollo sought to marry her, Hestia petitioned Zeus to remain a virgin. He granted her request and fabricated her the presiding figure over all sacrifices. She was worshiped mostly with a shrine in every family hearth, as opposed to publicly, just Greeks took the sacred fire of Hestia with them whenever they went to establish new settlements. Every bit she never leaves her home in Olympus, she is also associated with residuum and sanctuary. She is closely associated with the family and domesticity. Her symbols are fruit, oil, wine, and i-year-old cows. Vase painting of Iris by the Diosphos painter, circa 500-490 BC; photograph past Marie-Lan Nguyen Iris, like Hermes, was a messenger of the gods. Iris served as the messenger for the Olympians during the Titomachy—the war with the Titans. Associated with the rainbow, she could travel all the way from the heavens across the globe and into the underworld. Se was the kid of Thaumus and the Oceanid Electra. Sculpture of Nike at Ephesus, photograph by Laszlo Ilyes Nike, girl of the behemothic Pallas and the river Styx, was the Greek goddess of victory. However, she did not take her own cult; she was primarily considered an attribute of Athena and Zeus. She was ordinarily depicted with wings, carrying a palm branch, wreath, or staff to acquit the message of victory. She later came to symbolize all kinds of success, not simply martial victory. Nyx, Nighttime Goddess by Gustave Moreau, 1880 Nyx, or dark, was one of the four original forces that emerged from Anarchy. Lonely and with various partners, she bore many deities who functioned as the most primordial of forces. She diameter Aether (Brightness) and Hemera (Day) with Erebus (Darkness). Her children that she bore lone included Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), Geras (Old Historic period), the Moirai (the Fates, sometimes said to be borne with Hades), Nemesis (Retribution), Eris (Strife), and the Oneiroi (Dreams). While she was not widely worshiped, her swell power was best-selling; it was said that fifty-fifty Zeus feared her power and majesty. Painting of Pan, Arnold Bocklin, 1864-1865 The child of Hermes and Dryope, Pan was born with the horns, legs, and ears of a goat. When he was born, his female parent was so alarmed by his animalistic appearance that she ran away screaming—hence the term "panic." Pan was a god of untamed nature and lusty fertility. He was known for his many dotty pursuits and his piping-playing ability. Interestingly, many of his goatlike characteristics later on became associated with Christian conceptions of the Devil! Albert Aublet, Selene, 1880 Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon, worshiped primarily at the new and full moons. She was the child of Titans Hyperion and Thea and sister of Helios and Eos. Other than her attribute as moon goddess, Selene is known primarily for her relationship with her mortal lover Endymion, her sleeping prince, who wakes only when she visits him and and so never ages or dies. Selene is typically represented as a woman crowned with the crescent moon, driving a chariot. School of Marcello Bacciarelli, early 18th century, Allegory of Justice—Themis Themis, a child of Uranus and Gaea, was Zeus' second consort earlier he married Hera; with him she bore the Horae (the goddesses of the seasons and time). Sometimes the Moirai (the fates) and the Hesperides are also listed as children of Themis and Zeus. As the personification of divine law, Themis was fairly widely worshiped in Hellenic republic. She was considered a goddess of order who supervised rituals and ceremonies. She was likewise connected with prophecy and oracles. Themis is typically depicted as a serious woman carrying scales. Many pocket-size Greek deities were conceived of as groups of beings, usually goddesses who were sisters. While this is not a comprehensive list, we have identified some of the almost important groups of Greek goddesses here. Megaera, Tisiphone, and Alecto by Gustave Dore The Furies (or the "Erinyes," the aroused ones) were Greek goddesses of vengeance, perchance identified as personified curses or the ghosts of the murdered. Sometimes they are described as children of Gaia and Uranus who sprang up from the claret of Uranus' severed genitals, while in other tellings they are the daughters of Nyx and Hades. They reside in the underworld, but pursue the wicked across the surface of the earth. They could torment an unabridged community for an unpunished crime. They were unremarkably depicted as grim young women wearing black mourning attire. It was only later that the number and identity of the individual furies was established. In that location were thought to be three: Due to Greek superstition, they were often referred to euphemistically as the Eumenides ("the kind ones") or the Semnai Theai ("venerable goddesses.") The Dance of the Muses by Joseph Paelinck, 1832 The muses, daughters of Zeus and the Titan Mnemosyne ("retention"), were the grouping of Greek goddesses considered responsible for artistic (and sometimes scientific) inspiration. The were the patronesses of poets, artists, musicians, dancers, seekers of knowledge, and so on. They were led past Apollo and associated with wells and springs. The muses were single just various muses gave birth to many famous mythic figures, similar Orpheus, Hyacinthus, and the Sirens. In some early accounts there are only iii muses, but the standard number is nine. While the Greeks would take primarily considered the muses a unit, the Romans ascribed specific artistic and scientific domains to each muse, although not in a standardized style. The Three Fates, Bernardo Strozzi, before 1664 Goddesses of: Human destiny These Greek goddesses, known every bit the Moirai, were considered daughters of Nyx or, less frequently, daughters of Zeus and Themis. They adamant mortals' lifespans and their shares of misery and suffering and were imagined as three very old women who quite literally spun the thread that made up individual human destiny: Below run into the family tree of the main Olympian Greek gods and goddesses as it is most commonly understood today. However, it'south of import to emphasize that the relationships between the gods were not static and shifted over time, sometimes dramatically—equally we see with Eros, who was originally considered i of the original children of Chaos and later became a mere son of Aphrodite, no longer one of the primordial forces that shaped the initial universe. On this Greek gods family unit tree, a