Download The Olympians

The Olympians Greek gods and goddesses

Zeus  King of the Gods  Controlled the Heavens  Sacred items: eagle, thunderbolt, shield, oak tree  Roman name: Jupiter

Zeus Zeus killed his father, Cronus, and became king of the gods. Zeus married his sister, Hera, and is the father of Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestus, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, and Hermes

Hera  Queen of the Gods  Controlled women and marriage  Things sacred to her: Peacock, cow  Roman name: Juno

Hera Hera is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, two of the Titans. Hera, although the goddess of marriage, has to deal with her husband, Zeus, having many affairs with mortal women.

Aphrodite  Goddess of Love and Beauty  Sacred items: dove, goose, sparrow, myrtle  Roman Name: Venus

Aphrodite Aphrodite is married to Hephaestus, the god of the forge. She is considered the most beautiful goddess; he is considered the ugliest god. Aphrodite tends to get jealous of mortal women who are very beautiful.

Poseidon  God of the Sea  Sacred items: trident, horse, bull  Roman name: Neptune

Poseidon Poseidon is the son of Cronus and Rhea, two of the Titans. He is the brother of Zeus and Hades, and earned the rule of the seas through his role in conquering his father.

Ares  God of War  Sacred items: vulture, dog  Roman name: Mars

Ares Even though Ares is the god of war, he is NOT evil. Ares has an affair with Aphrodite, the wife of the god Hephaestus. Hephaestus is – to say the least – very upset about this.

Hades  God of the Underworld  Sacred items: helmet, metal jewels  Often shown with Cerberus, the threeheaded dog  Roman name: Pluto

Hades Hades is the son of Cronus and Rhea, two of the Titans. Hades is the brother of Zeus and Poseidon, and earned his rule of the underworld through his role in defeating his father. In love with Persephone, the daughter of Demeter.

Hephaestus  God of the Forge  Sacred items: fire, blacksmith’s hammer  Roman name: Vulcan

Hephaestus Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. He is married to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. He is the god who chained Prometheus to a rock for all eternity (because Prometheus gave fire to mankind).

Athena  Goddess of Wisdom, of the City, of War, of Arts and Crafts  Sacred items: owl, shield, olive tree  Patron goddess of Athens  Roman name: Minerva

Athena Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She has no mother, because she sprang, fully grown, from Zeus’ head. Athena is often known for the fact that she turned the mortal woman Arachne into a spider for being too proud of her weaving ability. (why spiders are called arachnids!)

Artemis  Goddess of the Moon, of the Hunt, of Children  Sacred items: stag, crescent moon, cypress tree  Roman name: Diana

Artemis Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and is the twin of the sun god Apollo. Artemis kills Orion for his attempt to rape her in the forest. He becomes a constellation after his death.

Apollo  God of Light and Truth, of Healing, of Archery, of Music  Sacred items: crow, dolphin, laurel, lyre  Roman name: Apollo

Apollo Apollo is the son of Zeus and Hera, and the twin of the moon goddess Artemis. Apollo’s shining chariot is considered to be the sun, driven across the sky each day.

Demeter  Goddess of the Harvest, of Agriculture  Sacred items: wheat  Roman name: Ceres

Demeter Demeter is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, two of the Titans. Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, becomes the queen of the underworld. The change in seasons is attributed to Demeter’s feelings about her daughter’s absence.

Hermes  God of Motion, of Sleep and Dreams, of Travelers, of Thieves  Messenger to the gods  Sacred items: wand, winged sandals, winged helmet  Roman name: Mercury

Hermes Hermes was considered a somewhat sneaky god. When Hermes was still a child, he stole the cows belonging to Apollo. He hid his deed by making the cows walk backwards into a cave wearing pine branches on their hooves.

Dionysus • God of Celebration & Wine • Sacred items: vineyards • Roman name: Bacchus

Hestia • Goddess of the Hearth, Home and Fertility • Sacred items: hearth • Roman name: Vesta