Thursday , March 28 2024

Greek Mythology, God and Goddesses


The mythology of Greece is complex but incredibly interesting. The stories of Greek mythology centre around Gods, Goddesses, heroes, and monsters, and ancient Greek rituals. They were important to the Ancient Greeks and they lived their lives by this mythology.

Gods and Goddesses
In Greek mythology, there were twelve Greek Gods and Goddesses. These gods were often described as powerful superhumans who were thought to live high up in the clouds, above Mount Olympus.
The Ancient Greeks believed the Gods and Goddesses watched over them from their Mount Olympus Palace, occasionally showing the Greeks what they thought about life on earth, by interfering. The Gods and Goddesses would get angry and send storms, they were mischievous and played tricks on the Greeks. Sometimes they would even create wars and then decide who the victor would be.

Greek Gods and Goddesses had a whole range of emotions, from anger, jealousy, and love. Each God/Goddess had its place in the Ancient Greek world and oversaw a different aspect of Ancient Greek life, and their role was incredibly important, even if it did sometimes cause issues with the mortal Greeks.

Who were the Ancient Gods and Goddesses of Greece?

Aphrodite (Venus)
Aphrodite was known as the goddess of love and beauty.

Apollo (Apollo)
Apollo was known as the god of knowledge, music, poetry, and prophesy.

Ares (Mars)
Ares was known as the god of war.

Artemis (Diana)
Artemis was known as the goddess of animals, childbirth, and hunting.

Athena (Minerva)
Athena was the goddess of defense and wisdom. Sometimes also called the virgin goddess of war.

Demeter (Ceres)
Demeter was the goddess of agriculture.

Dionysus (Bacchus)
Sometimes also called Hestia, Dionysus was the god of festivals, pleasure, and wine.

Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Hephaestus was the god of fire, as well as metalwork and sculpture.

Hera (Juno)
Hera was known as the queen of the gods and goddesses. She was also the goddess of marriage and women.

Hermes (Mercury)
Hermes was the god of hospitality, trade, and travel. Hermes was also a personal messenger of the god Zeus.

Poseidon (Neptune)
Poseidon was known as the god of the ocean.

Zeus (Jupiter)
Zeus was known as the father or king of the gods. He was also the god of fate, law, and weather.

The following gods and goddesses were also considered to be Olympian gods:

Hades (pluto)
Hades was known as the god of the underworld.

Hestia (Vesta)
Hestia was known as the goddess of family and home.

Eros (Cupid)
An underling of Aphrodite’s, Eros was a god of sex.

The ancients Greeks considered the Gods and Goddesses to be an intrinsic part of their daily lives. They built temples in the Gods and Goddesses’ honour as the Greeks believed that the higher beings protected them from harm, and helped them when they needed them the most. Every Ancient Greek city had a temple dedicated to a God or Goddess. Ancient Greek temples varied in size, some were huge with intricate frescos and statues dedicated to their chosen God/Goddess. Other temples were smaller, less imposing but still just as important in the life of Ancient Greeks.

The temples were used by the Ancient Greeks to pray. Prayers were for every aspect of Greek life, from illness to asking for a good harvest. There was nothing that praying couldn’t be used for. The Greeks would do their best to please the Gods/Goddesses during their temples visits. The Greeks would bring offerings, ranging from drink, food, flowers, and money. Sometimes the Greeks would even sacrifice animals, and eat the meat of the dead animals to ensure the prayer worked.

The life of Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses is incredibly interesting, and one that’s definitely worth reading more about.

In our next post, we will learn about Greek Mythology, Heroes, and Monsters. If you missed our previous posts you can read them here:

The history of Greece

The rulers of Ancient Greece

Source material:

Ancient Greece by Geddes and Grosset

Ancient Greece, Utopia, and Reality by New Horizons

An Introduction to Greek Mythology by David Bellingham

Greek Mythology by Katerina Servi, Archaeologist

The Encyclopaedia of Greek Mythology by Guus Houtzager

Department of Greek and Roman Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

About Chrissie Parker

Chrissie Parker joined the Zakynthos Informer Team in 2014. Chrissie’s first experience of the island was a combined birthday and wedding celebration, in true Zakynthian style. Since then she has been able to combine her love of the island, including its incredible history, tradition and culture, with her love of writing.

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