List of gods and goddesses of greek mythology: Greek and Roman Gods • Greek Gods & Goddesses

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Greek Gods & Goddesses | Theoi Greek Mythology

Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods

The gods of the ancient Greek pantheon are divided into various categories on the following pages. The first of these—the Olympian gods, Titan gods, and primordial gods—represent the three generations of deities to rule the cosmos. The next five categories divide the gods by domain, namely the gods of sky, sea, earth (rustic and agrarian), and underworld. The final sections contain the daemones—minor deities or spirits representing abstract ideas, emotions and conditions—and apotheosed mortals.

OLYMPIAN GODS

TITAN GODS

PRIMORDIAL GODS

UNDERWORLD

SEA GODS

SKY GODS

RUSTIC GODS

AGRARIAN GODS

DAEMONES SPIRITS

DEIFIED MORTALS

CULT OF THE GODS


SUMMARY (A SELECTION OF PAGES)

The following categories are designed for ease of reference and are not meant to be definitive.

REALMS OF THE GODS

Elysium, Erytheia, Hades (2 pages), Oceanus, Olympus, Tartarus (2 pages)

OLYMPIAN GODS, MAJOR

Aphrodite (18 pages), Apollo (9 pages), Ares (13 pages), Artemis (15 pages), Athena (9 pages), Demeter (15 pages), Dionysus (14 pages), Hephaestus (12 pages), Hera (6 pages), Hermes (13 pages), Hestia (1 page), Poseidon (6 pages), Zeus (8 pages)

OLYMPIAN GODS, MINOR

Charites, Eileithyia, Eros (4 pages), Erotes, Harmonia, Hebe, Horae, Hygeia, Hymenaeus, Moirae, Muses (3 + 9 pages), Nike, Paeon, Pothos, Tyche <<more>>

PRIMORDIAL GODS

Aether, Ananke, Chaos, Chronos, Erebus, Eros, Gaea (3 pages), Hemera, Nesoi, Nyx, Ourea, Phanes, Pontus, Tartarus, Thalassa, Thesis, Uranus <<more>>

TITAN GODS

Arce, Asteria, Astraeus, Atlas, Aura, Briareus, Clymene, Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Cyclopes, Dione, Epimetheus, Eurynome, Hecatoncheires, Hyperion, Iapetus, Lelantus, Leto, Menoetius, Metis, Mnemosyne, Oceanus, Ophion, Pallas, Perses, Phoebe, Prometheus, Rhea (6 pages), Tethys, Theia, Themis, Titanides Elder, Titans Elder <<more>>

SKY GODS

Aeolus, Anemoi, Astra, Aurae, Boreas, Eos, Eosphorus, Eurus, Harpies, Helius (6 pages), Hesperides, Hesperus, Iris, Nephelae, Notus, Nyx, Selene, Zephyrus, Zeus (8 pages) <<more>>

SEA GODS

Amphitrite, Ceto, Charybdis, Doris, Eurybia, Galatea, Glaucus, Ichthyocentaurs, Leucothea, Nereids, Nereus, Palaemon, Phorcys, Poseidon (6 pages), Proteus, Psamathe, Scylla, Sirens, Telchines, Thaumas, Thetis (4 pages), Triton <<more>>

UNDERWORLD GODS

Acheron, Ascalaphus, Cerberus, Charon, Erinyes (6 pages), Eurynomus, Hades (6 pages), Hecate (3 pages), Judges of the Dead, Macaria, Melinoe, Menoetes, Persephone (8 pages), Styx <<more>>

RUSTIC GODS

Britomartis, Cabeiri, Chiron, Curetes-Dactyls, Dionysus (14 pages), Dryads, Echo, Hermes (13 pages), Naiads, Nymphs (numerous pages), Oreads, Palici, Pan, Potami, Priapus, Satyrs, Silens, Silenus, Zagreus <<more>>

