Fragment of a Hellenistic relief (1st century BC–1st century AD) depicting the twelve Olympians carrying their attributes in procession; from left to right: Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and spear), Demeter (scepter and wheat sheaf), Hephaestus (staff), Hera (scepter), Poseidon (trident), Athena (owl and helmet), Zeus (thunderbolt and staff), Artemis (bow and quiver), Apollo (lyre), from the Walters Art Museum.[1]
Page Template:Hlist/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "wikitext").
Greek mythology |
---|
Euboean amphora, c. 550 BCE, depicting the fight between Cadmus and a dragon |
Deities |
Primordial * Titans * Olympians * Nymphs * Sea-deities * Earth-deities |
Heroes and heroism |
Heracles / Hercules ** Labors * Achilles * Hector ** Trojan War * Odysseus ** Odyssey * Jason * Argonauts ** Golden Fleece * Perseus ** Medusa ** Gorgon * Oedipus ** Sphinx * Orpheus ** Orphism * Theseus ** Minotaur * Bellerophon ** Pegasus ** Chimera * Daedalus ** Labyrinth * Atalanta * Hippomenes ** Golden apple * Cadmus ** Thebes * Aeneas ** Aeneid * Triptolemus ** Eleusinian Mysteries * Pelops ** Ancient Olympic Games * Pirithous ** Centauromachy * Amphitryon ** Teumessian fox * Narcissus ** Narcissism * Meleager ** Calydonian Boar * Otrera ** Amazons |
Related |
Satyrs * Centaurs * Dragons * Demogorgon * Religion in Ancient Greece * Mycenaean gods |
![]() ![]() |
Page Template:Hlist/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "wikitext").Page Module:Navbar/styles.css must have content model "Sanitized CSS" for TemplateStyles (current model is "CSS"). |
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the twelve Olympians are the major deities of the Greek pantheon, commonly considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus.[2] They were called Olympians because, according to tradition, they resided on Mount Olympus.
Although Hades was a major ancient Greek god and was the brother of the first generation of Olympians (Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia), his realm was the underworld, far from Olympus, and thus he was not usually considered to be one of the Olympians.
Besides the twelve Olympians, there were many other cultic groupings of twelve gods.
Olympians[]
The Olympians were a race of deities, primarily consisting of a third and fourth generation of immortal beings, worshipped as the principal gods of the Greek pantheon and so named because of their residency atop Mount Olympus. They gained their supremacy in a ten-year-long war of gods, in which Zeus led his siblings to victory over the previous generation of ruling gods, the Titans. They were a family of gods, the most important consisting of the first generation of Olympians, offspring of the Titans Cronus and Rhea: Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia, along with the principal offspring of Zeus: Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite,[3] Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus. Although Hades was a major deity in the Greek pantheon and was the brother of Zeus and the other first generation of Olympians, his realm was far away from Olympus in the underworld, and thus he was not usually considered to be one of the Olympians.[4] Olympic gods can be contrasted to chthonic gods[5] including Hades, by mode of sacrifice, the latter receiving sacrifices in a bothros (βόθρος, "pit") or megaron (μέγαρον, "sunken chamber")[6] rather than at an altar.
The canonical number of Olympian gods was twelve, but besides the (thirteen) principal Olympians listed above, there were many other residents of Olympus, who thus might be considered to be Olympians.[7] Heracles became a resident of Olympus after his apotheosis and married another Olympian resident Hebe.[8] In the Iliad, the goddess Themis, who is listed among the twelve Titans, dwells on Olympus alongside the other gods,[9] making her a Titan and an Olympian at the same time. According to Hesiod, the children of Styx: Zelus (Envy), Nike (Victory), Kratos (Strength), and Bia (Force), "have no house apart from Zeus, nor any dwelling nor path except that wherein God leads them, but they dwell always with Zeus".[10] Some others who might be considered Olympians include the Muses, the Graces, Iris, Dione, Eileithyia, the Horae, and Ganymede.[11]
Twelve gods[]
Besides the twelve Olympians, there were many other various cultic groupings of twelve gods throughout ancient Greece. The earliest evidence of Greek religious practice involving twelve gods (Greek: δωδεκάθεον, dōdekátheon, from δώδεκα dōdeka, "twelve", and θεοί theoi, "gods") comes no earlier than the late sixth century BC.[12] According to Thucydides, an altar of the twelve gods was established in the agora of Athens by the archon Pisistratus (son of Hippias and the grandson of the tyrant Pisistratus), around 522 BC.[13] The altar became the central point from which distances from Athens were measured and a place of supplication and refuge.[14]
Olympia apparently also had an early tradition of twelve gods.[15] The Homeric Hymn to Hermes (c. 500 BC) has the god Hermes divide a sacrifice of two cows he has stolen from Apollo, into twelve parts, on the banks of the river Alpheus (presumably at Olympia):
