These figures are described by ancient writers, the oldest of which are Homer and Hesiod.[1][2] The Greeks created images of their deities for many reasons. A temple would house the statue of a god or goddess, or several deities. The statue might be decorated with relief scenes depicting myths. These were also often painted on pottery and minted on coins.
Roman mythology includes many of the same figures, but uses different names: calling Zeus by the name of Jupiter and Aphrodite by the name of Venus, for example. This is called the Venetian creole language. It is called Venetian band.
The main and most important gods were the Twelve Olympians. The home of these gods is at the top of Mount Olympus. There was some variation as to which deities were included in the Twelve.[3] As such, the list below numbers fourteen. It includes all those who are commonly named as one of the Twelve in art and poetry. Dionysus was a later addition; in some descriptions, he replaced Hestia. Hades is not usually included among the Olympians, because his home was the underworld. Some writers, however, such as Plato, named him as one of the Twelve.[4][5]
Goddess of love, beauty and desire. She was married to Hephaestus, but she had many lovers, including Ares, Adonis and Anchises. She was depicted as a beautiful woman and often naked. Her symbols include roses and other flowers, the scallop shell, and myrtle wreath. Her sacred animals are doves and sparrows. The Roman version of Aphrodite was Venus.
God of light, healing, music, poetry, plague, prophecy, and more. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was associated with the Sun; while Artemis was the Moon. Both use a bow and arrow. In the earliest myths, Apollo fights with his half-brother Hermes. In sculpture, Apollo was depicted as a handsome young man with long hair and a perfect physique. His attributes include the laurel wreath and lyre. He often appears in the company of the Muses. Animals sacred to Apollo include roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice and snakes.
Image: Apollo holding a lyre and pouring a libation, on a drinking cup from a tomb at Delphi
God of war and bloodshed. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was depicted as a young man, either naked with a helmet and spear or sword, or as an armed warrior. Ares generally represents the chaos of war in contrast to Athena, who represented strategy and skill. Ares' sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, dogs and boars. The Roman version of Ares is Mars.
Image: Roman marble head of the war god, modelled after a Greek bronze original
Goddess of hunting, wilderness, animals and childbirth. In later times she became associated with the Moon. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. She is depicted as a young virgin woman. In art she is often shown holding a hunting bow and arrows. Her attributes include hunting spears, animal furs, deer and other wild animals. Her sacred animals are deer, bears and wild boars. The Roman version of Artemis is Diana.
Image: Artemis reaching for arrow (missing) from her quiver, with a hunting dog
Goddess of wisdom and skill, warfare and tactics. According to most traditions, she was born from Zeus's head fully formed and wearing armour. She was depicted with a helmet, holding a shield and a spear, and wearing the Aegis over a long dress. Poets describe her as having very bright, keen eyes. She was a special patron of heroes such as Odysseus. She was also the patron of the city Athens (which is named after her). Born from the head of Zeus (her father) and her mother is Metis, the first wife of Zeus. Her symbol is the olive tree. She is often shown beside her sacred animal, the owl. The Roman version of Athena is Minerva.
Image: Athena on a red-figure cup, dating from 500–490 BCE
Goddess of farming, the harvest and fertility. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her brother is Zeus, with whom she had Persephone. She was one of the main deities of the Eleusinian Mysteries. She was depicted as an older woman, often wearing a crown and holding bunches of wheat. Her symbols are the cornucopia, wheat-ears, the winged snake, and the lotus staff. Her sacred animals are pigs and snakes. The Roman version of Demeter is Ceres.
Image: Demeter, sitting down, on a relief from Turkey
God of wine, parties and festivals, madness and ecstasy. He was depicted in art as either an older man with a beard or a pretty young man with long hair. His attributes include the thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), drinking cup, grape vine, and a crown of ivy. He is often shown with his thiasos, a group of followers that includes satyrs, maenads, and his teacher Silenus. The consort of Dionysus was Ariadne. Animals sacred to him include dolphins, snakes and donkeys. Dionysus was a later addition to the Olympians; in some descriptions, he replaced Hestia. "Bacchus" was another name for him in Greek, and this was used by the Romans for their version of the god.
