Greek goddess names. Ancient gods of ancient Greece briefly

Hades - God is the ruler of the kingdom of the dead.

Antey- hero of myths, giant, son of Poseidon and the Earth of Gaia. The earth gave its son strength, thanks to which no one could control him.

Apollo- God sunlight. The Greeks depicted him as a beautiful young man.

Ares- god of treacherous war, son of Zeus and Hera

Asclepius- god of healing arts, son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis

Boreas- God north wind, son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.

Bacchus- one of the names of Dionysus.

Helios (Helium ) - god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (morning dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.

Hermes- son of Zeus and Maya, one of the most significant greek gods. Patron of wanderers, crafts, trade, thieves. Possessing the gift of eloquence.

Hephaestus- son of Zeus and Hera, god of fire and blacksmithing. He was considered the patron of artisans.

Hypnos- deity of sleep, son of Nikta (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.

Dionysus (Bacchus) - the god of viticulture and winemaking, the object of a number of cults and mysteries. He was depicted either as a corpulent elderly man or as a young man with a wreath of grape leaves on the head.

Zagreus- god of fertility, son of Zeus and Persephone.

Zeus- supreme god, king of gods and people.

Marshmallow- god of the west wind.

Iacchus- god of fertility.

Kronos - titan , younger son Gaia and Uranus, father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was overthrown from the throne by Zeus...

Mom- son of the goddess of Night, god of slander.

Morpheus- one of the sons of Hypnos, god of dreams.

Nereus- son of Gaia and Pontus, meek sea god.

Note- the god of the south wind, depicted with a beard and wings.

Ocean is titanium , son of Gaia and Uranus, brother and husband of Tethys and father of all the rivers of the world.

Olympians- the supreme gods of the younger generation of Greek gods, led by Zeus, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus.

Pan- forest god, son of Hermes and Dryope, goat-footed man with horns. He was considered the patron saint of shepherds and small livestock.

Pluto- the god of the underworld, often identified with Hades, but unlike from him, who owned not the souls of the dead, but the riches of the underworld.

Plutos- son of Demeter, god who gives wealth to people.

Pont- one of the senior Greek deities, the offspring of Gaia, the god of the sea, the father of many titans and gods.

Poseidon- one of the Olympian gods, brother of Zeus and Hades, ruling over sea ​​elements. Poseidon was also subject to the bowels of the earth,
he commanded storms and earthquakes.

Proteus- sea deity, son of Poseidon, patron of seals. He had the gift of reincarnation and prophecy.

Satires- goat-footed creatures, demons of fertility.

Thanatos- the personification of death, twin brother of Hypnos.

Titans- generation of Greek gods, ancestors of the Olympians.

Typhon- a hundred-headed dragon born of Gaia or Hera. During the battle of the Olympians and the Titans, he was defeated by Zeus and imprisoned under the volcano Etna in Sicily.

Triton- son of Poseidon, one of the sea deities, a man with fish tail instead of legs, he holds a trident and a twisted shell in his hands - a horn.

Chaos- endless empty space from which at the beginning of time arose ancient gods Greek religion - Nyx and Erebus.

Chthonic gods - deities of the underworld and fertility, relatives of the Olympians. These included Hades, Hecate, Hermes, Gaia, Demeter, Dionysus and Persephone.

Cyclops - giants with one eye in the middle of the forehead, children of Uranus and Gaia.

Eurus (Eur)- god of the southeast wind.

Aeolus- lord of the winds.

Erebus- personification of the darkness of the underworld, son of Chaos and brother of Night.

Eros (Eros)- god of love, son of Aphrodite and Ares. IN ancient myths- a self-emerging force that contributed to the ordering of the world. He was depicted as a winged youth (in the Hellenistic era - a boy) with arrows, accompanying his mother.

Ether- deity of the sky

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis- goddess of hunting and nature.

Atropos- one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending human life.

Athena (Pallada, Parthenos) - daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full military weapons. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Aphrodite (Kytharea, Urania) - goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Hebe- daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts.

Hecate- goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, patroness of sorcerers.

Gemera- goddess of daylight, personification of the day, born of Nikta and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.

Hera- the supreme Olympian goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage.

Hestia- goddess of the hearth and fire.

Gaia- mother earth, foremother of all gods and people.

Demitra- goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads- lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Diana-goddess of the hunt

Ilithiya- patron goddess of women in labor.

Iris- winged goddess, assistant of Hera, messenger of the gods.

Calliope- muse of epic poetry and science.

Kera- demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, bringing troubles and death to people.

Clio- one of the nine muses, the muse of history.