- Next glad-hearted Hermes dragged the rich meats he had prepared and put them on a smooth, flat stone, and divided them into twelve portions distributed by lot, making each portion wholly honorable.[16]
Pindar, in an ode written to be sung at Olympia c. 480 BC, has Heracles sacrificing, alongside the Alpheus, to the "twelve ruling gods":[17]
- He [Heracles] enclosed the Altis all around and marked it off in the open, and he made the encircling area a resting-place for feasting, honoring the stream of the Alpheus along with the twelve ruling gods.[18]
Another of Pindar's Olympian odes mentions "six double altars".[19] Herodorus of Heraclea (c. 400 BC) also has Heracles founding a shrine at Olympia, with six pairs of gods, each pair sharing a single altar.[20]
Many other places had cults of the twelve gods, including Delos, Chalcedon, Magnesia on the Maeander, and Leontinoi in Sicily.[21] As with the twelve Olympians, although the number of gods was fixed at twelve, the membership varied.[22] While the majority of the gods included as members of these other cults of twelve gods were Olympians, non-Olympians were also sometimes included. For example, Herodorus of Heraclea identified the six pairs of gods at Olympia as: Zeus and Poseidon, Hera and Athena, Hermes and Apollo, the Graces and Dionysus, Artemis and Alpheus, and Cronus and Rhea.[23] Thus, while this list includes the eight Olympians: Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus, it also contains three clear non-Olympians: the Titan parents of the first generation of Olympians, Cronus and Rhea, and the river god Alpheus, with the status of the Graces (here apparently counted as one god) being unclear.
Plato connected "twelve gods" with the twelve months and implies that he considered Pluto one of the twelve in proposing that the final month be devoted to him and the spirits of the dead.[24]
The Roman poet Ennius gives the Roman equivalents (the Dii Consentes) as six male-female complements,[25] preserving the place of Vesta (Greek Hestia), who played a crucial role in Roman religion as a state goddess maintained by the Vestals.
Powers & Abilities[]
Powers[]
The Olympian Gods and Goddesses are incredibly powerful beings that possess abilities such as: near omnipotence, immortality, superhuman strength, shape-shifting, teleportation, and omnipresence. The gods also possess energy- based abilities, such as magic abilities and energy projection. They can grant powers to non-godly thing, since some are capable of life-giving to objects or giving supernatural powers to those who don't possess it with ease.
Each god has specific powers based on what they force represent, but they all share certain powers and even abilities specific to their individual domains can sometimes overlap. Each of the Big Three, after overthrowing the Titans, took one of the three physical domains on earth (the heavens, ocean, and the underworld). This is why the Big Three are the most powerful and influential gods on Olympus.
- Greco-Roman Deity Physiology
- Cosmic Awareness
- Divinity (Light Divinity or Dark Divinity; varies between deities)
- Deity Soul
- Divine Aura / Divine Presence: All Olympian gods and goddesses are human in appearance but far greater in height and stature; though they can manifest themselves to the heights of typical humans for interactions sake. They possess a glowing aura of divinity emitting from their body; also, they possess a wide range of skin and hair color (but NEVER be or act/behave like the Left [one of the REAL earthly enemies of mankind] who judge/criticize humans by skin color, race, politics, etc.).
- Divine Form (Death Inducement; the Greek Gods were know to possess extremely powerful divine forms that could kill or vaporize mortals. Thankfully, Demigods are immune to it)
- Curse Inducement
- Divine Powers (varies)
- Divine Force Manipulation (varies)
- Divine Empowerment
- Divine Energy Manipulation: manipulating vast amounts of energy for a variety of purposes. All Olympians have some potential to manipulate magical or cosmic energies for some purpose.
- Divine Attacks: Firing powerful blasts energy for destructive purposes, which can be energy-based
- Omni-Energy Manipulation
- Divine/Pure Element Manipulation
- Divine Object Manipulation
- Gods can impart their power onto others to create new gods but only minor gods, for with each new god created, the older god loses a small and equal amount of power.
- Domain Warping
- Immortality: Olympian Gods are immortal; as they cannot be killed by natural means or most supernatural means, as well as the fact that they do not visibly age. In addition to their immortality, all gods draw most off their power from their sphere of control or domain, but they all share certain powers, and even abilities specific to their individual domains can sometimes overlap. They possess the ability to live forever without fear of aging or dying. But Demigods do not visibly age; as they possess a form of agelessness.
- Alleged True Immortality: Unlike Asgardians (Aesir & Vanir), all Olympians are true immortals. They cease to age upon reaching adulthood and cannot die by conventional means. Their bodies are also immune to all known Earthly terrestrial diseases and resistant to conventional injury.
