The Olympian Gods

Prepared by Abigail

These gods are the most important and

powerful gods. The home of these gods was

Mount Olympus, except for Hades who is only

allowed on Olympus once a year. He lives in

the Underworld the rest of the time.

Aphrodite

Greek Name: Aφροδίτη (Aphroditē)

English Name: Aphrodite

Roman Name: Venus

Goddess of love and beauty and duty. She was married to Hephaestus. Ares is her lover and she loves him as well. Eros is her son.

Cnidian Aphrodite, a Roman work modeled after an original by Praxiteles.

Aphrodite

Apollo

Greek Name: Aπόλλων (Apollōn)

English Name: Apollo

Roman Name: Apollo

Apollo

God of the Sun, music, archery, poetry, healing, and prophecy. He is Artemis' twin brother, and Son to Zeus.

Apollo holding a tortoise-shell lyre and pouring a libation, on a kylix from a tomb at Delphi.

Ares

Greek Name: Άρης (Arēs)

English Name: Ares

Roman Name: Mars

God of war, murder and bloodshed. Brother to Hephaestus, and is the lover of Aphrodite and son of Zeus.

Roman marble head of the war god modeled after a Greek bronze original.

Hephaestus

Artemis

Greek Name: Άρτεμις (Artemis)

English Name: Artemis

Roman Name: Diana

Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, especially deer and fawns, night, and the moon. Apollo is her twin brother. Artemis is the virgin goddess and is also protector of maidens.

Artemis reaching for arrow (missing) from her quiver, with hound. Artemis

Athena

Greek Name: Αθηνά (Athēna)

English Name: Athena

Roman Name: Minerva

Goddess of wisdom, weaving, the arts, warfare and reason. She is the favorite daughter of Zeus.

Athena on a red-figure cup dating 500–490 BC.

Athena

Demeter

Greek Name: Δήμητρα (Dēmētra)

English Name: Demeter

Roman Name: Ceres/Saturn

Goddess of fertility, grain and harvest. Demeter is a sister of Zeus. Her daughter is Persephone, Hades' wife.

Demeter, typically seated, on a relief from Turkey.

Demeter

Dionysus

Greek Name: Διόνυσος (Dionysus)

English Name: Dionysus

Roman Name: Bacchus

God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. He is a son of Zeus.

Dionysus reclining on a leopard.

Dionysus

Hades

Greek Name: ᾍδης (Hades)

English Name: Hades

Roman Name: Pluto

God of the Underworld. Brother of Poseidon and Zeus.

Hades reclines, holding a giant drinking horn, offering a wine bowl to Persephone.

Hades

Hephaetus

Greek Name: Ήφαιστος (Hēphaistos)

English Name: Hephaetus

Roman Name: Vulcan

God of fire and the forge. Ugly son of Hera and Zeus is his father in some accounts.

Thetis receives the armor made for her son Achilles by Hephaestus.

Hephaetus

Hera

Greek Name: Ήρα (Hēra)

English Name: Hera

Roman Name: Juno

Goddess of marriage, women and childbirth. Zeus' wife and sister.

Bust of Hera wearing a diadem.

Hera

Hermes

Greek Name: Ερμής (Hērmēs)

English Name: Hermes

Roman Name: Mercury

God of flight, thieves, commerce and travellers. Messenger of the gods. Zeus's son by Titanness.

Hermes holding his caduceus and wearing a cloak (chlamys) and hat (petasus)for travel.

Hermes

Hestia

Greek Name: (Ἑστία, Hestía)

English Name: Hestia

Roman Name: Vesta

Virgin goddess of the hearth, home and chastity. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus and sister of Zeus. Her symbols are the hearth and kettle.

Hestia from a relief depicting all twelve Olympians in procession.

Hestia

Poseidon

Greek Name: (Ποσειδῶν, Poseidōn)

English Name: Poseidon

Roman Name: Neptune

God of the sea. His weapon is a trident by which he can stir up the seas, wreck ships and drown sailors.

Poseidon, hand uplifted to wield his trident (missing), from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Poseidon

Zeus

Greek Name: Ζεύς (Zeus)

English Name: Zeus

Roman Name: Jupiter

The father of all fathers, the wisdom and light. Zeus is the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, thunder and lightning.

Coin issued under Alexander the Great showing Zeus on his throne holding a scepter and eagle. Zeus