Clotho ("spinner") - one of the moiras spinning thread human life.

Lachesis- one of the three Moira sisters, who determine the fate of every person even before birth.

Summer- Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Mayan- a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven Pleiades - the daughters of Atlas, the beloved of Zeus, from whom Hermes was born to her.

Melpomene- muse of tragedy.

Metis- goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.

Mnemosyne- mother of nine muses, goddess of memory.

Moira- goddess of fate, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Muses- patron goddess of the arts and sciences.

Naiads- nymphs-guardians of waters.

Nemesis- daughter of Nikta, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids- fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, sea deities.

Nika- personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

Nymphs- lower deities in the hierarchy of Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature.

Nikta- one of the first Greek deities, the goddess is the personification of the primordial Night

Orestiades- mountain nymphs.

Ory- goddess of the seasons, peace and order, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto- goddess of persuasion, companion of Aphrodite, often identified with her patroness.

Persephone- daughter of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death.

Polyhymnia- the muse of serious hymn poetry.

Tethys- daughter of Gaia and Uranus, wife of Ocean and mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea- mother of the Olympian gods.

Sirens- female demons, half-woman, half-bird, capable of changing the weather at sea.

Waist- the muse of comedy.

Terpsichore- muse of dance art.

Tisiphone- one of the Erinyes.

Quiet- goddess of fate and chance among the Greeks, companion of Persephone. She was depicted as a winged woman standing on a wheel and holding a cornucopia and a ship's rudder in her hands.

Urania- one of the nine muses, patroness of astronomy.

Themis- Titanide, goddess of justice and law, second wife of Zeus, mother of mountains and moira.

Charites- goddesses female beauty, the embodiment of a kind, joyful and eternally young beginning of life.

Eumenides- another hypostasis of the Erinyes, revered as goddesses of benevolence, who prevented misfortunes.

Eris- daughter of Nikta, sister of Ares, goddess of discord.

Erinyes- goddesses of vengeance, creatures of the underworld, who punished injustice and crimes.

Erato- Muse of lyrical and erotic poetry.

Eos- goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios and Selene. The Greeks called it “rose-fingered.”

Euterpe- muse of lyrical chant. Depicted with a double flute in her hand.

Known to many since childhood. Some were seriously fascinated by the myths of ancient Greece, while others were instilled with a love of ancient culture at school. It would seem strange to transfer this knowledge into adulthood, because all this is actually a myth.

Brief introduction:

However, the ancient Greek gods and the events that happen to them are reflected in many works of literature and cinema; almost all modern plots are taken precisely from antiquity.

Knowledge of the gods of ancient Greece- necessary condition to understand a variety of philosophical issues. That is why every person is simply obliged to know as much as possible about the famous gods from Olympus.

Generations of gods of ancient Grtions

• Distinguish several generations ancient Greek gods.

• At first there was only darkness, from which Chaos was formed. Having united together, darkness and chaos gave birth to Erob, who personified darkness, Nyukta, or as she is also callednight, Uranus - the sky, Eros - love, Gaia - mother earth and Tartarus, which is the abyss.

I generation of gods

• All heavenly gods appeared thanks to the union of Gaia and Uranus, the sea deities originated from Pontos, the union with Tartas led to the emergence of giants, while earthly creatures are the flesh of Gaia herself.

• In principle, all the ancient Greek gods originated from her; she came up with the names, giving life.

• Usually the earth goddess was depicted as pretty big women, which rises halfway above the planet..

• Uranus was the ruler of the universe. If it was depicted, it was only in the form of an all-encompassing bronze dome covering the entire world.

• Together with Gaia they gave birth to several titan gods:
• The ocean (all the world's waters, represented a horned bull with a fish tail),
• Tethys (also titanide), Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne like the goddess of memory,
• Crius (this titan had the ability to freeze), Kronos.
• In addition to the Titans, the Cyclopes are considered children of Uranus and Gaia. Hated by their father, they were sent to Tartarus for a long time.
• For a long time, the power of Uranus was beyond comparison; he single-handedly controlled his children, until one of them, Kronos, otherwise called Chronos, decided to overthrow his father from his pedestal.

• The Time Lord managed to depose his father Uranus by killing him with a sickle. As a result of the death of Uranus, the great titans and titanides appeared on earth, who became the first inhabitants of the planet. Gaia also played a certain role in this; she could not forgive her husband for expelling the firstborn of the Cyclops to Tartarus. From the blood of Uranus appeared the Erinyes, creatures who patronized blood feuds. Kronos thus achieved unprecedented power, but the expulsion of his father did not go unnoticed by his own personality.

