Overview of the Twelve Olympian Gods

The Twelve Olympian Gods are the main gods among the gods traditionally worshiped in ancient Greek mythology. These gods were centered around Zeus, who lived on Mount Olympus. There are twelve gods among these gods, who are more important than other gods and are called the Twelve Gods of Olympus. However, since different gods were included in the twelve main gods in different periods, there are actually 14 gods who enjoy this honor.

The story of the Twelve Olympian Gods began as early as the 6th century BC. Among these twelve main gods, ten will definitely appear. They are: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo and Artemis. Hestia was originally one of the twelve main gods, but in order to live with mortals, she gave up her position as main god to Dionysus; Demeter had half a year to be with her daughter in the underworld Living with Persephone, she would give up her position as chief god to Hades.

The main god of Olympus won his transcendent status among the gods because Zeus and his brothers and sisters worked together to defeat the Titans. Among the twelve main gods, Zeus and his brothers and sisters: Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia and Hades account for almost half of the positions; while most of the remaining main gods are Zeus Children born with other goddesses, except Athena who grew from the head of Zeus and Hephaestus who was born by Hera alone, are also the children of these two.

List of the Twelve Gods of Olympus

Greek Mythology and Roman Mythology English Name Symbols and Chiefs

Zeus/Jupiter Sky and Weather< /p>

Hera/Juno Marriage and Family

Poseidon/Neptune Ocean and Waves

Aphrodite Venus Aphrodite/Venus Love and Beauty

Ares/Mars War and Destruction

Athena/Minerva Wisdom and Learning

Helius Apollo Helius/Apollo Sun and Music

Artemis Diana Artemis/Diana Hunting and Virgin

Hephaestus Urken Hephaestus/Vulcan Fire And Technology

Hermes/Mercury Intelligence and Business Technology

Hades/Pluto Death and Hades (Underworld)

Demeter/Ceres Grains and Fertility

Dionysus Bacchus /Bacchus Drunken Fragrance and Acting

Introduction to the Twelve Gods of Olympus

1. Zeus:

Zeus is the son of Cronus , the king of gods, in charge of the sky. The supreme god in Greek mythology, controls thunder and lightning, so he is also called the God of Thunder. With the support of his mother Rhea, he killed his father Cronus and became the third generation god king. He had an extremely lustful personality. He often had affairs with other goddesses and mortals behind his wife Hera's back, and had countless illegitimate children.

The symbols of Zeus are the eagle, the oak tree, and the mountain; his favorite sacrifices are the female goat and the white bull whose horns are painted gold.

History of Prosperity

When Zeus was born, his father Cronus was in power, and his mother Rhea was afraid that Zeus would be swallowed by his father. Note: For some reasons, Cronus Sis could not let his children survive, so he hid him on the island of Crete and gave him to be raised by three female fairies - on the island, a female goat provided him with sacred milk, and an eagle brought him Whenever he cried, Rhea's servants would go to the cradle to dance for Zeus and hit the bronze shield with their short swords to cover up his cries, so Cronus never discovered this secret.

Zeus thrives on the island day by day. One day, while playing with the female goat, he accidentally pushed her down and broke a beautiful horn.

The fairy Amalthea hurriedly treated her injury, and Zeus picked up the horn, gave it magical power, and gave it to the kind fairy. This ram's horn has since been called the "Horn of Plenty" because it can produce all kinds of delicious food.

After Zeus came of age, he used a trick to rescue the five brothers and sisters who were swallowed by their father, and worked together to overthrow Cronus, and finally ascended to the throne.

2. Queen Hera:

Hera is the daughter of Cronus, the sister and wife of Zeus; she is in charge of marriage and fertility, and is the protector of women. Hera has an elegant temperament, beautiful appearance, and unswerving loyalty to her partner. She is worthy of her status as queen of heaven. However, she is also famous for her jealousy. Therefore, Hera and Zeus often have fierce quarrels. However, usually Zeus's rhetoric and Always make them reconcile as before.

The symbol of Hera is the peacock, because this bird with colorful feathers and a heart full of stars is a symbol of the beautiful and spectacular night sky, and the sky is the queen of Hera. A radiant face.

3. Poseidon:

The King of the Sea, the second brother of Zeus, holds a huge trident and rules all creatures in the sea. Some are described as half-human and half-fish, capable of controlling wind and rain. He has a violent and cruel personality.

Horses and cattle are his sacred objects.

4. Hades:

Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter's The elder brother is in charge of the underworld. He is very powerful but has a peaceful personality. Except for taking Persephone, the goddess of spring, the daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter, as his wife, he had no other evil deeds.

