Gods of ancient Greece list and description of what the sons of Zeus were. Zeus (Diy), the supreme god of the ancient Greeks

Zeus is the ruler of Olympus, the father of gods and people, the god of sky, thunder and lightning.

Zeus's father was Kronos, and his mother was Rhea. Since Kronos was predicted that he would die at the hands of his own son, in order to avoid this, he swallowed the child born to Rhea every time. Rhea decided to use a trick and, secretly from her husband, gave birth to Zeus, and instead of a newborn, she gave birth to a swaddled stone to Kronos. According to different versions myth Zeus was born in Crete or Phrygia, he was bathed in the river Lusius in Arcadia. The Cretan version of the myth tells that Zeus was given to be raised by the Curetes and Corybantes, who fed him with the milk of the goat Amalthea. In Crete, the baby also tasted bee honey. The cave where Zeus was hidden was guarded by guards. When little Zeus began to cry, the guards banged their spears on their shields so that Kronos would not hear the baby’s cry.

Olympian Zeus, statue by Phidias, one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Finally, Zeus grew up. He came to his father and brought his brothers and sisters out of the womb of Kronos, giving his father a potion on the advice of Metis. As a token of gratitude, the brothers and sisters of Zeus gave him thunder and lightning, after which his war for power with Kronos and the Titans began. The Titanomachy lasted for ten whole years. In this war, Zeus' assistants were the hundred-armed, and the Cyclops forged thunder, lightning and Perun for him. In the end, Zeus was victorious and overthrew the Titans into Tartarus.

Three brothers - Zeus, Poseidon and Hades - divided power among themselves. Zeus began to rule in the sky, Poseidon in the sea, Hades in the kingdom of the dead. The establishment of Zeus on Olympus occurred with great difficulty, for example, Gaia rebelled against him and sent Typhon. However, Zeus defeated this creature with fiery lightning. According to one version of the myth, Zeus sent Typhon to Tartarus, and according to another, he dumped Etna on him. However, the war did not end there, Gaia gave birth to new children - giants, and Gigantomachy broke out. Zeus even fought for power with his closest relatives; for example, Hera, Poseidon and Pallas Athena (according to another version, Apollo) rebelled against him. However, with the help of Thetis, Zeus summoned the hundred-handed men to Olympus, who tamed the conspirators.

Zeus's first wife was Metis, who was swallowed by him. Soon the ruler of Olympus married Themis, who was the goddess of justice. Their daughters were Ora and Moira - goddesses of fate. The daughters of Zeus from Eurynome, the Charites, brought joy, fun and grace into life. Demeter was also the wife of Zeus. Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, gave birth to nine muses. From Leto to Zeus - Apollo and Artemis. The third but first most important wife of Zeus was Hera, the goddess of marriage and patroness of marriage laws.

Interesting to know: in the guise of a snake, Zeus seduced Demeter, and then Persephone, in the guise of a bull and a bird - Europa, in the guise of a bull - Io, in the guise of an eagle - Ganymede, in the guise of a swan - Nemesis or Leda, in the guise of a quail - Leto, in the guise of an ant - Eurymedus , in the guise of a dove - Phthia, in the guise of fire - Aegina, in the form of golden rain - Danae, in the guise of a satyr - Antiope, in the guise of a shepherd - Mnemosyne.

Zeus was the father of many heroes who carried out his divine will and good intentions. His sons are Hercules, Perseus, Dioscuri, Sarpedon, famous kings and sages: Minos, Radamanthos and Aeacus.

Despite the fact that Zeus is the “father of men and gods,” he is a formidable punitive force. It was on his orders that Prometheus was chained to a rock, who stole the spark of Hephaestus's fire to help people doomed by Zeus to a miserable fate. Several times Zeus destroyed the entire human race, so he tried to create a perfect man. The flood is his doing. Only Deucalion, the son of Prometheus, and his wife Pyrrha escaped. The Trojan War is also a kind of punishment of people for their wickedness.

The attributes of Zeus were an aegis (shield), a scepter, a double ax, and sometimes an eagle.

He is the highest god of Olympus, the god of all gods. But how much do you know about Zeus beyond this? So, we present to your attention 10 interesting facts about the main hero of Olympus.

The men's spring/summer 2014 collection from Dolce&Gabbana - “Mythological Sicily” (Sicilia Mitologica) - is literally imbued with Magna Graecia and its amazing temples, such as those located in the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento: the temples of Taormina and the Temple of Apollo in Syracuse became a source of inspiration for all collections. Here is a fantastic triumph of prints of the ancient gods: Zeus, representing power and creation in Greek mythology, and Apollo, representing light, sun, kindness and beauty. But did you know that Zeus had almost 70 children? We offer you 10 facts that you probably didn’t know about the king of all gods and goddesses.