AGRARIAN GODS

Demeter (15 pages), Despoena, Eubouleus, Iacchus, Persephone (8 pages), Plutus, Triptolemus <<more>>

DAEMONES (SPIRITS)

Achlys, Adicia, Aedos, Aletheia, Amphilogiae, Androctasiae, Apate, Aporia, Arete, Ate, Bia, Cacia, Caerus, Coalemus, Cratus, Deimus, Dike, Dolus, Dysnomia, Eleus, Elpis, Enyo, Eris, Erotes, Eucleia, Eunomia, Geras, Horcus, Hybris, Hypnus, Hysminae, Irene, Keres, Lethe, Limus, Litae, Lyssa, Machae, Momus, Neicea, Nemesis, Nike, Oneiri, Peitho, Penia, Pheme, Philotes, Phobus, Phonoi, Poenae, Ponus, Porus, Pseudologi, Sophrosyne, Soteria, Thanatus, Zelus <<more>>

DEIFIED MORTALS

Amphiaraus, Ariadne, Aristaeus, Asclepius (2 pages), Dioscuri, Ganymedes, Heracles, Ino, Leucippides, Melicertes, Oreithyia, Psyche, Trophonius <<more>>

PHRYGIAN & THRACIAN GODS

Agdistis, Attis, Bendis, Cotys, Cybele


HESIOD’S FAMILY TREE OF THE GREEK GODS

Hesiod was the author of the Theogony, an ancient Greek poem describing the genealogy of the gods. A graphic chart of Hesiod’s family tree can be found here.

A larger set of family trees including all the gods not mentioned by Hesiod is available here.


POSEIDON


Gods and Goddesses from Mythology — Vocabulary List


  • Zeus

    the supreme god of ancient Greek mythology









  • Aeolus

    god of the winds in ancient mythology









  • Aeolus

    god of the winds in ancient mythology









  • Aether

    personification of the sky or upper air breathed by the Olympians; son of Erebus and night or of Chaos and darkness








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    Aglaia

    (Greek mythology) one of the three Graces









  • Albion

    archaic name for England or Great Britain; used poetically









  • Aphrodite

    goddess of love and beauty and daughter of Zeus in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Venus









  • Apollo

    Greek god of light









  • Apollo

    Greek god of light








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    Ares

    Greek god of war









  • Argus

    a giant with 100 eyes









  • Ariadne

    beautiful daughter of Minos and Pasiphae









  • Artemis

    the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon









  • Asgard

    the heavenly dwelling of the Norse gods and slain war heroes








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    Atlanta

    state capital and largest city of Georgia









  • Atropos

    the Greek goddess of fate who cuts the thread of life









  • Bacchus

    (classical mythology) god of wine; equivalent of Dionysus









  • Balder

    (Norse mythology) god of light and peace and noted for his beauty and sweet nature; son of Odin and Frigg and husband of Nanna; killed by Hoth









  • Boreas

    (Greek mythology) the god who personified the north wind








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    Calliope

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of epic poetry









  • Ceres

    goddess of agriculture; counterpart of Greek Demeter









  • Chaos

    the most ancient of gods









  • Circe

    (Greek mythology) a sorceress who detained Odysseus on her island and turned his men into swine









  • Clio

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of history








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    Clotho

    the Greek goddess of fate who spins the thread of life









  • Cupid

    (Roman mythology) god of love; counterpart of Greek Eros









  • Demeter

    (Greek mythology) goddess of fertility and protector of marriage in ancient mythology; counterpart of Roman Ceres









  • Diana

    virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon









  • Diana

    virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon








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    Dionysus

    god of wine and fertility and drama









  • Erato

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of lyric and love poetry









  • Erebus

    Greek god of darkness who dwelt in the underworld









  • Eros

    god of love; son of Aphrodite; identified with Roman Cupid









  • Euphrosyne

    (Greek mythology) one of the three Graces








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    Europa

    the 4th largest of Jupiter’s satellites









  • Euterpe

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of music (or the flute)









