The Olympian Gods
Zeus
- Ruler of Olympus, Father of gods and men
- Omniscient and omnipotent
- Identified with the Eagle, the oak tree the Aegis, and the Thunderbolt
- Centers of worship at Dodona and Olympia
- Had many lovers, fathered many gods and heroes
Hera
- Wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage and motherhood
- Homer called her “ox-eyed” and “white-armed”
- Identified with the peacock
- Centers of worship at Argos and Samos
Hestia
- First born daughter of Cronus and Rhea
- Virgin goddess of the hearth and home
- Hearth and fire was very important in ancient times
- Fire was hard to start
- Hearth was center of family life
- Rejected advances of both Apollo and Poseidon
- Lost Olympian status because she was not interested in attending the feasts of the gods
Demeter
- Goddess of grain and agriculture
- Held the cornucopia, horn of plenty
- Her daughter, Persephone was kidnaped by Hades, and forced to spend half of the year in the underworld
- Demeter refused to perform her duties while Persephone was gone
- This was the cause of the seasons
- Worshiped with “mysteries” or secret religions ceremonies at Eleusis
Poseidon
- Ruler of the sea, of storms, and of earthquakes
- Held the trident, a three-pronged spear
- Similar in appearance to Zeus
- Married a sea-nymph, Amphitrite
- Triton, son of Poseidon, was the trumpeter of the sea
Hades
- Ruler of the Underworld
- Held the bident, a two-pronged spear, and a key to the gates of the underworld
- Often though of a rich
- Many ancients refused to say his name, instead using nicknames
- A stern, harsh god, but not necessarily a punisher of sins
Apollo
- Son of Zeus and Leto, twin of Artemis
- Born on the isle of Delos under a palm tree
- As an infant, he went to Mt. Parnassus and killed the monster, Python
- Later, established the Delphic Oracle on the spot
- Apollo also had an oracle at Delos
- God of the sun, archery, and music
- Played a lyre, and sang
- His bird was the crow
- It was originally white
- Turned black when it revealed to Apollo that one of his lovers was cheating on him
- Apollo was the father of Asclepius, the god of healing
Artemis
- Daughter of Zeus and Leto, sister of Apollo
- Some say she was born first, and she aided with the birth of her brother
- Virgin goddess of the hunt, and the moon, and witchcraft
- She also carried a bow
- Deer and other woodland animals were sacred to her
Ares
- Son of Zeus and Hera, god of war
- Animals were the boar, the vulture, the dog
- Father of Eros by Aphrodite
- Generally disliked by gods and men alike
Aphrodite
- Either born of Uranus’s severed manhood or daughter of Zeus and Dione
- Goddess of love and beauty
- Associated with the myrtle and the dove
- Wore a magic girdle which was irresistible to men
- Attended by the Charites(Graces) and the Horae(Seasons)
- Major centers of worship on Cyprus and Cytherea
Hephaestus
- Son of Hera alone, since she was jealous of all of Zeus’s offspring
- Handicapped either from birth or because he was thrown from Olympus
God of fire and blacksmith work
Many heroes wore suits of arms made by Hephaestus
Had forges on Lemnos and Sicily
Was briefly married to Aphrodite
- Ended when he caught her in bed with Ares
Athena
- Daughter of Zeus and Metis
- Zeus heard that Metis was destined to have a child greater than its father
- Zeus caught and swallowed Metis, who was disguised as a gnat
- Hephaestus split open Zeus’s head, and Athena was born
- She sprang forth in full armor
- Virgin goddess of wisdom, craft, and a cunning warrior
- Called “green-eyed”, “grey-eyed”, and “flashing-eyed”
- Carried a shield with the severed head of Medusa on it
- Animals were the owl and the snake
- Turned Arachne into a spider when the girl challenged her to a weaving contest
- Pallas- childhood friend of Athena whom the goddess accidentally killed
- Athena took the epithet, Pallas, to honor her
- Created a statue of the girl which wound p being the talisman of Troy
Dionysus
- Son of Zeus and Semele
- Hera tricked Semele into asking Zeus to show her his full glory
- Semele was consumed by his fire
- Dionysus was placed in Zeus’s thigh, and Zeus gave birth to him
- God of wine, vegetation, and wild parties
- Carried the Thyrsus, a pine cone on a sharp stick
- Associated with eh leopard and the grape
- Bacchae or Maenads- his female devotees
Hermes
- Son of Zeus and Maia
- Messenger of the gods
- God of thieves, patron of youth and athletes
- Wore a petasus(traveler’s cap) and winged sandals
- Notorious deeds on first day of life
- Stole the cattle of Apollo
- Invented the lyre
- When caught, he gave Apollo the lyre to atone for the theft
- Served as the escort of the souls of the dead into the underworld
- Carried cadeuceus- a staff with two entwined snakes
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