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Greek Gods/
Twelve
Olympians
By: Deanna Fisher, Brittnay
Concepcion, Megan Hjyack,
Arianna Burkshot
Twelve Olympians
In Greek mythology, the Twelve Olympians are
considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter,
Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite,
Hephaestus, Hermes and either Hestia, or Dionysus.
Symbols
Zeus: King of the Gods; thunderbolt, eagle and oak tree
Hera: Queen of Gods; peacock, cow, wedding ring
Poseidon: The Sea; sea, trident, horse, dolphin
Hestia: Hearth/home; fireplace
Athena: Wisdom/war; owl, olive, tree, plow, loom
Dionysus: fertility and wine
Symbols
Artemis: Moon/hunt; moon, deer, silver bow and arrows
Apollo: Light/music/prophecy; lyre, sun, mice, Laurel tree
Aphrodite: Love/beauty; dove, swan, roses
Hephaestus: Fire/forge; hammer, quail
Ares: War; dog, wild boar, vulture
Hermes: Messenger/divine Herald; caduceus, crane
Dionysus
Hera
Zeus
Hestia
Poseidon
Apollo
Relationships
Zeus:
Parents- Cronus, Rhea
Children- Moirai, Horae, Muses, Persephone,
Dionysus, Heracles, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hebe,
Hermes, Athena, Aphrodite
Siblings- Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Demeter
Wife- Hera, Metis, Themis
Hera:
Parents: Cronus and Rhea
Children: Ares, Eris, Hephaestus, Hebe
Siblings: Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon,
Hades, and Zeus
Husband: Zeus
Poseidon:
Parents: Cronus, Rhea
Children: None
Siblings: Zeus, Hades, Hestia, Hera
Wife: Amphitrite
Ares:
Parents: Zeus, Hera
Children: None
Siblings: Eris, Hebe, and Eileithyia
Wife: None
Dionysus:
Parents: Zeus, Semele
Children: Priapus, Phthonus, Deianira
Siblings: None
Wife: Ariadne
Athena:
Parents: Zeus
Children: None
Siblings: Erichthonius
Mate: Hephaestus
Relationships
Apollo:
Parents: Zeus, Leto
Children: None
Siblings: Artemis
Wife: None
Artemis:
Parents: Zeus, Leto
Children: None
Siblings: Apollo
Wife: None
Aphrodite:
Parents: Zeus, Dione
Children: Aenaes
Siblings: None
Husband: Hephaestus
Hephaestus:
Parents: Hera
Children: None
Siblings: None
Wife: Aphrodite
Hermes:
Parents: Zeus, Maia
Children: Pan
Siblings: All the children of Zeus are his
siblings
Wife: None
Demeter:
Parents: Cronus, Rhea
Children: Persephone
Siblings: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia and
Hera
Husband: None
Ares
Aphrodite
Athena
Hephaestus
Hermes
Myths
Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus and then separated the areas (land, sea, and underworld) with his
brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the
sky, and the rain. His weapon is a thunderbolt, which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married
to Hera but is known for having many affairs. He has a reputation for the god that punishes those that
lie or break oaths.
Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. After the draw, he became lord of the sea. He was widely worshipped
by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. Demeter gave Poseidon the
idea to create the first horse. He created a variety of animals before creating the first horse. His weapon
is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He is the most powerful Olympian god,
after Zeus.
Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. Some say that he has no father. He is the only god who is
physically ugly and lame. He was upset because of having an ugly child, in result to flinging him from
Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others say that he took Hera's side in an argument with
Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is the smith and
armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is the god of both smiths and weavers. His wife
is Aphrodite.
Myths
Hestia is Zeus's sister. She is the Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the house
around which a newborn child is carried before it is born into a family. Each city had a
public hearth sacred to Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out.
Hera is Zeus's wife and sister. The Titans Ocean and Tethys raised her. She is the
protector of marriage and takes special care of married women. Hera's marriage with
Zeus was trouble. Zeus often took advantage of her when she would attempt to help.
Hera gave the idea to start a revolt against Zeus. Zeus found out and used his
thunderbolt against the gods in result to the gods falling to their knees begging and
pleading for mercy. Zeus seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains and
Zeus agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again; she agreed. Her main
purpose was to rebel against Zeus. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock. Her
favorite city is Argos.
Myths
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Both of his parents disliked him. He is the god of war and he is
considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. He was caught in an act of adultery
with Aphrodite and in response, her husband Hephaestus publicly ridiculed him. His bird is the
vulture. His animal is the dog.
Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She is brave in battle but only fights to protect the state and
home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She
invented the bridle. She represents wisdom, reason, and purity. She is Zeus's favorite child; Zeus
thought of her and she was independent and materialized on her own. Her tree is the olive and the
owl is her bird. She is a virgin goddess.
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a
golden lyre. Apollos job is to harness his chariot with four horses and drive the sun across the sky.
He is famous for his oracle at Delphi and people use to travel to it from all over the Greek world to
divine the future. His tree is the laurel, his bird is the crow and his animal is the dolphin.
Myths
Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. She has a magical girdle. Some argue and says
she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Others say that it was when Cronus castrated Uranus and
tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop
and walked to shore in Cyprus. She is the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree, the dove, the
swan, and the sparrow are her birds.
Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus’s messenger. He is the fastest of the gods who
wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a magic wand. He is the god of thieves and
commerce. He is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes,
the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive
trees.
Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of the wild
things and the huntsman of the gods. She is the protector of the young. She hunts with silver
arrows and is known as the goddess of chastity. She also looks after childbirth. She became
associated with Hecate. The cypress is her tree. All wild animals are scared to her and especially
the deer.
Works Cited