Greek Mythology

The Olympians are the gods who live on Mount Olympus, all of them somehow related to the supreme god Zeus. More specifically, the Twelve Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Hestia, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Hermes. Hestia was often replaced by Dionysus. Heracles, Asclepius, Hades and Persephone were sometimes also included as part of the twelve Olympians (primarily due to the influence of the Eleusinian Mysteries), although in general Hades was excluded, because he resided permanently in the underworld and never visited Mount Olympus. 1. Zeus ( Greek: or , Latin: Jupiter ) is, in greek mythology, the most powerful olympian god, the king of the gods. His symbols are the thunderbolt, bull, oak and eagle. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea.

Cronus sired several children by Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, but swallowed them all as soon as they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overcome by his own son as he had overthrown his own father - an oracle that Zeus was to hear and avert. But when Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Cronus would get his retribution for his acts against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed. After reaching manhood, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge first the stone then his

siblings in reverse order of swallowing. Then Zeus released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon in Tartarus, killing their guard, Campe. As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia. Together, Zeus and his brothers and sisters, along with the Gigantes, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other Titans, in the combat called the Titanomachy. The defeated Titans were then cast into a shadowy underworld region known as Tartarus. Atlas, one of the titans that fought against Zeus, was punished by having to hold up the sky. After the battle with the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades. Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld ).

2. Hades ( Greek: , Latin: Pluto ) is the god of the dead and the underworld, but the underworld was often refferd to his name. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Poseidon.

The Cyclops gave Hades the helmet of invisibility ( helm of darkness ) to help in the gods' battle with the Titans. The night before the first battle, Hades put on his helmet and, being invisible, slipped over to the Titans camp and distroyed their weapons. The war lasted for ten years and enden with the victory of the younger gods ( Zeus, Poseidon and Hades ). After the war Hades receved Underworld for his realm. The consort of Hades was Persephone, represented by the Greeks as daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Despite modern connotations of death as evil, Hades was actually more altruistically inclined in mythology. Hades was often portrayed as passive rather than evil; his role was often maintaining relative balance.

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Poseidon ( Greek: , Latin: Neptune )is the god of the sea and earthquakes. Poseidon was seen as creating new islands and offering calm seas. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus, Hades, Hera, Demeter, Hestia. His symbols are: dolphins, tridents, and three-pronged fish spears.

One of the most notorious love affairs of Poseidon involves his sister, Demeter. Poseidon pursued Demeter and to avoid him she turned herself into a mare. In his lust for her, Poseidon transformed himself into a stallion and captured her. Their procreation resulted in a horse, Arion. Another story of Poseidon involves the competition between him and the goddess of war, Athena, for the city of Athens. To win the people of the city over, Poseidon threw a spear at the ground and produced the Spring at the Acropolis. However, Athena won as the result of giving the people of Athens the olive tree.

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Aphrodite (Greek: Latin: Venus ) In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and love. According to the legends, she was born in Cyprus when Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw his severed genitals into the sea, and from the aphros (sea foam) arose Aphrodite.

Because of her beauty, other gods feared that jealousy would interrupt the peace between them and lead to war, and so Zeus married her to Hephaestus who was not viewed as a threat. However, Aphrodite became instrumental in the Eros and Psyche legend, and later was both Adonis' lover and a surrogate mother. Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods and mortals. Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis. Some of her sons are Eros, Anteros, Aeneas.

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Apollo is the god of music, prophecies, poetry, and archery. He is the son of Zeus and leto; and twin brother of Artemis. His symbols are the bow, lyre, and laurel. Apollo olso has been recognized as the god of light and sun.

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Ares ( Greek: , Latin: Mars ) is the god of war. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, but neither of his parents liked him. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. His symbols include the vulture and the dog, and he often carried a bloody spear.

7. Artemis ( Greek: , Latin: Diana ) is the goddess of forests and hills, child birth, virginity, fertility, the hunt, and often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and

arrows. Artemis later became identified with Selene, he Titan goddess of the moon, and she was sometimes depicted with a crescent moon above her head. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin of Apollo. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows.

She is a virgin goddess, and the goddess of chastity. She also presides over childbirth, which may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto no pain when she was born. Her symbols include the cypress tree and the deer.

8. Athena ( Greek: , Latin: Minerva ) is the goddess of wisdom and war. She is the virgin patron of Athens, which built the Parthenon to worship her. However, as the goddess of war, her field of expertise was not violence, that is the domain of Ares, god of war. She is the goddess of the more disciplined aspect of war, such as strategy. Athena was born fully-armed from the forehead of her father Zeus, this is because he swallowed her mother, Metis, while she was pregnant with Athena.

Her symbols are: the owl, signifying watchfulness and wisdom; the aegis (small shield) showing the snaky head of Medusa.

Athena and Poseidon competed for Athens, each providing a gift for the city. Poseidon struck a rock with his trident and caused a spring of water. Athena planted a seed in the ground and turned into an olive tree. The citizen liked this gift better and named their city Athens; Athena become the patron of the city.

9. Demeter ( Greek: , Latin: Ceres ) is the goddess of grain, fertility and harvest. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus. Her symbols are the scepter and torch. Controller of the seasons and thus the ability to kill all life on earth. This power was evidenced when her daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and Demeter went on

to plunge the earth into perpetual winter forcing Zeus to intervene before she massacred all life in her grief. Demeter is often pictured holding wheat.

10. Hephaestos ( Greek: , Latin: Vulcan ) is the god of fire and forge. He is the son of Zeus and Hera. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olimpus into the sea, breaking his legs. He is the smith and armorer of the gods and other heroes like Achilles. He uses a volcano as his forge.

Married to Aphrodite, but she doesn't love him because he is deformed and, she's cheating on him with Ares. He had a daughter named Pandora. His symbols are an axe, a hammer and a flame.

11. Hera (Greek: Latin: Juno ) is Zeus sister and wife. She is the queen of the gods and the protector of marriage and takes special care of married women. Hera's marriage was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccesfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her breast to warm it. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the suprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame.

Once when Zeus was being partcularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over the next step. Briareus overheard the arguements. Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly untie the many knots. Zeus sprang from the couch and grapped up his thuderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She wept in pain all night but, none of the others dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up and the next morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. She had little choice but, to agree. While she never again rebeled, she often intrigued against Zeus's plans and she was often able to outwit him.

12. Hermes ( Greek: , Latin: Mercury ) is the god of flight, thieves, commerce, and travelers. Messenger of the gods. He showed the way for the dead souls to Hades's realm. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy , weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees. Likes to trick people and is very inventive. His symbols are the caduceus and winged boots.

13. Hestia ( Greek ; Latin: Vesta ) is the goddess of the hearth, of the right ordering of domesticity and the family, who received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out. She is the sister of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. Originally listed as one of the twelve olympians, Hestia gave up her seat in favor of newcommer Dionysus to tend the sacred fire on Mount Olympus. She is a virgin goddess. In the Homeric hymn, Hestia is

located in ancient Delphi, rather than at the hearth of Zeus on Mount Olympus, which was considered the central hearth of all the hellenes.

Homeric hymn to Hestia 24 "Hestia, in the high dwellings of all, both deathless gods and men who walk on earth, you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honour: glorious is your portion and your right. For without you mortals hold no banquet,--where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Hestia both first and last. And you, Argeiphontes [Hermes], son of Zeus and Maia, . . . be favourable and help us, you and Hestia, the worshipful and dear. Come and dwell in this glorious house in friendship together; for you two, well knowing the noble actions of men, aid on their wisdom and their strength. Hail, Daughter of Kronos, and you also, Hermes. " Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollo, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise: draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song."