SoYouWanna meet some of the important Greek gods and goddesses?
The famous Olympian Greek gods are a group of 12 beings who are all related to each other (cue banjo music).
- Zeus and Hera are the leaders of the gods and represent the forces of power and justice. They're married.
- Poseidon, Zeus's brother, is the god of the sea. He is the most powerful god after Zeus and he spends very little time on Mount Olympus.
- Hades is Zeus's other brother and the god of the underworld - sort of the opposite of Mount Olympus. After a human dies, he/she resides in Hades' realm.
- Demeter is Zeus's sister and the goddess of agriculture and fertility.
- Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera, is the god of war.
- Athena is Zeus's daughter, but was born out his forehead, so she does not have a mother. Athena is known for being the goddess of wisdom and intelligence.
- Apollo, another son of Zeus, is the god of music, healing, light, and truth.
- Artemis is Apollo's twin sister. She is the goddess of chastity, but also is a hunter and protects the young (in other words, she's the goddess of virgins). She also is known for being present during childbirth.
- Aphrodite, another of Zeus's daughters, is the goddess of love and desire, and she can compel anyone to desire her.
- Hermes, another of Zeus's sons, acts as his father's messenger, but is actually considered the god of thieves and of commerce.
- Dionysus is the son of Zeus and is the god of wine.
- Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. He is the god of fire and is the only god to be called ugly.
- Though not gods, there are also Muses (the sources of artistic and scientific inspiration) and Nymphs (the protectors of the realm of nature).
SoYouWanna know more? Check out our full-length article SYW be a teacher?
