The Greek Gods and Goddesses

Zeus

Zeus  The youngest Son of Cronus and Rhea  Supreme ruler of Mt. Olympus  He upheld the law, justice and morals; spiritual leader of both gods and men  He controlled thunderbolts and rain  Symbols: thunderbolt, eagle, bull, scepter  Famous for overthrowing his father, Cronus  Married to Hera  Had many children-from all his children Zeus gave man all he needed to live life in an ordered, moral way

Hera

Hera  The queen of Olympian deities  Mainly worshiped as the goddess of marriage and birth  Very jealous of all of Zeus’s affairs  She punished her rivals and their children  Zeus was afraid of her wrath  Her symbol is the peacock, cow, crow, pomegranate

Ares

Ares  God of war and battle, the instigator of violence  Because of his cruel and war-like nature, all the gods despised him  Had a giant stature, and loud voice, and surpassed all gods in speed  In love with Aphrodite  Ares had a quadriga – a chariot drawn by four gold-bridled (Iliad v.352) fire-emitting immortal stallions. quadriga  Ares was recognized by his bronze armor; he brandished a spear in battle.

Apollo

Apollo  Twin brother of Artemis  God of music, prophecy, medicine, poetry, dance, carer of herds, and light  Symbols are bow and arrow, laurel crown, lyre  Had lots of love afairs

Artemis

Artemis  Twin of Apollo  Goddess of the wilderness and the hunt, wild animals, fertility  Was a virgin goddess and spent her time hunting in the mountains  Always carried a bow and arrow  Killed anyone who tried to take away her purity  Symbols were the bow and arrow, crescent moon, and cypress tree

Hephaestus  God of fire, blacksmithing, craftsmen, metals  Was born weak and crippled-one of his parents threw him off Mt. Olympus  Given Aphrodite as his bride-she cheated on him all the time  Hephaestus split open Zeus’s head with an axe and out sprang Athena  Made tons of metal equipment for all the Gods  Made thunderbolts for Zeus  Hephaestus even helped create the first woman out of clay  His symbols are smith’s hammer, anvil, axe, cain

Dionysus

Dionysus  God of wine, agriculture, Greek stage, ecstasy, intoxication  Dionysus was born from one of Zeus’s affairs, and Hera almost killed him  Arrived late in Greek mythology  Symbols- bull, serpent, wine, ivy

Athena

Athena  Goddess of wisdom, war, art, industry, justice, and skill  She was the favorite child of Zeus, and she sprang from fully grown his head  Virgin patron of Athens, giving the city the gift of the olive tree  Symbols: breast plate, shield, owl, helmet, the goddess Nike (victory)

Poseidon

Poseidon  God of the sea, earthquakes, horses  Symbols: dolphins, tridents, and three pronged fish spears  Had many love-affairs, fathered many children  He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral and gems.  He was moody and could be violent  He could strike his spear and cause earth- quakes

Demeter

Demeter  Brings forth the fruits of the Earth and grains  She taught man-kind the art of sowing and ploughing so that they could end their nomadic lives  Because of her daughter, Persephone’s abduction, she controls the seasons  Symbols: braided corn, fruit, torch, pig

Aphrodite

Aphrodite  Goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture  She was born from the male parts of Uranus, father of the Gods, (or Zeus) and she arose out of the sea from sea foam  Married to Hephaestus  Obviously had many lovers  Her symbols are: the dolphin, dove, swan and lime tree

Hestia

Hestia  Goddess of the hearth, domesticity, family  To honor her the hearth fire in a Greek household could not go out unless ritually extinguished  She sat on a plain wooden throne with a white woolen cushion  Symbols were the hearth and the pig

Hermes

Hermes  God of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weights and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness. Most importantly, he is the messenger of the gods.  Being the herald (messenger of the gods), it was his duty to guide the souls of the dead down to the underworld, which is known as a psychopomp.  He was also closely connected with bringing dreams to mortals.  Symbols: winged cap, winged sandals and the heralds staff