• Kronos's wife was his Native sister Titanide Rhea.. When Kronos became a father, he was madly afraid that one of his children would also turn out to be a traitor. According to thisTitan devoured his offspring as soon as they were born. Kronos's fears were justified by one of his sons, the great Zeus, who sent his father into the darkness of Tartarus.

II generation of gods

• The Titans and Titanides are the second generation of ancient Greek gods.

III generation of gods

• The most famous and familiar to modern man is third generation.

• As is already clear, the main one among them was Zeus, he was the unconditional leader, all life on earth strictly obeyed him.

• Besides Zeus t third generation of gods Ancient Greece has 11 more Olympian gods.

• Their wide popularity is justified by the fact that thesethe gods, as the legends say, came down to people and participated in their lives, while the titans always remained on the sidelines, living their own lives, each performing their functions separately.

• All 12 gods lived , based on myths, on Mount Olympus. Each of the gods fulfilled his specific function, had his own talents. Each had a unique character, which was often the cause of people's sorrows or, conversely, joys.

And now about the most famous gods in more detail in a brief summary...

Zeus

Poseidon

The rest of the gods

• Each of the gods described was incredibly powerful and very revered in ancient Greece, but they were not the only ones who made up the third, most famous generation.
• The descendants of Zeus also joined him. Among them are the common children of the Thunderer and Hera.
• For example, Ares personified masculinity and was often called the god of war. Ares never appeared alone anywhere; he was always accompanied by two faithful companions: Eris the goddess of discord and Enyo the goddess of war.
• His brother Hephaestus was worshiped by all blacksmiths, and he was also the master of fire.
• He was unloved by his father because he was very ugly in appearance and had a limp.
• Despite this, he had a total of two wives, Aglaya, and the beautiful Aphrodite.

Aphrodite

Hera was the last, but not the only wife of Zeus. His second wife Themis was consumed by the Thunderer even before Athena was born, but this did not prevent the birth of one of the great goddesses.

Athena was born from her father, Zeus himself, and came out of his head. It personifies war, but not only. She is also known as the embodiment of wisdom and crafts. All the ancient Greeks turned to her, but especially the residents of the city of Athena, since the young goddess was considered the patroness of this locality.

Less known in wide circles is the other daughter of Zeus and Themis, Ora, who personified the seasons. In addition, the three goddesses Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, who together were simply called Moira, are also credited as daughters of Zeus and Themis.

First, Clotho spun the threads of life, Lachesis determined human destiny, and Anthropos personified death. However, not all sources of information call the Moiras daughters of Zeus; there is another version, according to which they were daughters of the night.

One way or another, all three sisters were constantly close to the supreme god, helping him keep track of people, and predetermining many different destinies.

This is where the children of Zeus, born in a legal marriage, end, and a whole galaxy of illegitimate, but no less revered and respected descendants begins. These are the twin brother and sister Apollo, who was the patron of music and a predictor of the future, and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

They appeared to Zeus after his relationship with Leto. Artemis was born earlier. Speaking about her, not only the image of a huntress pops up in my head, but also a pure and immaculate maiden, since Artemis embodied chastity, was not loving, or more precisely, there is not a single confirmation of her possible romances.

But Apollo, on the contrary, is known not only as a golden-haired youth and the embodiment of light, but also for his numerous love affairs. One of love stories became very symbolic for the young god, leaving an eternal reminder of himself in the form of a laurel wreath crowning the head of Apollo.

Another illegitimate son Hermes was born from the galaxy of Maya. He patronized merchants, speakers, gymnasiums and sciences, and was also the god of livestock. During life, the ancient Greeks asked Hermes for the gift of eloquence, and after death they relied on him as a faithful guide in last way. It was Hermes who accompanied the souls of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. Widely known thanks, among other things, to his constant attributes: winged sandals and an invisibility helmet and a staff decorated with metal weave in the form of snakes.

In addition, it is also known about illegitimate daughter Zeus to Persephone, born from the goddess Demeter, as well as about the son Dionysus, who was born by a mere mortal woman Semele. Dionysus, nevertheless, was a full-fledged god, the patron of the theater.

Ariadne became his wife, which brought Dionysus even closer to greatness, making him also one of the most famous gods of ancient Greece. There are other known children of Zeus born from mortal women. This is, for example, Perseus, who was born by the Argive princess Danae, the famous Helen, also the daughter of Zeus, her mother was the Spartan queen Leda, the Phoenician princess gave the Thunderer another descendant of Minos.

