12 Gods and Goddesses

12 Gods and Goddesses
Zeus (Jupiter)
 he overthrew the power of his father Cronus
 Son of Cronos and Rhea
 his power was greater than that of all other
divinities together
 King of the Olympians
 Married to his sister Hera, but is famous for
many affairs
 God of the sky, uses lightning and thunder as weapons
 his shield is called the Aegis
 Gave birth to Athena by himself when she sprang fully-formed from his head
 Symbols of Zeus: the eagle, the scepter and cornucopia
 Weakness: Wandering eye
Poseidon ( Neptune)
 Ruler of the Sea
 Zeus’s brother and second only to him in
eminence
 his wife was Amphitrite ( a granddaughter of the
titan ocean )
 he was commonly called Earth-shaker and was
always carrying his trident, a three-pronged
spear, which he would shake and shatter
whatever he pleased.
Hades (Pluto )
 Third brother of Zeus
 the God of the Underworld and the Dead
 Also the God of Wealth and precious metals
hidden in the earth
 his wife was Persephone whom he carried
away from the earth and made Queen of the
Lower World
 Referred to also by his latin name Dis meaning “ rich
“
Hestia ( Vesta)
 Goddess fo the Hearth, the symbol of Home, she

almost never leaves home
 Virgin Goddess along with Artemis and Athena
 Eldest daughter of Cronos and Rhea ; Zeus’s sister
 Hestia means “ the essence”, the true nature of
things
 she has no distinct personality and plays no part in myth
Hera ( Juno)
 Protector of the marriage, and married women were
her peculiar care
 the Queen of the Gods and is the wife and sister of
Zeus
 Argos was her favorite city
 the cow and peacock were her sacred animals
Ares ( Mars)
 God of war
 Son of Zeus and Hera , he was disliked by both of his
parents
 he is considered murderous and bloodstained but
also a coward
 his bird is vulture, his animal is dog
Athena ( Minerva)
 the daughter of Zeus alone, no mother bore her, she
sprang from the head
 she was her father’s favorite child and was allowed to
use his weapons including thunderbolts
 Chief of the virgin Goddess and was called “Maiden”, Parthenos and her temple was
called Parthenon
 She is fierce and ruthless battle goddess, but elsewhere she is warlike only to
defend the State and the home from outside enemies
 She was the pre-eminently the Goddess of the City, the protector of civilized life, of
handicrafts and agriculture; the inventor of the bridle who first tamed horses for men
to use
 She was the embodiment of wisdom, reason and purity
 her favorite city is Athens, her tree is olive and her bird is owl
Phoebus Apollo
 Phoebus means brilliant or shining
 The son of Zeus and Leto, born in the little island of
Delos
 he has been called “the most Greeks of all Gods”
 The God of Light and Truth, in whom there’s no
darkness at all, he is also God of Truth, no false word
ever came from his mouth
 depicted as beardless young man
 Master Musician, he directed the choir of Muses
 Handsomest God
 Twin-brother of Artemis
 Apollo taught men the art of medicine, so he is often referred to as “The Healer”
 Because of his truthfulness and integrity, he was granted the gift of prophecy and
oracles
Aphrodite (Venus)
 Daughter of Zeus and Dione

 Goddess of Love, Desire and Beauty, she’s a
laughter-loving goddess
 Aphrodite was rose from the foam of the sea
 Her skin was said to be 'whiter than ivory', her
hair as golden as the yellow rays of the setting
sun and her eyes were as blue as the summer
sky
 Her Greek name Aphrodite, gave us the word "aphrodisiac"
 Her Latin name Venus, gave us the word "venereal"
 She was one of the 12 Olympian gods who resided on the summit of Mount
Olympus.
 wife of Hephaestus
 myrtle is her tree; dove, sparrows and swans are her birds
Hermes ( Mercury)
 a messenger god in Greek mythology
 son of Zeus and Maia, daughter of Atlas
 God of Commerce and Market, Protector of
Traders
 the fastest of the gods, he wears winged
sandals, a winged hat and carries a magic wand
Artemis (Diana)
 Apollo’s twin sister, daughter of Zeus and Leto
 one of the three maiden Goddesses of Olympus
 Protector of young, goddess of chastity and
huntsman of the gods
 cypress is her tree, all wild animals are scared to
her, especially the deer
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
 sometimes said to be the son of Zeus and Hera,

some says of Hera alone
 among the perfectly beautiful immortals he was
the only ugly
 God of Fire, he is patron god of both smiths and
weavers
 he is kind and peace loving
 his wife is Aphrodite

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12 Gods and Goddesses

 Goddess fo the Hearth, the symbol of Home, she

 Daughter of Zeus and Dione

 sometimes said to be the son of Zeus and Hera,

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