Zeus
(Roman name: Jupiter) - The Thunderer
The Greeks worshiped Zeus as the ruler of all
gods and humans. As the lord of the sky and
earth, Zeus reigned over all from the home of
the gods on Mount Olympus.
Zeus punished the wicked by hurling thunderbolts
down from the sky. He had many love affairs with
Goddesses and female humans.
Hera
(Roman name: Juno) - The Jealous Protector of Marriage
Hera was Zeus’ wife and the queen of the
Immortals. She was known for her beauty as well
as for her jealous streak and fiery temper.
Because she often quarreled with Zeus over his
love affairs, Hera was worshiped as the protector
of marriage and married women.
Poseidon
(Roman name: Neptune) – The Earth Shaker
Poseidon was a brother of Zeus and the second most
powerful God on Mount Olympus. As the mighty lord
of the sea, he could cause storms, floods, and
earth quakes with one stroke of his trident, a threepronged spear.
Poseidon was also worshiped as the God of horses.
He is said to have created the first horse out of the
waves of the sea as a gift to humans.
Athena
(Roman name: Minerva) – The Gray-Eyed Goddess
Athena was the goddess of wisdom and also of
warfare. She is said to have been born full grown
from Zeus’ head, wearing a bronze helmet and
shield.
Though the goddess of warfare, Athena was also
The patroness of wisdom, reason, and justice. The
city of Athens was named after her, and the
Parthenon was the temple of Athena.
Apollo
(Roman name: Apollo) – The God of Light and Reason
This even-tempered son of Zeus was celebrated as
the God of the sun, light, truth, and reason.
Pictured as exceptionally handsome, Apollo was
honored as the protector of athletes.
Apollo was also the patron of many arts, including
poetry and music, as well as of medicine, archery,
and agriculture. He is often shown playing his lyre.
Artemis
(Roman name: Diana) – The Huntress
Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister. She was goddess
of the hunt and of the moon. She loved hunting
and archery. Artemis was worshiped by hunters.
The woods and wild animals were sacred to her.
Hades
(Roman name: Pluto) – The King of the Underworld
Hades was the dreaded God of the dead and King
of the Underworld. A brother of Zeus, he rarely
left his kingdom below to appear on Mount
Olympus with the other Gods.
Like its ruler, the kingdom of the dead was also
known as Hades. It was imagined as the shadowy
region beneath the earth where souls were sent
to be judged after their lives on earth.
Aphrodite
(Roman name: Venus) – Beauty Born from the Sea
An enchanting daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite was the
Goddess of love and beauty. She was known as the
friend of lovers. Because of her beauty, she had
Great power over humans and Gods.
Some believed Aphrodite was born from the sea,
appearing full-grown from the ocean spray.
Surprisingly, she was married to the ugliest of Gods,
Hephaestus.
Ares
(Roman name: Mars) – The Quarrelsome God of War
Ares was the hateful God of war. He was such a
blood-thirsty bully that even his parents, Zeus
and Hera, despised Ares for his quarrelsomeness.
Despite his fierceness, Ares was actually a coward
who sometimes ran from the battlefield. He was
also unpredictable and likely to change sides in the
middle of battle.
Demeter
(Roman name: Ceres) – The Goddess of the Harvest
Demeter was the Goddess of the earth, particularly
of grain and agriculture. She was worshipped in
harvest festivals. Demeter was also the mother of
Persephone, the girl whom Hades stole to be his
bride in the Underworld.
Hermes
(Roman name: Mercury) – The Messenger of the Gods
Hermes was the winged messenger of the Gods.
He was graceful and very fleet afoot, and his
actions were said to be “swifter than thought.”
Hermes was the protector of travelers. He also
led souls of the dead to the underworld.
The shrewdest and most cunning of the Gods,
Hermes was worshiped by merchants and thieves
as the protector of traders.
Hephaestus
(Roman name: Vulcan) – The Friendly God of Fire
Hephaestus was the kindly and many-talented god
of fire. Lame and ugly, he was the only immortal
who was not beautiful. But his peace-loving nature
made him a friend of Gods and humans.
A master craftsman and blacksmith, Hephaestus
forged the armor of the Gods. He became the
patron of handicrafts, pottery, and sculpture.
Hestia
(Roman name: Vesta) – The Goddess of the Hearth
A sister of Zeus, Hestia was the Goddess who was
sacred to home and hearth. She played a relatively
small part in the myths, but was important to the
Greek people.
Each city had a public hearth sacred to Hestia,
where the fire was never allowed to go out. In
Rome, her fire was cared for by six priestesses
called Vestals.
Dionysus
(Roman name: Bacchus) – The God of Wine
Dionysus was the joy-giving God of wine. He is said
to have invented the art of raising grapes and
wine making. He brought great pleasure to the
humans who worshiped him.
However, Dionysus also had a violent side to his
nature. When his followers became drunk, they
could be wild and out of control. Dionysus was the
patron God of drama, poetry, and song.
Pan
(Roman name: Faunus) – The God of All Nature
Half goat and half human, Pan was the God of
nature. He was the protector of shepherds, woods,
and pastures.
Pan was known for his beautiful flute playing on his
pipe, made of reeds, but he also had a wild,
unpredictable nature. Sometimes his presence
filled humans and animals with sudden, inexplicable
terror.
Eros
(Roman name: Cupid) – The Young God of Love
The youngest of the Gods, Eros was the God of love.
He was the playful son of Aphrodite. Shooting his
gold-tipped arrows, he could cause both Gods and
humans to fall hopelessly in love.
Because of his playfulness, Eros was sometimes
shown blindfolded, to symbolize the belief that
love is blind.