  • Forseti

    (Norse mythology) god of justice; son of Balder and Nanna









  • Frey

    god of earth’s fertility and peace and prosperity









  • Freya

    goddess of love and fecundity








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    Freyr

    god of earth’s fertility and peace and prosperity









  • Frigg

    goddess of the heavens and married love; wife of Odin









  • Frigga

    goddess of the heavens and married love; wife of Odin









  • Gaea

    (Greek mythology) goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology









  • Gaia

    (Greek mythology) goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology








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    Ganymede

    (Greek mythology) a Trojan boy who was so beautiful that Zeus carried him away to serve as cupbearer to the gods









  • Hebe

    the goddess of youth and spring









  • Hecate

    (Greek mythology) Greek goddess of fertility who later became associated with Persephone as goddess of the underworld and protector of witches









  • Heimdall

    (Norse mythology) god of dawn and light; guardian of Asgard








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    Hel

    goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld









  • Helen

    (Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War









  • Hephaestus

    the lame god of fire and metalworking in ancient mythology









  • Hera

    queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology









  • Hermes

    messenger and herald of the gods








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    Hermes

    messenger and herald of the gods









  • Hestia

    the goddess of the hearth and its fire in ancient mythology









  • Hymen

    (Greek mythology) the god of marriage









  • Hypnos

    (Greek mythology) the Greek god of sleep; the son of Nyx









  • Juno

    queen of the Olympian gods who protected marriage








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    Jupiter

    supreme god of Romans; counterpart of Greek Zeus









  • Lachesis

    the Greek goddess of fate who determines the length of the thread of life









  • Leander

    (Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her









  • Loki

    trickster









  • Mars

    Roman god of war and agriculture








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    Medea

    (Greek mythology) a princess of Colchis who aided Jason in taking the Golden Fleece from her father









  • Melpomene

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of tragedy









  • Mercury

    messenger of Jupiter and god of commerce









  • Mercury

    messenger of Jupiter and god of commerce









  • Midgard

    (Norse mythology) the abode of humans in Norse mythology








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    Minerva

    goddess of wisdom; counterpart of Greek Athena









  • Neptune

    a giant planet with a ring of ice particles









  • Nestor

    (Greek mythology) a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy









  • Nike

    winged goddess of victory; identified with Roman Victoria









  • Niobe

    (Greek mythology) the daughter of Tantalus whose boasting about her children provoked Apollo and Artemis to slay them all; Niobe was turned to stone while bewailing her loss








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    Oceanus

    (Greek mythology) god of the stream that flowed around the earth in ancient mythology









  • Odin

    ruler of the Aesir









  • Panacea

    the goddess of healing









  • Penelope

    the wife of Odysseus and a symbol of devotion and fidelity









  • Phobos

    the larger of the two satellites of Mars








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    Phoebus Apollo

    Greek god of light









  • Pluto

    the god of the underworld in ancient mythology









  • Pluto

    the god of the underworld in ancient mythology









  • Poseidon

    the god of the sea and earthquakes in ancient mythology









  • Rhea

    fertility goddess in ancient Greek mythology








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    Sol

    ancient Roman god









  • Terpsichore

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of the dance and of choral song









  • Thalia

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry









  • Thalia

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry









  • Thanatos

    the Greek personification of death; son of Nyx








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    Thor

    god of thunder and rain and farming









  • Tyr

    god of war and strife and son of Odin









  • Urania

    (Greek mythology) the Muse of astronomy









  • Valhalla

    (Norse mythology) the hall in which the souls of heros slain in battle were received by Odin









  • Valkyrie

    (Norse mythology) one of the maidens of Odin who chose heroes to be slain in battle and conducted them to Valhalla








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    Venus

    the second nearest planet to the sun









  • Vesta

    (Roman mythology) goddess of the hearth and its fire whose flame was tended by vestal virgins; counterpart of Greek Hestia









  • Vulcan

    god of fire and metal working









  • Woden

    chief god; counterpart of Norse Odin and Teutonic Wotan









  • Wotan

    supreme Teutonic god








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    Yggdrasil

    (Norse mythology) a huge ash tree whose roots and branches hold the earth and Heaven and Hell together




  • Myths of Ancient Greece. Greek mythology

    Gods of Olympus. Ceiling painting in the hall of Hercules, Versailles

    Long time ago — so long ago, that even then time flowed in the opposite direction, the ancient Hellenes lived on the Balkan Peninsula, who left the richest heritage to the peoples of the whole world. These are not only majestic buildings, beautiful antique wall paintings and marble statues, but also great works of literature, as well as ancient legends that have survived to this day — the myths of Ancient Greece, which reflect the ancient Greeks’ idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe structure of the world and, in general, about all processes occurring in nature and in society. In a word, their world outlook and outlook.

    Greek mythology evolved over several centuries, passed from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. Myths have come to us already in the poetry of Hesiod and Homer, as well as in the works of the Greek playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and others. That is why they had to be collected from a variety of sources.

    Mythographers appeared in Greece around the 4th century BC. These include the sophist Hippias, as well as Herodotus of Heracles, Heraclitus of Pontus and many others. For example, Dionysius of Samoia compiled genealogical tables and studied tragic myths.

    In the heroic period, mythological images are centralized around myths associated with the legendary Mount Olympus.

    According to the myths of ancient Greece, you can recreate a picture of the world in the view of its ancient inhabitants. So, according to Greek mythology, the world was inhabited by monsters and giants: giants, one-eyed cyclops (Cyclops) and mighty Titans — formidable children of the Earth (Gaia) and Heaven (Uranus). In these images, the Greeks personified the elemental forces of nature, which were subdued by Zeus (Dias) — the Thunderer and Cloudbreaker, who established order in the world and became the ruler of the Universe.

    Chronos (Kronos, Saturn). Jean-Baptiste Moses Jupiter and Thetis. Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres

    In the beginning there was only eternal, boundless, dark Chaos , which contained the source of life of the world: everything arose from Chaos — both the whole world and the immortals the gods, and the goddess Earth — Gaia, who gives life to everything that lives and grows on it; and the mighty force that animates everything, Love — Eros.

    But deep under the Earth, gloomy Tartarus was born — a terrible abyss full of eternal darkness.

    Creating the world, Chaos gave birth to Eternal Darkness — Erebus and dark Night — Nikta. And from Night and Darkness came the eternal Light — Ether and the joyful bright Day — Hemera (Imera). Light spread all over the world, and night and day began to replace each other.

    The mighty, gracious Gaia gave birth to the boundless blue Sky — Uranus, which spread over the Earth, reigning throughout the world. The high Mountains, born of the Earth, proudly rose to him, and the eternally noisy Sea spread wide.

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    After the Heaven, Mountains and the Sea came from Mother Earth, Uranus married the blessed Gaia, from whom he had six sons — mighty, formidable titans — and six daughters. The son of Uranus and Gaia is the titan Ocean, flowing around, like a boundless river, the whole earth, and the goddess Thetis gave birth to all the rivers that rolled their waves to the sea, as well as sea goddesses — oceanids. Titan Gipperion and Theia gave the world the Sun — Helios, the Moon — Selena and the ruddy Dawn — pink-fingered Eos [1]. All the stars that burn in the night sky and all the winds originated from Astrea and Eos: the north wind — Boreas (Βορριάς), the east — Eurus (Εύρος), the southern Not (Νοτιάς) and the westerly, gentle wind Zephyr (Ζέφυρος), carrying abundant rain clouds.

    Jupiter on a chariot between Justice and Piety. Noel Kuapel

    In addition to the titans, the mighty Earth gave birth to three giants — Cyclopes with one eye in the forehead — and three fifty-headed hundred-armed giants — Hekatonkheires, against whom nothing could resist, because their elemental strength did not know limit.

    Uranus hated his giant children and imprisoned them in the bowels of the Earth, not allowing them to come out into the light. Mother Earth suffered from the fact that she was crushed by a terrible burden, enclosed in the depths of her bowels. Then she called her children, the titans, to persuade them to rebel against Uranus. However, the titans were afraid to raise a hand against their father. Only the youngest of them, the treacherous Kronos[2], overthrew Uranus by cunning, depriving him of power.

    As a punishment to Kronos, the goddess Night gave birth to Tanata — death, Eris — discord, Apata — deceit, Ker — destruction, Hypnos — a dream with nightmare visions, Nemesis — revenge for crimes — and many other gods who brought Kronos to the world, who reigned on the throne his father, horror, strife, deceit, struggle and misfortune.

    Kronos himself did not have confidence in the strength and durability of his power: he was afraid that his children would rise up against him and he would suffer the fate of his own father Uranus. In this regard, Kronos ordered his wife Rhea to bring him born children, five of whom he ruthlessly swallowed: Hestia[3], Demeter[4], Hera, Hades and Poseidon[5].

    Apotheosis of Hercules.Noel KuapelFlight of Boreas with Oripheus.Charles William Mitchell [6]. Hiding a newborn in a cave, Rhea let the cruel Kronos swallow a long stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of her son. Kronos did not even suspect that he had been deceived by his wife, while Zeus grew up in Crete under the supervision of the nymphs Adrastea and Idea, who fed him with the milk of the divine goat Amalthea. Bees brought honey to little Zeus from the slopes of the high mountain Dikta, and at the entrance to the cave, young Kuretes [7] hit their shields with swords whenever little Zeus cried, so that the all-powerful Kronos would inadvertently hear his cry.

    The titans were replaced by the kingdom of Zeus, who defeated his father Kronos and became the supreme deity of the Olympic pantheon; the ruler of the heavenly powers, commanding thunder, lightning, clouds and showers. Dominating the universe, Zeus gave people laws and guarded order.

    In the view of the ancient Greeks, the Olympic gods were like people and the relationship between them resembled the relationship between people: they quarreled and reconciled, envied and interfered in people’s lives, were offended, took part in wars, rejoiced, had fun and fell in love. Each of the gods had a specific occupation, being responsible for a specific area of ​​life:

    1. Zeus (Dias) — ruler of the sky, father of gods and people.
    2. Hera (Ira) — the wife of Zeus, the patroness of the family.
    3. Poseidon is the lord of the seas.
    4. Hestia (Estia) — protector of the family hearth.
    5. Demeter (Dimitra) — the goddess of agriculture.
    6. Apollo is the god of light and music.
    7. Athena is the goddess of wisdom.
    8. Hermes (Ermis) — the god of trade and the messenger of the gods.
    9. Hephaestus (Ifestos) — the god of fire.
    10. Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty.
    11. Ares (Aris) — the god of war.
    12. Artemis — goddess of the hunt.

    People on earth turned to the gods — to each according to his «specialty», erected temples for them and, in order to propitiate them, brought gifts as sacrifices.

    Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.Pavel IgnatievKlitia.Frederic Leighton

    According to Greek mythology, besides the children of Chaos, the Titans and the Olympian gods, the earth was inhabited by many other deities, personifying the forces of nature.

    Thus, the nymphs Naiads lived in the rivers and streams, the Nereids lived in the sea, the Dryads and Satyrs lived in the forests, and the nymph Echo lived in the mountains.

    The life of a person was controlled by three goddesses-Fate — Moira (Lachesis, Clotho, Atropos). It was they who spun the thread of human life from birth to death and could cut it off whenever they wanted…

    eternal beauty.»

    Welcome to the world of Greek mythology!

