GODS AND TITANS OF ANCIENT GREECE ORIGINS AND EXPLANATIONS

ZEUS HE IS THE LORD OF THE SKY, THE RAIN GOD. HIS WEAPON IS THE THUNDERBOLT WHICH HE HURLS AT THOSE WHO DISPLEASE HIM. HE IS THE SUPREME RULER OF THE GODS.

POSEIDON HE IS THE LORD OF THE SEAS. HIS WEAPON IS THE TRIDENT AND HE CAN SHAKE THE EARTH AND SHATTER ANY OBJECT. HE HAS A DIFFICULT AND QUARRELSOME PERSONALITY AND IS GREEDY

HADES HE WAS THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD. HE RARELY LEAVES THE UNDERWORLD. HE IS UNPITYING AND TERRIBLE, BUT NOT CAPRICIOUS.

HESTIA SHE IS THE GODDESS OF THE HEARTH, THE SYMBOL OF THE HOUSE AROUND WHICH A NEW BORN CHILD IS CARRIED BEFORE IT IS RECEIVED INTO THE FAMILY.

HERA SHE IS THE PROTECTOR OF MARRIAGE AND TAKES SPECIAL CARE OF MARRIED WOMEN. HER SACRED ANIMALS ARE THE COW AND THE PEACOCK.

ARES ARES IS THE GOD OF WAR. HE WAS DISLIKED BY BOTH OF HIS PARENTS. HE IS CONSIDERED BLOODSTAINED AND MURDEROUS BUT, ALSO A COWARD. HIS ANIMAL IS THE DOG.

ATHENA SHE SPRANG IN FULL ARMOR FROM THE FOREHEAD OF ZEUS, THUS SHE HAS NO MOTHER. SHE IS THE GODDESS OF THE CITY, HANDICRAFTS AND AGRICULTURE. SHE IS THE EMBODIMENT OF WISDOM, REASON AND PURITY.

APOLLO HE IS THE GOD OF MUSIC, AND THE TWIN BROTHER OF ARTEMIS. HE IS THE GOD OF LIGHT, HEALING AND TRUTH. MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE DRIVES HIS CHARIOT OF FOUR HORSES ACROSS THE SKY PULLING THE SUN.

APHRODITE SHE IS THE GODDESS OF LOVE, DESIRE AND BEAUTY. THE STORY SAYS SHE ROSE FROM THE SEA FOAM ON A GIANT SCALLOP AND WALKED TO SHORE IN CYPRUS.

HERMES HE IS THE FASTEST OF THE GODS AND ZEUS’S MESSENGER. HE INVENTED THE LYRE, THE PIPES, THE MUSICAL SCALE, ASTRONOMY, WEIGHTS AND MEASURES, BOXING AND GYMNASTICS.

ARTEMIS SHE IS THE TWIN SISTER OF APOLLO. SHE IS THE HUNTSMAN OF THE GODS, PROTECTOR OF THE YOUNG AND LADY OF THE WILD THINGS. SHE IS THE GODDESS OF CHASTITY BUT, ALSO PRESIDES OVER CHILDBIRTH. ALL WILD ANIMALS ARE SACRED TO HER.

HEPHAESTUS HE IS THE ONLY PHYSICALLY UGLY GOD AND HE IS ALSO LAME. HE IS KIND AND PEACELOVING AND THE PATRON GOD OF BOTH SMITHS AND WEAVERS AS WELL AS THE FIRE AND THE FORGE.

DEMETER SHE IS THE GODDESS OF CORN, GRAIN AND THE HARVEST. SHE IS INTIMATELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEASON, (SEE STORY OF DAUGHTER PERSEPHONE)

PERSEPHONE SHE IS THE DAUGHTER OF ZEUS AND DEMETER. AFTER HER ABDUCTION BY HADES, SHE BECAME QUEEN OF THE UNDERWORLD.