King of the underworld and god of the dead. His consort is Persephone. His attributes are the cornucopia, key, sceptre, and the three-headed dog Cerberus. The owl was sacred to him. He was one of three sons of Cronus and Rhea, and therefore was ruler of one of the three realms of the universe, the underworld. He is not very often included as one of the Olympians, however. In Athenian literature, "Ploutōn" (Πλούτων) was his preferred name, while "Hades" was more common as a name for the underworld. The Romans translated "Ploutōn" as Pluto, the name for their version of Hades.
Image: Hades lying down, holding a giant drinking horn and offering a bowl to Persephone
God of fire, metalworking and crafts. He was the son of Hera by parthenogenesis. He is the smith of the gods and the husband of Aphrodite. He was usually depicted as a bearded man with hammer, tongs and anvil—the tools of a smith—and sometimes riding a donkey. His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane. One of his many creations was the armour of Achilles. Hephaestus used fire to create things. The Roman version, however, Vulcan, was feared for his destructive power; he was associated with volcanoes.
Image: Thetis receives the armour made for her son Achilles by Hephaestus
Queen of the heavens and goddess of marriage, women and birth. She is the wife of Zeus and daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually depicted as a regal woman, wearing a crown and veil and holding a lotus-tipped staff. Although she was the goddess of marriage, Zeus's many affairs drive her to jealousy and anger. Her sacred animals are the heifer, the peacock and the cuckoo. The Roman version of Hera is Juno.
God of travel, animal husbandry, writing, trade, and more. He is the son of Zeus and Maia, Hermes is the messenger of the gods. He also leads the souls of the dead into the afterlife. He was depicted either as a handsome and fit young man, or as an older bearded man. He was often shown wearing sandals with small wings on them. His sacred animals are the tortoise, the ram and the hawk. The Roman version of Hermes was Mercury.
Image: Hermes holding his caduceus and wearing a cloak and hat for travel
Goddess of the hearth, home and chastity. She was described as a virgin. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus, and sister of Zeus. She could not often be identified in Greek art. She appeared as a veiled woman. Her symbols are the hearth and kettle. In some descriptions, she gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians to Dionysus, and she plays a minor role in Greek myths. The Roman version of Hestia, however, Vesta, was a major goddess in Roman culture.
Image: Hestia from a relief depicting all twelve Olympians in procession
God of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and the creator of horses. He is a son of Cronus and Rhea, and brother to Zeus and Hades. He rules one of the three realms of the universe as king of the sea and the waters. In classical artwork, he was depicted as an older man with a very large beard, and holding a trident. The horse and the dolphin are sacred to him. His wife is Amphitrite. The Roman version of Poseidon was Neptune.
Image: Sculpture of Poseidon, from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens
King of the gods, and ruler of Mount Olympus. He is the god of the sky, thunder and lightning, law and order, and fate. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea. He overthrew his father and took the throne of heaven for himself. In artwork, he was depicted as a regal, older man with a dark beard. His usual attributes are the royal sceptre and the lightning bolt. His sacred animals are the eagle and the bull. The Roman version of Zeus, Jupiter, was also the main god of the Romans.
Image: Coin made under Alexander the Great showing Zeus on his throne holding a sceptre and eagle.
Primordial deities
The primordial deities are the first beings that existed. They are what makes up the universe. All other gods descend from them. The first among them is usually said to be Chaos. Chaos is the “nothingness” from which all of the others were made. These gods are usually depicted as a place or a realm. Tartarus, for example, is depicted as the deepest pit in the underworld. His brother Erebus is also depicted as a place of darkness, or the emptiness of space. Gaia is depicted as nature or the Earth. Pontus is depicted as the oceans, lakes, and rivers. Chronos is depicted as time.