All the Olympian gods led a calm, measured lifestyle, succumbing to hobbies, mortal passions, and fleeting amusements, without forgetting to fulfill their direct duties. Life on Olympus was not so simple, due to numerous feuds and intrigues between various gods. Each sought to prove their power without encroaching on the other’s responsibilities, so sooner or later a compromise was reached. But not all the gods of ancient Greece were lucky enough to live on Mount Olympus; some of them lived in others, less famous places. These are all those who, for whatever reason, fell out of favor with Zeus or simply did not deserve his recognition.

In addition to the Olympian gods, there were others. For example, Hymen, who was the patron saint of marriage. Born thanks to the union of Apollo and the muse Calliope. The goddess of victory Nike was the daughter of the titan Pallatus, Iris, personifying the rainbow, was born of one of the oceanids, Electra. Ata can also be distinguished as the goddess of the gloomy mind; her father was the famous Zeus. The child of Aphrodite and Ares, Phobos, the god of fear, lived separately from his parents, just like his brother Deimos, the lord of horror.

In addition to the gods, ancient Greek mythology also includes muses, nymphs, satyrs and monsters. Each character is thoughtful and individual, carrying some idea. Each one contains certain type behavior, thinking, perhaps it is precisely because of this that the world of myths is so multifaceted and arouses special interest in childhood.

In conclusion I must say...

The gods described above are just a short version. Naturally, this list of gods cannot be called complete. Hundreds of books are not enough to tell about all the gods of ancient Greece without exception, but everyone must know about the existence of the ones described above. If for the inhabitants of ancient Greece the pantheon of gods served as a justification for all sorts of objects and phenomena, then for modern people the images themselves are curious.

It is not their material environment and not the reasons that prompted the birth of such heroes, but precisely the allegories that they evoke. Otherwise, it will be impossible to understand all the ancient Greek myths and legends. Almost any text written in antiquity has references to one or more of the main gods of both the first, second and third generations.

And since all literature and theater of our time are in any case built on ancient ideals, every self-respecting person is obliged to know these ideals. The images of Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo have long become household names; today they are very archetypal, and, oddly enough, understandable to everyone.

Simply because you don’t have to be seriously interested in Greek mythology in order to know famous story about the Apple of Discord. And there are many such examples. Therefore, the gods of ancient Greece are not just passing characters from childhood, this is something that absolutely every educated adult should know.

The main gods in Ancient Hellas were recognized as those who belonged to the younger generation of celestials. Once it took away power over the world from the older generation, who personified the main universal forces and elements (see about this in the article The Origin of the Gods Ancient Greece). The older generation of gods are usually called titans. Having defeated the Titans, the younger gods, led by Zeus, settled on Mount Olympus. The ancient Greeks honored the 12 Olympian gods. Their list usually included Zeus, Hera, Athena, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hermes, Hestia. Hades is also close to the Olympian gods, but he does not live on Olympus, but in his underground kingdom.

- the main deity of ancient Greek mythology, the king of all other gods, the personification of the boundless sky, the lord of lightning. In Roman religion Jupiter corresponded to it.

Poseidon - the god of the seas, among the ancient Greeks - the second most important deity after Zeus. Like olithe symbol of the changeable and turbulent water element, Poseidon was closely associated with earthquakes and volcanic activity. In Roman mythology he was identified with Neptune.

Hades - the ruler of the gloomy underground kingdom of the dead, inhabited by the ethereal shadows of the dead and terrible demonic creatures. Hades (Hades), Zeus and Poseidon made up the triad of the most powerful gods of Ancient Hellas. As ruler of the depths of the earth, Hades was also involved in agricultural cults, with which his wife, Persephone, was closely associated. The Romans called him Pluto.

Hera - sister and wife of Zeus, the main female goddess of the Greeks. Patroness of marriage and conjugal love. Jealous Hera severely punishes violation of marriage bonds. For the Romans, it corresponded to Juno.

Apollo - originally the god of sunlight, whose cult then gained broader meaning and connection with the ideas of spiritual purity, artistic beauty, medical healing, and retribution for sins. As a patron creative activity considered the head of the nine muses, as a healer - the father of the god of doctors, Asclepius. The image of Apollo among the ancient Greeks was formed under the strong influence of Eastern cults (the Asia Minor god Apelun) and carried refined, aristocratic features. Apollo was also called Phoebus. Under the same names he was revered in Ancient Rome

Artemis - sister of Apollo, virgin goddess of forests and hunting. Like the cult of Apollo, the veneration of Artemis was brought to Greece from the East (the Asia Minor goddess Rtemis). Artemis's close connection with forests stems from her ancient function as the patroness of vegetation and fertility in general. The virginity of Artemis also contains a dull echo of the ideas of birth and sexual relations. In Ancient Rome she was revered in the person of the goddess Diana.

