The Greek gods are immortal beings who rule over the cosmos and the human realm with their unique powers. Even though they are supernatural beings, they have similar emotions to that of humans. They can be jealous, mischievous, romantic, angry, etc. Many of their stories include these feelings and feature plots against one another or they will have a young hero further their own agenda.
I first became interested in Greek mythology when I was in 4th grade. We studied the Greek gods that year and thanks to my interest in the Percy Jackson series, it was love at first sight. I became obsessed with all the different myths and even wanted to be a demi-god, half mortal and half god, so I could go to camp half-blood from the books. I have always found their stories and dynamics with one another fascinating. Especially, since the family trees can become quite complex and figuring out who was related to whom was like a puzzle.
The Twelve Olympians
Residing on Mount Olympus, the major characters consist of twelve major gods. Bear in mind there are Titans (who came before the gods), many minor gods and a fair amount of mythological creatures that are not featured here. However, the twelve are the most well known.
Zeus
Zeus is the king of the gods, ruler of the skies and wielder of lightning bolts. With the assistance of his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, Zeus overthrew his Titan father and later received his role of ruler. Married to Hera, his sister/wife, Zeus has a habit of committing infidelity with mortal women. His most notable indiscretion was with Helen of Troy.
Hera
Hera is the queen of the gods, goddess of marriage and women. Married to Zeus, her brother/husband, she does not treat his indiscretions kindly and takes out her vengeance on the women he cheats with. She has a proclivity to turn these women into different types of animals.
Poseidon
Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses. Some of his notable offspring include the winged horse Pegasus and the cyclopes featured in Homer’s Odyssey, Polyphemus. He is married to Amphitrite, a sea nymph, who is his queen of the seas.
Demeter
Demeter is goddess of agriculture and the harvest. Due to consorting with her brother Zeus, Demeter has her daughter Persephone. Persephone, goddess of spring, is most well known for her marriage to Hades where she must spend half of her time in the Underworld and half of her time above. It is said the seasons change and we have winter because Demeter misses her daughter so much when she is away.
Athena
Athena is the goddess of wisdom, handicraft’s and strategic warfare. In an attempt to stop a prophecy, Zeus swallowed his pregnant first wife Metis who was goddess of counsel and wisdom. Athena developed in his head until a strike was delivered to his skull which triggered her birth. She emerged fully grown in armor. Athena played an important role in Homer’s Odyssey as she guided Odysseus, Perseus and Hercules during their trials. Athena never married and remains a virgin goddess.
Apollo
Apollo is the god of the sun, music, poetry, and prophecy. The Titaness Leto, goddess of motherhood, childbirth, and modesty, gave birth to the twins Artemis and Apollo on the island of Delos. Since Zeus was the father of the twins, Hera had banished Leto and she had to give birth on a floating island. Apollo most famously spoke through the Oracle of Delphi, the most famous oracle in all of ancient Greece, and delivered cryptic messages regarding the future.
Artemis
Artemis is goddess of the hunt, wilderness and the moon. Apollo rides his chariot through the sky to bring the daylight and Artemis rides hers to bring the nighttime. While the twins are associated with these times, it is important to remember that they are not the sun and moon themselves, as those are other gods. Artemis is yet another maiden goddess, she served as the fierce protector of young girls, unmarried maidens, and women in childbirth.
Ares
Ares is the god of war and bloodlust. It is said that his half sister Athena represents the more noble aspects of combat and civil conduct during war. The king and queen of the gods are his parents, Zeus and Hera. Ares notoriously has an affair with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who is married to Hephaestus, god of the forge. Their union even produced several children.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. There are conflicting stories about her birth and parentage. One story says she was born fully grown from sea foam. Another story states that she was the offspring of Zeus and the titan Dione, who was an oracle. Some stories say that after Hephaestus freed Hera from a magical throne, Zeus forced Aphrodite to marry him as a reward.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus is the god of fire, metalworking and craftsmanship. He is the blacksmith of the gods and created iconic items such as Zeus’s lightning bolts. His parents are the king and queen of the gods. When he was born it was said that he was so ugly he was cast off Olympus by his parents. He built an invisible net that went over a throne and gifted it to Hera. Some stories say that once he had trapped her, Zeus exchanged Aphrodite’s hand in marriage for freeing her.
Hermes
Hermes is the messenger god, patron of travelers, merchants, and thieves. As the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, he was the primary herald for his father. One of his duties included being a psychopomp – safely escorting the souls to the Underworld. He was famously a negotiator between Zeus and the Underworld after Hades kidnapped Persephone. Since Persephone must spend six months in the Underworld and six months in the mortal realm, Hermes assists her transition.
Dionysus
Dionysus is the god of wine, theater and festivity. His parents were Zeus and a mortal woman Semele. Hera tricked Semele into gazing upon Zeus’s divine form and she perished instantly. Zeus was able to save the unborn Dionysus and he sewed him into his thigh. Dionysus later emerged a god. As a result of this, he is referred to as being twice-born.
*It should be noted that Hades is not a part of the Twelve Olympians due to the fact that he does not reside on Mount Olympus but rather in the Underworld.
Other Major Deities
Hades
Hades is the god of the dead and king of the Underworld. After he and his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, overthrew their titan parents the three brothers drew lots to divide the cosmos. Hades drew the Underworld and has been equated with evil but was seen a strict but fair guardian of balance. He was particularly cunning when it came to his marriage to Persephone. He tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds, a food of the Underworld, so that she would have to remain with him for a portion of the year.
Hestia
Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, home and state agriculture. She is a maiden goddess who provides essential warmth, food, and a sacred space for sacrifices. Hestia was deeply revered in every household. Unlike many of the gods and goddesses, Hestia is known for being peaceful, forgiving, and uninvolved in wars and conflicts with the other gods.
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