Greek Mythology The Olympians

1. ZEUS He overthrew his father, Cronus. He then drew lots with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades (Pluto). Zeus won the draw and became supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the heavens and the supreme god. His weapon is the thunderbolt, which he hurls at those who displease him. He is know to punish those that lie or break oaths. He is married to Hera, but is famous for his love affairs.

2. Poseidon He is the brother of Zeus. He is second only to Zeus in power among the gods. He is the god of the oceans, and was widely worshipped by sailors, as he controlled the storms and the weather. He married Amphitrite, the granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. He once desired Demeter, and to put him off, she asked him to create the most beautiful animal the world had ever seen. By the time he had finished, his passion for Demeter had cooled, and he had created the horse. His weapon is the trident, which can shake the earth and shatter any object.

Poseidon

3. hades (or Pluto)- He is the brother of Zeus. He is lord of the Underworld, ruler of the dead. He married Persephone, whom he abducted. He is a greedy god, and those whose calling increase the number of deceased are seen favorably. He is also the god of wealth, due to all the precious metals mined from the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisible.

4. hestia She is Zeus’ sister. She is the virgin goddess of the hearth, and the symbol of the house around which a newborn child was carried before it was received into its family. Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out.

5. Hera She is the wife and sister of Zeus. She is the protector of marriage, and takes special care of married women. She was tricked into marrying Zeus, and many stories involving Hera are about her jealous revenge for Zeus’s many affairs. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock.

6. Ares He is the son of Zeus and Hera, and was disliked by both parents. He is the god of war. He is considered murderous and bloodstained, but also a coward. His bird is the vulture and animal is the dog.

7. athena She is the daughter of Zeus, but has no mother. She sprang from Zeus’s forehead fully grown and in full armor after Zeus swallowed the Titaness Metis. She is the virgin goddess of wisdom and war, but prefers reason to violence, except when pushed. She is fierce and brave in battle, a better warrior that even Ares. She is also the goddess of handicrafts, and invented the chariot. She invented the olive tree as her gift to the city of Athens. She was Zeus’ favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons, including his thunderbolt. The owl is her bird.

8. apollo He is the son of Zeus and Titaness Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of poetry, archery, light, music, and truth. He played the lyre, shot a silver bow and arrow, taught man medicine, and could not ever speak a lie. His important task was to draw the sun from east to west in the sky with his horses and chariot. He had an oracle in the city of Delphi, and people would travel to it from all over to have predictions of their futures. His tree was the laurel, his bird the crow, and his animal the dolphin.

9. artemis She is the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the virgin goddess of the hunt and wild animals. She is the huntsman of the gods. Like Apollo, she hunts with silver arrows, and is accompanied by three hunting hounds. She is the protector of the children and also presides over childbirth. Her important task is to draw the moon across the sky. Her tree is the cypress, and all animals are sacred to her, especially the deer.

10. aphrodite She is the goddess of love, beauty, and desire. Her father is Uranus, and she was born when his blood dropped into the ocean. She arose out of the sea foam on a giant clam shell and walked to shore. She has no formal duties except being lovely. She is married to Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree. The swan, dove , and sparrow are her birds.

11. hermes He is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is the god of trade and commerce. Fastest of the gods, he is the messenger of the gods. He was given this job to keep him away from mischief. He wears winged sandals and a winged hat. He invented the lyre, the pipes , the alphabet, the calendar, weights and measures, astronomy, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees.

12. hephaestus He is the son of Zeus and Hera. He is the only god that is physically deformed. He was thrown from Mt. Olympus by his mother, enraged at giving birth to an ugly child. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is the smith and armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is the patron god of both smiths and sculptors. He is kind and peace- loving. His wife is Aphrodite, who was forced to marry him by Zeus, and Hephaestus suffered he many infidelities.