1. Zeus’s father wanted to eat him.

Kronos and Rhea had several children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. However, he ate them all as soon as they were born, because Gaia and Uranus predicted to him that he would be overthrown by his own son, as he himself had overthrown his father.

Rhea, pregnant with Zeus, found Gaia to ask her to save her son, who could punish Kronos for crimes against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, and gave Kronos a stone wrapped in the baby's clothes to eat.

2. Zeus was raised by... things.

For example, a goat named Amalthea. And the Corybantes - soldiers and minor gods - at that moment danced, shouted and banged their spears on their shields so that Kronos would not hear the child’s cry.

He was also raised by a nymph named Adamantia. Kronos ruled on Earth, in the skies and on the sea. Adamantia hid Zeus, hanging him on a rope from a tree, so that he hung between the earth, sea and sky and was inaccessible to his father's gaze.

He was also raised by the nymph Kinosura. In gratitude, Zeus then placed her among the stars.

He was also raised by Melissa, who fed him goat's milk and honey.

He was also raised by a shepherd's family on the condition that their sheep would be saved from wolves.

3. Zeus saved his brothers and sisters.

After becoming a man, Zeus forced Kronos to vomit up first the stone and then his siblings in the reverse order of swallowing. In some versions of the myths, Metis gave Kronos an emetic medicine to force him to do this, and in others, Zeus ripped open Kronos' stomach. Zeus then freed Kronos' brothers - the Giants, Hecatoncheires and Cyclops - from their prison in Tartarus, killing their guard Kampa.

As a token of gratitude, the Cyclopes gave Zeus thunder and lightning. Along with his brothers and sisters, as well as the Giants, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes, Zeus overthrew Kronos and the other Titans in great battle Titanomachy. The defeated Titans were then exiled to a dark corner of the underworld - Tartarus. Atlas, one of the Titans who fought against Zeus, was punished by having to hold up the sky.

4. His wife Hera was his sister, and his other wives were also his relatives.

In most ancient myths, firstborns had to marry each other, regardless of relationship, because there were few people with whom to continue the family line. Therefore, Zeus married his sister Hera (who, according to some versions of the myths, was also his twin). A nymph named Pluto was the mother of King Tantalus of Lydia (by Zeus), and since Pluto's father was Kronos, this means that she was also Zeus' sister (or at least paternal sister). Zeus cheated on Hera with one of his sisters, but it was not Demeter. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus was married six times before he took Hera as his wife.

5. Since he had so many wives, he had dozens of children.

He had many children with goddess or demigoddes or mortal wives. In total, he had about 70 women, and accordingly, there were even more children.

6. Zeus has many names.

Zeus Olympus refers to Zeus' rule over all the gods. Zeus Panellenios, Zeus Gorky - i.e. Zeus, keeper of oaths. Zeus Agora: Zeus oversaw affairs in the agora and punished dishonest merchants. Zeus Xenius, Philius and Hospides: Zeus was the patron of hospitality (xenia) and guests and was ready to take revenge on anyone who harmed strangers. Zeus Egiokh - this term comes from the word αἴξ ("goat") and is taken from the myth of how he was suckled by Amalthea.

7. Many mountains are associated with Zeus.

Many mountains were dedicated to Zeus: in the Thessaly region, Olympus, Pelias and Eta; in Arcadia - the Lyceum and Mount Itoma in Messenia; in Attica - Parneta and Imetto; in Boeotia - Kytheron; in Phocis - Parnassus; in Troy - Ida, another mountain called Ida on the island of Crete and many others.

8. Zeus has been represented in different ways.

Zeus was represented in different images, but one detail was always present: he was always depicted with the symbol of kings and gods - the scepter, which mortal kings received from him to administer power and justice.

9. He wasn't THAT good.

Zeus was also revered as a multiple god, with a two-way soul, and therefore he was both a good and an evil god.

10. Zeus is a truly unique type of god.

For all its vicissitudes, the image of Zeus cannot be compared with any of the other Indo-European gods with the same powers or names (for example, Varuna, or Wodan). The trait of the father of the universe, expressed in the epic phrase "father of mortals and gods", dates back to the prehistoric era, as well as power over the weather.

God of the Ancients Greece Zeus known to us as the main Olympian god, ruling the entire world, sky, thunder and lightning. The god of Ancient Greece, Zeus, is associated with real rock and fate. This is justified by the fact that people were protected by it: asking and pleading. Not only subjects, but also kings and other gods obeyed Zeus.

