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| Fragment of a
Hellenistic relief (1st century BC–1st century
AD) depicting the twelve Olympians carrying
their attributes in procession; from left to
right, Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and
staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and
spear), Demeter (scepter and wheat sheaf),
Hephaestus (staff), Hera (scepter), Poseidon
(trident), Athena (owl and helmet), Zeus
(thunderbolt and staff), Artemis (bow and
quiver), Apollo (lyre), from the Walters Art
Museum. |
Olympians
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the twelve
Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon,
commonly considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter,
Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite,
Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus. They were called
Olympians because, according to tradition, they resided
on Mount Olympus.
Although Hades was a major ancient Greek god and was the
brother of the first generation of Olympians (Zeus,
Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia), his realm was the
underworld, far from Olympus, and thus was not usually
considered to be one of the Olympians.
Besides the twelve Olympians, there were many other
cultic groupings of twelve gods. |
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Olympians
The Olympians were a race of deities, primarily
consisting of a third and fourth generation of immortal
beings, worshipped as the principal gods of the Greek
pantheon and so named because of their residency atop
Mount Olympus. They gained their supremacy in a
ten-year-long war of gods, in which Zeus led his
siblings to victory over the previous generation of
ruling gods, the Titans. They were a family of gods, the
most important consisting of the first generation of
Olympians, offspring of the Titans Cronus and Rhea:
Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia, along with the
principal offspring of Zeus: Athena, Apollo, Artemis,
Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus.
Although Hades was a major deity in the Greek pantheon,
and was the brother of Zeus and the other first
generation of Olympians, his realm was far away from
Olympus in the underworld, and thus he was not usually
considered to be one of the Olympians. Olympic gods can
be contrasted to chthonic gods including Hades, by mode
of sacrifice, the latter receiving sacrifices in a
bothros (βόθρος, "pit") or megaron (μέγαρον, "sunken
chamber") rather than at an altar.
The canonical number of Olympian gods was twelve, but
besides the (thirteen) principal Olympians listed above,
there were many other residents of Olympus, who thus
might be considered to be Olympians. Heracles became a
resident of Olympus after his apotheosis and married
another Olympian resident Hebe. According to Hesiod, the
children of Styx: Zelus (Envy), Nike (Victory), Kratos
(Strength), and Bia (Force), "have no house apart from
Zeus, nor any dwelling nor path except that wherein God
leads them, but they dwell always with Zeus." Some
others who might be considered Olympians, include the
Muses, the Graces, Iris, Dione, Eileithyia, the Horae,
and Ganymede. |
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Twelve gods
There is no single canonical list of the twelve Olympian
gods. The thirteen gods and goddesses most commonly
considered to be one of the twelve Olympians are listed
below. |
Zeus
King of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; god of the sky,
lightning, thunder, law, order and justice. The youngest
child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Brother and husband of
Hera and brother of Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia. He
had many affairs with goddesses and mortals, such as his
sister Demeter, the Titan Leto, mortals Leda and Alcmene,
and more. His symbols include the thunderbolt, eagle, oak
tree, bull, scepter, and scales. |
Hera
Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, women,
childbirth and family. The youngest daughter of Cronus and
Rhea. Sister and wife of Zeus. Being the goddess of
marriage, she frequently tried to get revenge on Zeus'
lovers and their children. Her symbols include the peacock,
cuckoo, and cow. |
Poseidon
God of the seas, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and
horses. The middle son of Cronus and Rhea. Brother of Zeus
and Hades. Married to the Nereid Amphitrite; although, as
with many of the male Greek gods, he had many lovers. His
symbols include the horse, bull, dolphin, and trident. |
Demeter
Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and
the seasons. She presided over grains and the fertility of
the earth. The middle daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Also the
lover of Zeus and Poseidon, and the mother of Persephone,
Despoine, Arion. Her symbols include the poppy, wheat,
torch, cornucopia, and pig. |
Athena
Goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare. The daughter of
Zeus and the Oceanid Metis, she rose from her father's head
fully grown and in full battle armor. Her symbols include
the owl and the olive tree. |
Apollo
God of light, the Sun, prophecy, philosophy, archery, truth,
inspiration, poetry, music, arts, manly beauty, medicine,
healing, and plague. The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin
brother of Artemis. His symbols include the Sun, bow and
arrow, lyre, swan, and mouse. |
Artemis
Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, virginity, the Moon,
archery, childbirth, protection and plague. The daughter of
Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. Her symbols
include the Moon, horse, deer, hound, she-bear, snake,
cypress tree, and bow and arrow. |
Ares
God of war, violence, bloodshed and manly virtues. The son
of Zeus and Hera, all the other gods despised him except
Aphrodite. His Latin name, Mars, gave us the word "martial."
His symbols include the boar, serpent, dog, vulture, spear,
and shield. |
Aphrodite
Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility,
beauty and desire. The daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid
Dione, or perhaps born from the sea foam after Uranus' blood
dripped into the sea after being castrated by his youngest
son, Cronus, who then threw his father's genitals into the
sea. Married to Hephaestus, although she had many adulterous
affairs, most notably with Ares. Her name gave us the word
"aphrodisiac", while her Latin name, Venus, gave us the word
"venereal". Her symbols include the dove, bird, apple, bee,
swan, myrtle, and rose. |
Hephaestus
Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of the
forge, craftsmanship, invention, fire and volcanoes. The son
of Hera, either by Zeus or through parthenogenesis. Married
to Aphrodite. His Latin name, Vulcan, gave us the word
"volcano." His symbols include fire, anvil, axe, donkey,
hammer, tongs, and quail. |
Hermes
Messenger of the gods; god of travel, commerce,
communication, borders, eloquence, diplomacy, thieves and
games. He was also the guide of dead souls. The son of Zeus
and the nymph Maia. The second-youngest Olympian, just older
than Dionysus. His symbols include the caduceus (staff
entwined with two snakes), winged sandals and cap, stork,
and tortoise (whose shell he used to invent the lyre). |
Hestia
Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of
domesticity and the family; she was born into the first
Olympian generation and was one of the original twelve
Olympians. She is the first child of Cronus and Rhea, the
elder sister of Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus.
Some lists of the Twelve Olympians omit her in favor of
Dionysus, but the speculation that she gave her throne to
him in order to keep the peace seems to be modern invention. |
Dionysus
God of wine, the grape vine, fertility, festivity, ecstasy,
madness and resurrection. Patron god of the art of theatre.
The son of Zeus and the mortal Theban princess Semele.
Married to the Cretan princess Ariadne. The youngest
Olympian god, as well as the only one to have a mortal
mother. His symbols include the grapevine, ivy, cup, tiger,
panther, leopard, dolphin, goat, and pinecone. |
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