Greek Mythology
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Greek Mythology Greek Roman Description Name Name First Generation of Olympians The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, weather, thunder, law, order, and fate. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, whom he overthrew after Cronus swallowed his brothers and sisters and he is brother-husband Zeus Jupiter to Hera. In artwork, he was depicted as a regal, mature man with a sturdy figure and dark beard. His usual attributes are the royal scepter and the lightning bolt, and his sacred animals are the eagle and the bull. Queen of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires. She is the wife of Zeus and daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually depicted as a beautiful Hera Juno woman wearing a crown and veil and holding a royal, lotus-tipped staff. Her sacred animals are the heifer, the lion, the peacock, and the cuckoo. The god of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and the creator of horses; known as the "Earth Shaker". He is a son of Cronus and Rhea and brother to Zeus Poseidon Neptune and Hades. In classical artwork, he was depicted as a mature man of sturdy build with a dark beard, and holding a trident. The horse and the dolphin are sacred to him. The goddess of agriculture, horticulture, grain and harvest. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone. She was Demeter Ceres depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding sheaves of wheat and a torch. Her symbols are the Cornucopia (horn of plenty), wheat-ears, the winged serpent and the lotus staff. Her sacred animals are pigs and snakes. King of the Underworld and god of the dead. His consort is Persephone and his attributes are the key of Hades, the Helm of Darkness, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus. The screech owl was sacred to him. Despite being the son of Cronus and Hades Pluto Rhea and the elder brother of Zeus, as a chthonic god he is only rarely listed among the Olympians. The name Pluto became more common in the Classical period with the mystery religions and Athenian literature. Virgin goddess of the hearth, home and cooking. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus and sister of Zeus. She was depicted as a modestly veiled woman, whose Hestia Vesta symbols are the hearth and kettle. In some accounts, she gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians to tend to the sacred flame on Mount Olympus for Dionysus. Second Generation of Olympians The goddess of wisdom, warfare, battle strategy, heroic endeavor, handicrafts and reason. According to most traditions, she was born from Zeus's head fully formed Athena Minerva and armored. She was depicted crowned with a crested helm, armed with shield and a spear. Her symbols include the olive tree. She is commonly shown accompanied by her sacred animal, the owl. The god of war, bloodlust, violence, manly courage, and civil order. The son of Zeus Ares Mars and Hera, he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, 1 or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. His attributes are golden armour and a bronze-tipped spear. His sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, alligators, and dogs. The goddess of love and beauty. Although married to Hephaestus she had many lovers, most notably Ares. She was depicted as a beautiful woman usually Aphrodite Venus accompanied by her son Eros. Her symbols include the rose, scallop shell, and myrtle wreath. Her sacred animal is the dove. Crippled god of fire, metalworking, stonemasonry, sculpture and volcanism. The son of, he is the smith of the gods and the husband of the adulterous Aphrodite. He was usually depicted as a bearded man holding hammer and tongs—the tools of a smith. Hephaestus Vulcan His symbols are the hammer, tongs, and anvil. His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane. When he was born, he was thrown off of Mount Olympus by Hera as he was considered ugly. The god of music, healing, plagues, prophecies, poetry, and archery; associated with light, truth and the sun. He is Artemis's twin brother and Hermes elder brother, and son of Zeus and Leto. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair Apollo Apollo and various attributes including a laurel wreath, bow and quiver, raven, and lyre. Animals sacred to Apollo include dolphins, roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows and snakes. Virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, and childbirth. In later times she became associated with the moon. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. In art she was usually depicted as a young woman dressed in a short Artemis Diana knee-length chiton and equipped with a hunting bow and a quiver of arrows. In addition to the bow, her attributes include hunting spears, animal pelts, deer and other wild animals. Her sacred animals are deer, bears, and wild boars. The god of travel, messengers, trade, thievery, cunning wiles, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry. He is the messenger of the gods, a psychopomp who leads the souls of the dead into Hades' realm, and the son of Zeus Hermes Mercury and Maia. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap. His sacred animals are the tortoise, ram, and hawk. The god of wine, parties and festivals, madness, drunkenness and pleasure at forever young. He was depicted in art as either an older bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes include the thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), Dionysus Bacchus drinking cup, grape vine, and a crown of ivy. Animals sacred to him include dolphins, serpents, tigers, panthers, and donkeys. A later addition to the Olympians, in some accounts he replaced Hestia. Other Deities The god of sexual love and beauty. He was also worshipped as a fertility deity, son of Eros Cupid Aphrodite and Ares. He was depicted often as carrying a lyre or bow and arrow. She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hebe was the cupbearer for the gods and Hebe Juventas goddesses of Mount Olympus, serving their nectar and ambrosia, until she was married to Heracles. 2 A divine hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and great-grandson (and half-brother) Heracles Hercules of Perseus. He was the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity and a champion of the Olympian order against chthonic monsters. The god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic Pan Faunus music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. The root of panic comes from the god Pan. Queen of the Underworld and a daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Also goddess of spring time. She became the consort of Hades, the god of the underworld, when he kidnapped her. Demeter, driven to distraction by the disappearance of her daughter, neglected the earth so that nothing would grow. Zeus eventually ordered Hades to Persephone Proserpina allow Persephone to leave the underworld and rejoin her mother. Hades did this, but because Persephone had eaten six of the twelve pomegranate seeds in the underworld when Hades first kidnapped her, she had to spend six months in the underworld each year. This created the seasons when for six months everything grows and flourishes then for the other six months everything wilts and dies. Mythological Creatures Centaurs, a race of half-man, half-horse beings. Cerberus, the three-headed, giant hound that guarded the gates of Hades. Charybdis, a sea monster whose inhalations formed a deadly whirlpool. Chimera, a three headed monster, with the foreparts of a lion, the hind-parts of a goat and goat's-head rising from its back, and the tail of a headed-serpent; slain by Bellerophon. Cyclopes (Elder), three one-eyed giants who forged the lightning-bolts of Zeus. Empusa, a vampire demon with a leg of bronze and a hoofed foot of a donkey; she seduced men in order to feed on their flesh and blood. Gorgons, monstrous sisters with wings of gold, brazen claws and serpents for hair; capable of turning men to stone with their gaze. Harpies, winged monsters with the bodies of birds and the heads and torsos of women. Hippalectryon, a creature with the fore-parts of a rooster and the body of a horse. Hippocampi, sea creatures with the fore-parts of horses and the tails of fish. Minotaur, creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man. He dwelt at the center of the Labyrinth, which was an elaborate maze-like construction designed by the architect Daedalus and his son Icarus, on the command of King Minos of Crete. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. Sirens, sea nymphs who lured sailors to their death with their song. Humans Achilles, hero of the Trojan War and a central character in Homer's Iliad. Aegea, a queen of the Amazons. Andromeda, wife of Perseus, who was placed among the constellations after her death. Cassandra, a princess of Troy cursed to see the future but never to be believed. Hector, hero of the Trojan War and champion of the Trojan people. Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose abduction brought about the Trojan War. Jason, leader of the Argonauts.