Ancient Greek God Zeus

The Greek god distinguished between good and evil and introduced people to the concepts of shame and conscience. Zeus, the supreme god of Olympus, had three brothers with whom he shared power. The seat of the god was Mount Olympus, which is why the patriarchate of Zeus was called Olympian. The power of the patron did not satisfy the other gods, so they tried to overthrow him from the throne. They failed to carry out a coup d'état, so all violators were punished.

What does the god Zeus look like?

The god of Ancient Greece Zeus was the father of all people and gods, and Roman mythology identified him with Jupiter. Thanks to Zeus, Greece had an established social order. Traditional description The god Zeus is an image of a mature man with a noble face, thick snow-white curls, a beard and a strong powerful figure, strong slender arms. Later artists depict God in a huge variety of guises, among which Zeus appears as a deceiver of women, a character in love affairs.

What did Zeus patronize?

The third son of Kronos was different from the rest of the Gods. He was not only a fair, honest and decent leader, but also responsible for the welfare of the entire population. The main tasks of Zeus were:

protect city life;
avoid disorder and chaos;
direct life in the right direction;
protect all those offended;
protect the family hearth;
monitor the implementation of laws and observance of customs.

This is not the entire list of what Zeus was responsible for. The ancient Greek god of sky and thunder was able to solve any pressing issue, calm and pacify everyone who needed help at a certain point in their life. Thanks to his “power” everyone was confident that justice would always triumph. The energy of God spread to the entire Olympus and delighted with its purity.

Attributes of the god Zeus

Each attribute gave Zeus the thunderer strength and was an integral part of the overall image. The main association with Zeus is lightning, which is in the hands of the patron and serves as a material weapon. However, these are not all the attributes of God.

The first and one of the main symbols of power is the eagle, which is associated with Zeus.
The shield of Zeus is a symbol of anger and rage.
A chariot drawn by eagles.
Scepter.
Hammer or labrys.

Zeus Family

Zeus belongs to the generation of titans. His father Kronos knew even before birth that his own son would overthrow his father’s power, so he swallowed every baby born to Rhea. As the myth of the birth of Zeus testifies, his mother deceived Kronos and gave birth to a baby, hiding it. It is impossible to find out the exact place of birth of the child, but the island of Crete is considered the leader among all versions. So that the clever Kronos did not notice the birth of his son, he had to absorb a stone in a diaper. The born Zeus laughed for a week - after which the number 7 began to be considered sacred.

The Cretan version of the myth insists that Zeus was raised by the Curetes and Corybantes, fed on goat's milk, and fed on bee honey. It is difficult to consider this information the only correct one. Another version of the legend says that the boy, fed on goat's milk, was guarded by guards every minute. On occasions when a child cried, the guards would bang their spears on their shields to deceive Kronos' ears.

The grown god created a potion with which he freed his brothers from Kronos. The mighty brothers started a fight with their father that lasted 9 years. After some time, it was still not possible to determine the winner. But the savvy Zeus the Thunderer found a way out, freeing the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Men. They helped bring down the titan and bring him down. After a protracted struggle, the three brothers finally began to rule the island.

Father of Zeus

According to ancient Greek mythology, Kronos was the supreme deity. Another version insists that Kronos is the Titan god, the father of Zeus, the god of agriculture, and was identified with Chronos. The reign of Kronos is considered the golden age in Greece. The main attribute of Kronos is the sickle. Kronos was the supreme god, and due to his seniority, he became king.

Mother of Zeus

The mother of the god Zeus, Rhea, was considered the goddess of the earth, was a Titanide and the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. Rhea was the mother of Hestia - the goddess of the hearth, Demeter - the goddess of fertility, - the goddess of families, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus. Rhea is remembered by mythology as a brave and brave Titanide who was able to go against her husband’s will by secretly giving birth to a child. Rhea had the power of healing, which was useful to her to save the life of Dionysus.

Zeus's wife

According to some myths, Zeus was very attached to Thetis and wanted to leave his wife for her sake. The only obstacle to this was a prophecy. Zeus seduced his chosen ones, taking on various forms: a swan, a bull, a snake, rain, an ant, a bird, a beetle. Zeus was not constancy and had many wives and lovers, among whom:

Metis is the only wife of Zeus who was swallowed;
Themis;
Hera is the last wife of God;
Demeter;
Thebe;
Phthia;
Aytos;
Ganymede.
Callirhoe.

Son of Zeus

Zeus contributed to the birth strongest sons, which made their mark in the history of ancient Greek mythology. But strong and brave sons are contrasted with the gentle, intelligent and fertile daughters of Zeus. The sons of Zeus were:

born of Aphrodite love god Eros;
god of struggle Ares;
the fire god Hephaestus, who patronized blacksmithing;
Hermes, patron of trade;
horned baby Sabazius;
wine god Dionysus;
Apollo is the son of Zeus, the god of light, music, and medicine.
Egipan;
patron of the herd Pan;
Karpos.