- Gods consume a divine food and drink called nectar and ambrosia. It is too powerful for mortals to eat under normal circumstances as they will literally burst into flames, yet in some myths, the gods have used nectar and ambrosia to bestow immortality upon a mortal, though it's more likely that the nectar and ambrosia are specially prepared for a mortal. Demigods, however, can consume small amounts of both in order to regain strength and heal wounds, though too much will make them ill or destroy them in the same way it would a mortal.
- Concept-Dependent Immortality
- Supernatural/Absolute Condition: Physical augmentation of their physical capabilities
- Supernatural Physical Attributes
- Superhuman Strength: All Olympians are superhumanly strong with the average male god being able to lift about 30 million/billion tons and the average female goddess being able to lift about 25 million/billion tons. Their strength are rivaled only by Kryptonians or some of the New Gods. However, power of Demigods is not quite on the same level except Diana who can lift 1.991 sextillion tons.
- Superhuman Leaping: Olympian Gods and Demigods possess tremendous level of superhuman leaping; as they can several stories in a single bound.
- Superhuman Durability: Olympian Gods and Demigods possess tremendous level of superhuman durability.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite their natural durability, it is possible for any of the Olympians to sustain injury. However, if an Olympian is injured, his or her godly life force enables him or her to recover with superhuman levels of speed and efficiency. As with most of their other powers, the speed and extent of these powers varies from one Olympian to another. For instance, most Olympians are unable to naturally regenerate missing limbs or organs while a small minority can, unless if they use magical assistance to do so.
- Superhuman Speed: All Olympians have the potential of being able to run and move at speeds much greater than the finest human athlete. They and their Demigods possess tremendous level of superhuman speed.
- Superhuman Agility: Olympian Gods and Demigods possess tremendous level of superhuman agility.
- Superhuman Reflexes: Olympian Gods and Demigods possess tremendous level of superhuman reflexes.
- Superhuman Stamina: The musculature of all Olympians produces considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the muscles of human beings; as they can remain physically active for long periods of time without tiring at all.
- Superhuman Senses: Olympian Gods and Demigods possess tremendous level of superhuman senses.
- Gods also possess the ability to tell whether or not someone is a demigod and who is their divine parent since the gods are able to claim their children.
- Superhumanly Dense Tissue: The skin, muscle, and bone tissues of all Olympians are about 3 times denser than similar human tissue, contributing to the Olympians' superhuman strength and weight.
- Superhuman Immunity: Due to their accelerated healing factors; Olympian gods and demigods are immune to all types of diseases, illnesses, sickness, drugs, poisons, toxins, etc.
- Enhanced Skills / Absolute Combat
- Non-Human Physiology
- Self-Sustenance
- Superpowered Physiology
- Divine Power Link
- Greater Divinity
- Pantheon Destruction: destroying evil gods like the Titans.
- Demon/Devil Killers
- Oracular Deity Physiology (varies)
- Patron Gods of Greece
- Divine Psionics
- Cosmic Awareness
- Essence Reading
- Omni-Psionics
- Astral Projection
- Dream Walking
- Telekinesis
- Gods also have the ability to kill lesser beings with just a thought, as mentioned many times throughout the series. However, it is unknown why the gods have never used this power before, especially when fighting demigods.
- Telepathy
- Teleportation
- Magic: Gods possess a nearly limitless amount of magical control over their domain, as well as many general powers including levitation, teleportation, telepathy, manipulating the elements, among other vast amounts of control over the world. The limits of a god's power in this regard is unknown, as is to what extent they can cross into the domain of another. Supernatural powers of a magical nature (as opposed to cosmic), ability to alter their appearances at will; including reducing themselves to the size of a typical human, as well as completely altering their looks, voices, and even gender.
- Nigh/Near-Omnipotence
- Reality Warping
- Conjuration
- Summoning
- Duplication
- Animation
- Petrification
- Curse Bestowal
- Illusion Casting: Olympians can mentally communicate with their worshippers, transmitting their image at interdimensional range, and possibly can do the same to any other intelligent being.
- Sealing Magic
- Power Bestowal
- Sensory Enhancement
- Healing Magic
- Nigh-Omnicognition
- Nigh-Omniscience
- Precognition
- Flight: Most Olympian Gods and Demigods can fly at amazing speeds and at high altitudes.
- Teleportation
- Divine Teleportation - Every immortal has the ability to teleport using a divine energy. They can use it to teleport to Olympus or quickly away from Olympus. So far it is unknown how much power they have over it and where it comes from.
- Energy Manipulation
- Flyrokinesis
- Necrokinesis
- Chronokinesis
- Amokinesis or Love Magic
- Sound Manipulation
- Regeneration
- Nigh-Invulnerability / Nigh-Absolute Invulnerability
- Invisibility
- Intangibility
- Shapeshifting/Metamorphoses
- Telekinesis
- Divine Telekinesis
- Gods also have the ability to kill lesser beings with just a thought, as mentioned many times throughout the series. However, it is unknown why the gods have never used this power before, especially when fighting demigods.