Athena is the goddess of spiritual harmony and wisdom. She was considered the inventor and patroness of most sciences, arts, spiritual pursuits, agriculture, and crafts. With the blessing of Pallas Athena, cities are built and public life continues. The image of Athena as a defender of fortress walls, a warrior, a goddess who, at her very birth, emerged from the head of her father, Zeus, armed, is closely connected with the functions of patronage of cities and the state. For the Romans, Athena corresponded to the goddess Minerva.

Hermes is the ancient pre-Greek god of roads and field boundaries, all boundaries separating one from the other. Because of his ancestral connection with roads, Hermes was later revered as the messenger of the gods with wings on his heels, the patron of travel, merchants and trade. His cult was also associated with ideas about resourcefulness, cunning, subtle mental activity (skillful differentiation of concepts), knowledge foreign languages. The Romans have Mercury.

Ares is the wild god of war and battles. In Ancient Rome - Mars.

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of sensual love and beauty. Her type is very close to the Semitic-Egyptian veneration of the productive forces of nature in the image of Astarte (Ishtar) and Isis. The famous legend about Aphrodite and Adonis is inspired by the ancient eastern myths about Ishtar and Tammuz, Isis and Osiris. The ancient Romans identified it with Venus.

Eros - son of Aphrodite, divine boy with a quiver and bow. At the request of his mother, he shoots well-aimed arrows that ignite incurable love in the hearts of people and gods. In Rome - Amur.

Hymen - companion of Aphrodite, god of marriage. After his name, wedding hymns were called hymens in Ancient Greece.

Hephaestus - a god whose cult in the era of hoary antiquity was associated with volcanic activity - fire and roar. Later, thanks to the same properties, Hephaestus became the patron of all crafts associated with fire: blacksmithing, pottery, etc. In Rome, the god Vulcan corresponded to him.

Demeter - in Ancient Greece, she personified the productive force of nature, but not wild, as Artemis once was, but “ordered”, “civilized”, the one that manifests itself in regular rhythms. Demeter was considered the goddess of agriculture, who rules the annual natural cycle of renewal and decay. She also directed the cycle of human life - from birth to death. This last side of the cult of Demeter constituted the content of the Eleusinian mysteries.

Persephone - daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by the god Hades. The inconsolable mother, after a long search, found Persephone in the underworld. Hades, who made her his wife, agreed that she should spend part of the year on earth with her mother, and the other with him in the bowels of the earth. Persephone was the personification of grain, which, being “dead” sown into the ground, then “comes to life” and comes out of it into the light.

Hestia - patron goddess of the hearth, family and community ties. Altars to Hestia stood in every ancient Greek house and in the main public building of the city, all citizens of which were considered one big family.

Dionysus - the god of winemaking and those violent natural forces that drive a person to insane delight. Dionysus was not one of the 12 “Olympian” gods of Ancient Greece. His orgiastic cult was borrowed relatively late from Asia Minor. The common people's veneration of Dionysus was contrasted with the aristocratic service to Apollo. From the frenzied dances and songs at the festivals of Dionysus, ancient Greek tragedy and comedy later emerged.

Greece is unthinkable without mythology. When we talk about this state, the name Olympus, the sacred mountain where Zeus and other supreme deities reigned, naturally comes to mind. Almighty Gods of Ancient Greece- they are immortal, capricious, endowed with the advantages and disadvantages of people. They sin, they love, they take revenge like mere mortals, but at the same time they are formidable, cruel, and sometimes generous.

Legends and myths of Olympus: list and description of 12 gods

Legends about the Olympian gods passed from generation to generation and had a huge impact on world culture. Stories from ancient Greek mythology were present in literature, poetry, painting, sculpture, and music.

They “exerted” influence on almost all spheres of human life, as they reflected people’s ideas about the structure of the world.

The information that has reached our times about the legends and tales of Ancient Greece came from the works of Homer, Ovid, Nonnus, and Euripides. Thus, by the “Olympic” period of the development of society, all myths were associated with Mount Olympus, where 12 deities headed by Zeus sat (although their number does not always coincide). According to ancient Greek myths, before the “central” Gods ascended to Olympus, Chaos existed on Earth, which gave birth to Eternal Darkness and dark night

. From them came the Eternal Light and the bright Day. So, night began to give way to day, and day to night, forever and ever.

