6 Gods and

6 Goddesses from
Greek Mythology

Cabrera, Job Daniel B.

TTH 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Sir. Abedi
GODS:

ZEUS

Zeus was the king of the gods. He could control the weather. The ancient Greek poet, Hesiod,

called him the 'cloud-gatherer' and the 'thunderer'. His most powerful weapon was the

thunderbolt. The ancient Greeks believed that when lightning struck earth, it was a sign of Zeus

being present.

Apollo

Apollo was the god of the sun, truth, music, poetry, dance and healing. Poets and bards put

themselves under his protection.

 Poseidon

Poseidon was the god of the sea and horses. He was the brother of Zeus. He was known for his

bad temper and was greatly feared because of his ability to cause earthquakes. He was believed

to be able to make fresh water gush forth from the earth.

Hermes

Hermes was the god of travel, business, weights and measures and sports. He was the messenger

of the gods and guided the souls of the dead to the underworld. He was also the patron of

herdsmen, thieves, graves and messengers. His staff caused men to fall asleep instantly.
 Ares

Ares was the god of war. However, unlike Athena, he was not very cunning in battle. He was not

a popular god. In 'The Iliad' Zeus complained that Ares was the most hated of all his children.

Hades

Hades was Zeus and Poseidon’s elder brother. Although a god of Mount of Olympus, Hades

rarely left his dark kingdom, the underworld, where he ruled over the dead. Because he

represented death, Hades was the most feared of the Ancient Greek gods – some people even

refused to say his name! Hades was aided in the underworld by his three headed dog, Cerberus.
GODDESSES:

Hera

Hera was Zeus’ wife and queen of the gods. She was the goddess of women, marriage and

family. Hera was well worshipped by the Ancient Greeks, and the oldest and most important

temples of the region were built in honour of her. Her sacred animals were the cow, lion and

peacock.

Athena

Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, skill and war. She taught humans various skills and

crafts such as weaving, and would protect heroes during war. She was said to be Zeus’ favourite

daughter, so much so that he would allow her to use his weapons – even this blastastic

thunderbolt! Her sacred animal was the owl.

 Demeter

Demeter was the goddess of fertility and agriculture. She was an important goddess for farmers

and women. Demeter was also associated with the underworld.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. She was the wife of Hephaistos but was in love

with the war god Ares.

 Artemis

Artemis was the goddess of hunting, archery and childbirth. She was also the goddess of wild

animals and was normally portrayed as living in the countryside. She had the ability to send

plagues or sudden death to mortals, but she could also heal them. She was the twin sister of the

god Apollo.

Hestia

Although Hestia appeared in a few stories, she was not overly significant in Greek mythology.

She was a sibling to Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus.Hestia is completely omitted

from the works of Homer, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

References: http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/gods/explore/exp_set.html
https://www.natgeokids.com/za/discover/history/greece/greek-gods/