- Telepathy
- Mental Manipulation
- Possession
- Animal Manipulation
- Magical Abilities: The gods can use magic for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to, projecting powerful energy blasts, teleportation, shapeshifting, healing others, and granting power to other beings and even objects.
- Omnipresence: Gods can appear in multiple places at once, so long as their domain is being invoked. Dionysus, for example, was able to manifest at a party despite the fact that his true self was buried under a mountain. It is unknown how many of these "copies" can be made at once, or what powers the god retains while in this state. According to Hephaestus, the only time a god’s essence is ever in one place is when they are in their Divine Form.
- Divine Empowerment
- Soul-Bound Weapon
- Soul-Bound Power
- Universal Force Constructs
- Mystical Conversion
- Greco-Roman Mysticism
- Divine Magic
- Elemental Manipulation
- Entity Physiology
- Dimensional Travel: The Olympians can travel between Olympus and Earth, or send artifacts between them.
- Additionally, the Olympians have some power related to his/her individual sphere of influence: Dionysus, as god of wine, has full control of wine; Demeter, as goddess of agriculture, has total control of plants.
- Only the power of the Olympian Gods can destroy Mount Olympus.
- Some gods have abilities related to their specific domain. For instance, Poseidon has control over water, and Apollo having control over the sun.
Abilities[]
All Olympians possess specific skills associated with their area of expertise. For example, as the Olympian God of War, Ares is a formidable combatant with extensive knowledge of both armed and unarmed combat where as Aphrodite, Olympian Goddess of Love, is highly skilled in all forms of physical and sexual pleasure. Most Olympians have had some degree of armed and unarmed combat training.
- Genius-Level Intellect / Supernatural/Absolute Intellect/Wisdom: Olympian Gods and Demigods are highly intelligent.
- Master Hand-To-Hand Combatant/Supernatural Unarmed Combat: Olympian Gods and Demigods are highly skilled hand-to-hand combatants.
- Divine Combat - They are so enhanced in combat that with a weapon enemy thing not divine are close or above there power level do not stand a chance fighting them and wining.
- Weapon Proficiency
- Allspeak: Thanks to the Allspeak, they can communicate and be understood by all races. Gods also adapt to their host country's culture when they move with Western Civilization, and if they stay long enough it can become a permanent part of their aspects (but they have to remain in the Western World & NOT the Eastern World). The gods are also able to speak multiple languages.
Weaknesses[]
- However, gods are not all-powerful. They can tire or be overpowered by immortals and even powerful demigods. If they choose to engage in a physical battle they can be injured through the proper weaponry. However, because gods can exist in many places at once, only a fraction of their power is used in combat against demigods.
- Though they are mighty, the gods do have weaknesses. They can be injured by supernatural weapons (whether it's made from Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, Stygian Iron [only in Hades, the Greek Underworld], Divine Silver or Adamantine), but are invulnerable to conventional physical attacks. Magic can harm them too; also, they can't break through magic chains (whether it's made from Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, Stygian Iron [only in Hades, the Greek Underworld], Divine Silver or Adamantine) that wrapped them unless broken by another god/goddess.
- Divine Laws: Despite their immense power, gods are bound by laws and oaths sworn upon the River Styx. However, due to their immortal nature, breaking such oaths doesn't have severe consequences to them most of the time, although it may have consequences on people they care or cared about.
- No god can enter the domain of another unless invited by the lord/lady of said domain or unless their domain overlaps. The only known gods to freely travel the worlds are Hermes and Iris, both of which are the messenger deities.
- No god can directly steal the symbol of power of another. This applies to both the Titans and Olympians. As mortals and demigods are free from this rule, this is the reason why Zeus knew a hero or mortal had stolen his Master Bolt.
- Gods are limited to how much they can interfere in mortal affairs. This rule is a decree of Zeus, so it depends on how much he enforces it or knows about it. Some gods have violated this rule without incurring any punishment, such as Apollo or Hera.
- Immortals can only fight demigods after being challenged or attacked first. However, Titans have been shown to ignore this rule. It is likely, though, that this rule isn't compulsory.
- Lust: Gods are, in general, lustful — with the exceptions of the maiden goddesses and deities of marriage — and often have many illegitimate children, both immortal and demigod.
- Immaturity & Arrogance: Most gods also tend to be petty or immature and a lot of them are arrogant and underestimate their opponents. Because the gods are immortal, they feel little reason to change or adapt (except to adapt to their current home) as a result they often lack maturity or sense of personal growth, often resulting in many broken promises.
