The Olympian Gods
The Big Three
Zeus: The god of the sky, the supreme god of the Olympians, and ruler of mankind. He was the last child of the Titans Kronos and rhea, and had five older brothers and sisters. Zeus married his ister Hera, but had many love affairs with goddesses and mortals. He punished anyone who lied, though he tried to be fair and keep a balanced view of events. He was responsible for the weather, and when in high spirits, blessed the world with fine weather; in a bad mood he created rain, wind, lightening, and thunder. But even Zeus could not influence the decisions of the Fates. Zeus's symbols are the scales and a thunderbolt. His sacred animal is the eagle.
Poseidon: The god of the sea. He was the son of Kronos and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades. His weapon was a trident powerful enough to shake the earth, causing storms and earthquakes. Poseidon had a throne in Mount Olympus and an undersea palace where he usually lived with his wife Amphitrite. His symbol is the trident, and his sacred animals are the dolphin and the horse.
Hades: Ruler of the Underworld and god of the dead, lived with Persephone in the Underworld. The symbol of Hades is a helmet which helped him stay invisible.
The Other Gods
Ares: The god of war. he was the son of Zeus and Hera, and half-brother to Athena. Ares was a difficult character and unpopular with the other gods and humans. He often fought with Artemis, goddess of the hunt. and with his sister Athena. Ares's Symbols are the spear and dogs. Ares had no wife and was constantly under the spell of the goddess Aphrodite, much to the annoyance of her husband Hephaestus. Ares and Aphrodite had four children together, Ares also had many children by mortal women.
Athena: The goddess of wisdom. skill, and war. She was a child of Zeus and Metis, Zeus's first wife, and was born fully grown, springing out of Zeus's head, wearing full battle armor. She taught humans skills such as weaving, sewing, farming, and metalwork.Her symbols are the olive branch and the owl.
Hestia: The goddess of the hearth, home, and family. She was the eldest daughter of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Both Poseidon and Apollo wanted to marry her, but she swore to Zeus that she would never marry. Hestia kept the fire burning in every hearth, providing warmth and security. Her symbol is a living flame and her sacred animals are a donkey and pigs.
Aphrodite: The goddess of love and beauty. She was married to Hephaestus but she loved Ares, the god of war. Aphrodite was the most attractive goddess on Mount Olympus. Her symbols are the seashell and the mirror. Her sacred animal is the dove.
Apollo: The god of the sun, prophecy, music and healing. He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Leto, and the younger twin of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Famous for playing the lyre, Apollo also had the gift of prophecy. His symbols re the lyre and laurel tree.
Artemis: The goddess of the hunt and the moon. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and older twin of Apollo, god of the sun. Artemis brought fertility and loved to hunt with a bow and arrows. Her symbol is the bow and her sacred animals are the snake and the deer.
Demeter: The goddess of agriculture, a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos. Her daughter Persephone was taken by Hades to live in the Underworld. Demeter was the source of all growth and life on earth, who taught human show to cultivate and grow crops. Her symbol is an ear of wheat.
Dionysus: The god of wine, was the son of Zeus and princess Semele. He was known for his lightheartness and always offered to help anyone in need. He did not live in Mount Olympus but constantly traveled the world to discover the secrets of winemaking. His symbols are grapes and ivy and his sacred animal is the panther.
Hephaestus: The god of fire and crafts and of blacksmiths. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and was married to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. He was kind and lovable, but also ugly and lame. he had a fiery workshop beneath a volcano in Italy where he worked with the Cyclopes to create thunderbolts for Zeus. The symbols of Hephaestus are fire, the axe, the tongs, and the hammer.
Hera: The goddess of marriage and the family. She was Zeus's sister and also became his wife. the couple had four children: Eilithyia, the goddess of childbirth; Ares, the god of war; Hebe; the goddess of youth; and Hephaestus, the god of fire and crafts. Hera's sacred animal is the peacock.
Hermes: The god of travelers, merchants and thieves, and the messenger of the gods. He was the son of Zeus and the mountain nymph Maea. hermes had wings on his sandals, which made him the speediest of all the gods. he was the only Olympian go allowed to visit heaven, earth and the Underworld. His symbol is a winged stick with snakes wrapped around it called a caduceus.
Persephone: The goddess of the Underworld, was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. On e day Hades fell in love with her and carried her away to the Underworld. When Demeter learned what had happened, she was so furious that she left Mount Olympus and stopped everything on earth from growing. Zeus decided to bring Persphone back to her mother and sent Hermes to fetch her. But before Hades released Persephone, he gave her seven seeds of pomegranate to eat, so that she was forever connected to the Underworld and would stay there for four months every year. This is how the seasons were created; when Persephone was with Demeter, the sun shone and everything flowered. The rest of the time Demeter grieved and winter gripped the world.
