Name ______________________________
Date ________________ Period ________
The Twelve Olympian Gods Assignment
The Twelve Olympian Gods
1. Zeus
2. Hera
3. Athena
4. Apollo
5. Artemis
6. Poseidon
7. Ares
8. Aphrodite
9. Hermes
10. Demeter
11. Hephaestus
12. Hestia
1. Each student will fill out the above chart.
2. Each group must create a brochure representing your god and their city-state. The brochure will be
completed using the template on Microsoft Word. The template includes two pages, a front and a back
page that are then folded. The brochure needs to include at least 3 pictures and information about the
god and the city-state. The brochure should get me to worship the deity and visit the city-state.
The Gods/Goddess of Ancient Greek
Athens worshiped Athena as a patron city-state god. The city's name is in fact derived from Athena, and named
after her. Athena was the goddess of Wisdom, therefore Athens put an emphasis into education and study. This
is why Athens was later famed for its engineering power to create war ships such as the Trireme.[1]
Sparta praised two city gods. Ares, and because of this, Sparta put energy into the military, and fighting.[2] The
other Spartan patron god was Artemis,[3] and this backs up Sparta's association with brutal killings and
executions.
Elis and Olympia had Zeus as their city god. Olympia is famous for its relation to the statue of Zeus at
Olympia, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.[4]
Syracuse, with similarity to Athens, worshipped Athena. Reference to Athena can be seen on their city-state
banner.[5]
Thespiae was a city-state that worshiped Eros. Due to this, the Thespian hoplites would bear the crescent moon
symbol on their shield, the crescent moon was "the lunar Aphrodite". The cult of Artemis in her epithet of
Elytheriea, the goddess of childbearing, was also important.[6]
Thessaly is a region in Greece that Larissa was built in, and distinctively chose Dionysus, the god of wine, as
their god. The symbol for Dionysus was a bull's foot. Another name for Dionysus was Axios Tauros, which
translates as 'worthy bull'.[7]
Corinth was a northern state in comparison to Sparta, which was far south. Corinth's patron god was Poseidon,
the sea god.[8]
Mantinea worshiped Poseidon as well as Corinth.[9]
Thebes has two main patron gods, but today experts are not sure if they worshiped both or just one. The two
main gods are Apollo, the sun god and Delphi, a minor god.[10]
Knossos was an ancient Minoan settlement whose gods or goddesses were not known to the mainland Greeks.
Knossos was on Crete, an island, and the people there worshiped the Snake Goddess as their only god.
Megara had a variety of gods and goddesses as their patron god or goddess. However, the main gods were
Apollo and Athena, however they did build temples to Demeter, Aphrodite, and Artemis.[11]
Argos was the city with the patron god of Hera.[12] Argos was located in the Peloponnese.
Troy was yet another city whose shrines, temples and festivals were dedicated to Athena, the goddess of
Wisdom who was the daughter of Zeus, who became Jupiter in Roman mythology.[13] Troy was discovered in
the nineteenth century, by an archaeologist, who almost destroyed the city while digging for it.
Delphi was a city which built some temples in honor to Apollo.
Eretria was similar to Delphi and followed Apollo.[