The Twelve Olympians
The ancient Greeks had a list of twelve deities who were the principal gods and godesses of the Greek pantheon. They were called Olympian because they resided in Mount Olympus. These Twelve Olympians had a prominent role in the Greek mytholgy. The Twelve Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to victory in war with the Titans.
The following is a list of the Twelve Olympians: gods and goddesses
The following is a list of the Twelve Olympians: gods and goddesses
The list of gods and goddesses
| Deity | Description |
|---|---|
| Aphrodite | Goddess of love and beauty. Although married to Hephaestus she had many lovers, most notably Ares. She was depicted as a beautiful woman usually accompanied by her son Eros. Her symbols include the rose, scallop shell, and myrtle wreath. Her sacred animal is the dove. |
| Apollo | God of music, healing, plague, prophecies, poetry, and archery; associated with light, truth and the sun. He is Artemis's twin brother and Hermes elder brother, and son of Zeus and Leto. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and various attributes including a laurel wreath, bow and quiver, raven, and lyre. Apollo's sacred animal are red cattle. |
| Ares | God of war, bloodlust, violence, manly courage, and civil order. The son of Zeus and Hera, he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. His attributes are golden armour and a bronze-tipped spear. His sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, alligators, and dogs. |
| Athena | Goddess of wisdom, warfare, battle strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. The daughter of Zeus and Metis, she was born from Zeus's head fully-formed and armoured. She was depicted crowned with a crested helm, armed with shield (Aegis), which holds Medusa's head to paralyze her enemies who looked at it and a spear.. Her symbols include the aegis and the olive tree. She is commonly shown accompanied by her sacred animal, the snowy owl. |
| Demeter | Goddess of fertility, agriculture, horticulture, grain and harvest. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone. She was depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding sheafs of wheat and a torch. Her symbols are the Cornucopia (horn of plenty), wheat-ears, the winged serpent and the lotus staff. Her sacred animals are pigs and snakes. |
| Dionysus | God of wine, parties and festivals, madness, civilization, drunkenness and pleasure. He was depicted in art as either an older bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes include the thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), drinking cup, grape vine, and a crown of ivy. Animals sacred to him include dolphins, serpents, tigers, panthers, and donkeys. A later addition to the Olympians, in some accounts he replaced Hestia. |
| Hades or Pluto | King of the Underworld and god of the dead and the hidden wealth of the Earth. His consort is Persephone and his attributes are the key of Hades, the Helm of Darkness, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus. The screech owl was sacred to him. Despite being the son of Cronus and Rhea and the elder brother of Zeus, as a chthonic god he is only rarely listed among the Olympians. The name Pluto became more common in the Classical period with the mystery religions and Athenian literature. |
| Hephaestus | Crippled god of fire, metalworking, stonemasonry, sculpture and volcanism. The son of Hera by parthenogenesis, he is the smith of the gods and the husband of the adulterous Aphrodite. He was usually depicted as a bearded man holding hammer and tongs—the tools of a smith—and riding a donkey. His symbols are the hammer, tongs, and anvil. His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane. When he was born, he was thrown off of Mount Olympus by Hera as he was considered ugly. |
| Hera | Queen of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires. She is daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and veil and holding a royal, lotus-tipped staff. Her sacred animals are the heifer, the lion, the peacock, and the cuckoo. |
| Hermes | God of travel, messengers, trade, thievery, cunning wiles, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry. He is the messenger of the gods, a psychopomp who leads the souls of the dead into Hades' realm, and the son of Zeus and Maia. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap. His sacred animals are the tortoise, the ram, and the hawk. |
| Artemis | Virgin goddess of the hearth, home and cooking. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus and sister of Zeus. She was depicted as a modestly veiled woman, whose symbols are the hearth and kettle. |
| Poseidon | God of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, storms, earthquakes, and horses; known as the "Earth Shaker" or "Storm Bringer". He is a son of Cronus and Rhea and brother to Zeus and Hades. |
| Zeus | King of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; god of the sky and thunder. Youngest child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea |
