Twelve Olympians
Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον < δωδεκα, dodeka, "twelve" + θεον, theon, "of the gods"), in Greek religion, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. There were, at various times, seventeen different gods recognized as Olympians, though never more than twelve at one time.
Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, and Hestia are the 12 Olympians. Heracles, Hebe, Helios, Hades, Dionysus, , and Persephone are some other important gods and goddesses. Persephone spent three months of the year in the underworld (causing the barren landscape of winter), and was allowed to return to Mount Olympus for the other nine months in order to be with her mother, Demeter who, during this time, would be in woe and not with the Olympians. And, although Hades was always one of the principal Greek gods, his home in the underworld of the dead made his connection to the Olympians more tenuous.
The Twelve Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to victory in war with the Titans; Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings; all the other of the Dodekatheon are usually considered the children of Zeus by various mothers, except for Athena, who in some versions of the myth was born of Zeus alone, and Aphrodite who was formed from the castrated phallus of the primordial sky which Cronos threw into the sea when he freed the Titans. Additionally, some versions of the myth state that Hephaestus was born of Hera alone as Hera's revenge for Zeus' solo birth of Athena.
- Zeus is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and a god of the sky, thunder, and time.
- Poseidon, together with Hades, is one of the two next most senior gods, god of the sea.
- Hera is the wife of Zeus, the goddess Queen of the heavens and stars, of marriage and fidelity.
- Demeter is the goddess of the fertile earth and agriculture. Her bounty sustains mankind.
- Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, animals, wilderness and the protector of maidens.
- Apollo is a son of Zeus, god of prophecy, light, music, healing, disease and archery.
- Athena is the goddess of wisdom, the crafts (especially weaving, pottery and carpentry), inner beauty, education and tactical war.
- Hephaestus is the god of fire, workmanship, artisans and weaponry and the craftsman of the gods. He is also known as the "lame god".
- Ares is the cowardly god of war and slaughter.
- Aphrodite is the goddess of love, sexuality, outer beauty and attraction. She is technically not an olympian god, since she is not from the line of Cronos.
- Hermes is the god of guidance, travelers, commerce, inventions, oratory, shepherds, consolation and reunions, athletics, patron of thieves, and messenger of the Gods.
- Hestia is the goddess of the home, family and the hearth.
Underworld:
- Hades is the god-king of the third portion of the universe, the underworld, home of the dead. The underworld as a whole is also called Hades.
- Persephone is the goddess-queen of the underworld, death, and spring renewal.
- Hecate is a pre-Olympian Titaness daughter of Astreria and Perses. She was an Original Underworld goddess and goddess of cross roads, after the war of the gods, Zeus granted Hecate power over all realms her previous titles and Omnipotence.
Other gods:
- Dionysus is the god of wine, vegetation, fertility and the theater. He alternates with Hestia in ancient lists of the Twelve Olympians. Some scholars do not count Dionysus among the Olympian gods because though he is the son of Zeus, his mother was a mortal.
- Heracles is the demigod-protector of man from evil and of heroic endeavour (after his elevation to divinity).
- Helios is the god of the sun, brother of the moon, Selene, and the dawn Eos.
- Hebe is the goddess of youth and brides.
Note:
- Artemis is often associated in modern times with the moon, although Selene is almost always named as the moon goddess in Greek literature.
- Apollo is often associated in modern times with the sun, although Helios was almost always called sun god in ancient Greek poetry.
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Photo gallery
<gallery>
Image:Jupiter Versailles Louvre Ma78.jpg|Zeus
Image:Hera Campana Louvre Ma2283.jpg|Hera
Image:Neptune fountain02.jpg|Poseidon
Image:Ares villa Hadriana.jpg|Ares
Image:Hermes by Praxiteles.jpg|Hermes
Image:Vulcan Coustou Louvre MR1814.jpg|Hephaestus
Image:NAMA 262 Aphrodite Epidaure 2.JPG|Aphrodite
Image:Athena Giustiniani Musei Capitolini MC278.jpg|Athena
Image:Roman Statue of Apollo.jpg|Apollo
Image:Demeter Pio-Clementino Inv254.jpg|Demeter
Image:Diane_de_Versailles_Leochares_2.jpg|Artemis
Image:Hestia-meyers.png|Hestia
</gallery>
See also
- Ancient Greek religion
- Family tree of the Greek gods
- Greek mythology
- List of Greek mythological characters
- Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes
External links