- If a god or goddess is magically bounded or trapped in a magical prison of some kind, his or her power is useless, as the magical bindings act as an anchor keeping them in place, akin to a bear caught in a trap. Some examples of this are the situations of Hera and Artemis respectively as well as Hephaestus trapping Aphrodite and Ares together in a magic net in older myths.
- Pride, Arrogance/Narcissism & Egotism: In addition, like Humans (on the Left & the political/bureaucratic/global elites [especially in power & in the media, etc.]), the gods (excluding the Good Gods) can be very prideful of the things they do or the choices they make. They are often too proud to admit when they need help or when they have committed mistakes, instead believing themselves to be beyond help from regular mortals and demigods. Gods generally believe that they should be feared and respected. Due to their pride & selfishness, they see admitting they need help as a sign of weakness. Furthermore, the gods will show signs of contempt towards the children of their enemies, sometimes even if those children are the offspring of other gods, most likely since Divine Laws prevent gods from attacking each other directly and thus do fight through their demigod offspring. It is these traits that often cause many beings, both mortal and immortal alike, to hate the gods and the reason why the gods are occasionally viewed as being no better than the Titans.
- Other Gods: Despite there immortality, Olympian Gods are not (truly) un-killable; as the only thing that can kill the old gods are other gods; such as Demigods and the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips respectively.
- Another known way to permanently defeat a god is to scatter their essence. This happened to Ouranos, Cronus and Gaia. If they are defeated in a way that scatters their essence enough, they will be unable to reform and create a consciousness or a body ever again.
- Power Loss: Olympian powers are dependent on the faith of their followers. A god can survive a lack of worship or loss of their domain so long as their will to live is strong enough. Otherwise, they will fade. However, even if their will is strong enough they won't be powerful enough to maintain a physical form, as Kronos was able to survive, due to sheer willpower, yet remain powerless in Tartarus. If their thrones (or other sources of power) are destroyed, they will also fade along with it or become so weakened that they can no longer take a physical form.
List[]
There is no single canonical list of the twelve Olympian gods. The thirteen Greek gods and goddesses, along with their Roman counterparts, most commonly considered to be one of the twelve Olympians are listed below.
Greek | Roman | Image | Functions and attributes |
---|---|---|---|
Zeus | Jupiter | File:Jupiter Smyrna Louvre Ma13.jpg | King of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order and justice. The youngest child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Brother and husband of Hera and brother of Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia. He had many affairs with goddesses and mortals, such as his sister Demeter, the Titan Leto, mortals Leda and Alcmene, and more.[26] His symbols include the thunderbolt, eagle, oak tree, bull, scepter, and scales. In the God of War Series, he created the Blade of Olympus. And in the DC Extended Universe, he created the Amazons. |
Hera | Juno | File:Hera Campana Louvre Ma2283.jpg | Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, women, childbirth and family. The youngest daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Sister and wife of Zeus. Being the goddess of marriage, she frequently tried to get revenge on Zeus' lovers and their children. Her symbols include the peacock, cuckoo, and cow. |
Poseidon | Neptune | File:0036MAN Poseidon.jpg | God of the seas, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and horses. The middle son of Cronus and Rhea. Brother of Zeus and Hades. Married to the Nereid Amphitrite; although, as with many of the male Greek gods, he had many lovers. His symbols include the horse, bull, dolphin, and trident. In the Spongebob Universe, he's the king of Atlantis. |
Demeter | Ceres | File:Demeter Altemps Inv8546.jpg | Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons. She presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. The middle daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Also the lover of Zeus and Poseidon, and the mother of Persephone, Despoine, Arion. Her symbols include the poppy, wheat, torch, cornucopia, and pig. |
Athena | Minerva | File:Mattei Athena Louvre Ma530 n2.jpg | Goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare.[27] The daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Metis, she rose from her father's head fully grown and in full battle armor. Her symbols include the owl and the olive tree. |
Apollo / Apollon |
Apollo | File:Apollo of the Belvedere.jpg | God of light, the Sun, prophecy, philosophy, archery, truth, inspiration, poetry, music, arts, manly beauty, medicine, healing, and plague. The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. His symbols include the Sun, bow and arrow, lyre, swan, and mouse. |
