Download The Roman name of Aphrodite is "Venus"

1.Hera
The Family of Hera
Parents: Hera was a child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.
Siblings: Hera had five siblings. Three brothers (Poseidon, Hades and Zeus) and
two sisters (Hestia and Demeter).
Husband: Zeus, the King of the Gods.[read the story of their royal wedding...]
Children: Eilithyia, the goddess of childbirth, Ares, the Olympian god of war,
Hebe, the goddess of youth and Hephaestus, the Olympian god of Metallurgy.
According to some beliefs, Hephaestus was born without the intervention of
Zeus.
Hera's troubled marriage with Zeus
Although Hera was one of the fairest goddesses in Mount Olympus, Zeus was
giving Hera plenty of reason to be suspicious and jealous; Hera therefore used
to stay in high places in order to keep an eye on her husband's doings. There
were times she would also interfering, causing harm to Zeus' mistresses, since
Zeus himself was invincible.
Appearance of Hera
Hera was a beautiful, mature woman with big eyes and pierced lobes. She
always took care of her appearance, dressing elegantly and decently in a
feminine, but not exotic fashion. . However, Hera was not really a desirable
woman, despite her beauty. For this reason, Aphrodite had to loan Hera her
famous girdle to help her seduce her husband Zeus. [ More about Hera's
beauty here...]
Symbols of Hera
Hera's symbol were the diadem, the scepter and the pomegranate, a symbol of
fertility. Her flower was the lily and her sacred animals were the peacock and
the cow.
A Myth about Hera
The Encounter
One day, Zeus, the King of the Gods, was walking around the beautiful region of
Hesperides, when suddenly he spotted Hera and fell head over heels in love
with her. In order to approach Hera, Zeus transformed himself into a cuckoo
and then he placed himself outside her window, pretending to be frozen by the
cold.
At the sight of the bird, Hera felt sorrow and pity and took it inside her house.
Once inside, Zeus revealed his true identity and made love to Hera. Then, he
grabbed Hera and brought her to the mountain of Cithaeron to make her his
legal wife, so that she could cover her shame.
The Sacred Wedding
The marriage of Zeus and Hera took place in the Garden of Hesperides and was
celebrated with exceptional honours and sacrifices. Hera was given a
marvelous wedding dress to wear and was offered a seat on a golden throne
next to Zeus.
Everything divine was singing hymns and praises for this sacred wedding and
everybody had a precious gift to give... and most of all Gaea, the Goddess of
the Earth, who treated the couple with happiness and a quince, the symbol of
love and made a tree blossom with golden apples in Hera's honor. Hera was
delighted and planted the tree in her garden, on the shores of the ocean.
The Honeymoon
After the ceremony, Zeus and Hera set off on a journey to the Greek island of
Samos to enjoy their honeymoon... a honeymoon that lasted for 300 years!
According to Homer, this myth can be interpretated as a symbol of the earth's
fertility.
2.Aphrodite
Birth of Aphrodite
Aphrodite was created from the foam of the crystal waters of Paphos in the
fragrant island of Cyprus, when the Titan Cronos slew his father, the major
Titan Ouranos, and threw then his genitals into the sea.
Family of Aphrodite
Husband and Relationships: Aphrodite was married to the lame smith
Hephaestus, the Olympian God of the Iron, but her heart was devoted to Ares,
the God of War, with whom Aphrodite was having a passionate, but secret love
affair.
Famous Children: According to a myth, Aphrodite gave birth to Eros, the
winged cupid of love and was often accompanied by him. Other children of
Aphrodite were Himeros (desire), Pothos(desire), Phobos(fear), Deimos
(terror), Armonia (Harmony) and the Nymph Rhode [1].
[View Aphrodite's full family tree here...]
The Role of Aphrodite as a Goddess
Aphrodite was the most attractive goddess of Mount Olympus. She was the
goddess of Love, Beauty and Eternal Youth, arousing desire to gods and
humans as well as birds and beasts. In addition, she was connected to the
death/rebirth of nature and human beings.
Personality of Aphrodite
Aphrodite may have been the most attractive goddess, but according to the
Iliad(the famous poem by Homer), she was a rather weak, frightful goddess.
Appearance of Aphrodite
Aphrodite was a highly attractive young woman who dressed elegantly and
loved to wear jewellery. Her eyelashes were curled and she had a constant
smile on her lovely face. Aphrodite had a tender neck and symbolized the
feminine beauty [2], [3].
Symbols of Aphrodite
Aphrodite's symbols were the girdle (which she was using to compel love), the
seashell and the mirror. Her sacred animal was the dove.
The Roman name of Aphrodite is "Venus"
A myth about Aphrodite

Aphrodite and Adonis
The Story of Adonis
When Adonis was an infant, Aphrodite put him in a chest and
gave him to the Greek goddess of the
Underworld, Persephone, to be taken care of.
Persephone, however, was so much charmed by the
extraordinary beauty of Adonis that, when he had reached
manhood, she refused to give him back to Aphrodite.
In order to judge fairly, Zeus (or, according to another myth,
the Muse Calliope) allowed Persephone to keep Adonis in the
Underworld for four months every year. Four months Adonis
should also spend with Aphrodite and the remaining four
months he could stay with whomever his heart longed for.