    ————————————-

    [1] In Roman mythology — Aurora
    [2] Cronus (Χρόνος) — all-consuming time
    [3] Hestia (Εστία) — goddess of sacrificial fire and hearth, patroness of cities and the state. The Romans have Vesta.
    [4] Demeter (Δήμητρα) — the goddess of fertility of the earth. The Romans have Ceres.
    [5] Hera, Hades and Poseidon corresponded among the Romans to Juno, Pluto and Neptune
    [6] Zeus (Δίας). The Romans have Jupiter.
    [7] Curetes — demigods, guardians and protectors of Zeus. Later, the priests of Zeus and Rhea were called curetes in Crete

    Zeus

    Demeter

    Aphrodite

    Abduction of Europe

    Hera

    Theseus and the Minotaur

    Eros and Psyche

    Abduction of Persephone by Hades

    Goddesses of fate — three sisters of Moira

    Phaeton’s fall

    Daedalus

    Icarus and Daedalus

    The myth of the birth of Zeus

    Talos

    Olympic Gods

    Legendary heroes of Greek myths

    list and description of gods and goddesses

    The religion of ancient Greece refers to pagan polytheism. The gods played important roles in the structure of the world, each performing its own function. The immortal deities were like people and behaved quite humanly: they were sad and rejoiced, quarreled and reconciled, betrayed and sacrificed their interests, were cunning and were sincere, loved and hated, forgave and avenged, punished and pardoned.
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    Table of contents:

    • Ancient Greek gods and goddesses

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    The ancient Greeks explained natural phenomena, the origin of man, moral foundations, social relations by the behavior, as well as by the commands of the gods and goddesses. Mythology reflected the ideas of the Greeks about the world around them. Myths originated in different parts of Hellas and eventually merged into an ordered system of beliefs.

    Gods and goddesses belonging to the younger generation were considered the main ones. The older generation, which embodied the forces of the universe and the elements of nature, lost its dominance over the world, unable to resist the onslaught of the younger ones. Having won, the young gods chose Mount Olympus as their home . The ancient Greeks singled out 12 main Olympic gods from all the deities. So, the gods of Ancient Greece, the list and description:

    • Zeus;
    • Gera;
    • Poseidon;
    • Hades — the gloomy owner of the underworld, was revered, like the main gods, although he did not live on Olympus;
    • Athena;
    • Ares;
    • Hephaestus;
    • Hermes;
    • Apollo;
    • Artemis;
    • Aphrodite;
    • Demeter;
    • Hestia.

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    Zeus and Hera

    Zeus — the god of Ancient Greece — in mythology is called the father of the gods, Zeus the Thunderer, the lord of lightning and clouds. It is he who has the mighty power to create life, to resist chaos, to establish order and a fair trial on earth. Legends tell about the deity as a noble and kind being. The Lord of Lightning gave birth to the goddesses Or and Muses. Or govern the time and seasons of the year. Music brings inspiration and joy to people.

    Hera was the wife of the Thunderer. The Greeks considered her the absurd goddess of the atmosphere. Hera is the guardian of the house, the patroness of wives who are faithful to their husbands. With her daughter Ilithia, Hera relieved the pains of childbirth. Zeus was famous for his passion. After a three-hundred-year marriage, the lord of lightning began to visit ordinary women who gave birth to heroes from him — demigods. Zeus appeared to his chosen ones in different guises. Before the beautiful Europe, the father of the gods stood like a bull with golden horns. Zeus visited Danae as a golden rain.

    Poseidon

    Sea god — lord of the oceans and seas , patron of sailors and fishermen. The Greeks considered Poseidon a just god, all punishments of which were sent to people deservedly. Preparing for the voyage, the sailors offered prayers not to Zeus, but to the lord of the seas. Before going out to sea, incense was offered on altars to please the sea deity.

