The mythology of the ancient Greeks includes a vast number of gods and godesses, demigods, monsters, and heroes. Despite their awesome powers, the Greek gods and goddesses were much like humans. Their actions came from recognizable passions, such as love and hate, pride, jealousy and the thirst for revenge. The gods and godesses often left Mount Olympus to become involved in the affairs of mortals, interacting with men and women as patrons, enemies, and sometimes lovers. Heroes and ordinary humans in Greek myths frequently discovered that things were not what they appeared to be as they were often tricked by their gods. The underlying moral principle, though, was that the gods rewarded honorable behavior, and people who dishonored themselves or defied the gods usually paid a high price.
“She stood behind him and grabbed the son of Peleus by his golden hair, appearing to him alone. None of the others saw her, but Achilles was amazed. He turned around and immediately he recognized Pallas Athena.” – Homer’s Iliad
The word pantheon, which refers to all the gods of a particular culture, comes from the Greek pan (all) and theoi (gods). The pantheon of the ancient Greeks consisted of the twelve Olympian gods and several other major and minor gods and godesses, along with many demigods.
The twelve Olympian gods were the principal deities, six gods and six goddesses, and lived on Mount Olympus the highest peak in Greece. Zeus was the king of the gods and reigned over all the other deities and their realms.
Who are the 12 Olympian gods?
Below is an alphabetical list of the 12 gods of Olympus (including their Roman names):
- Aphrodite (Venus) – goddess of love and beauty
- Apollo (Apollo) – god of the sun, arts, and medicine
- Ares (Mars) – god of war
- Artemis (Diana) – goddess of hunting and protector of wild animals
- Athena (Minerva) – goddess of wisdom, warfare, and crafts
- Demeter (Ceres) – goddess of grain, farming, and soil
- Hephaestus (Vulcan) – god of fire, volcanoes, and industry
- Hera (Juno) – queen of the gods, protector of marriage and childbirth
- Hermes (Mercury) – messenger of the gods, patron of travelers, merchants, and thieves
- Hestia (Vesta) – goddess of the hearth
- Poseidon (Neptune) – god of the sea
- Zeus (Jupiter) – king of the gods, protector of justice and social order
Other Major Deities:
- Dionysus (Bacchus) – god of wine and revelry
- Hades (Pluto) – king of the underworld
- Persephone (Proserpina) – queen of the underworld
- Prometheus – giver of fire and crafts to humans
For a complete list of all Greek gods, demigods and other mythological figures please check here: Greek gods, demigods and other mythological figures