Ancient Greek name |
English name |
Description |
Ἀφροδίτη (Aphroditē) |
Aphrodite |
The goddess of love, beauty and desire. Although married to Hephaestus
she had many lovers, most notably Ares. She was
depicted as a beautiful woman. Her symbols include the rose, scallop
shell, pomegranate, and myrtle wreath. Her sacred animal is
the dove. |
Ἀπόλλων (Apóllōn) |
Apollo |
The god of music, healing, plague, the sun, prophecies, and
poetry, ; associated with light, truth and the sun. He is Artemis'
twin brother and Hermes' elder (half)brother, and son of Zeus and Leto. He was
depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and various
attributes including a laurel wreath, bow and quiver, raven, and lyre. Animals
sacred to Apollo include: roe deer,
swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, and snakes. |
Ἄρης (Árēs) |
Ares |
The god of war, bloodlust, violence, manly courage, and civil order.
The son of Zeus
and Hera,
he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle
arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. His attributes are
golden armour and a bronze-tipped spear. His sacred animals are the
vulture, venomous snakes, alligators, dogs, and boars. |
Ἄρτεμις (Ártemis) |
Artemis |
Virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls,
childbirth and plague. In later times she became associated with the
moon. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. In
art she was usually depicted as a young woman dressed in a short
knee-length chiton and equipped with a hunting bow and a
quiver of arrows. In addition to the bow, her attributes include
hunting spears, animal pelts, deer and other
wild animals. Her sacred animals are deer, bears, and wild boars. |
Ἀθηνᾶ (Athēnâ) |
Athena |
The goddess of wisdom, warfare, battle strategy, heroic endeavour,
handicrafts and reason. According to most traditions, she was born from
Zeus's head fully formed and armored. She was depicted crowned with a
crested helm, armed with shield and a spear. Her symbol is the olive tree.
She is commonly shown accompanied by her sacred animal, the owl. |
Δημήτηρ (Dēmētēr) |
Demeter |
The goddess of agriculture, horticulture, grain and harvest. Demeter
is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus, by whom
she bore Persephone. She was depicted as a mature woman,
often crowned and holding sheafs of wheat and a
torch. Her symbols are the Cornucopia
(horn of plenty), wheat-ears, the winged serpent and the lotus staff.
Her sacred animals are pigs and snakes. |
Διόνυσος (Diónysos) |
Dionysus |
The god of wine, parties and festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness
and pleasure at forever young. He was depicted in art as either an older
bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes
include the thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), drinking cup,
grape vine, and a crown of ivy. Animals sacred to him include dolphins, serpents,
tigers, and donkeys. A later addition to the Olympians, in some accounts
he replaced Hestia. |
ᾍδης (Hádēs) |
Hades |
King of the Underworld and god of the dead and the hidden wealth of
the Earth. His consort is Persephone
and his attributes are the key of Hades, the Helm of Darkness, and the
three-headed dog, Cerberus. The screech owl was sacred to him.
Despite being the son of Cronus and Rhea and the elder brother of Zeus, as a chthonic
god he is only rarely listed among the Olympians. The name Pluto became
more common in the Classical period with the mystery religions and Athenian
literature. He did not have a throne in Olympus, but is still very known
for being one of the three sons of Cronus. |
Ἥφαιστος (Hḗphaistos) |
Hephaestus |
Crippled god of fire, metalworking, stonemasonry, sculpture and
volcanism. The son of Hera by parthenogenesis, he is the smith of the gods
and the husband of the adulterous Aphrodite.
He was usually depicted as a bearded man holding hammer and tongs—the
tools of a smith—and riding a donkey. His symbols are the hammer, tongs,
and anvil.
His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane. |
Ἥρα (Hḗra) |
Hera |
Queen of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires. She
is the wife of Zeus and daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually
depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and veil and holding a
royal, lotus-tipped staff. Her sacred animals are the heifer, the lion,
the peacock, and the cuckoo. |
Ἑρμῆς (Hērmēs) |
Hermes |
The god of travel, messengers, trade, thievery, cunning wiles,
language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry. He is the
messenger of the gods, a psychopomp
who leads the souls of the dead into Hades'
realm, and the son of Zeus and Maia. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic
beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the
herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap. His
sacred animals are the tortoise, the ram, and the hawk. |
Ἑστία (Hestía) |
Hestia |
Virgin goddess of the hearth, home and cooking. She is a daughter of
Rhea and Cronus and sister of Zeus. She was depicted as a
modestly veiled woman, whose symbols are the hearth and kettle. In some
accounts, she gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians in favor of Dionysus. |
Ποσειδῶν (Poseidōn) |
Poseidon |
The god of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and the
creator of horses; known as the "Earth Shaker". He is a son of Cronus and
Rhea and brother to Zeus and Hades. In
classical artwork, he was depicted as a mature man of sturdy build with a
dark beard, and holding a trident.
The horse and the dolphin are sacred to him. |
Ζεύς (Zeus) |
Zeus |
The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the
sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and fate. He is the
youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, whom he overthrew after Cronus
swallowed his brothers and sisters and he is brother-husband to Hera. In
artwork, he was depicted as a regal, mature man with a sturdy figure and
dark beard. His usual attributes are the royal scepter and the
lightning bolt, and his sacred animals are the eagle and the bull. |
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