Greek & Goddesses

The Twelve Olympians

In the ancient Greek world, the Twelve great gods and goddesses of the Greeks were referred to as the
Olympian Gods, or the Twelve Olympians. The name of this powerful group of gods comes from Mount
Olympus, where the council of 12 met to discuss matters.

All 12 Olympians had a home on Mount Olympus and that was where they were most commonly found.
HADES, the god of the Underworld, preferred to live there, and POSEIDON often chose to stay in his
palace under the sea. Most of the other Olympians would be on Mount Olympus year round unless they
were travelling.

HESTIA used to be one of the Olympians, but the constant fighting and bickering between the gods
annoyed her and she eventually gave up her seat to the god of wine, DIONYSUS. Even though she left the
council, Hestia still kept a home on Mount Olympus.

APHRODITE was on the council but, in most Greek mythological stories, her husband HEPHAESTUS was
not. At the famous Parthenon temple in Greece, there is a statue of each of the 12 Olympian gods.
Hades does not have a statue, but Hephaestus does.

The question of who the 12 Olympians are really depends on who is telling the story. Nobody is truly
sure if Hades of Hephaestus can be classed as the Twelfth Olympian. So, because of the way Greek myths
were told and retold in different ways, there are actually 14 gods and goddesses who can be considered
as an Olympian god. Below is a list of all of the gods who have been considered an Olympian in one story
or another.

OLYMPIAN GODS AND GODDESSES


APHRODITE

Aphrodite was the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty. During the Trojan War, Aphrodite fought on the
side of Paris.Aphrodite and her son Eros (Cupid) teamed up to cause Zeus to fall in love with a human
named Europa.

APOLLO

Apollo was the son of Leto and Zeus. He was born on the island of Delos. He and his twin sister Artemis,
also an Olympian, shared an aptitude for archery.The nine Muses were companions of his; they were
goddesses known for inspiring art and music.

ARES

He was the son of Zeus and Hera, both of whom hated him (according to Homer). Eros (more commonly
known as Cupid) was the child of Ares and Aphrodite.Ares was most notably referred to as the God of
War; he represented the unpleasant aspects of battle.

ARTEMIS
Artemis was daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. She was primarily a virgin huntress,
goddess of wildlife and patroness of hunters.She was an important goddess in the lives of women,
especially when it came to marriage and young creatures.

ATHENA

Athena was the Goddess of War, the female counterpart of Ares. She is one of three virgin goddesses;
the other two were Hestia and Artemis.Athena served as a guardian of Athens, where the Parthenon
served as her temple.

DEMETER

Demeter was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea. She was the goddess of harvest and fertility.Only women
attended the Thesmophoria, a fertility festival held in honor of Demeter.

DIONYSUS

Dionysus was primarily known as the God of the Vine. Upon reaching adulthood, Dionysus wandered the
Earth, teaching men the culture of the vine.Dionysus was the last god to enter Olympus.


HADES

He was also called the God of Wealth or “the rich one” because he possessed the precious metals of the
earth. Hades had a cap or helmet that made its wearer invisible.His wife was Persephone, Demeter’s
only daughter, whom he kidnapped and made his queen.

HEPHAESTUS

Hephaestus was the only ugly god among perfectly beautiful immortals. He was the workman of the
immortals: he made their dwellings, furnishings, and weapons.Hephaestus was known as the God of
Fire.

HERA

Hera was Queen of the Olympian gods. In the story of the Quest of the Golden Fleece, Hera was a
gracious protector of the heroes.Hera had few, if any, redeeming qualities. She never forgot an injury.

HESTIA

Although Hestia appeared in a few stories, she was not overly significant in Greek mythology. She was a
sibling to Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus.Hestia is completely omitted from the works of
Homer, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

POSEIDON
Poseidon was allotted his dominion after the fall of the Titans. He wielded the trident or three-pronged
spear, and this image of him is reflected in art.Poseidon was most notably the God of the sea and the
protector of all waters.

TYCHE

Tykhe, also known as Tyche, was the Greek goddess of chance, fate and fortune. She represented not
only the positive aspects of these characteristics but also the negative ones. The ancient Greeks thought
she was the reason for unexpected events in their lives, good and evil. For example, if someone had
much success in life […]

ZEUS

Zeus was the father of the famous Greek hero Hercules.The name Zeus means "bright" or "sky."His
weapon of choice was the thunderbolt, made for him by the Cyclops.