The 12 Olympians: The Greek Gods and Goddesses of Olympus

There has been some controversy over who the 12 Olympians were; there is actually 14 known. Here is a list of those that were considered the Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus, and a little about each of them.

1. Aphrodite
   The Goddess of fertility, love, and beauty.
   According to Homer’s Iliad, Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
   During the Trojan war she fought on the side of Paris.
   Because she was so beautiful, Zeus married her to Hephaestus. This however did not stop her from having affairs; these included both the God Ares, and the mortal Anchises.

2. Apollo
   God of the sun, light, music, and prophecy.
   He is the Son of Zeus and the Titan Leto.
   According to Homers Iliad, Apollo played a major role in the Trojan war. He infected the Greek encampment with a plague, and aided Paris with killing Achilles.
   He is the twin of the Goddesses Artemis. Both medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, however he could bring ill-health and deadly plagues. He had an aptitude for archery.

3. Ares
   The God of war.
   The son of Zeus and Hera.
   Ares always took the side of Aphrodite when it came to the Trojan war.
   Ares represented the unpleasant aspects of battle. Ares was described as Aphrodite’s lover. And even though he was the God of war, he was characterized as a coward.

4. Artemis
   The virgin huntress; Goddess of wildlife and patroness of hunters.
   The daughter of Zeus and Leto; the twin of the God Apollo.
   She is sometimes referred to as Goddess of the moon. The bear was a sacred animal to her. And she was an important goddess in the lives of women, especially when it came to marriage and young creatures.

5. Athena
   The Goddess of War; female counterpart to Ares.
   The daughter of Zeus.
   Athena fought on the side of the Greek in the trojan war.
   She is one of the three virgin Goddesses. She was known as Zeus’ favourite child. The owl was her bird, and the olive was her tree.

6. Demeter
   The Goddess of Agriculture, fertility, sacred law, and the harvest.
   Daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
   She had one daughter; to her brother Zeus. Her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades.
   It is said that Demeter revealed the art of growing and using corn to man.

7. Dionysus
   The God of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre.
   The son of Zeus, and Theban princess Semele.
   Along with Demeter; known as the supreme deities of the Earth. He was also honoured in lyric poetry, and though he was known for being kind and generous; he could also be cruel when necessary.

8. Hades
   The God and King of the underworld.
   Son of Cronus and Rhea.
   His wife was Persephone; Demeter’s only daughter; whom he kidnapped and made his queen. (as mentioned above.) He was the oldest child; Zeus and Poseidon being his younger brothers.

9. Hephaestus
   God of fire and metal-making.
   The Son of Zeus and Hera.
   He had an arranged marriage to Aphrodite; although this didn’t stop her from being unfaithful. He was known as a kind and peace-loving God. Also Hephaestus crafted the armour that Achilles wore in the Trojan war.

10. Hera
    Goddesses of marriage and Queen of Olympus.
    Daughter and Cronus and Rhea; wife and sister of Zeus.
    Hera was a jealous wife, and fought with Zeus over his many illegitimate children and affairs. When she caught Zeus having an affair she would make the women pay; by various means as read in different stories.

11. Hermes
    God of trade, eloquence, and the messenger of the Gods.
    Son of Zeus and Maia.
    Hermes was another of Aphrodite’s lovers; they had a child together by the name of Hermaphroditus, also known as Aphroditus. He was a patron of the thieves, and a god of boundaries; both literally and figuratively.

12. Hestia
    The Goddess of the hearth and domestic life.
    Daughter of Cronus and Rhea.
    Another of the virgin Goddesses. Every meal began and ended with an offering to Hestia. And she represented communal security and personal happiness.

13. Poseidon
    God of the Sea.
    Son of Cronus and Rhea.
    Poseidon was worshipped as a fertility God. His primary form of transportation was a chariot pulled by horses.
    Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite; a Nereid. Their union produced Triton; who was half-human and half-fish.
    Poseidon and Medusa conceived the flying horse Pegasus.

14. Zeus
    God of the Sky and King of the Gods.
    Son of Cronus and Rhea.
    Zeus was known for being rather unfaithful; and the number of children he bore is really unknown.