Throughout history, all cultures have come up with at least some way to understand the world by believing one or more gods, monsters and beasts, the quests of famous heroes and more. These myths, which can vary widely from place to place, share many of the same themes and ideas nevertheless. The study of these myths has allowed for a far more accurate understanding of a culture’s beliefs and values. Greece is one location mainly known for their famous myths which show fascinating things about what was practiced and done in the distant past. From analyzing myths from this fascinating culture, it is possible not only to understand facts about this culture but of all of the cultures around the world that they had influenced
Primary Gods/Goddesses
In ancient Greece, the primary gods and goddesses of the pantheon were known as the twelve Olympians.
Zeus
Zeus was the first (and known as the most powerful) god who was the only one of the children of Cronus and Rhea not swallowed by his father. Not only was he the king of the home of every one of the gods, Mount Olympus, but he was also the god who controlled the sky, thunder, and lightning. Each one of the gods has a symbol or symbols associated with them, Zeus’s being the Thunderbolt. Zeus has also been associated with some animals (like the other gods), notably the eagle, the wolf, and the woodpecker. In fact, many cities around Greece have a patron god and Zeus’s are Elis and Olympia. Zeus’s statue at Olympia was not only worshipped but was also known as one of the wonders of the ancient world. In addition to animals, gods were often represented by plants Zeus’s being the oak tree. He was known to be a god of justice as shown when Zeus was described as having “brought peace in place of violence” and being the “lord of justice” by Hesiod (greekgodsandgoddesses.com).
Hera
Like Zeus was the king of the gods, Hera was his wife (and sister) and therefore the queen of the gods. For this reason, she was often known as the goddess of marriage and also the goddess of birth. In contrast to what one might think however, Hera was known to be a jealous god and was known to be jealous against her husband and her offspring. She was also known to be hateful mostly of Heracles (Zeus’s illegitimate son) and of many mortals who upsetted her. Many temples have been dedicated toward this goddess such as one at Olympia, however she was mostly known as the patron of Argos served as her refuge for a time. This goddess was and is often represented through symbols such as a diadem, scepter (symbols),peacock, cow (animals), pomegranate (fruit/flower), and a lily(flower).
Poseidon
Poseidon was another of the sons of Cronus and Rhea and was known as the god of the sea, waves, etc. One common myth that explains this is that once the gods had beaten the Titans, Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon drew straws to determine where each of them ruled. That eventually meant that Poseidon would rule the seas, Zeus the skies, and Hades the underworld (Homer’s Iliad). Like Hera, Poseidon was known to be bad tempered, and sometimes vengeful and therefore again had a personality that heavily contrasted Zeus’s. Though there was a rivalry between Athena and Poseidon over Athens, Corinth ended up being the city whose patron god was Poseidon. This god was known to be represented by the Trident, bull, fish, dolphin, horse, dolphin, pine tree, and wild celery.
Demeter
Another one of the sisters of Zeus and Poseidon, Demeter was the god of the harvest and therefore was responsible for the Earth’s fertility. She had also been known as the goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death. One interesting myth about Demeter is that her daughter was abducted by Hades (god of the underworld) and due to her loss and grief, the seasons did not pass by causing a famine. Zeus eventually intervened but Persephone (Demeter’s daughter) ended up having to spend a third of the year with Hades. This event made Demeter known as being worried and in grief. Though it is not well known, Demeter’s patron city could have likely been Eleusina, the city in which the Eleusinian Mysteries took place in (a religious event held in Demeter’s honor). This goddess has often been represented by the cornucopia, wheat (the replacement for a flower/tree in this case), the torch, bread, pig, and the gecko.
Athena
Unlike the gods and goddesses previously discussed, Athena was born fully grown from Zeus’s forehead after a headache he had. She was known as the goddess of many things, some of them being the goddess of war, wisdom, courage, and skill. More like Zeus, Athena had a heroic personality and was known to be skillful in warfare. As previously discussed, Athena had beaten Poseidon in a rivalry over Athens, making this her well-known patron city. Athena was often symbolized through things like olive trees, helmets, owls, snakes, armor, and spears.
Ares
Ares, unlike any of the gods or goddesses previously mentioned was a son of Hera and Zeus and was the god of war. Though Athena was also the goddess of war, Ares represented the violence and unregulated aspects of war rather than the strategy of it. Though this god is not a very common god in literature, he was known to have loved Aphrodite despite her having been married to Hephaestus. Therefore, despite his violent side, he was known to have a romantic side as well. Due to Greeks having different views towards Ares due to his violent nature, he was not the patron of any city in Greece. This God has been represented by a spear, helmet, dog, chariot, boar, vulture, and a burning torch (this god was not represented by a plant).
Apollo
Apollo was not the son of Zeus and Hera but rather the son of Zeus and one of the Titans named Leto. Like Athena, Apollo was known to be the god of many things such as the god of the sun, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, and medicine. Unlike any of the other gods, it was rumored that Apollo could predict prophecy through the Delphi oracle “Pythia” and therefore making him the patron god of Delphi. This god was known to have an athletic, youthful, and artistic personality, distinguishing him from the rest. Unlike most of the other gods, Apollo’s name was used both in Roman and Greek mythology. This god was symbolized by the lyre, python, laurel wreath, raven, and the bow and arrows.
Artemis
Artemis was Apollo’s twin and therefore was also born of Zeus and Leto. She was the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, childbirth, and virginity and was one of the most well-respected goddesses. Orion, was Artemis’s only love (and was her hunting partner) and had been murdered either by Gaia (the earth goddess) or by Artemis. Artemis had a caring and protective personality as shown when she protected young children and cured disease. This goddess was known to be the patron goddess of Ephesus and her temple there, like Zeus’s statue was another of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Artemis’s symbols were the bow, arrows, the moon, stags, hunting dogs, walnut trees and the amaranth flower.
Hermes
Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia (the daughter of the Titan Atlas) and was known to be the god of thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings. In Greek mythology, Hermes was known to move between mortal and divine worlds and was known to be a trickster for self-satisfaction and to outwit the other gods.
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