List of Gods of Ancient Greece

Hades - god - ruler of the kingdom of the dead.

Antaeus is a hero of myths, a giant, the son of Poseidon and the Earth of Gaia. The earth gave its son strength, thanks to which no one could control him.

Apollo - god sunlight. The Greeks portrayed him as a beautiful young man.

Ares is the god of treacherous war, the son of Zeus and Hera.

Asclepius - god of medicine, son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis

Boreas - god of the north wind, son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos ( morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.

Bacchus is one of the names of Dionysus.

Helios (Helium) is the god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.

Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maya, one of the most multi-valued Greek gods. Patron of wanderers, crafts, trade, thieves. Possessing the gift of eloquence.

Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera, the god of fire and blacksmithing. He was considered the patron of artisans.

Hypnos is the deity of sleep, the son of Nyx (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.

Dionysus (Bacchus) is the god of viticulture and winemaking, the object of a number of cults and mysteries. He was depicted either as an obese elderly man or as a young man with a wreath of grape leaves on his head.

Zagreus is the god of fertility, the son of Zeus and Persephone.

Zeus is the supreme god, king of gods and people.

Zephyr is a god west wind.

Iacchus is the god of fertility.

Kronos is a titan, the youngest son of Gaia and Uranus, the father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was overthrown from the throne by Zeus...

Mom is the son of the goddess of Night, the god of slander.

Morpheus is one of the sons of Hypnos, the god of dreams.

Nereus is the son of Gaia and Pontus, a meek sea god.

Not - the god of the south wind, was depicted with a beard and wings.

Ocean is a titan, the son of Gaia and Uranus, the brother and husband of Tethys and the father of all the rivers of the world.

The Olympians are the supreme gods of the younger generation of Greek gods, led by Zeus, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus.

Pan is a forest god, the son of Hermes and Dryope, a goat-footed man with horns. He was considered the patron saint of shepherds and small livestock.

Pluto is the god of the underworld, often identified with Hades, but unlike him, he owned not the souls of the dead, but wealth underworld.

Plutos is the son of Demeter, a god who gives wealth to people.

Pontus is one of the senior Greek deities, the offspring of Gaia, the god of the sea, the father of many titans and gods.

Poseidon - one of the Olympian gods, brother of Zeus and Hades, ruling over sea ​​elements. Poseidon was also subject to the bowels of the earth,
he commanded storms and earthquakes.

Proteus is a sea deity, son of Poseidon, patron of seals. He had the gift of reincarnation and prophecy.

Satyrs are goat-footed creatures, demons of fertility.

Thanatos is the personification of death, the twin brother of Hypnos.

The Titans are a generation of Greek gods, the ancestors of the Olympians.

Typhon is a hundred-headed dragon born of Gaia or Hera. During the battle of the Olympians and the Titans, he was defeated by Zeus and imprisoned under the volcano Etna in Sicily.

Triton is the son of Poseidon, one of the sea deities, a man with a fish tail instead of legs, holding a trident and a twisted shell - a horn.

Chaos is the endless empty space from which at the beginning of time arose ancient gods Greek religion - Nyx and Erebus.

Chthonic gods are deities of the underworld and fertility, relatives of the Olympians. These included Hades, Hecate, Hermes, Gaia, Demeter, Dionysus and Persephone.

Cyclops are giants with one eye in the middle of their forehead, children of Uranus and Gaia.

Eurus (Eur) - god of the southeast wind.

Aeolus is the lord of the winds.

Erebus is the personification of the darkness of the underworld, the son of Chaos and the brother of Night.

Eros (Eros) - god of love, son of Aphrodite and Ares. IN ancient myths- a self-emerging force that contributed to the ordering of the world. He was depicted as a winged youth (in the Hellenistic era - a boy) with arrows, accompanying his mother.

Ether - sky deity

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis is the goddess of hunting and nature.

Atropos is one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending human life.

Athena (Pallada, Parthenos) - daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full military weapons. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Aphrodite (Kytherea, Urania) - goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Hebe is the daughter of Zeus and Hera, the goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts.

Hecate is the goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, the patroness of sorcerers.

Hemera is the goddess of daylight, the personification of day, born of Nyktos and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.

Hera is the supreme Olympian goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage.

Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and fire.

Gaia is mother earth, the foremother of all gods and people.

Demeter is the goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads are lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Ilithyia is the patron goddess of women in labor.

Iris is a winged goddess, Hera's assistant, messenger of the gods.

Calliope is the muse of epic poetry and science.

Kera are demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, who bring misfortune and death to people.

Clio is one of the nine muses, the muse of history.

Clotho (“spinner”) is one of the moiras that spins the thread of human life.

Lachesis is one of the three Moira sisters, who determine the fate of every person even before birth.

Leto is a Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Maya is a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven galaxies - the daughters of Atlas, the beloved of Zeus, from whom Hermes was born to her.

Melpomene is the muse of tragedy.

Metis is the goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.

Mnemosyne is the mother of nine muses, the goddess of memory.

Moira - goddess of fate, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

The Muses are the patron goddesses of the arts and sciences.

Naiads are nymphs who guard the waters.

Nemesis is the daughter of Nyx, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids - fifty daughters of Nereus and Oceanids Doris, sea deities.

Nika is the personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

Nymphs are the lowest deities in the hierarchy of Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature.

Nikta is one of the first Greek deities, the goddess is the personification of the primordial Night.

Orestiades - mountain nymphs.

Ora - goddess of the seasons, peace and order, daughters of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto is the goddess of persuasion, the companion of Aphrodite, who was often identified with her patroness.

Persephone is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, the goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death.

Polyhymnia is the muse of serious hymn poetry.

Tethys is the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, the wife of Oceanus and the mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea is the mother of the Olympian gods.

Sirens are female demons, half-woman, half-bird, capable of changing the weather at sea.

Talia is the muse of comedy.

Terpsichore is the muse of dance art.

Tisiphone is one of the Erinyes.

Tyche is the goddess of fate and chance among the Greeks, companion of Persephone. She was depicted as a winged woman standing on a wheel and holding a cornucopia and a ship's rudder in her hands.

Urania is one of the nine muses, the patroness of astronomy.

Themis - Titanide, goddess of justice and law, second wife of Zeus, mother of mountains and moira.

Charites are goddesses of female beauty, the embodiment of a kind, joyful and eternally young beginning of life.

The Eumenides are another hypostasis of the Erinyes, revered as goddesses of benevolence who prevented misfortunes.

Eris is the daughter of Nyx, sister of Ares, goddess of discord.

Erinyes are goddesses of vengeance, creatures of the underworld, who punished injustice and crimes.

Erato - Muse of lyrical and erotic poetry.

Eos is the goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios and Selene. The Greeks called it “rose-fingered.”

Euterpe is the muse of lyrical chant. Depicted with a double flute in her hand.

We offer a list of the most famous ancient greek gods With brief descriptions and links to full articles with illustrations.