The mighty Goddess Gaia (Earth), also emerging from Chaos, gave birth to Sky (Uranus), Mountains and Sea. And then Uranus took Gaia as his wife. From this union six Titans and six Daughters were born. From their connection with each other, rivers, winds, stars, rains, and the Moon appeared in the world.

Then the goddess Night gave birth to death, discord, deception, nightmares, destruction and revenge. Kronos began to rule in a world where struggle, horror and misfortune reigned. This is how Night punished the cunning Kronos.

Most of all, he was afraid that his children could do away with him at any moment, just like he did with his father. And then he called his wife Rhea to him and ordered her to bring the children that were born. The merciless Kronos swallowed all of them - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. But there was also a sixth child - Zeus. Instead, Rhea gave her husband a stone wrapped in cloth, as if it were a baby in swaddling clothes. And secretly from her ruthless husband, she went to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to a baby in a dark cave.

Zeus

Kronos, the king of the Titans, learned about the forgery and began to look for his son throughout the Earth. The boy was protected by curetes - according to one version, these creatures were born from the tears of little Zeus. They made an incredible noise when he cried, because with his loud voice he could attract the attention of a cruel parent.

Zeus grew up, went to war against his father, overthrew him from the throne and imprisoned him in Tartarus - an abyss from which one cannot escape. But first he made him vomit up all the swallowed children, made his brothers and sisters Gods and reigned over the world, sitting on Olympus.

Zeus - supreme god, patron of Sky, Thunder and Lightning. Artists depict him as a strong and powerful man in years, with rich hair and a gray beard. He sits on a throne and holds a shield and a labrys (double-sided axe) in his hands. The wife of the Thunderer was Hera.

Zeus is often presented as punitive and cruel, but he “arranged” the lives of people, gave them fate, law, conscience and goodness, and in contrast to them - evil and shamelessness. He is the defender of the offended and humiliated, the patron of kings, the formidable guardian of traditions, order in the world and family.

Hera

Wife of Zeus, chief of the Goddesses of Olympus. She patronizes family ties, keeps family relationships, helps women during childbirth.

Hera is also the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. When she was still a girl, Zeus fell in love with her, and so that she would pay attention to him, he turned into a cuckoo, and Hera caught her. However, in family life she experienced painful jealousy of her husband, who satisfied his sexual hunger with both goddesses and earthly women. She constantly sent disasters and misfortunes to her husband's mistresses.

Hera is the beauty of beauties. Every year she bathed in magical springs to become a virgin again. The Goddess was depicted as a stately and noble lady, with a diadem or crown on her head, with a cuckoo or peacock, sometimes with the head of a horse.

Poseidon

God of the water element, son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, patron of fishermen and horse breeders. In character and appearance, Poseidon was similar to his brother the Thunderer. In painting and sculpture he was depicted as a powerful man with strong hands and legs, with a powerful torso.

His face is never calm, but angry and menacing. Poseidon's constant attribute is the trident. By waving it, the lord of the seas could cause a storm or, conversely, force water element calm down in a moment. Poseidon moves across the sea in a chariot with white horses. His wife is Amphitrite.

Hades

The god of the underworld Hades was the eldest son of Kronos and Rhea. At the same time, he was revered as the patron of the harvest, because everything that grows comes from the depths of the earth. Hades was called “hospitable” because he “waited” and “welcomed” every mortal in his kingdom. Hades was one of the 3 main gods, along with the brothers Zeus and Poseidon, who defeated the Titans.

The god of the underworld was rarely depicted. If the image did exist, then he looked like this: a gloomy man of mature age in dark clothes, mighty, on a golden throne, with the three-headed dog Cerberus at his feet, guarding the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. Next to Hades was depicted his beautiful wife, the daughter of Demeter and the queen of the dead Persephone, whom he once kidnapped from a flowering meadow. Hades held a bident in his hands (sometimes it was a rod or a cornucopia).

Demeter

The beginning of Spring was associated with her, the goddess of prosperity and fertility. Demeter's parents are Zeus and Rhea. Demeter has a beautiful appearance and thick light curls. She was mainly revered as the guardian of life and the goddess of agriculture. She was depicted with a basket full of fruits, a cornucopia and a poppy.

The most famous legend is about Demeter and her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades. The mother left Olympus and wandered the Earth in search of her missing daughter. Demeter grieved greatly for Persephone, even the crops stopped sprouting. Famine set in, people began to die. The gods wondered why people stopped making sacrifices to them, and complained about this to Zeus. Then he sent for Demeter to Earth so that she could be found and returned to Olympus. But she did not want to return to the Gods. Then Zeus ordered Hades to present his daughter to Demeter.