The color black is the favorite, and the favorite sacrifice is a black ewe or a black bull wrapped in black gauze.

Introduction to Hades

After people die, Hermes, the god of guidance, takes them to the underworld. Here, a black river flows fiercely, the Acheron - the river of pain. The river blocks the way forward, and only a bearded boatman named Karon can ferry the undead to the other side. However, the undead must pay a certain river crossing fee before boarding the boat, otherwise they will wander along the banks of the River of Pain and cannot find a home.

After crossing the river, there is a vast gray plain, called the Field of Truth, which connects two roads, leading respectively to the place of happiness - Elysee Paradise and the place of pain - Hell. The undead were judged by the three judges of the underworld, Minos, Rhadamandas and Aeacus, in front of the judgment seat in front of the Garden of Truth. The guilty people will receive varying degrees of punishment in hell according to their crimes, while the innocent people will be able to live a happy life of having no worries about food and clothing, singing in the wind and enjoying the moon in the beautiful and peaceful Elysee Paradise.

Between the Elysee Paradise and Hell, a majestic and huge palace was built. This is the residence of Hades, King of Hades and Persephone, Queen of Hades.

5. Hestia, the Kitchen God:

She is the sister of Zeus and is in charge of the household affairs of all people. One of the three virgin goddesses. In Greek mythology, there are no distinct personalities. She is a chaste virgin goddess.

6. Ares, God of War:

The God of War is a cruel, cunning, irrational, and war-for-war god. He once had an affair with Aphrodite, the god of love and beauty, the wife of the god of craftsmen, and was trapped in a large net specially made by the god of craftsmen from which he could not escape. (Venus was originally a Roman god, but was later absorbed into Greek mythology.)

The vulture is his sacred bird, and his pet animal is a dog.

7. Goddess of Wisdom Athene:

The goddess of wisdom and just war, the daughter of Zeus and the female Titan Medice. She is the goddess of wisdom and peace (or the goddess of war). She is brave, powerful and She was kind and benevolent, but sometimes she was a little petty and didn't want others to be better than her. When she was born, Zeus suffered severe head pain, and after splitting it open with a big axe, Athena was left holding a spear and wearing armor.

The owl, whose eyes shine at night, as well as the rooster and the poisonous snake, are symbols of the bright-eyed goddess Athena.

8. Hermes (God of Peeping):

The son of Zeus and Maia, the daughter of Atlas. With wings on his feet, he is as fast as flying. He became the messenger of the gods in the heavens and later became the protector of travelers, merchants and thieves. He often transformed into a mortal in the lower world to help protect the protectors. He is the smartest and cunning god.

He moves swiftly and elegantly, wears winged sandals on his feet, wears a low-crowned hat with wings on his head, and holds a magic wand entwined with two snakes.

9. Hephaestus, God of Fire:

Son of Zeus and Hera. Being ugly and lame is a major blemish on the beautiful world of gods! Although she is ugly, she is gentle, loves peace, and is very popular in heaven and earth.

10. Apollo:

The sun god, son of Zeus and Leto, brother of the moon god and the hunting goddess Artemis, one of the twelve major Greek gods One, also known as Helios. In charge of light, medicine, literature, poetry, music, etc. Every day a golden chariot rides on a horse and rides around the sky for a week.

The laurel tree is his sacred tree, and his favorite pets are dolphins and crows.

11. Aphrodite, the god of love and beauty:

Aphrodite (also translated as Aphrodite) is the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The Latin word for Venus and "Friday" are both derived from her Roman name. The counterpart to Aphrodite in Roman mythology is Venus. Aphrodite was born from Zeus and Dione. Another theory is that she was born from the body of the god Uranus and was born from the foam in the sea. Aphrodite has the most perfect figure and appearance in ancient Greece, symbolizing love and female beauty, and is considered the highest symbol of female physical beauty.

Because of Aphrodite's beauty, all the gods pursued her. Zeus (her father) also pursued her but was rejected, so Zeus married her to the ugly and lame god of fire, Hephaestus. But she loved Ares, the god of war, and gave birth to the little god of love Eros (Roman name Cupid) and several other children with Ares.

Myrtle is her sacred tree, and doves are her love birds. Swans and sparrows are also favored.

12. Artemis, the Moon Goddess:

Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo and one of the three virgin goddesses. Moon goddess, goddess of hunting, god of purity. Therefore, it is also called the protector of virgins. She is the master of wild animals and the chief hunter of the divine world. As a three-body goddess, she is Siren in the sky, Artemis on the ground, and Hecate in the underworld and the dark world.

Cypress is her sacred tree, and deer is her favorite pet.