Adonis opted for Aphrodite.
The Adonia Festivals
The Adonia were festivals that were held in honor of Adonis
to celebrate nature. The celebrations were held all over
Greece, usually during springtime. They lasted for two days
and only women were allowed to participate.
On the first day, the women mourned over the death of
Adonis. The god was represented with wax figures which
were thrown into the nearby rivers by the end of the day. On
the second day, the mourning came to an end and the
resurrection of Adonis was celebrated with great joy and wild
dances.
Trivia about Adonis
It is said that the blood-red anemone, commonly
known as the poppy, was created by the blood of
Adonis, when Aphrodite sprinkled it with nectar in
the moment of his death.
Idioms of Adonis
"the Adonis complex": the concern of one's own body image
3.Poseidon
Family of Poseidon
Parents: Poseidon was a child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.
Siblings: Poseidon had five siblings. Two brothers (Zeus and Hades) and three
sisters (Hestia, Hera and Demeter).
Wife: the sea-goddess Amphitrite. However, according to a tradition, Poseidon
was married more than once.
Famous Children: the merman Triton and the Nymphs Rhode and
Benthesicyme.
The Personality of Poseidon and his Way of Life
Poseidon was considered to be the bad-tempered, moody and greedy god
among the Olympians. Once insulted, he would revenge himself, like he did in
the case of Odysseus, who brutally blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus [1].
Poseidon loved to cross the oceans and seas with his golden chariot
surrounded by dolphins.
The Powers of Poseidon
Poseidon was the Greek god responsible for natural and supernatural events,
mainly the ones associated to the sea world and was the savior of ships. He
possessed a trident which was so powerful that it could shake the earth.
Poseidon was able to cause tempests and earthquakes, drown lands, shatter
rocks and had the ability to finally bring back peacefulness.
Poseidon possessed two palaces, the one was up in Mount Olympus and the
other was located in the depths of the seas and was bejeweled with gold and
precious gems. Usually Poseidon preferred to stay with his wife Amphitrite
beneath the ocean.
Appearance of Poseidon
Poseidon was imposing and strong with long, blue hair. [2]
Symbols of Poseidon
The symbol of Poseidon was the trident and his sacred animals were the
dolphin and the horse. According to a tradition, he was the one who breathed
life into the first horse on earth.
The Roman name of Poseidon is "Neptune"
A myth about Poseidon
Poseidon, Agaeus and the Fatal Curse
A Punishment Story
Once, Poseidon, the god of the Seas, fell in love with
Astypalaia, the sister of Europe, and abducted her. The couple
gave birth to a son and named him Agaeus, who later on would
participate in the Argonautic expedition.
Agaeus lived on the island of Samos and was an excellent
winegrower. But undoubtedly, he was very harsh on his
workers and treated them like slaves.
One day, a servant became furious about the way Agaeus
treated him: "Never should you drink wine from your
vineyard!", he cursed his master.
Time passed by, until one fine day the wine was prepared and
ready to drink. Happily, Agaeus called his servant and told him:
"See how ridiculous you were! Your curse was in vain!"
Calmly, the servant replied: "There is a long distance between
this glass and your lips..."
Right at that moment, a slave informed Agaeus about a wild
boar that destroyed his country. Hastily, Agaeus left his glass
and rushed against the beast. Ultimately, the boar devoured
Agaeus and the prophecy was verified.
This myth was dedicated to the people who quickl y
jump to conclusions.
4.Artemis
Family of Artemis
Parents: Artemis was born as a daughter of Zeus, the Ruler of the Greek gods
and the Titaness Leto on Mount Cynthus at the island of Delos in Greece.
Siblings: Artemis had a twin brother, Apollo. Apollo was the god of the Sun,
whereas Artemis' cult was connected to the Moon. Artemis was born before
Apollo and helped her mother give birth to her little brother.
Goddess Artemis never married.
Artemis, the Virgin Huntress
As a child, Artemis had asked from her father Zeus to remain an eternal virgin
and therefore became one of the three Virgin Goddesses in Greek mythology.
Artemis had absolute sovereignty over nature and was said to bring fertility to
all places that worshipped her. Usually accompanied by Nymphs and Oceanids,
Artemis loved to hunt with arrows dipped in poison.
Appearance of Artemis
Artemis was usually armed with bow and arrows and was wearing a knee-high
chiton (a sort of tunic).
Symbols of Artemis
The symbols of Artemis were the bow and the pike. Her tree was the cedar and
her sacred animals were the snake, the bear and the deer.
The Roman name of Artemis is "Diana"
A myth about Artemis
Goddess Artemis, the Protector of Animals
Artemis was the protector of young animals and had the gift to tame wild
animals. Her favorite animals were the deer and the wild pig.
Most of her time, Artemis was spending in wild surroundings, like meadows or
forests, hunting for all kind of prey; that's why she was many times referred to
as "Potnia Theron"("Mistress of the Animals").
During her hunt, Artemis was often accompanied by young maidens who loved
to sing and dance around with the goddess. Sometimes, Artemis was also
hunting together with mortals and was competing with them.