single pointer shows offspring, with branching arrows representing siblings. A double line bail ways a partnership of matrimony and/or children. The pink boxes indicate the Twelve Olympians. Greek worship involved rites, oracles, sacrifices, and festivals. The most formal elements of worship were identify-based: gods were worshiped at their ain item temples and sacred sites through specific rites and rituals. Priests (and/or priestesses) to a detail god would oversee the rites associated with that god, which oftentimes involved animate being sacrifice and the pouring of wine (the libration). Priests and priestesses too interpreted oracles at sacred oracle sites similar Delphi. Interestingly, many priestesses either had to exist virgins or past menopause. Outside of more formal rites, Greek citizens also offered sacrifices to item gods to give cheers or to invoke their protection. They might as well pray to the appropriate god for a detail business or issue, and make some kind of offer if they felt the prayer was answered. The other main component of Greek worship was the festival. Festivals centered around music, theatre, and sports (like the Olympics!) were held to honor the gods. Those are some full general trends in worship. Yet, it is difficult to make absolute statements on exactly how specific gods were worshiped, because a lot of worship was very localized. Different urban center-states had their own preeminent deities, and might worship particular deities in dissimilar means. Furthermore, ideas about the gods and how they were related to each other, especially in terms of marriage and parentage, were constantly shifting over time. Newer gods (for example, from neighboring countries) were frequently incorporated into the pantheon, and some gods would be combined or fade in eminence over time. Nonetheless, the main figures of the Greek pantheon and the mythology surrounding them were clearly well-developed by around the 8th B.C., when Homer crafted the Iliad and the Odyssey. However, information technology's worth noting that just because a god was included in the twelve Olympians does non mean they were widely worshiped—for instance, there was very footling worship of Hades. Conversely, some very widely worshiped figures were not in the chief Olympian pantheon, like Themis. Due to close contact betwixt the Greeks and Romans, the Roman pantheon was very influenced by Greek mythology, and many Roman gods took on the attributes and myths of similar Greek gods. Some Greek gods are too worshiped today, as part of Neo-pagan religions. The theater was often part of religious festivals in ancient Greece. The Greek gods continue to be a source of fascination and inspiration in all areas of human endeavor. There have been many operas, ballets, and theater productions based on Greek myth throughout all of history. The Greek gods were a huge inspiration to Romantic and Neoclassical artists and poets. More than recently, the Greek gods take inspired tons of movies, Television set shows, books, comic books, and video games. Some notable popular-culture works that accept borrowed or adapted Greek mythology include: Additionally, many astronomical bodies similar asteroids and asteroid belts, moons, stars, planets, and comets are named for figures of Greek and Roman mythology. Nigh of the planets in our ain solar organisation are named for Roman deities, but many of the moons and asteroids are named for Greek deities. For example, the Demeter asteroid belt, Themis, a moon of Saturn, and Eris, a dwarf planet. L. Calçada and Nick Risinger, artistic rendering of dwarf planet Eris Unlike modernistic gods, who are more often than not idea of equally benevolent and all-knowing, Greek gods personified the forces that organized and drove the world. As such, they were just every bit often petty and trigger-happy equally they were just and magnanimous within Greek myth. Within myth, the Olympian gods rose to power after a state of war with the Titans. The Twelve Olympians were: In add-on to the Twelve Olympians, there were likewise hundreds of other gods worshiped throughout Greece. Some were generally considered aspects or minions of more major deities, while others had robust cults of their own. The Greek gods and goddesses may have gotten upwards to some crazy shenanigans, merely they served as inspiration for religions that followed. Learn virtually the 20th-century's Aleister Crowley and the multiple religions he was involved in here. What is agnosticism and what does it mean to be agnostic? Find out with our guide to the origin of the term and how agnosticism is practiced.
Greek Gods and Goddesses: An Introduction
Mythic Origins of the Greek Gods and Goddesses
#2: Gaia, the world
#3: Tartarus, the empty abyss beneath the earth
#four: Nyx, the nighttime
Major Figures of the Pantheon: The Twelve Olympians
Zeus
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Hera
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Poseidon
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Demeter
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Hades
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Athena
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Hephaestus
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Aphrodite
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Ares
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Artemis
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Apollo
Major Attributes
Myths
Hermes
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Dionysus
Major Relationships
Major Attributes
Myths
Pocket-sized Gods
Atlas—Titan Who Holds Up the Sky
Persephone—Goddess of Jump, Queen of the Underworld
Eos—Goddess of the Dawn
Eros—God of Dearest, Passion, and Fertility
Hecate—Goddess of Witchcraft
Helios—God of the Sunday
Hestia—Goddess of the Hearth and Domesticity
Iris—Goddess of the Rainbow, Messenger of the Gods
Nike—Goddess of Victory
Nyx—Goddess of Nyx
Pan—God of Fertility, Nature, Shepherds, and Goatherds
Selene—Goddess of the Moon
Themis—Goddess of Justice, Wisdom, and Divine Law
three Famous Greek Goddess Groups
The Furies—Goddesses of Vengance
The Muses—Goddesses of Art and Science
The Fates—Goddesses of Destiny
About These Goddesses:
Greek Gods Family Tree
The Worship of the Greek Goddesses and Gods
Greek Goddesses and Gods Today
The Greek Gods and Goddesses: Key Points to Remember
What's Next?
Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.
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