Daughters of God Zeus

Zeus is the father of most known to the world goddesses. Based on their number, they were divided into groups according to the tasks performed.

9 muses of Zeus led by Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania and Calliope. The goddesses were responsible for science, poetry, and art.
Charites responsible for fun, life joy and pleasure.
The Moirai, including Clotho, Atropos, Lachesis, were responsible for.
The Orami controlled the seasons.
The Erinyes committed acts of revenge and rebellion.
The senior muses include Telxiope, Aeda, Arha and Meleta.

The Greek god Zeus was the ruler of the earth and the underground, and judged the dead. The fair and strong Zeus accomplished both good deeds and real feats in the name of the common good. Zeus is not only the real supreme god, patron and leader, he was a symbol of brotherly love, intelligence and logic. From an early age, Zeus differed from his peers in his thirst to live, fight for justice, and win. The legendary titan was a true fighter and builder of the general order.

The ancient Greeks loved to fight and considered battle a complex matter, and therefore they had different gods in charge of it. True, they invented a special god for each type of war (offensive, defensive, fair, unfair). But Athena ruled over the fighting, conducted wisely and ending in victory, and the son of Zeus, Ares, led the blind, furious battle with an incomprehensible outcome.

Introduction

This god ruled over a bloodthirsty war, gripped by rage, where people killed each other on the battlefield with particular cruelty. The son of Zeus and Hera adored the process and the action itself, he was not interested in the reasons and ending of the battle. Ares was brought joy by the screams of the warriors and the sounds of weapons, and he received true pleasure both from the courage of the fighters and from their death. All these characteristics of his did not cause positive emotions neither among people nor among other gods. He is the unloved son of Zeus, whom he wanted to throw into Tartarus, but could not because of family ties.

Alas, the facts telling about Ares are fragmentary and contradictory. For most historians and other scientists, the son of Zeus was not of particular interest, since the ancient Greeks were not inclined to revere this god, they were simply afraid of him. But the poets of Ancient Greece sang of Ares in their poems and odes. In this article we will try to collect a holistic image of a strong and aggressive god of war.

Who is this Ares?

The son of Zeus personifies fierce warlikeness, primal savagery and ferocious cruelty. Ares' attributes include a fiery torch, and weapons such as a spear or animals (a dog or a kite). On Mount Olympus, a council of twelve gods took place from time to time, and the son of Zeus, Ares, was the third in it.

God's childhood

Ares bore little resemblance to other inhabitants of Olympus, distinguished by wisdom and prudence. The origin of God was shrouded in mystery and controversy. It was believed that the son of Zeus and Hera was born in Thrace, where a harsh climate prevailed and harsh people lived. He spent his childhood in this country. Young Ares was not as handsome and charming as Apollo. The son of Zeus had his special beauty. Dark hair, fair skin, a burning gaze, the correct oval of the face - all this created an image of sternness and equanimity.

Character of Ares

The son of god (Zeus) took care of his appearance and dressed exquisitely in elegant outfits. Hera's capricious pet did not know refusal; he was allowed everything or almost everything. Such improper maternal upbringing influenced the fact that they manifested themselves in full.

Boasting, aggressiveness, authoritarianism, rudeness, intemperance, cruelty towards human weaknesses and defenselessness, fear of pain - all these qualities were possessed by the unloved son of Zeus. One can draw an analogy of this god with a feisty dog, whose hair stands on end, has a terrible grin, loud barking and who is ready to instantly bite the victim to death, but as soon as he feels rebuff, he immediately tucks his tail and runs away.

The Story of Ares' Disgraceful Flight

The most unloved son of Zeus preferred birds as victims. When he was a child, he lay in wait for his father's eagle or his mother's peacock, Apollo's raven, Athena's owl or Aphrodite's dove and wanted to shoot the bird with a slingshot. And the other sons of Zeus came up with a punishment for Ares. The names of Apollo, Dionysus and Hephaestus made the supreme god proud.

Apollo offered the young Ares a bet that he would not be able to climb onto the western slope of Mount Olympus and break at least one egg of the seagulls nesting there. The martial god accepted the bet, since the slope, in his opinion, was not very steep and difficult to climb, and the seagulls seemed nice and not at all aggressive. Ares quickly climbed to the top, but the cute and calm seagulls were not so defenseless. Hearing the cry of one bird, whose egg was stolen by Ares, the whole flock flocked around the young god. The seagulls screamed shrilly and pelted the kidnapper with thin white droppings. Ares was choking on the foul smell, blinded by the flapping of thousands of bird wings. He could not do anything, and therefore escape was, although shameful, the only option. Apollo accompanied the escape with caustic ridicule.

