“THE LORD GIVES, AND THE LORD TAKES AWAY AS IT PLEASES HIM, FOR HE CAN DO ALL THINGS”- HOMER
When it comes to mythology, Greek mythology steals all the thunder. Basically, Greek mythology is a kind of myth that is originally told by the ancient Greeks. The stories of Greek mythology are associated with the nature and origin of the world, the activities and lives of heroes, mythological creatures, and deities. The huge influence of Greek mythology can be seen in the literature. Greek mythology was propagated through the oral-poetic tradition. The best way to know about Greek mythology is through the Greek Gods and Goddesses. One of the best works to know in-depth about Greek mythology is through Homer’s epic, i.e., Iliad and Odyssey.
The Greek Gods are divided into many categories. The first of these is The Olympian Gods, Titan Gods, and Primordial Gods. These three gods represent the three generations of the deities to rule the cosmos. The next five categories of Greek Gods divide it by the domain, namely, Gods of the sky, sea, earth, and the underworld. The final section contains the spirits or deities representing the emotions, abstract ideas, conditions, and apotheosized mortals.
LET’S KNOW IN DEPTH ABOUT THE 12 IMPORTANT AND MAIN GREEK GODS
There are twelve great, and main Greek Gods called the Olympian Greek Gods or just Olympian Gods. Together they have presided over every aspect of human life. The following Gods are-
APHRODITE:
It is the Greek translation of Venus. Aphrodite is considered the Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is usually depicted as a beautiful woman accompanied by wings. The major myth related to this Greek God is that she has emerged from the seam foam and her adulterous affair with the God Ares. However, there are many more myths related to Aphrodite.
APOLLO
Apollo is the God of prophecy, oracles, music, archery, healing, poetry, song, disease, and the protection of the young. He is depicted as a beardless, handsome youth with long hair. His birth is considered on the island of Delos.
ARES
Aries, the Greek translation of Mars, is the Olympian Greek God of War, civil order, battle lust, and courage. God is usually depicted as a mature bearded and armed for the battle. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, but both of them hated him. Eros or Cupid (The God of Love) is the child of Ares and Aphrodite.
ARTEMIS
Diana, in Greek Artemis, is the Olympian Greek Goddess of hunting, the wildness, and wild animals. Moreover, she is also considered the Goddess of childbirth and the protector of the girl child till the age of marriage. Apollo is her twin brother and hence the protector of boys. Artemis is a young maiden with a hunting bow and quiver of arrows. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto.
ATHENA
Athena, the Olympian Greek Goddess, is the Goddess of Wisdom, good counsel, heroic endeavor, pottery, weaving, and other crafts. She is shown as a stately woman armed with the spear and shield wearing a long robe, crested helm, and the snake-trimmed cape adorned with the monstrous visage of the Gorgon Medusa.
Also Read, Most Fascinating Greek Myths
DEMETER
Demeter, the Olympian Greek Goddess, is the Goddess of grain, agriculture, and bread who sustains mankind with the earth’s rich bounty. She has depicted as a mature woman wearing a crown and bearing sheaves of wheat and a torch.
DIONYSUS
Dionysus is the Olympian Greek God of wine, festivity, madness, pleasure, and wild frenzy. He is shown as an older, bearded man or an effeminate or long-haired youth. It is believed that he wandered on the earth to teach men the culture of wine. He is the last God to enter Olympus.
HEPHAISTOS
The Olympian Greek God of fire, metalworking, sculpture, smith, craftsmen, and stonemasonry is Hephaistos. God is seen as a bearded man holding a hammer and tongs.
HERA
Hera, the Olympian Greek Goddess, is the Queen of Olympian Gods and Goddesses. She is the Goddess of women, sky, and stars of heaven and marriages. The most famous myth associated with her is that she is married to the Greek God Zeus, the king who seduced her in the guise of a cuckoo bird. She is depicted as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and holding a royal lotus-tipped scepter. She is accompanied by a lion, cuckoo, or a hawk.
HERMES
Hermes is the Olympian God of flocks and herds, roads and trade, cunning and thievery, language and writing, astrology and astronomy, diplomacy and heralds, travelers and hospitality. Hermes is considered the messenger of Zeus, the King of Gods, and guides the dead who led the souls down into the underworld.
POSEIDON
Poseidon is a Greek translation of Neptune. Poseidon is the Olympian God of floods, droughts, sea, earthquakes, and horses. He is represented as a mature man with a sturdy build and dark beard holding a trident.
ZEUS
The King of Olympian Greek Gods and Goddesses and the husband of Hera is the God of fate, destiny, weather, law and order, and kingship. He is figured as a mature man with a dark beard and sturdy figure. He is usually attributed with the royal scepter, an eagle, and a lighting bolt.