13. Dionysus

Dionysus is the same god as Bacchus believed by the Romans. He was believed by the ancient Greek Thracians. The god of wine, he not only possessed the intoxicating power of wine, but also became a very inspiring god at that time by giving joy and love. He promoted the civilization of ancient society, established laws, and maintained world peace. In addition, he protected Greek agriculture and theater culture. In the legend of the Holy Mountain of Olympia, he is the son of Zeus and Semele, and some say he is the son of Zeus and Psephone. The sacrifice of the ancient Greeks to Dionysus was one of the secret religious rites, similar to the Eleusinian secret rites for Demeter and Persephone. In Thracian rites, he wore fox fur, said to symbolize new life. The Dionysian carnival ceremony dedicated to Dionysus is the most secret religious ceremony.

The first theory is that Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Semele. Semele was the princess of Thebes. Zeus fell in love with her and had a tryst with her. Queen Hera was very jealous when she learned about it and became the princess's nanny. She encouraged the princess to make a request to Zeus to see the true body of Zeus to verify Zeus's love for her. her love. Zeus couldn't resist the princess's request and showed his true form - the God of Thunder. As a result, Semele was burned to death in the thunder and fire. Zeus rescued the infant Dionysus, who was less than a month old, and sewed him in his thigh until he was full. The moon took him out, because when he was in Zeus' thigh, Zeus walked like a lame, hence the name ("Dionysus" means "lame person").

The second theory is that Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Persephone. Hera sent the Titans to kill the newborn Bacchus and destroy his body, but Zeus rescued his heart and allowed his soul to be reincarnated into Semilie's body for rebirth. As a result, the story about the rebirth and immortality of the god of wine spread throughout Greece, making people worship him endlessly.

After Dionysus became an adult, the Queen still refused to let him go, making him crazy and wandering around. In the process of wandering on the earth, he taught the farmers how to make wine, and thus became the God of Dionysus. He was also one of the favorite gods of ancient Greek farmers. Every year, he was commemorated with sacrifices to Dionysus, and from this, ancient Greek tragedy developed. Dionysus, also known as Bagus in Rome, was the god of plants and the patron saint of grape growing and winemaking. Originally not the main god of Olympus.

14. Vesta

Vesta (called Hestia in Greek mythology) is the protector of hearths and families, helping Juno take charge of family life affairs. She represents It is a woman's chastity, virtuous, kind and hard-working. She never marries and has a place in every family. The fire on the stove represents her existence. However, she rarely participates in the affairs of the gods and her status in the human world is also limited. Not big, this is also a side reflection of the low status of women in a patriarchal society.

In Greek mythology, she was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, the sister of the main god Zeus, and helped Hera take care of family life. Zeus arranged a place for her on Mount Olympus. She was originally one of the twelve main gods, but in order to live with mortals, she gave up her position as main god to Dionysus, the god of wine.

Other divine positions and positions in Greek mythology

Persephone (Persephone), the queen of the underworld, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter.

Dionysus, the god of wine, son of Zeus and Semele.

Artemis, goddess of the moon and hunting, daughter of Zeus and Leto.

Hephaestus, god of fire, son of Zeus and Hera.

Hermes (Hermes), son of Zeus and Maia, messenger of the gods, god of the undead.

Eos, Goddess of Dawn

Eris, Goddess of Strife

Eros, Goddess of Love

Naiads, goddess of rivers and springs

Calypso, goddess

Simois, river god

Achelous, the river god

Axius, the Paenea river god

Glaucus, the sea god, good at prophesying< /p>

Triton (Triton) Poseidon

Leucothea (Leucothea) Sea Goddess

Nereids (Nereids) Sea Goddess

Gaea, goddess of the earth

Selene, goddess of the moon

Thanatus, god of death

Hypno Sleep, the goddess of sleep

Hecate, the goddess of night and the underworld, also the goddess of ghosts and magic

Syrinx, the goddess of the mountains and forests

Pan, the god of mountains and forests

The three goddesses of time, Ounonia (order), Dick (justice), and Irene (peace)

The three goddesses of fate Clotho (spinning the thread of life), Lachesis (determining the length of the thread of life), Atropos (cutting the thread of life)

The three goddesses of grace, Euphrosyne and Tully Asia, Alolea

The three goddesses of vengeance are collectively called Erinyes

The correspondence between the eight planets and the gods

Mercury Hermes- ——Mercury

Venus Aphrodite——Venus

Earth Gaia

Mars Ares———— Mars

Jupiter Zeus——Jupiter

Saturn Cronus——Saturn

Uranus Uranus

Neptune Poseidon——Neptune

(Pluto Hades——Pluto)

(There are only eight planets now~)