Olympian Gods

In Greek Mythology, the twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop a mythical Mount Olympus. The Olympians gained their supremacy in the Great War in which Zeus led his siblings to victory over the Titans.

There are twelve Olympian gods in the Greek Mythology.

(1) Zeus - He overthrew his Father Cronus to become the supreme ruler of the gods. He was lord of the sky, the rain god and the cloud gatherer. His weapon was a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. He was married to Hera but, was famous for his many affairs.

  (2)Poseidon -  the brother of Zeus. Poseidon was a son of Cronus and Rhea. Like his brothers and sisters except for Zeus, Poseidon was swallowed by his father.He was the lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. His weapon was a trident, which could shake the earth, and shatter any object. He was second only to Zeus in power among the gods.

(3)Hades - the brother of Zeus. He was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. He was a greedy god who was greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increase the number of dead were seen favorably by him. He was also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He had a helmet that made him invisible. He rarely left the underworld.

 (4)Hera - was Zeus' wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was the protector of marriage and takes special care of married women.Most stories concerning Hera have to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus' infidelities. Her sacred animals were the cow and the peacock. Her favourite city was Argos.

 (5)Ares - the son of Zeus and Hera. He was disliked by both parents. He was the god of war. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. When caught in an act of adultery with Aphrodite, her husband Hephaestus was able publicly ridicule him. His bird was the vulture. His animal was the dog.

(6)Athena - the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full grown in armor from his forehead, thus has no mother. She was fierce and brave in battle but, only fights to protect the state and home from outside enemies. She was the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture.

(7) Apollo - the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister was Artemis. He was the god of music, playing a golden lyre. He was the god of the archer, far shooting with a silver bow. The god of healing who taught man medicine. The god of light. The god of truth, who cannot speak a lie.

(8) Aphrodite - the goddess of love, desire and beauty. In addition to her natural gifts, she had a magical girdle that compelled anyone she wished to desire her. in many of the myths involving her, is characterized as vain, ill-tempered and easily offended.

(9) Hermes - the son of Zeus and Maia. He was Zeus' messenger. He was the fastest of the gods. He wore winged sandals, a winged hat, and carried a magic wand. He was the god of boundaries and of the travellers who cross them, literature and poets, of weights and measures and invention and commerce in general, of liars, and of the cunning of thieves.

(10) Artemis - was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother was Apollo. She was the lady of the wild things. She was the huntsman of the gods. She was the protector of the young. Like Apollo, she hunted with silver arrows.

(11) Hephaestus - was the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes, it was said that Hera alone produced him and that he had no father. He was the only god to be physically ugly. He was also lame. He was the god of fire and the forge.

(12) Hestia - Zeus' sister. She was a virgin goddess. She was the Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the house around which a new born child was carried before it was received into the family.