The Olympian Gods
Prepared by Abigail
These gods are the most important and
powerful gods. The home of these gods was
Mount Olympus, except for Hades who is only
allowed on Olympus once a year. He lives in
the Underworld the rest of the time.
Aphrodite
Greek Name: Aφροδίτη (Aphroditē)
English Name: Aphrodite
Roman Name: Venus
Goddess of love and beauty and duty. She was married to Hephaestus. Ares is her lover and she loves him as well. Eros is her son.
Cnidian Aphrodite, a Roman work modeled after an original by Praxiteles.
Aphrodite
Apollo
Greek Name: Aπόλλων (Apollōn)
English Name: Apollo
Roman Name: Apollo
Apollo
God of the Sun, music, archery, poetry, healing, and prophecy. He is Artemis' twin brother, and Son to Zeus.
Apollo holding a tortoise-shell lyre and pouring a libation, on a kylix from a tomb at Delphi.
Ares
Greek Name: Άρης (Arēs)
English Name: Ares
Roman Name: Mars
God of war, murder and bloodshed. Brother to Hephaestus, and is the lover of Aphrodite and son of Zeus.
Roman marble head of the war god modeled after a Greek bronze original.
Hephaestus
Artemis
Greek Name: Άρτεμις (Artemis)
English Name: Artemis
Roman Name: Diana
Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, especially deer and fawns, night, and the moon. Apollo is her twin brother. Artemis is the virgin goddess and is also protector of maidens.
Artemis reaching for arrow (missing) from her quiver, with hound. Artemis
Athena
Greek Name: Αθηνά (Athēna)
English Name: Athena
Roman Name: Minerva
Goddess of wisdom, weaving, the arts, warfare and reason. She is the favorite daughter of Zeus.
Athena on a red-figure cup dating 500–490 BC.
Athena
Demeter
Greek Name: Δήμητρα (Dēmētra)
English Name: Demeter
Roman Name: Ceres/Saturn
Goddess of fertility, grain and harvest. Demeter is a sister of Zeus. Her daughter is Persephone, Hades' wife.
Demeter, typically seated, on a relief from Turkey.
Demeter
Dionysus
Greek Name: Διόνυσος (Dionysus)
English Name: Dionysus
Roman Name: Bacchus
God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. He is a son of Zeus.
Dionysus reclining on a leopard.
Dionysus
Hades
Greek Name: ᾍδης (Hades)
English Name: Hades
Roman Name: Pluto
God of the Underworld. Brother of Poseidon and Zeus.
Hades reclines, holding a giant drinking horn, offering a wine bowl to Persephone.
Hades
Hephaetus
Greek Name: Ήφαιστος (Hēphaistos)
English Name: Hephaetus
Roman Name: Vulcan
God of fire and the forge. Ugly son of Hera and Zeus is his father in some accounts.
Thetis receives the armor made for her son Achilles by Hephaestus.
Hephaetus
Hera
Greek Name: Ήρα (Hēra)
English Name: Hera
Roman Name: Juno
Goddess of marriage, women and childbirth. Zeus' wife and sister.
Bust of Hera wearing a diadem.
Hera
Hermes
Greek Name: Ερμής (Hērmēs)
English Name: Hermes
Roman Name: Mercury
God of flight, thieves, commerce and travellers. Messenger of the gods. Zeus's son by Titanness.
Hermes holding his caduceus and wearing a cloak (chlamys) and hat (petasus)for travel.
Hermes
Hestia
Greek Name: (Ἑστία, Hestía)
English Name: Hestia
Roman Name: Vesta
Virgin goddess of the hearth, home and chastity. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus and sister of Zeus. Her symbols are the hearth and kettle.
Hestia from a relief depicting all twelve Olympians in procession.
Hestia
Poseidon
Greek Name: (Ποσειδῶν, Poseidōn)
English Name: Poseidon
Roman Name: Neptune
God of the sea. His weapon is a trident by which he can stir up the seas, wreck ships and drown sailors.
Poseidon, hand uplifted to wield his trident (missing), from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Poseidon
Zeus
Greek Name: Ζεύς (Zeus)
English Name: Zeus
Roman Name: Jupiter
The father of all fathers, the wisdom and light. Zeus is the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, thunder and lightning.
Coin issued under Alexander the Great showing Zeus on his throne holding a scepter and eagle. Zeus