1. The Twelve Olympians
(And the Rest)

2. Zeus King of the gods and ruler of the Olympians
Father of heroes Heracles and Perseus
God of the sky, thunder, and lightening
Married to Hera, but was a dawg.
Symbolized by lightening bolt, oak tree, the eagle, or the scale

3. Hera Queen of the gods and wife of Zeus (as well as his sister)
Goddess of marriage
Symbolized by the peacock, the crown, birds, or the lion
Often tried to get revenge on Zeus for his cheating ways

4. Poseidon God of the seas and ships, earthquakes, and horses
Brother of Zeus
Symbolized by the dolphin, the trident, the horse, and the bull

5. Demeter Goddess of family, agriculture, nature, and the seasons
Sister of Zeus
Symbols include wheat, a torch, and the poppy flower

6. Dionysus God of wine, celebrations, and the theater
Son of Zeus with a mortal mother
Symbols include grapes, ivy, the goat, and the panther
The youngest of the Olympians

7. Apollo God of light, music, poetry, archery, and prophecy
Son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis
Symbols include the sun, the lyre, the wolf, and the raven

8. Artemis
Goddess of the hunt, the moon, childbirth, archery, and all animals
Daughter of Zeus and twin sister of Apollo
Symbols include the deer, the bow and arrow, the hound, the bear, the snake, or the cypress tree

9. Hermes Messenger of the gods
God of travel, roads, commerce, and thieves
Son of Zeus
Second youngest of the Olympians
Symbols include winged sandals, winged cap, the caduceus, and the turtle

10. Athena
Goddess of wisdom, war strategy and defense, and artisans and handicrafts
Daughter of Zeus
Symbols include the owl, the shield, and the olive tree
Patron goddess of Athens

11. Ares God of war, violence, and bloodshed Son of Zeus and Hera
Symbols include the sword, the spear, the vulture, the boar, and the dog

12. Aphrodite Goddess of love, beauty, and desire
Daughter of Zeus, or, in some stories, formed when Uranus’ blood fell into the sea after being murdered by Chronos
Married to Hephaestus
Symbols include the dove, the apple, the swan, the rose, and the bee

13. Hephaestus Blacksmith and craftsman to the Olympians
God of fire, metal, and the forge
Son of Hera (Zeus? Maybe, maybe not…)
Symbols include fire, the anvil, the axe, the hammer, tongs, the quail, or the donkey

14. Other Important Greek Gods
(They only WISH they were Olympians!)

15. Hades
God of the underworld, the dead, wealth, and anything underground
Oldest brother of Zeus and Poseidon
Symbols include the two-pronged spear, mint, gold and silver jewelry, a crown, or any black animals, such as bulls, dogs, or horses

16. Hestia
Goddess of the hearth and taking care of the family and domestic affairs
She was the oldest sibling of Zeus and originally one of the twelve Olympians
Symbols include the fireplace, the flame, the cooking pot, and the house

17. Eros God of beauty and lust Son of Aphrodite and Ares
Better known to us by his Roman name, “Cupid”
Symbolized by the heart, a bow and arrow, torches, and roses

18. Nemesis
Goddess of revenge and avenging, particularly in the face of “hubris” or arrogance, and punishment
May be the daughter of Zeus (or may have existed before Zeus)
Symbols include the sword, a measuring stick, or a balance

19. Heracles The greatest of all Greek heroes Son of Zeus
Was not a god, but stood for bravery, masculinity, strength, and courage
Symbols include twin pillars or columns and his favorite weapon, the club

20. Pan
God of the wild, the underbrush, shepherds, flocks, the mountains, and rustic music
Also connected to spring and fertility
May be the son of either Hermes of Dionysus
Symbols are his horns, his hooves, and his pipes or flute

21. Persephone
Queen of the Underworld, wife of Hades, and goddess of springtime
Daughter of Demeter and Zeus
Spent part of the year in the Underworld and part on the Earth
Symbolized by pomegranate seeds, white roses, reeds, bats, and torches

22. Nike Goddess of victory and champions, strength, and speed
Seen with wings
Flew around battlefields rewarding the victors
Symbols included a palm branch, a laurel wreath, a staff, wings, and a “swoosh”.
Just kidding on that last one

23. The Muses 9 Goddesses of artistic inspiration
The Muses oversaw inspiration in poetry, drama, literature, arts, and sciences
Some were the daughters of Zeus, others the daughters of Uranus
Their symbols varied depending upon what they inspired: they could include the lyre, the spyglass, the calipers, the comedy and tragedy masks, a compass, or a tablet

24. The Fates (Moirai)
The 3 Fates controlled destiny and the lives of every living being
In some stories, they were outside of even Zeus’ power
The Fates would spin thread, measure it, then cut it when life was to end
They were symbolized by the thread of life, or the loom on which they made it