Olympus, and his winged sandals made it possible for him to move easily between the realms of gods and mortals. Hermes is depicted as one of the most intelligent and mischievous of the Olympian gods. God of trade, wealth, fertility, sleep language, thieves, animal husbandry and travel He is often viewed as the ‘liberator’ as his wine, ecstatic dance and music freed his followers from the restraints of self and society. He is the only Olympian god with a mortal mother and so was raised on a mythical mountain called Mount Nysa. Dionysos is semi-divine as his mother was a mortal. He was a popular figure in Greek mythology, noted for his unusual birthing and upbringing. God of wine, theater, fertility and merrimentĭionysos was the god of wine, fertility, theater, ecstasy and fruitfulness. The word aphrodisiac, which means a food or drink that causes sexual desire, originates from the name Aphrodite. Aphrodite could entice gods and men with her beauty and flirtatiousness and had many affairs. She was the patron and protector of seafarers, courtesans, and prostitutes. She was worshipped throughout ancient Greece.Īphrodite was a warrior goddess and has often been considered a symbol of female beauty. She remained a maiden and swore never to marry, making her a symbol of chastity and virtue. She’s one of the most respected of the Greek gods, and her temple at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Goddess of hunting, wild nature and chastityĪrtemis was viewed as the patron of girls and protectress of women during childbirth. When her daughter, Persephone was taken by Hades to be his bride in the underworld, Demeter’s search for her resulted in the neglect of the earth and terrible famine and draught. As the god of harvest and farming, she ensured the fertility and vegetation of the world. Goddess of harvest, agriculture, fertility and sacred lawĭemeter is one of the oldest and most important of the Greek gods. He was probably the most unpopular of the Greek gods. The symbols that represent Ares are all related to war and animals. This contrasts with his sister Athena, who is also a god of war, but uses strategy and intelligence in battle. He is a strong and powerful force, considered to be dangerous and destructive. He is the inventor of string music.Īres is the god of war, and symbolizes the violent, brutal and physical aspects of war. He was the most beautiful of the Greek gods and also one of the most complex. He was the chief god of many Hellenic cities and in Athens Poseidon was considered second only to Athena.Īpollo was the god of archery, the arts, healing, diseases and Sun and many more. He was the protector of seafarers and oversaw many cities and colonies. Poseidon was a powerful god, ruler of the seas. We’ve also included a few of the other important gods that sometimes make the list. Here’s a look at the standard list of the 12 Olympian gods, their significance and symbols. There is some disagreement on the exact list of the 12 gods, with some lists including Hestia, Hercules or Leto, typically replacing Dionysos. The gods were believed to lord over human destinies and would interfere directly in the lives of humans as they wished. They were believed to reside on Mount Olympus, each god having their own backstory, interests and personalities, and each representing some important ideals and concepts. However, the twelve Olympian gods were the most important of the pantheon of gods in ancient Greece. There are many gods in ancient Greek and Roman mythology.
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