• Hades is the god - ruler of the kingdom of the dead, as well as the kingdom itself. One of the elder Olympian gods, brother of Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon and Hestia, son of Kronos and Rhea. Husband of the fertility goddess Persephone
• - hero of myths, giant, son of Poseidon and the Earth of Gaia. The earth gave its son strength, thanks to which no one could control him. But Hercules defeated Antaeus, tearing him away from the Earth and depriving him of the help of Gaia.
• - god of sunlight. The Greeks portrayed him as a beautiful young man. Apollo (other epithets - Phoebus, Musaget) - son of Zeus and the goddess Leto, brother of Artemis. He had the gift of foreseeing the future and was considered the patron of all arts. In late antiquity, Apollo was identified with the sun god Helios.
• - god of treacherous war, son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks depicted him as a strong young man.
• - twin sister of Apollo, goddess of hunting and nature, was believed to facilitate childbirth. She was sometimes considered a moon goddess and identified with Selene. The center of the cult of Artemis was in the city of Ephesus, where a grandiose temple was erected in her honor - one of the seven wonders of the world.
• - god of medical art, son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis. To the Greeks he was represented as a bearded man with a staff in his hand. The staff was entwined with a snake, which later became one of the symbols of the medical profession. Asclepius was killed by Zeus for trying to resurrect the dead with his art. In the Roman pantheon, Asclepius corresponds to the god Aesculapius.
• Atropos(“inevitable”) - one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending a human life.
• - the daughter of Zeus and Metis, born from his head in full military armor. Goddess of just war and wisdom, patroness of knowledge. Athena taught people many crafts, established laws on earth, and gave musical instruments to mortals. The center of veneration of Athena was in Athens. The Romans identified Athena with the goddess Minerva.
• (Kytherea, Urania) - goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she emerged from the sea foam, hence her title Anadyomene, “foam-born”). Aphrodite corresponds to the Sumerian Inanna and the Babylonian Ishtar, the Egyptian Isis and the Great Mother of the Gods, and finally, the Roman Venus.
• - god of the north wind, son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.
• - in mythology, sometimes called Dionysus by the Greeks, and Liber by the Romans, was originally a Thracian or Phrygian god, whose cult was adopted by the Greeks very early. Bacchus, according to some legends, is considered the son of the daughter of the Theban king, Semele, and Zeus. According to others, he is the son of Zeus and Demeter or Persephone.
• (Hebea) - daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts, bringing them nectar and ambrosia. In Roman mythology, Hebe corresponds to the goddess Juventa.
• - goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, patroness of sorcerers. Hecate was often considered the goddess of the moon and was identified with Artemis. Hecate's Greek nickname is "Triodita" and Latin name"Trivia" originates from the legend that this goddess lives at crossroads.
• - hundred-armed, fifty-headed giants, the personification of the elements, sons of Uranus (Heaven) and the goddess Gaia (Earth).
• (Helium) - god of the Sun, brother of Selene (Moon) and Eos (dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo. According to Greek myths, Helios travels around the sky every day in a chariot drawn by four fiery horses. The main center of the cult was located on the island of Rhodes, where a giant statue was erected in his honor, considered one of the seven wonders of the world (the Colossus of Rhodes).
• Gemera- goddess of daylight, personification of the day, born of Nikta and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.
• - the supreme Olympian goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage. From Zeus she gave birth to Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus and Ilithyia (the goddess of women in childbirth, with whom Hera herself was often identified.
• - son of Zeus and Maya, one of the most significant Greek gods. Patron of wanderers, crafts, trade, thieves. Possessing the gift of eloquence, Hermes patronized schools and speakers. He played the role of messenger of the gods and guide of the souls of the dead. He was usually depicted as a young man in a simple hat and winged sandals, with a magic staff in his hands. In Roman mythology it was identified with Mercury.
• - goddess of the hearth and fire, eldest daughter Kronos and Gaia, sister of Hades, Hera, Demeter, Zeus and Poseidon. In Roman mythology, she corresponded to the goddess Vesta.
• - son of Zeus and Hera, god of fire and blacksmithing. He was considered the patron saint of artisans (especially blacksmiths). The Greeks portrayed Hephaestus as a broad-shouldered, short and lame man, working in a forge where he forges weapons for the Olympian gods and heroes.
• - mother earth, foremother of all gods and people. Coming out of Chaos, Gaia gave birth to Uranus-Sky, and from her marriage with him gave birth to titans and monsters. The Roman mother goddess corresponding to Gaia is Tellus.
• - god of sleep, son of Nyx and Erebus, younger twin brother of the god of death Thanatos, favorite of the muses. Lives in Tartarus.
• - goddess of fertility and agriculture. The daughter of Kronos and Rhea, she is one of the elder Olympian gods. Mother of the goddess Kore-Persephone and the god of wealth Plutos.
• (Bacchus) - the god of viticulture and winemaking, the object of a number of cults and mysteries. He was depicted either as an obese elderly man or as a young man with a wreath of grape leaves on his head. In Roman mythology, he corresponded to Liber (Bacchus).
• - lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees. The dryad's life was closely connected with her tree. If the tree died or was cut down, the dryad also died.
• - god of fertility, son of Zeus and Persephone. In the Mysteries he was identified with Dionysus.
• - the supreme Olympian god. Son of Kronos and Rhea, father of many younger gods and people (Hercules, Perseus, Helen of Troy). Lord of thunderstorms and thunder. As the ruler of the world, he had many different functions. In Roman mythology, Zeus corresponded to Jupiter.
• - god of the west wind, brother of Boreas and Note.
• - god of fertility, sometimes identified with Dionysus and Zagreus.
• - patron goddess of women in labor (Roman Lucina).
• - the god of the river of the same name in Argos and the most ancient Argive king, the son of Tethys and Oceanus.
• - the deity of the great mysteries, introduced into the Eleusinian cult by the Orphics and associated with Demeter, Persephone, Dionysus.
• - personification and goddess of the rainbow, winged messenger of Zeus and Hera, daughter of Thaumant and the oceanid Electra, sister of the Harpies and Arches.
• - demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, bringing troubles and death to people.
• - Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, was thrown into Tartarus by Zeus
• - Titan, youngest son of Gaia and Uranus, father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was dethroned by Zeus. In Roman mythology, it is known as Saturn, a symbol of inexorable time.
• - daughter of the goddess of discord Eris, mother of the Harites (according to Hesiod). And also the River of Oblivion in the underworld (Virgil).
• - Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.
• (Metis) - the goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.
• - mother of nine muses, goddess of memory, daughter of Uranus and Gaia.
• - daughters of Nikta-Night, goddess of fate Lachesis, Clotho, Atropos.
• - god of ridicule, slander and stupidity. Son of Nyukta and Erebus, brother of Hypnos.
• - one of the sons of Hypnos, the winged god of dreams.
• - patron goddess of the arts and sciences, nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne.
• - nymphs-guardians of waters - deities of rivers, lakes, springs, streams and springs.
• - daughter of Nikta, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.
• - fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, sea deities.
• - son of Gaia and Pontus, meek sea god.
• - personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.
• - goddess of the Night, product of Chaos. The mother of many gods, including Hypnos, Thanatos, Nemesis, Mom, Kera, Moira, Hesperiad, Eris.
• - lower deities in the hierarchy of Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature and were closely connected with their habitats. River nymphs were called naiads, tree nymphs were called dryads, mountain nymphs were called orestiads, and sea nymphs were called nereids. Often, nymphs accompanied one of the gods and goddesses as a retinue.
• Note- the god of the south wind, depicted with a beard and wings.
• Ocean is a titan, the son of Gaia and Uranus, the forefather of the gods of the sea, rivers, streams and springs.
• Orion is a deity, the son of Poseidon and the Oceanid Euryale, daughter of Minos. According to another legend, he came from a fertilized bull skin, buried for nine months in the ground by King Girieus.
• Ora (Mountains) - goddesses of the seasons, peace and order, daughters of Zeus and Themis. There were three of them in total: Dike (or Astraea, goddess of justice), Eunomia (goddess of order and justice), Eirene (goddess of peace).
• Pan is the god of forests and fields, the son of Hermes and Dryope, a goat-footed man with horns. He was considered the patron saint of shepherds and small livestock. According to myths, Pan invented the pipe. In Roman mythology, Pan corresponds to Faun (the patron of herds) and Silvanus (the demon of the forests).
• Peyto- goddess of persuasion, companion of Aphrodite, often identified with her patroness.
• Persephone is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, the goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death. The Romans revered Persephone under the name Proserpina.
• Python (Dolphinus) is a monstrous serpent, the offspring of Gaia. Guarded the ancient oracle of Gaia and Themis in Delphi.
• The Pleiades are the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the oceanids Pleione. The most striking of them bear the names of Atlantis, friends of Artemis: Alcyone, Keleno, Maya, Merope, Sterope, Taygeta, Electra. All the sisters were combined in a love union with the gods, with the exception of Merope, who became the wife of Sisyphus.
• Pluto - god of the underworld, until the 5th century BC. named Hades. Later, Hades is mentioned only by Homer, in other later myths - Pluto.
• Plutos is the son of Demeter, a god who gives wealth to people.
• Pont- one of the most ancient Greek gods, the son of Gaia (born without a father), god of the Inner Sea. He is the father of Nereus, Thaumantas, Phorcys and his sister-wife Keto (from Gaia or Tethys); Eurybia (from Gaia; Telkhines (from Gaia or Thalassa); genera of fish (from Thalassa.
• - one of the Olympian gods, brother of Zeus and Hades, who rules over the sea elements. Poseidon also had power over the bowels of the earth; he commanded storms and earthquakes. He was depicted as a man with a trident in his hand, usually accompanied by a retinue of lower sea deities and sea animals.
• Proteus is a sea deity, son of Poseidon, patron of seals. He had the gift of reincarnation and prophecy.