Zeus could not figure out what to do with such a hooligan son who did not have any talents and did not want to study at all. The boy's mother stood up for her beloved son and begged the ruler of Olympus for the position of Minister of Military Affairs, because her son was an ideal candidate. So Ares (son of Zeus) became the god of war, cutting through space on a shiny chariot with a couple of magnificent horses that breathed fire.

The Maturity of a Warlike God

The ferocious Ares rejoices only when cruelty flourishes on the battlefield. They say that he, in sparkling clothes and with a huge shield, rushes with great fury in the thick of the battle, where the air is filled with screams, groans, and the roar of weapons.

On the battlefield, the god of war is accompanied by Deimos and Phobos. These are the two sons of Ares. Deimos represents horror, and Phobos represents fear. Also in the retinue of this god you can see Eris (goddess of discord) and Enyo (goddess who sows murder). Here such brethren fly among the warriors, they fall, die, and the god of war rejoices and rejoices. Ares receives ecstasy when a warrior hit by his weapon dies, and blood flows from the wound to the ground. Fear, horror, disgust - all these emotions were evoked by God among the ancient Greeks.

Ares's hatred for the goddess of the world, Eirene, was terrible. But his friendship with Eris was also not smooth, because he rejected that part of the goddess that was revered by people as a force that forces them to compete in peaceful labor. Even the son of Zeus and Leda, Polydeuces, succumbed to the influence of Ares on the battlefield. The gods loved to watch the lives of mortals, watch battles, and when they were bored, they themselves could organize the reasons for wars. Some of them even descended from Olympus to help their favorites. But for Ares, war was the main meaning of life, he did not think about its reasons, about whether it was fair or not. The sight of blood made God mad, and he began to kill fighters on both sides, without understanding who was right and who was wrong.

It happened that Ares, hiding in a crowd of warriors, uttered a terrible scream, as if several thousand people were screaming. This cry made an indelible impression on the fighters, and with great rage they began to kill everyone, regardless of gender and age. The warriors did not even take into account the value of the lives of people from the enemy side, who could become slaves. Even the animals were not spared. Warriors simply turned into killers.

Is it any wonder that the ancient Greeks considered the god Ares to blame for all their troubles and misfortunes? Then they came to a decision. They wanted to get rid of the bloodthirsty god so that happiness and peace could finally come to the mortal world. But ordinary people it was impossible to cope with the deity. The giants Ephialtes and Otos agreed to help. They captured Ares and put him in a copper prison. For thirteen months, the bloodthirsty god was imprisoned in terrible chains and probably could have died there, but the stepmother of the giants, Eribeia, gave the message to Hermes, and he freed the half-dead Ares. All this time there was peace and quiet on earth. Thirteen months were the happiest and most fruitful for mortals.

Pallas Athena hated Ares no less than the devastated people. Goddess helped Greek heroes For example, Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae, received her attention. She personified a fair and just war, was a craftswoman and skillfully mastered military affairs, because she twice defeated Ares in battle.
The ancient Greek hero Hercules - the son of Zeus - also fought with the god of war, and he fled in fear to the celestials.

War and Love - Ares and Aphrodite

Beautiful Aphrodite was the wife of the limping blacksmith god Hephaestus. But she gave birth to four children (Phobos, Deimos, Harmony, Eros) from Ares, a passionate, pugnacious and frantic god. An explosive mixture that is unlikely to bring anything good - crazy love and crazy war.

The secretive and hardworking Hephaestus had no idea about Aphrodite’s betrayal. But one day a couple in love lingered in bed and met together the appearance of the sun (Helios), who told the blacksmith about the betrayal. Offended and angry, Hephaestus forged a strange thing in his forge - the finest and at the same time very strong web, which he attached to the family bed. When a satisfied Aphrodite returned home, her husband informed her of his journey to the island of Lemnos. The wife did not want to go with him, and as soon as Hephaestus left the threshold, she called Ares to her, who appeared very quickly in the halls of Aphrodite.