Pontus in an ancient Roman mosaic from TunisiaEos (dawn) and the hero Memnon (490–480 BCE)Helios in his four-horse chariot (3rd century BCE)Themis, from the Temple of Nemesis (c. 300 BCE)Athena watches Prometheus create humans (3rd century CE)
An elder god. In some versions of the myth, he ruled the Earth with his consort Eurynome before Cronus overthrew him. Another account describes him as a snake.
The Titans are the older kind of gods in Greek mythology. The original Twelve Titans were children of Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky).[7] Their leader was Cronus, who overthrew his father Uranus and became ruler of the gods. Cronus' consort was his sister Rhea. Their children were Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Cronus and the Titans were overthrown by Zeus, his youngest son. They fought a war called the Titanomachy. The Titans are depicted in Greek art less often than the Olympians.
Titan God of heavenly constellations and in charge of ordering the measures of the year.Father of Astraeus, Pallas and Perses. Not much is known about him.[8]
The leader of the Titans, who overthrew his father Uranus. He was later overthrown by his own son, Zeus. Not to be confused with Chronos, the god of time.
The Giants (Γίγαντες, Gigantes) were the children of Gaia. She was fertilised by the blood of Uranus, after Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus. After the Titans' lost their war against the Olympians, Gaia made the Giants rise up against the Olympians to restore the Titans' rule. The Olympians got help from the hero Heracles to stop the Giants. This war was the Gigantomachy.[9]
The Hekatonkheires (Ἑκατόγχειρες), the Hundred-Handed Ones. Three giant gods of violent storms. Sons of Uranus and Gaia. Each have different characteristics.[10]
Porphyrion (Πορφυρίων), the king of the Thracian Giants. He was killed by Heracles and Zeus with arrows and lightning-bolts after he tried to rape Hera.
Talos (Τάλως), a giant forged from bronze by Hephaestus. He was given by Zeus to his lover Europa to be her bodyguard.
Tityos (Τίτυος), a giant killed by Apollo and Artemis when he tried to rape their mother Leto.
Typhon (Τυφῶν), a monstrous storm-giant who was defeated and imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus
Zelos (Ζῆλος), spirit of rivalry, devotion, emulation and envy
Underworld deities
These deities lived in the underworld. The ruler of the underworld was Hades, who is listed further above under "Olympians".
Amphiaraus (Ἀμφιάραος), a hero of the war of the Seven Against Thebes. He became an oracular spirit of the underworld after he died.
Angelos (Ἄγγελος), a daughter of Zeus and Hera who became an underworld goddess
Askalaphos (Ἀσκάλαφος), the son of Acheron and Orphne who looked after the orchards in the underworld. She was later transformed into an owl by Demeter.
Cerberus (Κέρβερος), the three-headed dog who guarded the gates of Hades
Hippocampi (ἱπποκαμπος), the horses of the sea. They are half horse with the tail of a fish.
The Ichthyocentaurs (Ιχθυοκένταυροι), two sea gods with the upper bodies of men, the lower fore-parts of horses, ending in the long tails of fish
Bythos (Βύθος)
Aphros (Άφρος)
Karkinos (Καρκίνος), a giant crab who worked with the Hydra to kill Heracles. When it died, Hera put it in the sky as the group of stars called Cancer.
Ladon (Λάδων), a sea snake with a hundred heads. It guarded the western parts of the sea, and the island and golden apples of the Hesperides.
Leucothea (Λευκοθέα), a sea goddess who helped sailors in trouble
Nereus (Νηρέας), the old man of the sea, and the god of fish
Nerites (Νερίτης), a sea spirit who was transformed into a shell-fish by Aphrodite
Oceanus (Ὠκεανός), Titan god of the river Oceanus, that flows around the Earth
Palaemon (Παλαίμων), a young sea god who helped sailors in trouble
Phorcys (Φόρκυς), god of the hidden dangers of the sea
Pontos (Πόντος), primeval god of the sea, father of fish and other sea creatures
Poseidon and Amphitrite riding in a chariot pulled by hippocamps. Two erotes are on either side. Below them are fishermen at work, with nymphs and creatures of the sea in the waters.
Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν), king of the sea and leader of the sea gods; also god of rivers, flood and drought, earthquakes, and horses
Proteus (Πρωτεύς), a prophetic old sea god who could change shape. He herded Poseidon's seals.
Aiakos (Αἰακός), a king of Aegina. He was appointed as a Judge of the Dead in the underworld after his death.
Aeolus (Aiolos) (Αἴολος), a king of Thessaly. He was made the immortal king of the winds by Zeus.
Amphiaraus (Ἀμφιάραος), a hero of the war of the Seven Against Thebes. He became an oracular spirit of the underworld after his death.
Ariadne (Αριάδνη), a princess of Crete who became the immortal wife of Dionysus
Aristaeus (Ἀρισταῖος), a hero from Thessaly. For his inventions he was immortalised as the god of bee-keeping, cheese-making, herding, olive-growing, and hunting.
Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός), a healer from Thessaly and a son of Apollo. He was killed by Zeus, but was later put into the sky as the group of stars called Ophiuchus.
Attis (Ἄττις), a consort of Cybele. He was given immortality as one of her attendants.
Bolina (Βολίνα), a mortal woman transformed into a nymph by Apollo
Endymion (Ἐνδυμίων), lover of Selene. He was made to sleep forever so that he would never age.
Ganymede (Γανυμήδης), a handsome prince of Troy. He was kidnapped by Zeus and made cup-bearer of the gods.
Glaucus (Γλαῦκος), god of fishermen, made immortal after eating a magical herb.
Hemithea (Ἡμιθέα) and Parthenos (Παρθένος), princesses of Naxos who jumped into the sea to escape their angry father. Apollo transformed them into demi-goddesses.
Rhadamanthys, a king of Crete. After his death, he became a judge of the dead in the underworld.
Rhesus, a king of Thrace who sided with Troy in the Trojan War
Sarpedon, a king of Lycia and son of Zeus. He fought on the side of the Greeks during the Trojan War.
Sisyphus, a king of Thessaly who tried to cheat death. He was sentenced to an eternity of rolling a heavy rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down.
Otrera (Ὀτρήρα), a queen of the Amazons, consort of Ares and mother of Hippolyta
Pantariste (Πανταρίστη), an Amazon who fought with Hippolyta against Heracles
Penthesilea (Πενθεσίλεια), a queen of the Amazons who fought in the Trojan War on the side of Troy
Inmates of Tartarus
The Danaides, forty-nine daughters of Danaus who murdered their husbands. They were punished for their crimes by being made to carry water in leaking jugs forever.
Ixion, a king of the Lapiths who tried to rape Hera. He was tied to a burning wheel in Tartarus as punishment.
Sisyphus, a king of Thessaly who tried to cheat death. He was sentenced to an eternity of rolling a big round rock up a hill, only to watch it roll back down.
Tantalus, a king of Anatolia who killed his son Pelops and served him as a meal to the gods. He was punished with the torture of starvation. Food and drink dangled forever just out of his reach.
↑According to Stoll, Heinrich Wilhelm (translated by R. B. Paul) (1852). Handbook of the religion and mythology of the Greeks. Francis and John Rivington. p. 8. The limitation of their number [of the Olympians] to twelve seems to have been a comparatively modern idea
↑"About the other siblings of Kronos no close inquiry is called for," observes Friedrich Solmsen, in discussing "The Two Near Eastern Sources of Hesiod", Hermes117.4 (1989:413–422) p. 419. "They prove useful for Hesiod to head his pedigrees of the gods", adding in a note "On Koios and Kreios we have to admit abysmal ignorance."
↑Aaron J. Atsma. "Gigantes". Theoi Project. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
↑Guirand, Felix, ed. (16 December 1987). New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. Crescent Books. ISBN978-0-517-00404-3.
↑Schmitz, Leonhard (1867). "Achelous". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. Boston, MA. pp. 8–9. Archived from the original on 2005-07-10. Retrieved 2013-09-19.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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