Ancient Greek mythology expressed a living sensory perception of the surrounding reality with all its diversity and colors. Behind every phenomenon of the material world - thunderstorm, war, storm, dawn, lunar eclipse, according to the Greeks, stood the act of one or another god.

Theogony

The classical Greek pantheon consisted of 12 Olympian deities. However, the inhabitants of Olympus were not the first inhabitants of the earth and the creators of the world. According to the poet Hesiod's Theogony, the Olympians were only the third generation of gods. At the very beginning there was only Chaos, from which eventually emerged:

• Nyukta (Night),
• Gaia (Earth),
• Uranus (Sky),
• Tartarus (Abyss),
• Skothos (Darkness),
• Erebus (Darkness).

These forces should be considered the first generation of Greek gods. The children of Chaos married each other, giving birth to gods, seas, mountains, monsters and various amazing creatures- Hecatoncheires and Titans. The grandchildren of Chaos are considered to be the second generation of gods.

Uranus became the ruler of the whole world, and his wife was Gaia, the mother of all things. Uranus feared and hated his many titan children, so immediately after their birth he hid the babies back into the womb of Gaia. Gaia suffered greatly from the fact that she could not give birth, but the youngest of her children, the titan Kronos, came to her aid. He overthrew and castrated his father.

The children of Uranus and Gaia were finally able to emerge from their mother's womb. Kronos married one of his sisters, the Titanide Rhea, and became supreme deity. His reign became a real “golden age”. However, Kronos feared for his power. Uranus predicted to him that one of Kronos' children would do to him the same way as Kronos himself did to his father. Therefore, all the children born to Rhea - Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter - were swallowed by the titan. The last son– Zeus – Rhea managed to hide. Zeus grew up, freed his brothers and sisters, and then began to fight his father. So the titans and the third generation of gods - the future Olympians - clashed in battle. Hesiod calls these events the “Titanomachy” (literally “Battle of the Titans”). The struggle ended with the victory of the Olympians and the fall of the titans into the abyss of Tartarus.

Modern researchers are inclined to believe that the Titanomachy was not an empty fantasy based on nothing. In fact, this episode reflected important social changes in the life of Ancient Greece. The archaic chthonic deities - the titans, who were worshiped by the ancient Greek tribes, gave way to new deities who personified order, law and statehood. The tribal system and matriarchy are becoming a thing of the past; they are being replaced by the polis system and the patriarchal cult of epic heroes.

Olympian Gods

Thanks to numerous literary works, many have survived to this day ancient greek myths. Unlike Slavic mythology, preserved in fragmentary and incomplete form, ancient Greek folklore has been deeply and comprehensively studied. The pantheon of the ancient Greeks included hundreds of gods, however, only 12 of them were given the leading role. There is no canonical list of Olympians. IN different versions myths, the pantheon may include different gods.

Zeus

At the head of the ancient Greek pantheon was Zeus. He and his brothers - Poseidon and Hades - cast lots to divide the world among themselves. Poseidon got the oceans and seas, Hades got the kingdom of the souls of the dead, and Zeus got the sky. Under the rule of Zeus, law and order are established throughout the earth. For the Greeks, Zeus was the personification of the Cosmos, opposing ancient Chaos. In a narrower sense, Zeus was the god of wisdom, as well as thunder and lightning.

Zeus was very prolific. From goddesses and earthly women he had many children - gods, mythical creatures, heroes and kings.

A very interesting moment in the biography of Zeus is his fight with the titan Prometheus. The Olympian gods destroyed the first people who lived on earth since the time of Kronos. Prometheus created new people and taught them crafts; for their sake, the titan even stole fire from Olympus. An angry Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock, where an eagle flew every day and pecked the titan's liver. In order to take revenge on the people created by Prometheus for their self-will, Zeus sent to them Pandora, a beauty who opened a box in which diseases and various misfortunes of the human race were hidden.

Despite such a vindictive disposition, in general, Zeus is a bright and fair deity. Next to his throne there are two vessels - with good and evil, depending on the actions of people, Zeus draws gifts from the vessels, sending mortals either punishment or mercy.

Poseidon

Zeus's brother, Poseidon, is the ruler of such a changeable element as water. Like the ocean, it can be wild and wild. Most likely, Poseidon was originally an earthly deity. This version explains why the cult animals of Poseidon were quite “land” bulls and horses. Hence the epithets that were given to the god of the seas - “earth shaker”, “land ruler”.

In myths, Poseidon often opposes his thunder brother. For example, he supports the Achaeans in the war against Troy, on whose side Zeus was.

Almost all trade and fishing life the Greeks depended on the sea. Therefore, rich sacrifices were regularly made to Poseidon, thrown directly into the water.