The lovers enjoyed each other all night, and the next morning they saw that the bed and they themselves were under the thinnest web. Naked and helpless, they were caught by Hephaestus, who set it all up. He called all the gods to show the betrayal of Aphrodite and Ares. The goddesses stayed at home, and the gods decided to watch such an action. The blacksmith god gave an ultimatum to Zeus (her father) to return all the wedding gifts, and only then would he release his wife. Many gods - both Apollo and Hermes - would like to be in the place of Ares, even in such a web, but next to Aphrodite. This is the conversation that the sons of Zeus had, whose names were mentioned. But the supreme god was angered by such talk, he refused to return Hephaestus’s wedding gifts and said that it was not good to interfere in a family conflict. Still present at this demonstration, Poseidon, seeing the naked body of Aphrodite, immediately fell in love with the charming goddess and was inflamed with acute envy of Ares. The sea god pretended to sympathize with Hephaestus and offered to help. He claimed that he would do everything to ensure that Ares paid for his freedom a price no less than the wedding gifts of Hephaestus. If the god of war does not do this, then Poseidon himself will give the required amount and marry the beautiful goddess.

After the release of the captives, Ares did not even think about repaying the debt, because if the supreme god does not pay, then why should he do it. Nobody paid Hephaestus the ransom, but he was not very upset, because he loved his wife and did not want to let her go anywhere, much less get a divorce.

After this adventure, Ares returned to his homeland, and Aphrodite settled in Cyprus, where she again became a virgin after swimming in the sea. The situation described did not affect the goddess in any way, because she continued to feel a strong passionate attraction to the warlike god and always protected him, which is why Athena constantly joked and mocked Aphrodite. Ares also experienced insane jealousy and love.

Ares' Jealousy

The myths of the ancient Greeks describe one story when the flighty Aphrodite fell in love with the wonderful young man Adonis. He also attracted Persephone, the wife of the underground patron - Hades. The dispute between the two goddesses was supposed to be resolved by Zeus, but he refused to carry out such an obscene trial and entrusted the matter to the muses. They decided that Adonis would live with Aphrodite for two seasons a year, one season with Persephone, and one season as he wanted. But the intelligent one, by hook or by crook, convinced Adonis to spend the season intended for the young man himself with her. Thus, the young lover spent more time with Aphrodite. It turns out that the music did not adhere to the court’s decision. Persephone, having learned about this, became indignant and went to talk to Ares. She talked about love affairs Aphrodite to the god of war. Blinded by jealousy, Ares turned into a wild boar and killed Adonis during a hunt right in front of the goddess of love. This is what Ares was all about! The son of Zeus and Callisto also felt the wrath of the god of war.

Children of the Warlike God

Ares became the father of four offspring, whose mother was Aphrodite. We were always with our father on the battlefield, in the thick of the battle. Daughter Harmony was somewhat similar to her mother and brought people happiness even more than the goddess of love. Son Eros had his father’s character and was engaged in his mother’s specialty in kindling love. This boy with shiny wings, a golden bow and arrows was distinguished by playfulness, cunning and sometimes even cruelty. It was light like a summer breeze. No one could hide from his arrows of love. Eros is very dexterous and is not inferior in the art of shooting to the god Apollo himself. The arrows of a sweet boy bring people not only love and joy, but often also suffering, perhaps even death. After birth of Zeus wanted to kill the baby, knowing about the troubles and sorrows that Eros would bring to the gods and people.

Mother Aphrodite did not give offense to her son and hid him in a dense forest, where he was raised by lionesses. And Eros remained safe and sound. Now he flies around the world and brings peace and love, and grief, and good, and evil, conquering with his arrows both the very young and even the old. The son of Aphrodite and Ares activates the force that attracts people to each other, gods or gods to people. It's not that important anymore.

Historians include the goddess of bloody vengeance Erinyes and the terrible dragon among the offspring of Ares. Cadmus, whose sister was kidnapped, fought him in a duel. He and several other young men gathered to search. On the way, they lost each other, and Cadmus ended up in Delphi, where the oracle advised him to follow the cow and build a city where she stopped. With only a few servants, he was unable to fulfill this prediction. But then it got even worse, because a dragon came out of the cave and ate all the servants.

Seeing all this, the young man began an impossible battle with the dragon and, thanks to incredible efforts, defeated him. Lying on the grass, without any strength, Cadmus heard the authoritative voice of a woman. He helped the young man get up and pull out the dragon's teeth, with which Cadmus later littered the field. From the teeth grew warriors who fought each other, some of them died, and with those that remained, the young man founded the city. It was named after the hero - Cadmeus.

After Cadmus killed the dragon, he was to become a servant of the bloodthirsty god Ares for many years. At the end of his service, the young man married the daughter of Ares and the goddess of love Aphrodite - Harmony.

Conclusion

In the presented article, an attempt was made to collect a holistic image of the warlike man. Born in harsh Thrace, he was ferocious and cruel. This is the beloved son of his mother Hera, but hated by his own father. Ares struck fear into mortal people and disgusted the immortal gods. The meaning of this god’s life was war, its process itself, battles and fights, the screams of warriors, the clang of weapons, the cries of victims. But before greater strength Ares gave in and walked away, although, of course, he didn’t like that at all.

