As you know, the ancient Greeks were pagans, i.e. believed in several gods. There were a great many of the latter. However, the main and most respected were only twelve. They entered the Greek pantheon and lived on the sacred Mount Olympus. So, what gods of Ancient Greece are Olympic? That is the question being considered today. All the gods of ancient Greece obeyed only Zeus.
Zeus
He is the god of heaven, lightning and thunder. He is considered the father of gods and people. He can see the future. Zeus holds the balance of good and evil. He has been given the power to punish and forgive. He strikes the guilty people with lightning, and overthrows the gods from Olympus. In Roman mythology, Jupiter corresponds to it.
However, on Olympus near Zeus there is still a throne for his wife. And Hera takes it.
Hera
She is the patroness of marriage and mothers during childbirth, the protector of women. On Olympus, she is the wife of Zeus. In Roman mythology, its counterpart is Juno.
Ares
He is the god of brutal, treacherous and bloody war. Only the sight of a hot battle delights him. On Olympus, Zeus tolerates him only because he is the son of a thunderer. Its analogue in the mythology of Ancient Rome is Mars.
Ares is short of outrage if Athena Pallas appears on the battlefield.
Athena
She is the goddess of wise and fair war, knowledge and art. It is believed that she came into the world from the head of Zeus. Its prototype in the myths of Rome - Minerva.
Has the moon risen in the sky? So, according to the ancient Greeks, the goddess Artemis went for a walk.
Artemis
She is the patroness of the moon, hunting, fertility and female chastity. One of the seven wonders of the world is associated with her name - the temple in Ephesus, which burned the ambitious Herostratus. She is the daughter of Zeus and the sister of the god Apollo. Its counterpart in Ancient Rome is Diana.
Apollo
He is the god of sunlight, mark shooting, as well as a healer and leader of the muses. He is the twin brother of Artemis. Their mother was the titanide Summer. His prototype in Roman mythology is Phoebe.
Love is a wonderful feeling. And patronizes her, as the inhabitants of Hellas believed, the same beautiful goddess Aphrodite
Aphrodite
She is the goddess of beauty, love, marriage, spring, fertility and life. According to legend, it appeared from a shell or sea foam. Many gods of Ancient Greece wanted to marry her, but she chose the most ugly of them - the lame-footed Hephaestus. In Roman mythology, she was associated with the goddess Venus.
HephaestusHe is the god of fire, the god-blacksmith, is considered a jack of all trades. He was born with an ugly appearance, and his mother Hera, not wanting to have such a child, threw her son from Olympus. He did not crash, but has since become very limp. Its counterpart in Roman mythology is Volcano.
There is a big holiday, people are happy, wine is pouring in. The Greeks believe that this is Dionysus having fun on Olympus.
Dionysus
He is the god of wine and fun. He was born and born ... Zeus. This is true, the thunderer was both his father and mother. It so happened that the lover of Zeus, Semele, at the instigation of Hera, asked him to appear in all her might. As soon as he did this, Semela immediately burned in flames. Zeus barely managed to grab her premature son from her and sew it into his hip. When Dionysus, born of Zeus, grew up, his father made him the butler of Olympus. In Roman mythology, his name is Bacchus.
Where do the souls of dead people fly off? In the kingdom of Hades, the ancient Greeks would have answered so.
Hades
This is the lord of the underworld of the dead. He is the brother of Zeus.
Excitement at sea? So, Poseidon is angry with something - this is what the inhabitants of Hellas thought.
Poseidon
This is the god of the seas and oceans, the lord of the waters. Also have a brother Zeus.
Conclusion
That's all the main gods of ancient Greece. But you can learn about them not only from myths. Over the centuries, artists have formed a consensus on how the gods of Ancient Greece looked (the pictures are presented above).