Artemis | Diana | File:Diana of Versailles.jpg | Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, virginity, the Moon, archery, childbirth, protection and plague. The daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. Her symbols include the Moon, horse, deer, hound, she-bear, snake, cypress tree, and bow and arrow. |
Ares | Mars | File:Ares Canope Villa Adriana b.jpg | God of war, violence, bloodshed and manly virtues. The son of Zeus and Hera, all the other gods despised him except Aphrodite. His Latin name, Mars, gave us the word "martial." His symbols include the boar, serpent, dog, vulture, spear, and shield. In Greek Mythology, it was Ares who created the Amazons. |
Aphrodite | Venus | File:NAMA Aphrodite Syracuse.jpg | Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty and desire. The daughter of Zeus and the Oceanid Dione, or perhaps born from the sea foam after Uranus' blood dripped into the sea after being castrated by his youngest son, Cronus, who then threw his father's genitals into the sea. Married to Hephaestus, although she had many adulterous affairs, most notably with Ares. Her name gave us the word "aphrodisiac", while her Latin name, Venus, gave us the word "venereal". Her symbols include the dove, bird, apple, bee, swan, myrtle, and rose. |
Hephaestus | Vulcan | File:Vulcan Coustou Louvre MR1814.jpg | Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of the forge, craftsmanship, invention, fire and volcanoes. The son of Hera, either by Zeus or through parthenogenesis. Married to Aphrodite. His Latin name, Vulcan, gave us the word "volcano." His symbols include fire, anvil, axe, donkey, hammer, tongs, and quail. |
Hermes | Mercury | File:Hermes Ingenui Pio-Clementino Inv544.jpg | Messenger of the gods; god of travel, commerce, communication, borders, eloquence, diplomacy, thieves, and games. He was also the guide of dead souls. The son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. The second-youngest Olympian, just older than Dionysus. His symbols include the caduceus (staff entwined with two snakes), winged sandals and cap, stork, and tortoise (whose shell he used to invent the lyre). |
Most lists of the "twelve Olympians" consist of the above eleven plus either Hestia or Dionysus | |||
Hestia | Vesta | File:Hestia Giustiniani.jpg | Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family; she was born into the first Olympian generation and was one of the original twelve Olympians. She is the first child of Cronus and Rhea, the elder sister of Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus.
|
Dionysus / Bacchus |
Bacchus | File:Dionysos Louvre Ma87 n2.jpg | God of wine, the grapevine, fertility, festivity, ecstasy, madness and resurrection. Patron god of the art of theatre. The son of Zeus and the mortal Theban princess Semele. Married to the Cretan princess Ariadne. The youngest Olympian god, as well as the only one to have a mortal mother. His symbols include the grapevine, ivy, cup, tiger, panther, leopard, dolphin, goat, and pinecone. |
Genealogy[]
Major Olympians' family tree [28] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
See also[]
- Dii Consentes, the Roman equivalent of the twelve Olympians
- Family tree of the Greek gods
- Interpretatio graeca, including a table of mythological equivalents
- List of Greek mythological characters
- Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes
- Hellenismos
- Olympia
- Olympians (Marvel Comics)
- Olympian Gods (DC Comics)
- Olympian spirits
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Notes[]
- ↑ Walters Art Museum, accession number 23.40.
- ↑ Hansen, p. 250; Burkert, pp. 125 ff.; Dowden, p. 43; Chadwick, p. 85; Müller, pp. 419 ff.; Pache, pp. 308 ff.; Thomas, p. 12; Shapiro, p. 362; Long, pp. 140–141; Morford, p. 113; Hard p. 80.
- ↑ According to Homer, Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus (Iliad 3.374, 20.105; Odyssey 8.308, 320) and Dione (Iliad 5.370–71), see Gantz, pp. 99–100. However, According to Hesiod, Theogony 183–200, Aphrodite was born from Uranus' severed genitals, see Gantz, pp. 99–100.
- ↑ Hansen, p. 250; Morford, p. 113; Hard p. 80.
- ↑ Chadwick, p. 85.
- ↑ Dillon, p. 114.
- ↑ Ogden, pp. 2–3; Dowden, p. 43; Hansen, p. 250; Burkert, p. 125.
- ↑ Herodotus, 2.43–44.
- ↑ Homer, Iliad 15.88
- ↑ Hesiod, Theogony 386–388.
- ↑ Just who might be called an Olympian is not entirely clear. For example, Dowden, p. 43, describes Heracles, Hebe, the Muses, and the Graces as Olympians, and on p. 45, lists Iris, Dione, and Eileithyia among the Homeric Olympians, while Hansen, p. 250, describes Heracles, Hebe, the Horae, and Ganymede as notable residents of Olympus, but says they "are not ordinarily classified as Olympians".
- ↑ Dowden, p. 43; Rutherford, p. 43.
- ↑ Rutherford, pp. 43–44; Thucydides, 6.54.6–7.
- ↑ Gadbery, p. 447.
- ↑ Dowden, p. 43; Rutherford, p. 44; Long, pp. 58–62 (T 13), 154–157.
- ↑ Long, pp. 61–62 (T 13 G), 156–157; Homeric Hymn to Hermes, 128–129.
- ↑ Dowden, p. 43; Rutherford, p. 44; Long, pp. 59–60 (T 13 C), 154–155.
- ↑ Pindar, Olympian 10.49.
- ↑ Rutherford, p. 44; Long, pp. 58 (T 13 A), 154; Pindar, Olympian 5.5.