Hera

Despite great amount connections with the most different women, Zeus’s closest companion all this time was his sister and wife, Hera. Although Hera was the main female deity on Olympus, she was actually only the third wife of Zeus. The first wife of the Thunderer was the wise oceanid Metis, whom he imprisoned in his womb, and the second was the goddess of justice Themis - the mother of the seasons and moira - the goddesses of fate.

Although divine spouses often quarrel and cheat on each other, the union of Hera and Zeus symbolizes all monogamous marriages on earth and relationships between men and women in general.

Distinguished by her jealous and sometimes cruel disposition, Hera was still the keeper of the family hearth, the protector of mothers and children. Greek women prayed to Hera for a message to them good husband, pregnancy or easy childbirth.

Perhaps Hera's confrontation with her husband reflects the chthonic character of this goddess. According to one version, touching the earth, she even gives birth to a monstrous serpent - Typhon. Obviously, Hera is one of the first female deities of the Peloponnesian Peninsula, an evolved and reworked image of the mother goddess.

Ares

Ares was the son of Hera and Zeus. He personified war, and war not in the form of a liberation confrontation, but a senseless bloody massacre. It is believed that Ares, who has absorbed part of his mother’s chthonic violence, is extremely treacherous and cunning. He uses his power to sow murder and discord.

In myths, Zeus’s dislike for his bloodthirsty son can be traced, however, without Ares, even a just war is impossible.

Athena

Athena's birth was very unusual. One day Zeus began to suffer from severe headaches. To ease the suffering of the Thunderer, the god Hephaestus hits him on the head with an ax. A beautiful maiden in armor and with a spear emerges from the resulting wound. Zeus, seeing his daughter, was very happy. The newborn goddess received the name Athena. She became her father's main assistant - the keeper of law and order and the personification of wisdom. Technically, Athena's mother was Metis, imprisoned within Zeus.

Since the warlike Athena embodied both the feminine and masculine principles, she did not need a spouse and remained virginal. The goddess patronized warriors and heroes, but only those of them who wisely managed their power. Thus, the goddess balanced the rampage of her bloodthirsty brother Ares.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus, the patron saint of blacksmithing, crafts and fire, was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was born lame in both legs. Hera was disgusted by the ugly and sick baby, so she threw him off Olympus. Hephaestus fell into the sea, where Thetis picked him up. On seabed Hephaestus mastered the blacksmith's craft and began to forge wonderful things.

For the Greeks, Hephaestus, thrown from Olympus, personified, although ugly, a very smart and kind god who helps everyone who turns to him.

To teach his mother a lesson, Hephaestus forged a golden throne for her. When Hera sat down in it, shackles closed on her arms and legs, which none of the gods could unfasten. Despite all the persuasion, Hephaestus stubbornly refused to go to Olympus to free Hera. Only Dionysus, who intoxicated Hephaestus, was able to bring the blacksmith god. After his release, Hera recognized her son and gave him Aphrodite as his wife. However, Hephaestus did not live long with his flighty wife and entered into a second marriage with the Charita Aglaya, the goddess of goodness and joy.

Hephaestus is the only Olympian constantly busy with work. He forges lightning bolts, magic items, armor and weapons for Zeus. From his mother, he, like Ares, inherited some chthonic traits, however, not so destructive. Hephaestus' connection with the underworld is emphasized by his fiery nature. However, the fire of Hephaestus is not a destructive flame, but a home fire that warms people, or a blacksmith's forge with which you can make many useful things.

Demeter

One of the daughters of Rhea and Kronos, Demeter, was the patroness of fertility and agriculture. Like many female deities personifying Mother Earth, Demeter had a direct connection with the world of the dead. After Hades kidnapped her daughter Persephone with Zeus, Demeter fell into mourning. Eternal winter reigned on the earth; thousands of people died of hunger. Then Zeus demanded that Persephone spend only one third of the year with Hades, and return to her mother for two thirds.

It is believed that Demeter taught people agriculture. She also gave fertility to plants, animals and people. The Greeks believed that at the mysteries dedicated to Demeter, the boundaries between the world of the living and the dead were erased. Archaeological excavations show that in some areas of Greece, human sacrifices were even made to Demeter.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty - appeared on earth in a very unusual way. After the castration of Uranus, Kronos threw his father's reproductive organ into the sea. Since Uranus was very fertile, beautiful Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam that formed in this place.

The goddess knew how to send love to people and gods, which she often used. One of the main attributes of Aphrodite was her wonderful belt, which made any woman beautiful. Due to Aphrodite's fickle temperament, many suffered from her spell. The vengeful goddess could cruelly punish those who rejected her gifts or offended her in some way.

Apollo and Artemis

Apollo and Artemis are the children of the goddess Leto and Zeus. Hera was extremely angry with Leto, so she pursued her all over the earth and for a long time did not allow her to give birth. In the end, on the island of Delos, surrounded by Rhea, Themis, Amphitrite and other goddesses, Leto gave birth to two twins. Artemis was the first to be born and immediately began to help her mother in giving birth to her brother.

With a bow and arrows, Artemis, surrounded by nymphs, began to wander through the forests. The virgin goddess-hunter was the patroness of wild and domestic animals and all living things on earth. Both young girls and pregnant women, whom she protected, turned to her for help.

Her brother became the patron of the arts and healing. Apollo brings harmony and tranquility to Olympus. This god is considered one of the main symbols of the classical period in the history of Ancient Greece. He brings elements of beauty and light to everything he does, gives people the gift of foresight, teaches them to cure illnesses and play music.

