Who are the Greek Gods and Goddess? By Taylor Lacy

Who are the Greek Gods and Goddess? By Taylor Lacy

Before the Greeks Before the Greek Gods were the Titans. Cronus was the ruling Titan who came into power by killing his Father, Uranus. Cronus was married Rhea. Their offspring were the first of the Olympians. To insure his safety Cronus ate each of the children as they were born. Rhea became infuriated and tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock instead of Zeus. When he grew up Zeus would revolt against Cronus and the other Titans, defeat them, and banish them to Tartarus in the underworld. When he defeated Cronus he cut open his stomach and released his siblings.

Zeus Zeus was the god of the sky and the ruler of the Olympian gods. His weapon was a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. He was married to Hera. Although he was married to Hera, Zeus has many other lovers. After defeating Cronus, Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades fought for ruler of the gods. Zeus came out victorious and assigned his brothers sections of the world to rule. He was the father of man, he takes a paternal interest in the actions and wellbeing of mortals.

Hera Hera was Zeus wife. She was the goddess of marriage and family. Despite being the Goddess of marriage, she was known to be jealous and vengeful towards the many lovers and offspring of her husband Zeus. Before her marriage with Zeus, Hera ruled over the heavens and the Earth. This is the reason why she is sometimes referred to as The Queen of Heaven.

Poseidon Poseidon was the god of the sea, protector of all waters. He was the brother of Zeus. After the three brothers, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades fought Poseidon became lord of the sea. His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. He was married to Amphitrite, the granddaughter of a Titian. Poseidon was the creator of the horse.

Hades Hades was the lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He was the brother of Zeus. Hades was the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined form the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisible. He was married to Persephone whom Hades abducted.

Hephaestus Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges, and the art of sculpture. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. To prevent a war braking lose Zeus married off Aphrodite to Hephaestus. He was a smithing god, making all of the weapons for Olympus and acting as a blacksmith for the gods. It was believed that Hephaestus helped teach men the arts.

Aphrodite Aphrodite was the Goddess of love, fertility, and beauty. She was said to be born from the foam in the waters of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus. She supposedly arose from the foam when the Titan Cronus slew his father Uranus. Zeus married off Aphrodite to Hephaestus, whom is known for his ugliness and deformity. Just like Zeus, Aphrodite had many lovers.

Athena Athena is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. Athena was born from Zeus after he experienced an enormous headache and she sprang fully grown and in armor from his forehead. She is Zeus favorite child.

Apollo Apollo was one of the most complex and important gods, he was known as the god of many things, which were music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light, and knowledge. He is the son of Zeus and the Titan Leto. Apollo has a twin, her name was Artemis, goddess of the hunt.

Artemis Artemis was known as the goddess of the hunt and is one of the most respected of all the ancient Greek deities. Not only is she known for the goddess of the hunt but also the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, and virginity. She was the protector of young children. Artemis carries a bow and arrow.

Ares Ares was the god of war, he is the son of Zeus and Hera. Ares represents the violent and physical untamed aspect of war. He was well known as the lover of Aphrodite. He was a very feared god, he had overwhelming force that was insatiable in battle. He was very difficult to deal with. A majority gods stayed away from him unless necessary.

Demeter Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and the presides over grains and the fertility of the earth. Although she was most often referred to as the goddess of the harvest, she was also goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death.

Dionysus Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was the son of Zeus and a mortal, making Dionysus a hero in the Greek tails.

The 12 Olympian gods all kept a home on Mount Olympus. Unless they were off traveling somewhere, that's where you could find most of them. Hades preferred his home in the Underworld. Poseidon preferred his palace under the sea. But the rest of the Olympians lived on Mount Olympus year around.