Another element into which Ares completely immersed himself was love for the incredibly beautiful and feminine goddess Aphrodite. Jealousy for her incinerated God, and he, captivated by this frantic feeling, swept away everything in his path. Fury, deceit, cruelty are the qualities of the bloodthirsty Ares, who will stop at nothing. Blood and death are what attract the god of war most.

It is simply impossible to list all the sons of Zeus; even historians cannot do this. Let's name the most famous of them. These are Ammon, Hercules, Dardan, Dodon, Carius, Locrus, Meliteus, Perseus, Tantalus, Epaphus, etc.

During Antiquity, mythology had a huge influence on people, closely fitting into everyday life and religious customs. The main religion of this period was pagan polytheism, which was based on a large pantheon of gods. The gods of ancient Greece had a special meaning and each played their role. In different regions there was a cult of one or another god, which was largely determined by the peculiarities of life and way of life. This article provides a list and description of the gods.

The gods were humanized, endowed with anthropomorphic behavior. Ancient Greek mythology had a clear hierarchy - the Titans, Titanides and the younger generation of gods stood out, giving rise to the Olympians. The Olympian gods are the supreme celestial beings who lived on Mount Olympus. They were the ones who had the greatest influence on the ancient Greeks.

The ancient Greek gods of the first generation - ancient entities that gave rise to all living and nonliving things, are considered the creators of the world. They entered into a relationship, thanks to which other gods were born, who also belong to the first generation, as well as titans. The progenitors of all the ancient Greek gods were Skotos (Mist) and Chaos. It was these two entities that gave rise to the entire primary pantheon of Ancient Greece.

The primary pantheon of gods of ancient Greece:

Nyukta (Nikta);
Erebus (Darkness);
Eros (Love);
Gaia (Earth);
Tartarus (Abyss);
Uranus (Sky).

Almost no descriptions of each of these deities have survived, since the Olympians later became key to the mythology of Ancient Greece.

The gods, unlike people, were allowed to enter into family ties, so children were often the products of incest.

The deities of the second generation are the titans, thanks to whom the Olympian gods were born. These are 6 sisters and 6 brothers who actively married each other and fought for power. The most revered titans are Kronos and Rhea.

Olympian gods of Greece

These are the children and descendants of the children of Kronos and his wife Rhea. The Titan Kronos was originally considered the god of agriculture, and later of time. He had a harsh disposition and a thirst for power, for which he was overthrown, castrated and sent to Tartarus. His reign was replaced by the Olympian gods, led by Zeus. The lives and relationships of the Olympians are detailed in ancient Greek legends and myths, and they were worshiped, respected, and given gifts. There are 12 main gods.

Zeus

The youngest son of Rhea and Kronos, considered the father and patron of people and gods, personified good and evil. He opposed his father, overthrowing him into Tartarus. After this, power on earth was divided between him and his brothers - Poseidon and Hades. He is the patron of lightning and thunder. His attributes were a shield and an axe, and later an eagle began to be depicted next to him. They loved Zeus, but they were also afraid of his punishment, so they offered valuable gifts.

People imagined Zeus as a strong and robust middle-aged man. He had noble features, thick hair and a beard. In myths, Zeus was depicted as a character love stories, deceived earthly women, as a result of which he gave rise to many demigods.

Hades

The eldest son of Kronos and Rhea, after the overthrow of the rule of the Titans, became the god of the underworld of the dead. He was personified by people as a man over 40 years old who rode a golden chariot drawn by golden horses. He is credited with terrifying surroundings, such as Cerberus, a dog with three heads. They believed that he owned the untold riches of the underworld, so they feared and respected him, sometimes more than Zeus. Married to Persephone, whom he kidnapped, thereby causing the wrath of Zeus and the inconsolable grief of Demeter.

Among people they were afraid to say his name out loud, replacing it with various epithets. One of the few gods whose cult was practically not widespread. During the rituals, black-skinned cattle, most often bulls, were sacrificed to him.

Poseidon

The middle son of Kronos and Rhea, after defeating the Titans, took possession of water element. According to myths, he lives in a majestic palace in the underwater depths, along with his wife Amphitrite and son Triton. Moves across the sea on a chariot drawn by seahorses. Wields a trident that has enormous power. Its impacts led to the formation of springs and underwater springs. In ancient drawings he is depicted as a powerful man with blue eyes, like the color of the sea.

The Greeks believed that he had a difficult temper and a hot temper, which contrasted with the calmness of Zeus. The cult of Poseidon was widespread in many coastal cities of Ancient Greece, where they brought him rich gifts, including girls.

