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Twelve
Great
Olympian
Gods
CHARACTERISTICS: VINDICTIVE, DANGEROUS
SYMBOLS: TRIDENT AND HORSE
Poseidon (Neptune)
He is the one who creates the horses from sea foam and is also the creator of earthquakes. His symbols are sea foam, trident and
dolphins.
CHARACTERISTICS: TERRIBLE, DANGEROUS
SYMBOL: PRONGED FORK
Represented by the Helm of Darkness and a three headed dog (cerberus).
Husband to Persephone.
Hades (Pluto)
THE HEAVENLY KING OF THE GODS AND RULER OF MANKIND
Zeus (Jupiter) as an infant
CHARACTERISTICS:
STRONG, STUPID, NOISY
SYMBOLS:
THUNDERBOLT, EAGLE
Son of Cronus and Rhea
Fathered 15 children
Hera and Zeus
Hestia (Vesta)
CHARACTERISTICS:
QUIET, UNASSUMING
SYMBOL: NONE
The calm goddess of the
Hearth
She is the center point of all
the homes of Greek
civilization.
Hera (Juno)
CHARACTERISTICS: JEALOUS,
MAJESTIC
SYMBOLS: THE PEACOCK AND COW
Goddess of child birth & marriage
Often said to be the goddess of women
“Of golden-throned Hera I sing, born of
Rhea, queen of the gods, unexcelled in
beauty, sister and glorious wife of loudthundering Zeus.”
Athena (Minerva)
CHARACTERISTICS: WARLIKE, WISE
SYMBOL: OWL
Daughter of Zeus and sister to Ares.
The wisest of all gods.
Goddess of wisdom, warfare and reason
Apollo
CHARACTERISTICS: BENEVOLENT, PURIFIES
SYMBOL: WHITE MOUSE
God of music, medicine, health, fitness, light and truth. God of archery and bows.
He is associated with the sun and its light. He is a son to Zeus and is the twin of Artemis. He is represented by bows, the lyre and laurel.
Artemis (Diana)
CHARACTERISTICS: LONER, UNAPPROACHABLE
SYMBOLS: DEER AND SHE-BEAR
She is the twin of Apollo and unlike her brother is associated with the
moon.
She is also the goddess of hunting, virginity, wild life and dew.
She is often represented by the bow, dogs and deer.
Aphrodite (Venus)
Characteristics: Irresponsible, loving
Symbol: Dove
Goddess of love, beauty and lust.
She is the wife of Hephaestus, and a mother of two, Eros (famously known as the Cupid) and Harmonia.
Aphrodite is also represented by the scepter and myrtle
Hephaestus (Vulcan or Mulciber)
CHARACTERISTICS: KINDLY, PEACE-LOVING
SYMBOL: QUAIL
God of the forge, and all blacksmiths & metal
workers.
He is the god of technology with so renowned skills
that he made the arms and armor of Greek heroes
like Achilles.
He is also represented by the axe, flame, and hammer.
Hermes (Mercury)
CHARACTERISTICS: TEMPERAMENTAL, SHREWD
SYMBOL: CADUCEUS
God of hives, mischief and travelers.
He is a messenger of the Greek Gods and has a humorous knack of playing
tricks on people.
He is represented by a pair of winged boots.
Ares (Mars)
CHARACTERISTICS: MURDEROUS, COWARDLY
SYMBOLS: BOAR AND SPEAR
He is the most violent of all Greek deities.
God of war, bloodshed, and murder.
He is the son of Zeus and lover of Aphrodite
Demeter (Ceres)
Goddess of corn, grain, and the
harvest; credited with teaching
humans how to grow, to preserve,
and to prepare grain.
Responsible for winter
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Greek god of fertility, wine ,and intoxication
DEITY OF THEATER; THERE IS A DIONYSIAN FESTIVAL IN HIS HONOR
Erinnyes
(The Furies)
HORRIBLE TO LOOK AT, THE FURIES HAD SNAKES
FOR HAIR AND BLOOD DRIPPING FROM THEIR
EYES. THEY CHANGED INTO THE EUMENIDES,
PROTECTORS OF THE SUPPLIANT, AFTER ATHENA
HAD MADE THEM MERCIFUL SPARING ORESTES,
WHOM THEY HAD STALKED FOR A LONG TIME
AFTER THE MURDER OF HIS MOTHER AND HER
LOVER.
Three goddesses of vengeance: Tisiphone
(avenger of murder), Megaera (the jealous) and
Alecto (constant anger). They were also called
the Daughters of the Night, but were actally the
daughters of Uranus and Gaea. Another name
for them is the Erinyes.
Without mercy, the Furies would punish all
crime including the breaking of rules considering
all aspects of society. They would strike the
offenders with madness and never stopped
following criminals. The worst of all crimes were
patricide or matricide, and first and foremost, the
Furies would punish this kind of crime.
They would also be the guardians of the law
when the state had not yet intervened or did not
exist, or when the crime was a crime of ethics
and not actual law . For example, they would
protect beggars and strangers, punish those who
stole the birds' young and even look out for the
dogs.
From them, we have words such as furious and
infuriated.
The Graces (Charities)
According to a myth, the Charites were
daughters of King Zeus and the Oceanid,
Eurynome.
There were three Charities (Graces):
Algaia, Grace of Beauty
Euphrosyne, Grace of Delight
Thalia, Grace of Blossom
The Charities were created to fill the world
with pleasant moments and goodwill.
The Fates have the subtle but, awesome power of deciding a mans destiny. They assign a man to good or evil. There most
obvious choice is chosing how long a man lives.
There are three Fate: Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the measurer, who choses the lot in life one will
have and measures off how long it is to be. Atropos, she who can not be turn, who at death with her shears cuts the tread of life.
The Fates (Moirae or Moerae)
Graeae
The Gray Sisters are:
Deino or Dread (or Terrible)
Enyo or Horror (or War-like)
Pemphredo or Alarm (or Wasp)
They were often described as
"fair-faced and swan-like."
However, they had gray hair
from the day they were born,
and they shared one eye and
one tooth.
They lost their eye when
Perseus stole it and later threw
it in a lake.
Despite being so easily taken
advantage of, they were very
wise.
Goddesses of orderly things like seasons, and because of their orderly aspect eventually became goddesses of justice. Controlled
orderly life in Greek mythology. They measured out the weather as it seemed appropriate and guarded Olympus from any
overambitious mortals.
Eunomia, Goddess of Law and Legislation
Dike, Moral Justice
Eirene, Personification of Peace or Wealth
They were happy goddesses who enjoyed cavorting, similar to the Muses and Charities (Graces)
The Horae
The nine Muses are the daughters of the Zeus and of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. The Muses preside
over the arts and sciences, inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians.
Calliope: Epic Poetry
Clip: History
Erato: Love Poetry
Thalia: Comedy
Polyhymnia: Sacred Poetry
The Muses
Euterpe: Lyric Poetry Melpomene: Tragedy
Urania: Astronomy
Terosichore: Choral Songs and the Dance