The Greeks have multiple gods and goddesses, each with their own myths and stories. Ancient Greeks built temples to honor these gods and told their tales.  The 12 Olympians live on Mount Olympus, while others live in the underworld or within their domains or birthplaces. The major gods hold widespread authority, while minor gods have more specialized roles.

The Titans were the first powerful gods to rule, but they were overthrown by their own children.  The Olympians earned their place by defeating the Titans or by being the children of earlier Olympian gods

The 12 Olympians: 

Zeus

• King of the Olympus
• God of the sky and lightning 
• Controls the weather
• Pegasus, his horse, carries the thunder and lightning bolts he throws 
• Brother of Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, and Demeter 
• Father of the Olympians: Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus
• Led the revolt against the Titans
• His Roman equal is Jupiter
• His symbol is the lightning bolt

Hera

• Queen of the Olympus and wife of Zeus
• Goddess of family, marriage, and women
• Often takes revenge on the many women Zeus cheats on her with
• Patron goddess of the city of Argos
• One of her symbols is a peacock 

Poseidon

• God of all bodies of water and earthquakes 
• Holds a trident 
• Controls the weatherCreated the horse 
• Father of Pegasus and Polyphemus 
• Lives in a palace under the sea 
• His chariot is pulled by horses with fish tails
• Rival of Athena when she was chosen as the patron goddess of Athens
• His Roman equal is Neptune 

Dionysus

• God of wine and theatre 
• Gave King Midas the power to turn whatever he touches into gold
• Replaced Hestia as an Olympian 
• His symbol is a grapevine 

Apollo

• God of the sun, music, and prophecy 
• Rides a chariot pulled by swans
• Granted the Oracle of Delphi the ability to tell the future
• Leader of the 9 muses 
• Holds a lyre or a bow and arrow
• Twin brother of Artemis
• Patron God of the city of Delphi 

Artemis

• Goddess of the hunt, animals, archery, and nature
• Has perfect aim with her bow and arrow
• Can turn herself and others into animals
• Her chariot is pulled by silver stags
• Her symbol is the moon
• Her hunting partner, Orion, died when he claimed he could kill all living creatures on Earth
• Twin sister of Apollo
• Her temple in Ephesus is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world 

Hermes

• God of commerce
• Messenger of the gods
• Wears winged sandals and sometimes a hat that grants him speed
• Very sneaky and cunning
• Carries a caduceus (a rod with two snakes intertwined with wings at the top)
• Invented the lyre and gave it to Apollo
• His Roman equal is Mercury 

Athena

• Goddess of wisdom and war
• Often shown wearing a helmet, spear, and shield
• She is very wise and helps many adventurers and heroes
• Invented the olive tree
• Her symbols are the owl and olive branch
• Cursed Arachne and turned her into a spider when her weaving was better
• Patron goddess of Athens 

Ares

• God of War
• Rides a chariot pulled by fire-breathing horses 
• Very violent and strong
• Fell in love with Aphrodite and was caught in a net with her by her husband, Hephaestus
• His Roman equal is Mars

Aphrodite

• Goddess of love and beauty
• Most beautiful of the goddesses 
• Married to but cheated on Hephaestus, who was ugly to other gods
• Had affairs with many of the other Olympians 
• Born from sea foam in one story
• Her Roman equivalent is Venus 

Hephaestus

• God of blacksmiths 
• Husband of Aphrodite
• Crafts tools for the gods, like Apollo and Artemis’ bows or the famous shield Aegis
• Very skilled craftsman, assisted by a cyclops  
• Was thrown off Mount Olympus by Hera because of his foot

Demeter 

• Goddess of agriculture and the harvest
• Her chariot is pulled by dragons
• Her daughter is Persephone, who was taken by Hades

Other Major Deities: 

Hades

• God of the Underworld
• Does not live on Mount Olympus
• His three-headed guard dog, Cerberus, guards the entrance to the Underworld 
• His helmet grants him invisibility
• Controls the Underworld and its subjects
• Charon takes the dead on a boat to cross the rivers Styx and Acheron into the Underworld
• Kidnapped Persephone because he wanted a wife when he was lonely  
• His Roman equal is Pluto

Hestia 

• Goddess of the hearth and home
• Maintains the fire on Mount Olympus
• Very peaceful and avoided conflict 
• Replaced by Dionysus as an Olympian to avoid problems