2. The Gods of Olympus were the main Greek gods who
lived on the top of mount Olympus. The Olympian gods
rose to power by defeating the Titans in the War of the
Titans (also called the Titanomachy). They were the
children of Cronus and Rhea. Zeus, Poseidon, Hera,
Hestia and Demeter, Hades, and later on Apollo,
Artemis, Hermes, Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite and
Ares. Over the years, the Demi-god Dionysus became
It is very common to refer to the
Greek pantheon as “the 12
Olympian Gods”. However, the
ancient Greeks did not worship
specific twelve gods. Instead,
there were many more, major
and lesser - but nonetheless
important - gods and others that
were worshiped locally.
4. Zeus
Zeus was recognized as the father of gods and humans. He regulated the celestial
phenomena and defined the laws that govern people. He held the lightning bolt
with one hand and the scepter with the other, which had an eagle at the top. He
was known as the ‘Lord of Justice’. People respected and feared him at the same
time. He was taking care of the families, keeping vigil in the home of every mortal
and protecting strangers and passers-by from evil. Zeus' wife was the goddess
Hera, to whom he was not always faithful. Greek mythology is full of love stories
about Zeus, who liked to transform himself into anything he could
5. Demeter was the Greek goddess of agriculture and
protected the trees, plants and grains. She was the first
to make the earth fruitful and taught people how to grow
wheat, barley and other plants. Demeter is somewhat
isolated from the twelve gods in ancient myths and this is
because she is an even more ancient goddess herself.
The Greeks received her cult from the Pelasgians, who
Demete
6. Poseidon
Poseidon was one of the six children of Cronus and Rhea
and brother of Zeus. He was allotted the kingdom of the sea
but he was also considered the god of horses and
earthquakes. This is why he was called “the earth-shaker”.
He rarely lived on Olympus, preferring the depths of the
ocean. He was sitting on a famous chariot drawn by
immortal horses and holding in his hand the famous trident,
7. Hades was the brother of Zeus and Poseidon and the god of
the Underworld. He was allotted this kingdom when the
three brothers took a draw to decide who will take each of
three (heavens, sea and the Underworld). He liked to live in
the dark and shadowed world of the dead and was rarely
seen on Olympus. This is why, although he is one of the
most important gods, some lists do not include him in the
Hades
8. Goddess Hera was the sister of Zeus, daughter of the Titans
Cronus and Rhea, and at the same time Zeus’ wife. Hera
symbolized and protected the sacred institution of marriage. She
blessed and helped the women in labor. Greek mythology
presents Hera as a modest, measured and faithful woman, but at
the same time very jealous. There are almost no myths that refer
exclusively to Hera. Her name is almost always associated with
the myths about Zeus. However, Hera does not present herself as
Hera
9. Apollo and Artemis were siblings, twins actually, children of
Zeus and Leto, a Titan goddess. According to tradition, the
two children were born on the island of Delos. Apollo is one
of the most important and complex Greek gods. He is the
god of light, music and poetry, healing and prophecy. He
was the one that established the great Oracle of Delphi,
which was considered the center of the ancient world. He
was the teacher of the nine Muses and when they sang he
Apollo
10. Artemis, Apollo's twin sister, was the goddess of hunting,
wild animals and the wilderness. She spent her time in
the woods, accompanied by the Nymphs, hunting, with
her bow and arrows. She was a virgin goddess and
protector of young girls. She was also worshipped as
one of the primary goddesses of childbirth and
midwifery, relieving the women in labor from diseases.
Artemi
11. Aphrodite
Aphrodite, the most beautiful among mortals and immortals,
was born from the foam of the sea when Uranus’ blood fell on
it after his defeat by Cronus. This fact makes her the eldest
among the Olympian Gods. Her name literally means “risen
from the foam”. Aphrodite was worshipped as the goddess of
beauty and passion. She could inspire love in the hearts of
men and women. Most myths generally present Aphrodite as
a vengeful woman. Aphrodite was worshiped in all parts of
12. Ares
Ares, the god of war, was the son of the Greek gods Zeus and Hera.
He was always followed by two of his faithful sons and followers,
the gods Deimos and Phobos. Ares was handsome and strong,
young and well-armed. He loved war and battles so he was hated
by people and his worship was limited. Only in Sparta he
was particularly worshipped and had a statue dedicated to him.