DIONYSUS HE IS THE GOD OF WINE. HE HAS A DUAL NATURE, ON THE ONE HAND BRINGING JOY AND DIVINE ECSTASY AND THE OTHER BRUTAL, UNTHINKING RAGE. WHILE OTHER GODS HAD TEMPLES HIS FOLLOWERS WORSHIPPED HIM IN THE WOODS.

EROS HE IS THE GOD OF LOVE. HE IS OFTEN REPRESENTED AS BEING BLINDFOLDED, LOVE IS BLIND. HIS WEAPON IS DARTS OR ARROWS WITH MAGICALLY TREATED TIPS.

HEBE SHE IS THE GODDESS OF YOUTH. SHE, ALONG WITH GANNYMEDE ARE CUPBEARERS TO THE GODS. SHE IS THE WIFE OF HERACLES.

ERIS SHE IS THE GODDESS OF DISCORD. SHE IS UNPOPULAR AND IS OFTEN SNUBBED AS A GUEST BY OTHER GODS AND MANKIND. SHE IS THE SISTER OF ARES.

THANATOS HE IS THE GREEK GOD OF DEATH. HE MAY BE THOUGHT OF AS THE PERSONIFICATION OF DEATH. HE TENDS TO BE OVERSHADOWED BY HADES, LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD.

PAN HE IS THE GOD OF GOATHERDS AND SHEPHERDS. HE IS PLAYFUL AND MERRY AND FREQUENTLY SEEN DANCING WITH WOODLAND NYMPHS. HE IS AN EXCELLENT MUSICIAN AND PLAYS THE PIPES.

ASCLEPIUS HE IS A GOD OF HEALING AND HIS SYMBOL IS A SNAKE. HIS STORY IS ONE OF SCANDAL AND MYSTERY THAT INVOLVES MANY OF THE GODS.

ATLAS ATLAS WAS ONE OF THE TITANS AND FOUGHT WITH CRONUS AGAINST ZEUS. ZEUS PROVIDED A UNIQUE PUNISHMENT FOR HIM BY MAKING HIM HOLD UP THE WORLD ON HIS BACK.

EPIMETHEUS HE WAS A TITAN AND HIS NAME MEANS AFTERTHOUGHT. HE AND HIS BROTHER WERE DELEGATED TO CREATE MANKIND. HE ALSO ACCEPTED THE GIFT OF PANDORA FROM ZEUS, WHICH INTRODUCED EVIL INTO THE WORLD.

PROMETHEUS HE WAS THE WISEST TITAN. HIS NAME MEANS FORETHOUGHT. HE IS KNOWN AS THE PROTECTOR AND BENEFACTOR OF MAN. FOR TRICKING HIM, ZEUS HAD HIM CHAINED TO A ROCK WHERE AN EAGLE TORE AT HIS FLESH FOR ETERNITY, OR UNTIL HERACLES RESCUED HIM.

PHOEBE SHE IS THE TITAN OF THE MOON. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF LETO. HER NAME DOES NOT APPEAR IN MANY OF THE STORIES, BUT HOLDS AN IMPORTANT PART.

RHEA SHE IS THE WIFE OF CRONUS. HER HUSBAND HAD THE BAD HABIT OF SWALLOWING THEIR CHILDREN. SHE TRICKED HIM INTO SWALLOWING A ROCK, SAVING THEIR SON ZEUS.

CRONUS HE WAS THE RULING TITAN. THE PERIOD OF HIS RULE WAS SAID TO BE THE GOLDEN AGE ON EARTH. HIS SON ZEUS WOULD REVOLT AGAINST HIM AND BANNISH HIM TO THE UNDERWORLD AREA OF TARTARUS.

GAEA SHE IS THE EARTH GODDESS. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF THE BULK OF THE TITANS. SHE MAY BE REFERED TO AS MOTHER EARTH.

DIONE SHE IS THE MOTHER OF APHRODITE.

CHARTS OF THE GODS

MAPS OF GREECE

EREBUS AND APOLLO

THE END