Hades could not disobey his formidable brother, but he came up with a trick so that Persephone would return back to him by adding pomegranate seeds to her. Demeter, seeing her daughter, rejoiced. Zeus ordered Persephone to spend a third of the year with her mother, and the rest of the time with her husband. Mourning for the Mother ended forever, and she decorated her head with a cornflower blue wreath. In honor of the joyful event, the Goddess taught people to sow grain and cultivate wheat. In painting, Demeter was depicted as a girl with a wreath of ears of grain or as a grieving mother.

Apollo

The most beautiful god of Olympus, Apollo, was the son of Zeus and the Titanide Leto. He was incredibly revered in Greece, because he was the patron of art, muses and healing. He is an excellent marksman and a virtuoso musician, which is why he was depicted with a bow and a lyre.

Apollo is young, beautiful and strong: on olympic games won fist fight from Ares himself (God of War). He had no wife, and more than 70 children. Mythology attributes him with numerous relationships with goddesses, mortal women and even young men.

Athena

There was also the goddess of war on Olympus - Athena. She personified faith in victory, wisdom and strength military strategy. Athena patronized the arts, crafts, science and knowledge.

Thanks to her unusual appearance, the goddess of war is easy to distinguish in paintings and sculptures. Her clothes are a linen dress, armor, and a helmet. In her hands there must be a spear, and next to her is a chariot. Athena has a strong-willed face, clear eyes, gray expressive eyes, and long brown hair. Her appearance expresses calm and determination.

It is not entirely clear who Athena’s parents are. According to one version, he was Zeus, who gave birth to her single-handedly.

Hermes

Even the gods of Olympus were no strangers to deceit and deceit. One very handsome, judging by ancient images, a god named Hermes was known as a famous cheat and thief. He was born to the Maya galaxy from Zeus. Being just a baby, Hermes committed his first theft - he stole 50 cows from Apollo. After a good “bashing” from dad, the kid pointed out where he hid the cattle.

Hermes is very inventive: he invented writing, patronizes trade and banking, astrology, alchemy and magic. He conveys “important” messages to people from the gods through dreams. Hermes is young and efficient. He showed signs of attention to Aphrodite, but she rejected him. Hermes has many children, as well as lovers, but no wife. In fine art and sculpture he was depicted wearing a hat with wings and winged sandals.

Hephaestus

It's not easy with this god. There are several versions of his birth, one of which says that Hera, the wife of Zeus, gave birth to him from her thigh. And she became pregnant herself, not from her husband. So she wanted to take revenge on him for the birth of Athena. However, the baby was born frail, weak and lame. Then Hera, in despair, threw the boy into the depths of the sea, where the sea goddess Thetis sheltered him.

Since childhood, Hephaestus loved to forge: his metal products had no equal either on Earth or on Olympus. Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmithing. The most famous legend is about him and about Prometheus, whom the best blacksmith in the world had to chain to a rock by order of Zeus.

Aphrodite

Hephaestus' wives were Aglaia and Aphrodite. As you know, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility was born from sea foam near the island of Cythera, but was transported by the winds to the shores of the island of Cyprus.

One legend says that Aphrodite was conceived by Zeus and Dione, another and more popular that she was born from the seed of castrated Uranus.

Aphrodite is the patroness of family ties and childbirth. She was obliged to create love and severely punished those who rejected her. The all-powerful Hera could not forgive Aphrodite for her incomparable beauty and made the ugly Hephaestus become her husband. However, the goddess cheated on her spouse more than once. The most sensational story about Aphrodite was her love for the earthly hunter Adonis.

Ares

Aphrodite is a “popular” mythological character in the works of ancient sculptors and artists. She is almost never alone in them, for her beauty captivated not only people and gods, but birds and animals. Her companions are nymphs, Eros, harites, dolphins and oras. Sometimes she was portrayed as a naked modesty, sometimes as a flirtatious girl, sometimes as a passionate woman. The god of war, Ares, is distinguished by treachery and deceit. If he fought, it was for the sake of war, rather than for justice and honor.

Zeus did not have paternal feelings for Ares and even hated him. On sacred Olympus, he had difficulty “pushing through” his authority. Ares took part in the Trojan War, but fair Athena defeated him.

In art he was depicted as young and strong man. Ares was accompanied by dogs and a kite, and in his hands he held a spear and a torch with fire. Ares's wife is Aphrodite.

Artemis

12th place belongs to the goddess of hunting Artemis. She was the protector of virgins, and she herself was innocent, but she patronized those who were married and helped women during childbirth. Artemis was also considered the goddess of fertility and everything that grows on Earth.