Ares was tried, according to tradition, for his many war crimes, in
one of Athens’ hills, the Areopagus Hill, which later became the
13. Hephaestus
Hephaestus was the god of fire and blacksmiths. He was
born ugly and that is why his mother, the goddess Hera,
unable to nourish him, threw him out of Olympus. Since
then he has been limping. Hephaestus fell into the sea,
where he was picked up by the Nereids and raised by them.
Growing up, he became a famous craftsman and set up his
workshop on Mount Etna in Sicily. With his various metals,
he made works of art of incomparable beauty. He was also
14. Hermes
Hermes was the god of wealth, trade, thieves and travelers. He was
also known as the Messenger God, being the herald of the
Olympians and carrying messages between them. He was the son of
Zeus and Maia, daughter of Titan Atlas. He was a clever,
inventive and arrogant god. As soon as he was born, Hermes saw a
turtle. He took her shell, placed seven strings in it and invented the
lyre. He once stole the oxen guarded by god Apollo and locked
them in a cave. He was the one who accompanied the souls of the
15. Athena, according to Greek mythology, was the goddess of
wisdom and strategic warfare. Athena was the beloved
daughter of Zeus. Her mother was the Titaness Metis, the first
wife of Zeus. Zeus received a prophecy informing him that
Metis would give birth to the child who would overthrow his
father. To escape the prophecy, Zeus swallowed Metis while
she was pregnant in Athena. Later, Zeus began to suffer from
headaches and called on Hephaestus to help him. Athena was
Athen
16. Dionysus
Although a demi-god, Dionysus managed to win the heart of the gods
and his place on Mount Olympus! As a god of wine, viticulture ritual
madness and religious ecstasy, he was very beloved among the
people and was considered a very important god. He was the son of
god Zeus and the mortal Semele. He was the patron god of theater
and taught people how to make wine. The Athenians, to honor
Dionysus, held a famous celebration, characteristic of his merriment.
Dionysus
17. Hestia was the goddess of domestic life, home and hearth, the flame
that kept a family’s home warm. She was the eldest daughter of
Cronus and Rhea, and the eldest sister of Zeus. In the middle of the
ancient Greeks’ home, there was an altar in her honor. The women
of the house had as a responsibility to keep Hestia’s flame burning.
The worship of Hestia was connected with the worship of Zeus who
protected the strangers-travelers. Goddess Hestia was the first to
invent the construction of houses, taught it to people and became the
Hesti
18. Hecate: the goddess of magic and necromancy.
She was the one that helped the goddess
Demeter in search of her daughter. Dogs were
closely associated with her. The ancient Greeks
believed that when dogs suddenly barked at
night, Hecate was passing by.
Hecate
19. Aeolus: the god of the winds. He
was supervising the eight Wind
Gods (each wind direction was
personified by ancient Greeks).
Aeolus
20. Asclepius: the god of
medicine. He was the son of
god Apollo who taught him
the science of medicine
Asclepius
21. Eris: the goddess of jealousy and
discord. She was the one that threw the
golden apple at the wedding of Thetis
and Peleus because they did not invite
her. Her action was the starting point
Eris
22. Pan: the god of wild, shepherds and
rustic music. He is considered to be one
of the oldest Greek gods and was
especially beloved among the people.
Pan
23. Nik
NIKE (Nicé) was the winged goddess of victory--
victory both in war and in peaceful competition. When
Zeus was gathering allies at the start of the Titan War,
Styx brought her four children Nike (Victory), Zelos
(Rivalry), Kratos (Cratus Strength) and Bia (Force) into
the god's service. Nike was appointed his charioteer
and together the four
25. The Ancient Romans believed in Gods, and there was usually a God for
everything in their life.
Many Ancient Romans had shrines in their homes to worship Gods.
In the beginning, Gods were faceless, formless, and powerful.
Ancient Romans all believed that the Gods were divine, meaning they had
special Godly powers.
The Ancient Romans were very religious, and believed their success was due
to their strong belief in the Gods, and what the Gods would do for them in
return.
The Ancient Romans believed that if you maintained a good relationship with
the Gods, they would be kind to you.
There were correct ways to practise prayer in Ancient Rome.
The Roman Calendar was built around religious observances.
Early Roman mythology says that Rome was founded by two twin Gods –
Romulus and Remus.
Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf.
When they were older, both Romulus and Remus wanted to form a new city,
but couldn’t agree on where it should be formed.
38. Jupiter held thunderbolts in his hands, which he could
throw from the sky.
Juno’s symbols were a pomegranate and a peacock.
Mars was the strongest and more fearsome God, next
to his father Jupiter.
The symbol for Minerva was an owl.
39. As God of the sea, Neptune carried around a trident.
Ceres was always depicted as carrying around a
bundle of grain, as this represented the harvest and
agriculture.
The word “volcano” comes from the god Vulcan, as he
represented volcanoes and blacksmiths. It was known
that if he became too angered, volcanoes would erupt.
40. Diana’s symbols included the moon, the snake, and
the bow and arrow.
Mercury was the messenger of the gods. The wings on
his helmet and sandals allowed him to move very
quickly to wherever a god might send him. He was
reliable and could be counted on to deliver messages.
As the goddess of hearth and home, Vesta kept a
flame burning in her temple to represent the “hearth of
41. The home was very important to the Ancient Romans.
Jupiter’s father was Saturn. When Saturn died, Jupiter
and his two brothers, Neptune and Pluto, divided the
world evenly amongst themselves to rule.
Jupiter took the heavens, Neptune took the sea, and
Pluto took the underworld, and they were all happy
with their choices.
42. Although Jupiter’s wife, Juno, ruled over all women in
Rome, she especially watched over married Roman
women.
March 1st was the day when the Ancient Romans
would honor Juno.
It is said that Mars was tall and handsome, but very
mean. Apparently, he didn’t care who won or lost a
43. Despite the Gods not really liking Mars, mortal men
worshipped him and often prayed that he would fight
alongside them.
Apollo and Diana were twins.
Neptune had flowing green hair and deep blue eyes
like the sea. He was full of energy, but had a bad
temper!
44. Pluto was not the God of death, and he wasn’t lonely in
the underworld.
Mercury could fly faster than any of the other Gods. He
was very popular, and people trusted him. He was a good
negotiator, too.
Minerva was born from Jupiter’s brain, and didn’t have a
mother.
When the emperors of Rome died, they were given God-
like status, which made leaders of Rome become
45. Bad emperors were not given God-like status, like
Nero and Tiberius.
Since Christians only believed in 1 God, and the
Romans believed in many Gods, Christians were
often killed by the Romans.
46. Other Roman Gods included:
PlutoAnother brother of Jupiter; god of the underworld
BacchusGod of wine and civilization and law HerculesAnother
son of Jupiter with a mortal mother; he was half God, half
human
CupidSon of Venus; carried a bow and arrow and shot people
to make them fall in love
PegasusA winged horse who could fly
OrpheusSon of Apollo and Calliope; the most famous
musician in the ancient world
PandoraCreated by Vulcan; the first woman made from clay
47. Roman Gods Vs. Greek Gods
Jupiter •
Juno • Hera
Mars • Ares
Zeus
He was the master of the gods and
the main god of the Romans. In his
hand he held thunderbolts which he
could hurl from the sky.
She was the wife of Jupiter, the
goddess of women and fertility. Her
symbols were a pomegranate and a
peacock.
He was the god of war, the strongest
and most fearsome god, except for
Jupiter.
48. Roman Gods Vs. Greek Gods
Ceres • Demeter
Venus •
Aphrodite
Minerva • Athena
Neptune • Poseidon
She was the goddess of love and
beauty.
She was the goddess of wisdom,
learning, art crafts and industry. Her
symbol was the owl.
He was the powerful god of the sea.
His symbol was the trident.
She was the goddess of the harvest,
always depicted carrying a bundle of
grain.
49. Roman Gods Vs. Greek Gods
Vulcan •
Diana • Artemis
Mercury • Hermes
Hephaestus
He was the blacksmith of the gods and a god
of the underworld. If he stoked his furness too
hard volcanos
might erupt. He was the god of blacksmiths
and volcano
She was the goddess of hunting and
a goddess of the moon
He was the messenger of the gods. the
wings on his helmet and sandals allowed
him to travel very quickly to
wherever a god might send him. He was the
god of travellers and tradesmen.
50. Roman Gods Vs. Greek Gods
Vesta •
Apollo • Apollo
Hestia
She was the goddess of the heart and
home and was very important to
Romans. In her temple a flame was
always kept burning as in the ‘hearth
of Rome’.
God of music, healing, light, and
truth. He moved the sun across the
sky
