Greek gods Flashcards
King and father of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea. He overthrew Cronus by cutting him into tiny pieces and gained the sovereignty of heaven for himself. In artwork, he was depicted as a regal, mature man with a sturdy figure and dark beard. His usual attributes are the royal scepter and the lightning bolt, and his sacred animals are the eagle and the bull.
Zeus
King of the underworld and the dead, and god of regret. His consort is Persephone. His attributes are the drinking horn or cornucopia, key, sceptre, and the three-headed dog Cerberus. The screech owl was sacred to him. He was one of three sons of Cronus and Rhea, and thus sovereign over one of the three realms of the universe, the underworld.
Hades
Goddess of love, beauty, and desire. Married to Hephaestus, she had many affairs including Ares, Adonis, and Anchises.
Aphrodite
God of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, and earthquakes. He is a son of Cronus and Rhea and brother to Zeus and Hades. He rules one of the three realms of the universe as king of the sea and the waters. In classical artwork, he was depicted as a mature man of sturdy build with an often luxuriant beard, and holding a trident. The horse and the dolphin are sacred to him. His wedding with Amphitrite is often presented as a triumphal procession. There are some stories that specify an affair with Medusa which led to her giving birth to Pegasus from her neck when Perseus sliced her head. His symbols are the trident, horse, dolphin, fish and bull.
Poseidon
God of music, arts, knowledge, healing plague, prophecy, manly beauty, and archery. Son of Zeus and Leto, and twin brother of Artemis. He was identified as the sun at birth.
Apollo
God of War, bloodshed, and violence. Son of Zeus and Hera
Ares
Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, childbirth, and plague. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo.
Artemis
Goddess of intelligence, skill, peace, warfare, battle strategy, handicrafts, and wisdom. According to most traditions, she was born from Zeus’s head fully formed and armored. She was depicted crowned with a crested helm, armed with shield and a spear, and wearing the aegis over a long dress.
Athena
Goddess of grain, agriculture and the harvest, growth and nourishment. She is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone. She was one of the main deities of the Eleusinian Mysteries, in which her power over the life cycle of plants symbolized the passage of the human soul through its life course and into the afterlife.
Demeter
God of wine, parties and festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, drugs, and ecstasy. The idea was originally from ancient Chios. This was his “home”. He was depicted in art as either an older bearded god or a pretty effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes include the thyrsus (a pine cone-tipped staff), drinking cup, grape vine, and a crown of ivy.
Dionysus
Crippled god of fire, metalworking, and crafts. Husband to Aphrodite. Either the son of Zeus and Hera or Hera alone, he is the smith of the gods and the husband of the adulterous Aphrodite. He was usually depicted as a bearded man with hammer, tongs and anvil—the tools of a smith—and sometimes riding a donkey. His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane. Among his creations was the armor of Achilles.
Hephaestus
Queen of the gods and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires. She is the wife and sister of Zeus and daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually depicted as a regal woman in the prime of her life, wearing a diadem and veil and holding a lotus-tipped staff. Although she was the goddess of marriage, Zeus’s many infidelities drive her to jealousy and vengefulness. One Iconic affair was one he had with Alcmene, which bore him a son, Heracles (Hercules). There are several versions with one being that she sent snakes to kill Heracles and another where she adopts him and nurses him. Her sacred animals are the heifer, the peacock, and the cuckoo.
Hera
God of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, language, and writing. The son of Zeus and Maia, Hermes is the messenger of the gods, and a psychopomp who leads the souls of the dead into the afterlife. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the herald’s wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler’s cap. His sacred animals are the tortoise, the ram, and the hawk.
Hermes
Virgin goddess of the hearth, home and chastity. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus and sister of Zeus. Not often identifiable in Greek art, she appeared as a modestly veiled woman. Her symbols are the hearth and kettle. In some accounts, she gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians in favor of Dionysus, and she plays little role in Greek myths.
Hestia
The god of the upper atmosphere and light.
Aether