- ↑ Dowden, p. 43; Rutherford, p. 47; Long, pp. 58–59 (T 13 B), 154; FGrH 31 F34a-b.
- ↑ Rutherford, p. 45; Delos: Long, pp. 11, 87–90 (T 26), 182; Chalcedon: Long, pp. 56–57 (T 11 D), 217–218; Magnesia on the Maeander: Long, pp. 53–54 (T 7), 221–223; Leontinoi: Long, pp. 95–96 (T 32), p. 157.
- ↑ Long, pp. 360–361, lists 54 Greek (and Roman) gods, including the thirteen Olympians mentioned above, who have been identified as members of one or more cultic groupings of twelve gods.
- ↑ Dowden, p. 43; Rutherford, p. 47; Hard, p. 81; Long, pp. 58–59 (T 13 B), 141, 154; FGrH 31 F34a-b.
- ↑ Rutherford, pp. 45–46; Plato, The Laws 828 b-d.
- ↑ "Greek mythology". Encyclopedia Americana. 13. 1993. p. 431.
- ↑ Hamilton, Edith. Mythology : timeless tales of gods and heroes. Tierney, Jim. (75th anniversary illustrated ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-316-43852-0. OCLC 1004059928. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1004059928.
- ↑ Inc, Merriam-Webster (1995). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Merriam-Webster. p. 81. ISBN 9780877790426.
- ↑ This chart is based upon Hesiod's Theogony, unless otherwise noted.
- ↑ According to Homer, Iliad 1.570–579, 14.338, Odyssey 8.312, Hephaestus was apparently the son of Hera and Zeus, see Gantz, p. 74.
- ↑ According to Hesiod, Theogony 927–929, Hephaestus was produced by Hera alone, with no father, see Gantz, p. 74.
- ↑ According to Hesiod, Theogony 886–890, of Zeus' children by his seven wives, Athena was the first to be conceived, but the last to be born; Zeus impregnated Metis then swallowed her, later Zeus himself gave birth to Athena "from his head", see Gantz, pp. 51–52, 83–84.
- ↑ According to Hesiod, Theogony 183–200, Aphrodite was born from Uranus' severed genitals, see Gantz, pp. 99–100.
- ↑ According to Homer, Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus (Iliad 3.374, 20.105; Odyssey 8.308, 320) and Dione (Iliad 5.370–71), see Gantz, pp. 99–100.
References[]
- Burkert, Walter, Greek Religion, Harvard University Press, 1985. ISBN 0-674-36281-0.
- Chadwick, John, The Mycenaean World, Cambridge University Press, 1976. ISBN 9780521290371.
- Dillon, Matthew, Girls and Women in Classical Greek Religion. London: Routledge. (2002). ISBN 0415202728.
- Dowden, Ken, "Olympian Gods, Olympian Pantheon", in A Companion to Greek Religion, Daniel Ogden editor, John Wiley & Sons, 2010. ISBN 9781444334173.
- Gadbery, Laura M., "The Sanctuary of the Twelve Gods in the Athenian Agora: A Revised View", Hesperia 61 (1992), pp. 447–489.
- Gantz, Timothy, Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, Two volumes: ISBN 978-0-8018-5360-9 (Vol. 1), ISBN 978-0-8018-5362-3 (Vol. 2).
- Hansen, William, William F. Hansen, Classical Mythology: A Guide to the Mythical World of the Greeks and Romans, Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN 9780195300352.
- Hard, Robin, The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H. J. Rose's "Handbook of Greek Mythology", Psychology Press, 2004, ISBN 9780415186360. Google Books.
- Herodotus; Histories, A. D. Godley (translator), Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1920; ISBN 0674991338. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Hesiod, Theogony, in The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, Massachusetts., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation by A. T. Murray, Ph.D., in two volumes. Cambridge, Massachusetts., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Template:Cite Wikisource
- Homer; The Odyssey with an English Translation by A. T. Murray, Ph.D., in two volumes. Cambridge, Massachusetts., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Template:Internet Archive, Template:Internet Archive.
- Homeric Hymn to Hermes (4), in The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, Massachusetts., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Long, Charlotte R., The Twelve Gods of Greece and Rome, Brill Archive, Jan 1, 1987. Google Books.
- Morford, Mark P. O., Robert J. Lenardon, Classical Mythology, Eighth Edition, Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-19-530805-1.
- Müller, Karl Otfried, Ancient Art and Its Remains: Or, A Manual of the Archaeology of Art, translated by John Leitch, B. Quaritch, 1852.
- Ogden, Daniel "Introduction" to A Companion to Greek Religion, Daniel Ogden editor, John Wiley & Sons, 2010. ISBN 9781444334173.
