Greek Mythology Part II The Olympians

Aphrodite / Venus “The Birth of Venus” Botticelli, Embodies the overwhelming power of human sexual attraction, married to Hephaestus. Attributes: Eros (‘love’ or ‘desire’ shown as a winged boy, with bows and arrows) often shown nude, doves, girdle. Concern: Human sexuality, lust passion, beauty.

Athena / Minerva Virgin patron Goddess of Athens, represented reason’s control over elemental force. Concern: Civilization (cities), arts and crafts, wisdom, protector of heroes. Attributes: Helmet, spear, shield, aegis (breastplate), owl, olive tree, snake. “Minerva Victorious Over Ignorance” Spronger, 1591

Ares / Mars “Ares” Leagros Group, BCE God of war and battle, the personification of blood lust and the warrior’s desire to kill. Concern: War and battle, mercilessness, fearlessness, indifference to pain in combat. Attributes: Mostly shown in full armour.

Artemis / Diana “Diana” Renoir, 1867 Virgin goddess of the hunt, protector of all things virgin and pure in nature. Concern: Hunting, wild beasts, hunter of human prey (sudden deaths of women particularly in childbirth were said to be caused by Artemis as punishment for their loss of purity). Attributes: Nymphs, arrows and bow of gold, short dress, wild animals.

Apollo Attributes: Shown as an attractive beardless young man, lyre, bow. Concern: The arts (dancing, music, singing, entertaining) plague and sickness, healing (purification), prophecy. Oral poet of the Gods, bearer of traditional male aristocratic Greek culture. “Apollo and Artemis”

Hephaestus / Vulcan “Hephaestus and Thetis” Dutuit Painter 480 BCE Patron God of metalworkers, chief promoter of civilisation and city life, protector of the artisan class. Attributes: Lame, ugly, often shown wearing a cap, hammer. Concern: The fire of the metalworkers forge, volcanoes, crafts (metal work, pottery).

Hermes / Mercury “Mercury” Schardt, 1530 The trickster god whose stone likeness (Herms) were used as boundary markers and street signposts. Concerns: Protector of travellers, merchants, shepherds and their flocks. Herald of the gods and protector of human heralds, guide of souls to the underworld, bringer of dreams, governor of intelligent speech. Attributes: Caduceus (staff entwined with two snakes), winged helmet and sandals.

Hestia / Vesta Virgin goddess of the hearth and home, never left Olympus and never got involved in the struggles of men or gods. Concern: Discovered how to build houses, altars, hearths, States, and town halls. The guardian of the innermost things. Attributes: Rarely shown. ‘Hestia Giustiniani’ Graesk c470

Hades / Pluto “Persephone and Hades” Mid 4th century BCE Along with Zeus and Poseidon, shared the governance of the universe. The “unseen one” was associated with the realm beneath the earth’s surface. Concerns: The general agent of death, removed the dead from the sight of the living. Ruler of the Underworld. Attributes: Rarely shown

Dionysus / Bacchus “Bacchus” Michelangelo, 1497 God of wine, the life force, the distinctive side of personality, admitted to Olympus later than the others (thought to be at the expense of the colourless Hestia). Concerns: Discovered honey, the vine and its cultivation, male fertility, wine, sexual license, madness / liberation from rationality, theatre (drama), pine trees. Attributes: Maenads and satyrs, panthers, figs, ivy, goats, bulls, dolphins.

Persephone / Proserpina “Pluto and Proserpina” Bernini, Queen of the dead, represents the Greek girls who upon marriage, lose both their childhood and mothers. As she lives in the Underworld and is so closely associated with her mother Demeter, Persephone is not considered an Olympian but is closely associated with them. Concern: The seasons (the seasonal pattern of growth and harvest). Attributes: Rooster, pomegranate, wheat, often shown with Demeter.