Hestia

Unlike most cruel and vindictive Olympians, elder sister Zeus - Hestia - was distinguished by a peaceful and calm disposition. The Greeks revered her as the guardian of the hearth and the sacred fire. Hestia adhered to chastity and refused all the gods who offered her marriage.

The cult of Hestia was very widespread in Greece. It was believed that she helps to conduct sacred ceremonies and protects peace in families.

Hermes

The patron of trade, wealth, dexterity and theft - Hermes, most likely, was originally an ancient Asian rogue demon. Over time, the Greeks turned the minor trickster into one of the most powerful gods. Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. Like all children of Zeus, he demonstrated his amazing abilities from birth. So, on the very first day after his birth, Hermes learned to play the cithara and stole Apollo's cows.

In myths, Hermes appears not only as a deceiver and a thief, but also as a faithful assistant. He often rescued heroes and gods from difficult situations, bringing them weapons, magic herbs or some other necessary items. The distinctive attribute of Hermes were winged sandals and a caduceus - a rod around which two snakes were entwined.

Hermes was revered by shepherds, traders, moneylenders, travelers, swindlers, alchemists and fortune-tellers.

Hades

Hades, the ruler of the world of the dead, is not always included among the Olympian gods, since he lived not on Olympus, but in gloomy Hades. However, he was certainly a very powerful and influential deity. The Greeks were afraid of Hades and preferred not to say his name out loud, replacing it with various epithets. Some researchers believe that Hades is a different form of Zeus.

Although Hades was the god of the dead, he also bestowed fertility and wealth. At the same time, he himself, as befits such a deity, had no children; he even had to kidnap his wife, because none of the goddesses wanted to descend into the underworld.

The cult of Hades was almost not widespread. Only one temple is known where sacrifices were made to the king of the dead only once a year.

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 14 books.

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Mythical names. Mythical male and female names and their meanings

IN old times According to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, 12 Olympian gods lived on Olympus, 6 men and 6 women. The genealogies of all the Olympian gods, demigods and heroes of Greek myths began with them.
These Olympian gods made a strange journey from even more ancient times into the future. Greek gods switched to Roman gods to remain gods... but with different names. The gods of ancient Greece and Rome, having different names, perform the same functions and come from the same more ancient gods.

Greece, sea, foot of Olympus. Olympus, a beautiful mountain visible from afar. This is the home of the Olympian gods, shrouded in clouds. If you climb the mountain, to its very peak, you will find there only enough space for a few people.

Greek goddesses are bearers of eternal feminine qualities and today these goddesses live among us in the form normal women. The question of our choice is what we want to choose for ourselves. What kind of goddess or god do we want to look like and how will we accept this image of our destiny.

The idea of ​​​​representing the ancient Greek and Roman goddesses passed through love and stretches a laurel branch from the valley of the Pene River where the legend of Daphne was born.

Nymph Daphne was the most beautiful daughter of Peneus - the god of Rivers and the goddess of the Earth - Gaia. The god of love, Eros, struck the heart of the sun god Apollo with one shot of his arrow, and he fell madly in love with Daphne.

Eros either forgot to shoot his second arrow into Daphne’s heart, or regretted it, and as a result, Daphne rejected the advances of Apollo, who was in love with her, and ran as far as possible from the persistent suitor, who didn’t want to know anything about Daphne’s feelings for him, but only and thought about how to take possession of the object of my love.

But it was impossible for Daphne to escape from the all-seeing Sun God and, desperate to hide from Apollo, she asked her mother to turn her into a laurel bush growing on the banks of the Pene River and thus forever escape from the annoying love of the Sun God Apollo. Having found her in the form of a bush, the lover Apollo wove a laurel wreath and put it on his head as a sign eternal love and vowed to make a laurel evergreen tree. Among the ancient Greeks Laurel wreath became a prize awarded to winners in the Olympic Games.

The legend is very beautiful and tragic... Is this a punishment for unrequited love?

Artemis(V Ancient Rome- goddess Diana) daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto (Latona, according to another version - Demeter), sister of Apollo. When Leto became pregnant, she hid on the island of Delos. The wife of Zeus, Hera, who was also the goddess of marriage, having learned about this blasphemy, sent the Delphic Python in pursuit of her. Zeus saved his daughter and, under a palm tree on the island of Delos, Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo.

Artemis loved her brother Apollo very much and often came to the top of Parnassus, where he lived, to rest and listen to him play the golden cithara and the songs of the muses. At dawn, having slept, she again rushed into the forests to hunt.

The ancient Roman goddess Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the patroness of wild animals and the Moon. Diana is depicted as a hunter with a bow, the arrows of which never miss the target, surrounded by deer and dogs. Artemis's kingdom is wilderness.

Diana of the ancient Romans is also the chaste goddess of femininity, fertility, hunting, the moon and the night. She is depicted accompanied by wild animals with a bow and quiver of arrows, wandering with mountain nymphs through forests and mountains. Diana guards young single women and is the Virgin of purity. Diana in late Roman antiquity was considered the personification of the night and the moon, just as her brother Apollo was identified with the day and the sun.

Diana among the Romans had triple power - on earth, underground and in heaven, and therefore she was given the epithet "goddess of three roads." Her images were often placed at crossroads of major roads. Diana was also known as the patroness of prisoners, plebeians and slaves. Later she began to be considered the patroness of the Latin Union.