Artemis was born from the relationship of Zeus with the Titanide Leto. Oceanids and nymphs served her. Despite the fact that she was the patroness of childbirth, Artemis herself was unmarried and childless. Artists and sculptors depicted her as a young woman, dressed in a chiton convenient for hunting, with a spear in her hand, with a bow and quiver on her back. When Artemis appeared naked on Houdon’s canvas, a real scandal broke out. It was the end of the 18th century.

According to some sources, the list of 12 gods of Olympus was somewhat different: it included Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Dionysus (god of winemaking and fun), Persephone (goddess of Spring, she is also the queen of the Kingdom of the Dead).

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Gods of Ancient Greece

Olympian gods

Olympian gods(Olympians) in ancient Greek mythology - gods of the second generation (after the original gods and titans - gods of the first generation), the highest beings who lived on Mount Olympus. Olympus (Olumpoz) is a mountain in Thessaly where, according to ancient Greek myths, the gods live. The name Olympus is of pre-Greek origin (a possible connection with the Indo-European root ulu / uelu, “to rotate,” i.e., an indication of the roundness of the peaks) and belongs to a number of mountains of Greece and Asia Minor. On Olympus are the palaces of Zeus and other gods, built and decorated by Hephaestus. The gates of Olympus are opened and closed by the Oras as they ride out in golden chariots. Olympus is thought of as a symbol of the supreme power of the new generation of Olympian gods who defeated the Titans.

Zeus- the god of the sky, thunder and lightning, in charge of the whole world. Chief of the Olympian gods, third son of the Titan Kronos and Rhea.

Poseidon- god of the seas. Son of Kronos and Rhea. Considering himself equal to his brother Zeus, he opposed him along with Hera and Aphrodite, but was defeated and was saved by Thetis. When the world was divided, he got the sea.

Hades (Hades)- the god of the underworld of the dead (and the name of the kingdom of the dead itself), the first son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, Poseidon and Demeter. Husband of Persephone, revered and invoked with him. After the division of the world between three brothers (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades), after the victory over the Titans, Hades inherited the underworld and power over the shadows of the dead.

Hestia- goddess of the family hearth and sacrificial fire in Ancient Greece. Eldest daughter Kronos and Rhea.

Hera- goddess, patroness of marriage, protecting the mother during childbirth. Hera, the third daughter of Cronus and Rhea, is the wife of Zeus, her brother.

Ares- god of insidious, treacherous war, war for the sake of war, son of Zeus and Hera.

Athena- goddess of just war and wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts; warrior maiden, patroness of cities and states, sciences and crafts, intelligence, dexterity, and ingenuity. Daughter of Zeus and Hera.

Apollo (Phoebus)- god of the sun, light, art, god-healer, leader and patron of the muses, patron of the sciences and arts, son of the goddess Latona and Zeus.

Aphrodite- goddess of beauty and love, personification of eternal youth, patroness of navigation.

Hermes- the god of trade, profit, intelligence, dexterity, deception, theft and eloquence, giving wealth and income in trade, the god of gymnastics. Patron of heralds, ambassadors, shepherds and travelers; patron of magic and astrology. Messenger of the gods and guide of the souls of the dead to the underworld of Hades. The son of Zeus and the Pleiades Maya (in ancient Greek mythology - the daughter of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione).

Artemis- always the young goddess of the hunt, the goddess of fertility, the goddess of female chastity, the patroness of all life on earth, giving happiness in marriage and assistance during childbirth, later the goddess of the Moon (her brother Apollo was the personification of the Sun). Daughter of Zeus and the goddess Latona.

Hephaestus- the god of fire, the patron of blacksmithing and a skilled blacksmith himself. Son of Zeus and Hera.

Demeter- second daughter of Kronos and Rhea, goddess of fertility and agriculture. It was Demeter, according to myths, who taught people agriculture.

Dionysus- the god of winemaking, the productive forces of nature, inspiration and religious ecstasy.

Nika (Nike)- goddess of victory, accompanied Zeus in his fight against the titans and giants.

Pan- son of the god Hermes, originally revered as the patron of shepherds, the god of flocks; subsequently as the patron of all nature. He was depicted as a man with horns, goat legs and a goat beard.

Eos- goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios (sun) and Selene (moon). The Greeks imagined her as a beautiful young woman, whose fingers and clothes shone with a golden-pink sheen as she rode her chariot to heaven in the morning.

Eros (Eros)- the god of love, the personification of love attraction, ensuring the continuation of life on earth.

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