Greek Mythology
Zeus
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God of the sky and ruler of Olympian gods.
Weapon is a thunderbolt.
Married to Hera, but famous for many affairs
Represented as the protector of the weak and punisher of the wicked.
His bird is the eagle, his tree the oak.
Poseidon
• God of the sea and protector of all waters.
• Weapon is a trident.
• Married to Amphitrite, but desired Demeter.
• Second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods.
• Had a difficult quarrelsome personality and was greedy.
Hades
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God of the underworld ruling over the dead.
Has a helmet that makes him invisible.
Married to Persephone whom he abducted.
Greedy god concerned with increasing his subjects.
Also the god of wealth because of minerals mined from the Earth.
Hestia
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Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the house.
No distinct personality.
Sister to Zeus.
Of all the Olympians, she is the mildest, most upright, and most charitable.
Hera
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Goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Sacred animals are the cow and the peacock.
Wife and sister to Zeus.
Most stories have to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus’s infidelities.
Aris (Ares)
• God of war.
• Sacred animals are the dog and the vulture.
• Son of Zeus and Hera who disliked him.
• Considered murderous and bloodstained, but also a coward.
Athena
• Goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature.
• City of Athens is named after her.
• Daughter of Zeus with no mother.
• Invented the bridle, trumpet, flute, rake, plow, and the chariot.
• Zeus’s favorite child allowed to use thunderbolt.
Apollo
• God of music, archery, healing (medicine), light and truth.
• Main job is to drive the sun across the sky.
• Son of Zeus and Leto. Had a twin sister Artemis.
• Sacred animal was the dolphin and the crow.
Aphrodite
• Goddess of love, desire, and beauty.
• Had a magical girdle
• Two accounts of her birth
• Daughter of Zeus and Dionne
• Arose from the sea
• Wife of Hephaestus, favorite lover is Ares.
Hermes
• Messenger of the gods.
• Wears winged sandals for speed.
• Son of Zeus and Maia.
• Guides the dead to the underworld.
• The cleverest of all the Olympians.
Artemis
• Goddess of the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment.
• Daughter of Zeus and Leto.
• Apollo is her twin brother.
• Presides over childbirth.
• Cypress is her tree, all wild animals are sacred.
Hephaestus
• God of fire and the forge.
• Only god to be considered ugly.
• Son of Zeus and Hera.
• His wife is Aphrodite.
• He is kind and peace loving.
Demeter
• Goddess of Corn, Grain, and the Harvest.
• Daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
• First loaf of bread is sacrificed to her.
• Livestock and Agricultural products are sacred to her.
Persephone
• Goddess of Springtime.
• Daughter of Zeus and Demeter.
• Queen of the Underworld when she married Hades.
• Raised Aphrodite’s child Adonis.
Dionysus
• God Fertility and Wine.
• Son of Zeus and Semele.
• Only god to have a mortal parent.
• Became one of the more important gods for everyday life.
• Has a dual nature representing what wine can do to mankind.