Athena(in Ancient Rome - Minerva) was the goddess of wisdom, just war and crafts. Athena is the protector of cities, patroness of the arts, sciences, creativity, crafts and agriculture. She is a stronghold of well-being. Athena is the patroness of the Greek city of Athens, named after her. Athena is the patroness of many heroes. She was often depicted in armor, as she was also known as an excellent strategist.

Being the goddess of war, Athena did not enjoy battles; she preferred to establish the law and resolve disputes peacefully. She was famous for her kindness. The only exception happened in the Trojan War, when, enraged that the apple of discord was not rightfully given to her, Athena, together with Hera, poured out all her rage in battle.

Athena was the daughter of Zeus and the Titanide Metis. Zeus was predicted a terrible future - his future son from Metis was supposed to overthrow him from the throne and then Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife. With the help of the god Hephaestus, he brought the already adult Athena, who was in full battle garb, out of his head. Since then, Athena has been, as it were, a part of Zeus himself, she fulfills his will and carries out the plans of Zeus.

Athena is the desires of Zeus, fulfilled by her in reality. Athena's attributes are the owl, the snake and the aegis. Athena's one touch on a person is enough to give him wisdom and knowledge and make him a wonderful and successful hero. According to mythology, the goddess Athena patronized only ambitious people, making their endeavors successful. Reading the Iliad, we see that Athena patronizes her heroes.

Minerva is the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts. She is the beloved daughter of Jupiter. According to Roman legend, Minerva was also born without a mother, emerging in fully armed from Jupiter, sparkling with its beauty after Vulcan split his head and took out Minerva from there.

Hestia(in Ancient Rome - Vesta) is the goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire in Ancient Greece, which burns in its temples and houses. She is the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Her sisters are Hera, Demeter and Aida, and her brothers are Poseidon and Zeus. Hestia founded the city of Knossos.

Poseidon and Apollo intended to marry her, but she decided to live with her brother Zeus as a virgin. The image of Hestia “owning the Pythian laurel” was in the Athenian Prytaneum, and the altar of Hestia was located in the grove of Zeus Gomoria.

A sacrifice was made to her before the start of any sacred ceremony, no matter whether it was private or public. Thanks to this, the saying “start with Hestia” was preserved in Greece, which served as a synonym for a successful and correct start to a business. As a reward for this, she was given high honors. In the cities, an altar was dedicated to her, on which fire was always maintained, and new colonists took fire from this altar with them to their new homeland.

In ancient Rome, Vesta was the daughter of Saturn and the goddess Rhea. Vesta was also the goddess of the hearth and purity family life. The Romans maintained a sacred fire in her temple. This fire was a symbol of the prosperity of the Roman state. The Vestal priestesses watched over him, since his disappearance was the worst omen. From this sacred fire the fire was lit in new Roman settlements and colonies.

Temple of Vesta on the Palatine Hill of Rome

Vesta's frame was located in Rome on the slope of the Palatine Hill, in a grove opposite the forum. Her temple was burning Eternal flame, supported by the priestesses of the goddess - the Vestals. They could be ten-year-old girls who completely devoted their lives to serving Vesta. They were forbidden to marry, and if a Vestal Virgin became pregnant, she was buried alive in the ground.

In June, the Vestalia was celebrated in Rome - a holiday in honor of Vesta. During this holiday, barefoot Roman women made sacrifices to Vesta in her temple. On this day, it was forbidden to use donkeys for any work, since it was the braying of a donkey that once saved Vesta from the dishonor of Priapus, awakening her from sleep. Her sculptures are very rare and depict Vesta as a girl with a veil thrown over her head.

These virgin goddesses are a symbol of female independence. Unlike other inhabitants of Olympus, they, as a rule, are not intended for permanent family life and love. Emotional attachment cannot distract them from what they consider more important to them. They do not grieve from unrequited love. These goddesses are an expression of women's need for emancipation - to be independent and go towards achieving their goals.

Artemis and Athena represent determination, logical thinking and movement towards achieving the goal. Hestia is the prototype of introversion, her attention is directed to inner world, she is the spiritual center of the female personality. These three goddesses expand our understanding of the qualities of women such as competence and independence. These qualities are characteristic of women who actively strive to achieve their own goals.

The second group of goddesses is a group of vulnerable goddesses - Hera, Demeter and Persephone.

Hera(in Ancient Rome - Juno) was the goddess of marriage. She was the wife of Zeus, who was the supreme god of Olympus.

Hera is originally an Etruscan deity who later became a Roman goddess, identified with the Greek goddess Hera. Juno was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea, sister of Ceres, Pluto, Vesta, Neptune and Jupiter, who was also her husband. Juno was the Roman goddess of marriage, conjugal love, patroness married women, helping pregnant wives, patroness of Rome and the Roman state. The Romans were the first (as far as is known from history) to officially introduce monogamy (monogamy). Juno became the patroness of monogamy and was the goddess of protest against polygamy among the Romans.

Traditionally, Juno is depicted wearing a helmet and armor. Together with Jupiter and Minerva, she is part of the Capitoline Triad, in whose honor a temple was erected on Capitol Hill in Rome. In Rome, sacred geese warned the townspeople with their cries about the attack of the Gauls and thereby saved the city.

On March 1, in Ancient Rome, the festival of matronalia was celebrated in her honor. The month of June is named in her honor. Juno consulted with the goddess of wisdom Minerva and the goddess dark forces Ceres.

Demeter(in Ancient Rome - Ceres) is the goddess of fertility and agriculture. In myths Special attention given to mother Demeter.

