Greek Gods and Goddesses

Greek Gods and Greek Gods and GoddessesGoddesses

The OlympiansThe Olympians


The supreme gods of the Greek The supreme gods of the Greek pantheonpantheon,, who were thought to who were thought to live on the peaks of Mount live on the peaks of Mount Olympus or somewhere in the sky. Olympus or somewhere in the sky. High in the cloudsHigh in the clouds,, they lived in a they lived in a marvelous palace and enjoyed marvelous palace and enjoyed themselves from time to time by themselves from time to time by interfering in the lives of the interfering in the lives of the mortals below. mortals below.


The king of the Olympian gods was Zeus. He The king of the Olympian gods was Zeus. He sat on a throne of Egyptian marblesat on a throne of Egyptian marble,, inlaid with inlaid with gold. A purple ram's fleece cushioned the seat. gold. A purple ram's fleece cushioned the seat. Queen Hera's throne was ivory. Over it hung a Queen Hera's throne was ivory. Over it hung a full moon. To the side of Hera sat Ares, the god full moon. To the side of Hera sat Ares, the god of war. His throneof war. His throne,, of burnished brass of burnished brass,, had a had a cushion covered in human skin. The throne cushion covered in human skin. The throne roomroom,, or council hall or council hall,, was in the midst of the was in the midst of the sumptuous palacesumptuous palace,, built for the Olympians by built for the Olympians by the Cyclopes, industrious one-eyed giants. the Cyclopes, industrious one-eyed giants.


AphroditeAphrodite

APHRODITE (a-APHRODITE (a-fro-DYE-tee; fro-DYE-tee; Roman name Roman name Venus) was the Venus) was the goddess of love, goddess of love, beauty and beauty and fertility. She was fertility. She was also a protector also a protector of sailors.of sailors.

ApolloApollo

APOLLO (uh-POL-APOLLO (uh-POL-oh; Roman name oh; Roman name Apollo) was the Apollo) was the god of prophesy, god of prophesy, music and music and healing.healing.

AresAresARES (AIR-eez; Roman ARES (AIR-eez; Roman name Mars) was the name Mars) was the god of war, or more god of war, or more precisely of warlike precisely of warlike frenzy. Though an frenzy. Though an immortal deity, he was immortal deity, he was bested by Heracles in bested by Heracles in battle and was almost battle and was almost killed when stuffed into killed when stuffed into a jar by two giants. a jar by two giants. When another hero When another hero wounded him during wounded him during the Trojan War, he the Trojan War, he received scant received scant sympathy from his sympathy from his father Zeus.father Zeus.

ArtemisArtemis

ARTEMIS (AR-ti-mis; ARTEMIS (AR-ti-mis; Roman name Roman name Diana) was the Diana) was the virgin goddess of virgin goddess of the hunt. She the hunt. She helped women in helped women in childbirth but also childbirth but also brought sudden brought sudden death with her death with her arrows.arrows.

AthenaAthena

ATHENA (a-THEE-nuh; ATHENA (a-THEE-nuh; Roman name Minerva) Roman name Minerva) was the goddess of was the goddess of crafts and the domestic crafts and the domestic arts and also those of arts and also those of war. She was the patron war. She was the patron goddess of Athens. Her goddess of Athens. Her symbol was the owl. symbol was the owl. She was originally the She was originally the Great Goddess in the Great Goddess in the form of a bird.form of a bird.

DemeterDemeter

DEMETER (dee-DEMETER (dee-MEE-tur; Roman MEE-tur; Roman name Ceres) was name Ceres) was the goddess of the goddess of agriculture. agriculture. Demeter as the Demeter as the sister of Zeus and sister of Zeus and the mother of the mother of Persephone Persephone

DionysusDionysus

DIONYSUS (dye-oh-DIONYSUS (dye-oh-NYE-sus; Roman NYE-sus; Roman name Bacchus) name Bacchus) was the god of was the god of wine. Dionysus wine. Dionysus was the son of was the son of Zeus and the Zeus and the mortal heroine mortal heroine Semele. Semele.

HephaetusHephaetus

HEPHAESTUS (he-FEE-stus or HEPHAESTUS (he-FEE-stus or he-FESS-tus; Roman name he-FESS-tus; Roman name Vulcan) was the lame god of Vulcan) was the lame god of fire and crafts or the two fire and crafts or the two together, hence of together, hence of blacksmiths. Hephaestus was blacksmiths. Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera or, the son of Zeus and Hera or, in some accounts, of Hera in some accounts, of Hera alone. He limped because he alone. He limped because he was born lame, which caused was born lame, which caused his mother to throw him off his mother to throw him off Mount Olympus. Or in other Mount Olympus. Or in other accounts he interceded in a accounts he interceded in a fight between Zeus and Hera, fight between Zeus and Hera, and Zeus took him by the foot and Zeus took him by the foot and threw him from Olympus and threw him from Olympus to the earth far below.to the earth far below.

HeraHera

HERA (HEE-ruh; HERA (HEE-ruh; Roman name Roman name Juno) was the Juno) was the goddess of goddess of marriage. Hera marriage. Hera was the wife of was the wife of Zeus and Queen Zeus and Queen of the of the Olympians.Olympians.

HermesHermes

HERMES (HUR-meez; HERMES (HUR-meez; Roman name Mercury) Roman name Mercury) was the messenger of was the messenger of the gods and guide of the gods and guide of dead souls to the dead souls to the Underworld. A Underworld. A prankster and inventive prankster and inventive genius from birth, genius from birth, Hermes aided the Hermes aided the heroes Odysseus and heroes Odysseus and Perseus in their quests.Perseus in their quests.

PoseidonPoseidon

POSEIDON (puh-SYE-POSEIDON (puh-SYE-dun or poh-SYE-dun; dun or poh-SYE-dun; Roman name Neptune) Roman name Neptune) was the god of the sea, was the god of the sea, earthquakes and earthquakes and horses. Although he horses. Although he was officially one of the was officially one of the supreme gods of Mount supreme gods of Mount Olympus, he spent Olympus, he spent most of his time in his most of his time in his watery domain.watery domain.

ZeusZeus

ZEUS (zoose or ZEUS (zoose or zyoose; Roman zyoose; Roman name Jupiter) was name Jupiter) was the supreme god of the supreme god of the Olympians. He the Olympians. He was the father of was the father of the heroes Perseus the heroes Perseus and Heracles, the and Heracles, the latter of who once latter of who once wrestled him to a wrestled him to a draw.draw.

Education

Greek Gods and Goddesses