- Pache, Corinne Ondine, "Gods, Greek" in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome, Volume 3, Oxford University Press. 2010. ISBN 9780195170726.
- Pindar, Odes, Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990.
- Plato, Laws in Plato in Twelve Volumes, Vols. 10 & 11 translated by R. G. Bury. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1967 & 1968. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Rutherford, Ian, "Canonizing the Pantheon: the Dodekatheon in Greek Religion and its Origins" in The Gods of Ancient Greece: Identities and Transformations, editors Jan N. Bremmer, Andrew Erskine, Edinburgh University Press 2010. ISBN 978-0748637980. Online version.
- Shapiro, H. A., "Chapter 20: Olympian Gods at Home and Abroad" in A Companion to Greek Art, editors Tyler Jo Smith, Dimitris Plantzos, John Wiley & Sons, 2012. ISBN 9781118273371.
- Thomas, Edmund, "From the pantheon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in Pantheons: Transformations of a Monumental Idea, editors Richard Wrigley, Matthew Craske, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2004. ISBN 9780754608080.
- Thucydides, Thucydides translated into English; with introduction, marginal analysis, notes, and indices. Volume 1., Benjamin Jowett. translator. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1881. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Template:Greek religion Template:Greek mythology (deities) Template:Greek myth (Olympian)
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors). |
External links[]
- Olympians from Hercules-Xena Wikia
- Olympian Gods from Disney Wikia
- Greek Gods / Roman Gods & Olympians from Camp Half-Blood Fanon Wikia
- Greek Deity Physiology/Roman Deity Physiology from Power Listing Wikia
- Greek Gods/Roman Gods & Olympians from Riordan Wikia
- Gods of Olympus from DC Comics Extended Universe Wikia
- Olympians from DC Extended Universe Wikia
- Gods of Olympus from DC Wikia
- Olympians from Marvel Wikia
- Gods of Greece & Rome from Guide to the Mythological Universe
- Gods from Greek Myth Wikia
- The 12 Olympians (12 Olympians and Other Gods) from Olympus Guardian Wikia
- Greek Gods from God of War Wikia
- Greek Mythology & Twelve Olympians from Mythology Wikia
- Olympians from Olympians Books Wikia
- Gods from Mythic Warriors Wikia
- Gods from Immortalspedia Wikia
- Deities from Clash of the Titans Wikia
- Olympians from Wulfgard Wikia
- Olympian Gods from Disney 1 Wikia
- Greece from Dawn of Gods Wikia
- The Olympian Gods from The Fairly Odd Parents Wikia
- Olympian Gods from Disney's Hercules Wikia
- Greeks from Age of Empires Wikia
- Greek gods & Roman gods from Smite Archives Wikia
- List of Greek Mythological Figures & Olympians from Greek Mythology Wikia
- Greek Gods & Roman gods from Official Smite Wiki
- Greek Deity Physiology from Heroes Universe Wikia
- Olympians/Dodekatheon from The Demonic Paradise Wikia
- Olympians from Wikipedia
- Olympians (Marvel Comics) from Wikipedia
- Olympians (DC Comics) from Wikipedia
- Camp Half-Blood Chronicles from Wikipedia
- Greek Deity Physiology from Xarxu Multiverse Wikia
- Gods of Olympus (DC Extended Universe) & Gods of Olympus (Wonder Woman) from DC Movies Wikia
- Olympians from Unnatural World Wikia
- Olympians/Dii Consentes from Gods & Demons Wikia
- Greek & Olympian Gods from Universal Conquest Wikia
- Olympian Gods from RPworld123 Wikia
- Olympians from Overly Sarcastic Productions Wikia
- Greek Gods from Ray Harryhausen's Creatures Wikia
- Olympians from The Mighty Thor Wikia
- Olympians from Spider-Man Wikia
- Gods of Olympus from Wonder Woman Wikia
- Olympians from Earth-27 Wikia
- Deities from Ancient Greek & Roman Mythology Wikia
- Gods from Blood of Zeus Wikia
- Olympians from Greek Goddesses Wikia
- Olympians from DC Animated Movie Universe Wikia
- The Gods from Class of The Titans Wikia
- Olympians from Greek Gods, Heroes, Monsters & Other Greek Mythology Wikia
- Olympians from One Of The Greatest Sources For Greek Mythology Wikia
- Mythos Cyborgs from Cyborg 009 Wikia
- Gods from Herc's Adventures Wikia
- Deities from Icaruspedia
- Gods from Divinipedia
- Olympos XII & Plutomon from Digimon Wikia
- Olympos XII from Wikimon.net
- Olympus 12 from Neo Encyclopedia Wikia
- Olympos XII from LOTM Wikia
- Gods from Hades Wikia
- Olympians from Marvel Cinematic Universe Wikia
- Greek Gods from VS Battles Wikia
- Gods of Olympus from Youtube