The cult of the goddess who protects all life on earth and protects farmers has its roots in the pre-Indo-European era. In ancient times she bore the name Mother Earth. The “Great Mother,” and later Demeter, gave birth to all living things on Earth and received the dead into herself. Demeter was therefore considered the patroness of sorcerers. It was she who taught humanity agriculture and gave people wheat seeds.

Demeter is the second daughter of Kronos and Rhea and the mother of Persephone, wife of Hades. She is the sister of Zeus, Hera, Hestia, Hades and Poseidon. According to legend, Demeter was devoured by her father Kronos and then taken from his womb. In honor of Hercules, Demeter established the Lesser Mysteries for his purification after his murder of the centaurs.

According to one legend, Demeter was married to the Cretan god of agriculture Iasion. From their union, concluded on a thrice-plowed field, Plutos and Philomel were born. According to Diodorus, Demeter was the mother of Eubouleus.

The ancient Roman goddess Ceres was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea, sister of Jupiter, mother of Proserpina, goddess of fruits and agricultural land, lawgiver and patroness of peace and marriage. Her sacred flower was the poppy - a symbol of sleep and death, mourning for her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Pluto and carried away to world of the dead. In Roman mythology, Ceres is also the goddess of fertility. Demeter later became associated with Kybella.

Persephone, daughter of Jupiter and Ceres, wife of Pluto (in Ancient Rome - Proserpina). The ancient Greeks called her "Kora" - girl. Proserpina was the goddess of nature and fertility, but after she was kidnapped by Pluto, she became the queen of the underworld.

The cult of the goddess of the underworld can be traced back to the Mycenaean era. Persephone may have been taken from one of the ancient goddesses who were worshiped by local tribes before the Greek invasion of the Balkan Peninsula. Among the Greeks who conquered these peoples, the cult of Persephone was identified with the cult of the goddess of fertility - Kore. Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, or the daughter of Zeus and Styx. She was nursed in a cave by Demeter and the nymphs. Ares and Apollo unsuccessfully wooed her. Cora's flower is the narcissus.

She is the wife of the ruler of the underworld Hades (Pluto), who kidnapped her and took her underground. Demeter searched for her daughter all over the world, being in inconsolable grief. The land was barren all this time. To return her daughter, Demeter turned to Zeus for help. Hades had to let Persephone go. But he gave her pomegranate seeds, which arose from drops of the blood of Dionysus. Persephone swallowed pomegranate seeds and found herself doomed to return to the kingdom of the dead.

To calm the inconsolable Demeter, Zeus decided that Persephone would spend only part of the year in the kingdom of Hades, and live the rest of the time on Olympus.

While she was on Olympus, Persephone rose into the sky early in the morning and became the constellation Virgo there so that her awakened mother Demeter could immediately see her. The myth of Persephone has been associated with the change of seasons since ancient times.

These Greco-Roman goddesses personify the traditional role of women - wife, mother and daughter. They express women's needs for family life and affection for the home. These goddesses do not live only for themselves and are therefore vulnerable. They suffer, are abused, are kidnapped, oppressed and humiliated by the male gods.
Their stories serve to help women understand their own emotional reactions, cope with their own suffering and move on with their lives.

Aphrodite (in Ancient Rome - Venus) goddess of love and beauty. She is the most beautiful and sexy goddess. Aphrodite belongs to the third category of goddesses - the alchemical goddess. Aphrodite enters into many relationships with men and has many heirs. She is the embodiment of primitive voluptuousness and erotic attraction. Her love affairs happen only by her choice and Aphrodite is never the victim. She allows fleeting sensual relationships, she has no constancy, and she is open to a new life.

Among the ancient Romans, the role of Aphrodite passed to Venus. She is considered the ancestress of the Romans thanks to her son Aeneas. He was the founder of the Julius family, to which Julius Caesar belonged.

Venus was the goddess of spring among the ancient Romans, and later of beauty, love and life. Born from sea foam, Venus became the wife of the god Vulcan and the mother of Cupid (Cupid).

According to one version, the goddess was conceived with the blood (in Greek - afros) of Uranus, castrated by the titan Kronos. The blood of Uranus that fell into the sea formed foam from which the patroness of love and the goddess of fertility, eternal spring and life, Aphrodite, appeared. Aphrodite is surrounded by nymphs, oras and charites. Aphrodite is the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Her roots lie in the sexy and licentious Phoenician fertility goddess Astarte, the Assyrian Ishtar and the Egyptian Isis. Over time, the beautiful Aphrodite was reborn from them, taking her place of honor on Olympus.

Seeing Aphrodite on Olympus, the gods fell in love with her, but Aphrodite chose Hephaestus for herself - the ugliest of all the gods, but also the most skillful. This did not stop her from giving birth to children from other gods (Dionysus, Ares). She gave birth to Eros (or Eros), Anteros - the god of hatred), Harmony, Phobos - the god of fear, Deimos - the god of horror.

Aphrodite was in love with the beautiful Adonis, who was killed by a wild boar while hunting. Scarlet roses appeared from his drops of blood, and beautiful anemones grew from Aphrodite’s tears. Another legend attributes the death of Adonis to the anger of Ares, who was jealous of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite was one of three goddesses who won the argument about who was the most beautiful. She promised the son of the Trojan king Paris the most beautiful of earthly women - the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. Elena. It started with the kidnapping of Elena Trojan War. Aphrodite's belt contained the desire to possess, love and words of seduction.