    The Greeks believed that Poseidon could be seen during a strong storm on the high seas. His magnificent golden chariot emerged from the sea foam, drawn by swift horses. The lord of the ocean received dashing horses as a gift from his brother Hades. The wife of Poseidon is the goddess of the noisy sea, Amphrita. The trident — a symbol of power, gave the deity absolute power over the depths of the sea. Poseidon was distinguished by a gentle character, sought to avoid quarrels. His loyalty to Zeus was not in doubt — unlike Hades, the lord of the seas did not dispute the primacy of the thunderer.
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    Hades

    Lord of the underworld. Hades and his wife Persephone ruled over the kingdom of the dead. The inhabitants of Hellas feared Hades more than Zeus himself. Getting into the underworld — and even more so, returning — is impossible without the will of a gloomy deity. Hades traveled the surface of the earth in a chariot drawn by horses. The eyes of the horses blazed with hellish fire. People in fear prayed that the gloomy god would not take them to their abode. A favorite of Hades, the three-headed dog Cerberus guarded the entrance to the realm of the dead.

    According to the legends, when the gods divided power and Hades got dominion over the realm of the dead, the celestial was dissatisfied. He considered himself humiliated and held a grudge against Zeus. Hades never openly opposed the power of the Thunderer, but constantly tried to harm the father of the gods as much as possible.

    Hades kidnapped the beautiful Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of fertility Demeter, by force making her his wife and ruler of the underworld. Zeus had no power over the realm of the dead, so he refused Demeter’s request to return her daughter to Olympus. The distressed goddess of fertility stopped caring about the earth, drought came, then famine came. The lord of thunder and lightning had to conclude an agreement with Hades, according to which Persephone would spend two-thirds of the year in heaven, and a third of the year in the underworld.

    Pallas Athena and Ares

    Athena is probably the most beloved goddess of the ancient Greeks. The daughter of Zeus, born from his head, she embodied the three virtues:

    • wisdom;
    • peace of mind;
    • insight.

    The goddess of victorious energy, Athena was depicted as a powerful warrior with a spear and shield. She was also the deity of clear skies, having the power to disperse dark clouds with her weapons. The daughter of Zeus traveled with Nike, the goddess of victory. Athena was called upon as the protector of cities and fortresses. It was she who sent down just state laws to Ancient Hellas.

    Ares — deity of stormy skies , the eternal rival of Athena. The son of Hera and Zeus, he was revered as the god of war. A warrior full of rage, with a sword or a spear — this is how Ares was depicted by the imagination of the ancient Greeks. The god of war enjoyed the noise of battle and bloodshed. Unlike Athena, who fought judiciously and honestly, Ares preferred fierce fights. The god of war approved the tribunal — a special trial of particularly cruel murderers. The hill where the courts took place is named after the warlike deity Areopagus.
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    Hephaestus

    God of blacksmithing and fire. According to legend, Hephaestus was cruel to people, frightened and destroyed them with volcanic eruptions. People lived without fire on the surface of the earth, suffering and dying in the eternal cold. Hephaestus, like Zeus, did not want to help mortals and give them fire. Prometheus — a titan, the last of the older generation of gods, was the assistant of Zeus and lived on Olympus. Filled with compassion, he brought fire to the earth. For stealing fire, the Thunderer doomed the titan to eternal torment.

    Prometheus escaped punishment. With visionary abilities, the titan knew that Zeus in the future was threatened with death at the hands of his own son. Thanks to the hint of Prometheus, the lord of lightning did not unite in a marriage alliance with the one who would give birth to a parricide son, and strengthened his dominion forever. For the secret of maintaining power, Zeus gave the titan freedom.

    In Hellas there was a festival of running. Participants competed with lit torches in their hands . Athena, Hephaestus and Prometheus were symbols of the celebration that gave rise to the Olympic Games.

    Hermes

    The deities of Olympus were characterized not only by noble impulses, lies and deceit often guided their actions. God Hermes is a rogue and a thief, the patron of trade and banking, magic, alchemy, astrology. Born by Zeus from the Mayan galaxy. His mission was to convey the will of the gods to people through dreams. From the name of Hermes came the name of the science of hermeneutics — the art and theory of interpretation of texts, including ancient ones.

