Greek Deities...
Greek |
Roman |
Definition |
Aphrodite |
Venus |
Goddess of love, beauty, and fertility |
Apollo |
Apollo |
God of Music |
Asklepios |
Aesculapius |
God of health and medicine |
Rhea |
Cybele |
A mother goddess of fertility, energy, and healing |
Demeter |
Ceres |
Goddess of the earth and harvests, responsible for the growth and fertility of fruit and crops |
Dionysos |
Liber |
God of wine, drama, and madness |
Eros |
Cupid |
God of love; son of Aphrodite/Venus |
Hades |
Pluto |
God of the underworld; kidnapped Persephone/Proserpine against her will and married her |
Hera |
Juno |
oddess of marriage and motherhood; wife of Zeus/Jupiter |
Herakles |
Hercules |
A strong, courageous hero who was half human and half god; performed twelve great labors |
Hermes |
Mercury |
Messenger of the gods |
Hygeia |
Hygeia |
Goddess of health; daughter of Asklepios |
Persephone |
Proserpina |
Daughter of Demeter/Ceres; helped her mother care for harvests and growing things until kidnapped by Hades/Pluto and taken to the underworld to be his wife |
Zeus |
Jupiter |
Chief god of Mount Olympus |
Uranus |
Coelus |
TBA |
Artemis |
Diana |
TBA |
Lato |
Latona |
TBA |
Ares |
Mars |
Roman God of War |
Athena |
Minerva |
Virgin goddess of war |
Poseidon |
Neptune |
God of the Sea |
Cronus |
Saturn |
Jupiters Father. (Ancient Italian Deity) |
Odysseus |
Ulysses |
TBA |
Hestia |
Vesta |
Goddess of hearth |
Hephaestus |
Vulcan |
God of Fire and Volcanoes |
The OLYMPIANS - in order of importance/birth:
Zeus:
ruler of the gods and Mount Olympus. -god of the sky- symbols: eagle and lightening bolt
Hera:
wife of Zeus (she's also his sister)- goddess of marriage - symbols: peacock and cow
Poseidon:
brother of Zeus - god of the sea - his weapon was a trident, which could shake the earth and shatter any object
Hades:
brother of Zeus - god of the underworld
Hestia:
sister of Zeus - goddess of hearth and home
Aphrodite:
born from the sea foam - goddess of love and beauty - wife of Hephaestus - symbols: myrtle tree, dove, swan and sparrow
Athena:
daughter of Zeus (sprang from his head, fully clothed in armor) - goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and agriculture - symbols: olive tree and owl
Ares:
son of Zeus and Hera - god of war - symbols are the vulture and the dog
Hephaestus:
son of Zeus and Hera - god of forge and fire - husband of Aphrodite
Apollo:
son of Zeus and the nymph, Leto -god of light and music - symbols: laurel tree, crow and dolphin
Artemis:
daughter of Zeus and the nymph, Leto (twin sister of Apollo) - goddess of the moon -symbols: cyprus tree and deer
Hermes:
son of Zeus and Maia (one of Atlas' seven daughters) - god of thieves and commerce -fastest god, with his winged sandals... acted as messenger for the gods
LESSER GODS:
in alphabetical order:
- Herakles:
son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcemene - strongest of all mortals (and most gods) - became an immortal at the end of his life/ welcomed onto Olympus where he married the goddess Hebe (one of the lesser goddesses)
- King Midas:
asked the god Dionysus to turn his touch to gold.
- Pan:
son of the god Hermes -god of goatherds and shepherds
LESSER GODDESSES
in alphabetical order:
- Demeter:
daughter of Cronus and Rhea (titans) -goddess of corn, grain and the harvest.
- Eos:
daughter of the titans Theia and Hyperion - goddess of the dawn.
- Eris:
daughter of Zeus and Hera, sister to Ares. (all Olympians) - goddess of discord
- Hebe:
daughter of Zeus and Hera (both Olympians) - goddess of youth - wife of Herakles. (lesser god/hero)
- Iris:
sister of the Harpies - goddess of the rainbow.
- Nike:
goddess of victory.
- Persephone:
daughter of Zeus (one of the Olympians) and Demeter (see above) - goddess of Spring. unwilling bride of Hades (one of the Olympians).
OTHER:
- The Erinyes:
Also known as the Furies, punish crime. They pursue wrong doers relentlessly, until death, often driving them to suicide. They are particularly concerned with matricide. There are three Erinye - Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto. The Erinyes came from the blood of Uranus when he was castrated.
- The Fates:
The Fates have the subtle but, awesome power of deciding a mans destiny. The assign a man to good or evil. There most obvious choice is choosing how long a man lives. There are three Fates. Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life. Lachesis, the measurer, who chooses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is to be. Atropos, she who can not be turn, who at death with her shears cuts the tread of life.
The Fates are old and predate the gods. It is not entirely clear how far their power extends. It is possible that they determine the fate of the gods as well. In any case, not even the most powerful is willing to trifle with them.
- The Graces:
They are the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome. There are three Graces: Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer). The are known for singing and dancing for the gods.
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