Hera

One of the most revered goddesses of Ancient Greece. She was the patroness of marriage and marriage. She had a tough character, jealousy and great love to power. She is the wife and sister of her brother Zeus.

In myths, Hera is portrayed as a power-hungry woman who sends disasters and curses on Zeus's many lovers and their children, which leads to grins and funny antics on the part of her husband. She bathes annually in the Kanaf spring, after which she becomes a virgin again.

In Greece, the cult of Hera was widespread, she was the protector of women, they worshiped her and brought gifts to help during childbirth. One of the first deities to whom a sanctuary was built.

Demeter

Second daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Hera. The goddess of fertility and patroness of agriculture, therefore enjoyed great respect among the Greeks. There were large cults throughout the country; it was believed that it was impossible to get a harvest without bringing a gift to Demeter. It was she who taught people to cultivate the land. Posed as a young woman beautiful appearance with curls the color of ripe wheat. The most famous myth is about the abduction of her daughter by Hades.

Descendants and children of Zeus

In the mythology of Ancient Greece great value have born sons Zeus. These are gods of the second order, each of whom was the patron of one or another human activity. According to legends, they often came into contact with earthly inhabitants, where they weaved intrigues and built relationships. Key ones:

Apollo

People called him “radiant” or “shining.” He appeared to be a golden-haired young man, endowed with extraterrestrial beauty of appearance. He was a patron of the arts, a patron of new settlements and a healer. Widely revered by the Greeks, large cults and shrines were found at Delos and Delphi. He is the patron and mentor of muses.

Ares (Ares)

The god of bloody and brutal war, which is why he was often opposed to Athena. The Greeks imagined him as a mighty warrior with a sword in his hand. In later sources, he is depicted next to a griffin and two companions - Eris and Enio, who sowed discord and anger among people. In myths he is described as the lover of Aphrodite, in whose relationship many deities and demigods were born.

Artemis

Patron of hunting and female chastity. It was believed that bringing gifts to Artemis would bring happiness in marriage and make childbirth easier. She was often depicted next to a deer and a bear. The most famous temple was located in Ephesus, and later she was the patroness of the Amazons.

Athena (Pallas)

Highly revered goddess in Ancient Greece. She was the patroness of organized war, wisdom and strategy. Later it became a symbol of knowledge and crafts. She was depicted by the ancient Greeks as a tall and well-proportioned woman, with a spear in her hand. Temples to Athena were erected everywhere, and the cult of veneration was widespread.

Aphrodite

The ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love, later considered the patron of fertility and life. She had a huge influence on the entire pantheon; she had both people and gods in her power (except for Athens, Artemis and Hestia). She was the wife of Hephaestus, but she is credited with love affairs with Ares and Dionysus. Depicted with flowers of roses, myrtle or poppy, apple. Her retinue included doves, sparrows and dolphins, and her companions were Eros and numerous nymphs. The largest cult was located in the city of Paphos, located on the territory of modern Cyprus.

Hermes

An extremely controversial god of the ancient Greek pantheon. He patronized trade, eloquence and dexterity. He was depicted with a winged staff, around which two snakes were entwined. According to legends, he was able to use it to reconcile, wake up and put people to sleep. Hermes is often depicted wearing sandals and a wide-brimmed hat, as well as carrying a lamb on his shoulder. Often he not only helped earthly inhabitants, but also weaved intrigues, bringing citizens together.

Hephaestus

God the blacksmith, who is the patron of blacksmithing and construction. It was he who made the attributes of most of the gods, and also made lightning for Zeus. According to legends, Hera gave birth to him without the participation of her husband, from her thigh in revenge for the birth of Athena. He was often depicted as a broad-shouldered and ugly-looking man, lame on both legs. Was legal spouse Aphrodite.

Dionysus

The youngest Olympian god, widely loved by the ancient Greeks. He is the patron saint of winemaking, vegetation, fun and madness. His mother is the earthly woman Semele, who was killed by Hera. Zeus personally carried the child from the age of 6 months, giving birth to him from the thigh. According to myths, this son of Zeus invented wine and beer. Dionysus was revered not only by the Greeks, but also by the Arabs. Often depicted with a staff with a hop pommel and a bunch of grapes in his hand. The main retinue is satyrs.

The ancient Greek pantheon is represented by several dozen major gods, deities, mythical creatures, monsters and demigods. The legends and myths of Antiquity have many interpretations, since they used different sources. The ancient Greeks loved and respected all gods, worshiped them, brought gifts and turned to them for blessings and curses. Ancient Greek mythology was described in detail by Homer, who described all the major events and the appearance of the gods.