    Hermes invented writing, he was young, handsome, energetic. Antique images depict him as a handsome young man in a winged hat and sandals. According to legend, Aphrodite rejected the advances of the god of commerce. Gremes is not married, although he has many children, as well as many lovers.

    The first theft of Hermes — 50 cows of Apollo, he committed it at a very young age. Zeus gave the kid a good «bashing» and he returned the stolen. In the future, the Thunderer repeatedly turned to the resourceful offspring to solve delicate problems. For example, at the request of Zeus, Hermes stole a cow from Hera, into which the beloved of the lightning lord turned.
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    Apollo and Artemis

    Apollo is the Greek god of the sun. As the son of Zeus, Apollo spent the winter in the lands of the Hyperboreans. In Greece, the god returned in the spring, bringing the awakening of nature, immersed in hibernation. Apollo patronized the arts, and was also the deity of music and singing. After all, together with the spring, the desire to create returned to people. Apollo was credited with the ability to heal. As the sun casts out darkness, so the celestial cast out ailments. The sun god was depicted as an extremely handsome young man with a harp in his hands.

    Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and the moon, the patroness of animals. The Greeks believed that Artemis made night walks with naiads — the patroness of the waters — and shed dew on the grass. At a certain period in history, Artemis was considered a cruel goddess who destroys sailors. Human sacrifices were made to the deity to gain favor.

    At one time girls worshiped Artemis as the organizer of a strong marriage. Artemis of Ephesus was considered the goddess of fertility. Sculptures and pictures of Artemis depicted a woman with a large number of nipples on her chest to emphasize the generosity of the goddess.

    Soon the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene appeared in the legends. Apollo remained the deity of music and art, Artemis — the goddess of hunting .

    Aphrodite

    Aphrodite the Beautiful was worshiped as the patroness of lovers. The Phoenician goddess Aphrodite combined two principles:

    • femininity, when the goddess enjoyed the love of the young man Adonis and the singing of birds, the sounds of nature;
    • militancy, when the goddess was depicted as a cruel warrior who obliged her followers to take a vow of chastity, and was also a zealous guardian of fidelity in marriage.

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    The ancient Greeks managed to harmoniously combine femininity and militancy, creating a perfect image of female beauty. The embodiment of the ideal was Aphrodite, carrying pure, immaculate love. The goddess was depicted as a beautiful naked woman emerging from the foam of the sea. Aphrodite is the most revered muse of poets, sculptors, artists of that time.

    The son of the beautiful goddess Eros (Eros) was her faithful messenger and helper. The main task of the god of love was to connect the life lines of lovers. According to legend, Eros looked like a plump baby with wings .

    Demeter

    Demeter is the patron goddess of farmers and winemakers. Mother Earth, as they called her. Demeter was the embodiment of nature, which gives people fruits and cereals, absorbing sunlight and rains. They portrayed the goddess of fertility with blond, wheaten hair. Demeter gave people the science of arable farming and crops grown by hard work. The daughter of the goddess of winemaking Persephone, becoming the queen of the underworld, connected the world of the living with the kingdom of the dead.

    Together with Demeter, Dionysus, the deity of winemaking, was revered. Dionysus was portrayed as a cheerful young man. Usually his body was entwined with a vine, and in his hands the god held a jug filled with wine. Dionysus taught people to take care of vines, to sing exuberant songs, which later formed the basis of ancient Greek drama.

    Hestia

    Goddess of family prosperity, unity and peace. The altar of Hestia stood in every house near the family hearth. The inhabitants of Hellas perceived urban communities as large families, therefore, in the pritanei (administrative buildings in Greek cities), the sanctuaries of Hestia were always present. They were a symbol of civil unity and peace. There was a sign that if you take coals from the altar of the pritanei on a long journey, then the goddess will provide her protection on the way. The goddess also protected strangers and the afflicted.

    Hestia’s temples were not built because she was worshiped in every household. Fire was considered a clean, cleansing natural phenomenon, so Hestia was perceived as the patroness of chastity.

    By alexxlab

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