We invite you to learn more about the main Gods of Olympus, their names, characteristics and some of their most outstanding powers. In the following article you will learn all about Greek mythology and its influential gods. Do not miss it!!
Gods of Olympus
It is no secret to anyone that Greek mythology is considered one of the most important and influential within Western culture and that it has led many writers and audiovisual producers to focus their projects on some of the most famous deities of mythology.
Talking about the gods of Olympus is without a doubt referring to a long history, attributes and characteristics that perfectly define each of these characters that we will be getting to know throughout this interesting article. It could be said that the gods of Greek mythology have a high universal recognition and many of them are part of myths and important works.
Although it is true that Greek mythology does not refer specifically to a religion, it is based on a collection of myths and stories of the ancient Greeks, through which it is narrated how the origin of the universe occurred after the power and authority of the Olympian gods.
In the ancient Greek world, the twelve great gods and goddesses of the Greeks were identified as the Olympian Gods or the Olympian Twelve. The name of this group of Greek deities comes from Mount Olympus, where the council of 12 met to discuss matters.
The most important Olympian gods and their meaning
The culture of Ancient Grace was responsible for carrying out one of the most important and influential pantheons of gods in the entire history of the European continent. Its impact was of such magnitude that even many Romans proceeded to take these Olympian gods as references.
It could be said that the Greco-Roman culture was born, in a certain way, thanks to the union of these influences of Greek origin, which have spread to the present day, although the religion on which these icons and concepts linked to the sacred were based has already completely disappeared.
Below we show you a complete list of the most important Olympian gods of all time, in addition to knowing some of the main characteristics and attributes associated with these deities of Greek mythology.
Zeus: God of the Sky and Sovereign of Olympus
One of the most important gods of Olympus is without a doubt the god Zeus. He is not only recognized as the God of Lightning, but he is also the supreme father of all deities and mortals that inhabit the earth. History teaches us that he is a native of a place known as the island of Crete. There he had his birth and remained hidden for many years, to avoid being devoured by his own father, Cronus.
She managed to survive thanks to the efforts of her mother, the goddess Rhea, who before giving birth went to hide on the island to flee from the attacks of her husband, who had previously devoured each of her children. He spent long years in hiding, until he became a strong and brave man, the highest reference of the Greek gods.
Certainly the god Zeus was considered the main Greek god, but despite that he was much more humanized than the Judeo-Christian God, and was even qualified as an interested party and an entity given to deception, especially adopting the form of other beings.
Meaning: Zeus' name means "bright" or "heaven"
Poseidon: god of the seas and oceans
The god Poseidon is also another of the most famous in Greek mythology. He is recognized mainly for the authority he has to control the fury of the waters, in addition to having the power to unleash natural disasters. His birth took place in Rhodes, the area where he was raised by the Telchines.
The story of the god Poseidon is quite similar to that of the god Zeus, his brother, since, like him, he had to spend several years of his life hidden to prevent his father Cronus from devouring him. After growing and reaching the necessary strength , joins with his brother Zeus to defeat Cronos and that is how he receives his famous trident.
Meaning: God of the sea and the protector of all waters
Hades: god of the underworld
If we talk about the gods of Olympus, we must refer to the god Hades. He was considered the eldest son of all those who had the titan Cronus. He did not suffer the same fate as his brothers Zeus and Poseidon, because he was devoured by his own father, although later he would be rescued from death with the help of Zeus.
After being rescued, the god Hades joined his brothers Zeus and Poseidon to defeat Cronus. They become the new owners of the universe and proceed to divide it among themselves.
The god Hades was given the underworld, where he had days in complete solitude, which led him to take the maiden Persephone, daughter of Zeus, into captivity to force her to marry him.
The majority related to the god Hades with evil, however deep down it is an entity that has a noble character. Beyond his attitudes, he always sought to find a perfect balance between good and evil in the world.
Meaning: God of the Underworld and God of Wealth.
Hermes: the messenger of the Gods
The god Zeus had several children and one of them was precisely Hermes. One of his main characteristics had to do with his humor and particular way of seeing life, always with eloquence.
That behavior made him become the protector god of thieves and God of borders. His origin is in Olympus and, like his father, he had countless relationships with many women, leaving a long offspring.
He achieved important achievements during his existence, but one of the most remembered was having visited the underworld, after receiving an order from his father Zeus. His visit to that place was intended to negotiate with his uncle, that is, Hades, so that he proceeded to set his sister Persephone free, something he achieved thanks to her divine rhetoric.
Meaning: The messenger god
Hera: Queen of the Gods
The goddess Hera could be considered as the older sister of the influential Zeus, of whom she was also a woman. She is identified as the entity responsible for monitoring marriages and births, as well as protecting women at all times. She has always been characterized as a goddess with a humble heart and with a lot of humanity ahead of her.
In honor of her, important celebrations are held, including the festivities known as Matronalia, which take place every first of March of each year. In that celebration honor and recognition is given to him for everything done by the goddess Hera.
Meaning: The goddess of fertility
Hephaestus: Hero of the Gods
The god Hephaestus could be said to be the protector of all craftsmen. He was considered the god of fire and forge works. His mother was the goddess Hera, while his father was none other than Zeus. There are also versions that differ from this point of view, assuring that Hephaestus was not really the son of Zeus but only of Hera.
There was something that made the difference in the god Hephaestus, compared to the other deities of mythology and it was the fact that he was born without physical beauty. The appearance of this deity was so frightening at the time of his birth that his own mother had no choice but to throw him from Olympus, making him lame after the fall.
History tells us that the god Hephaestus managed to be rescued from the waters of the sea by the Goddess Tethys, mother of Achilles, who was in charge of raising him on the island of Lemons.
Meaning: The God of the forge
Dionysus: god of wine and life
Many define him as a demigod. His arrival in the world occurred after an encounter between the god Zeus and a mortal named Semele.
Dionysus is also known as the ruler of agriculture. According to the legend of this deity, Dionysus would have been born twice. The first time he was born was in a mortal way and the second thanks to the divinity of his father.
On one occasion Zeus took his true form, and the thunderbolts that fell killed Semele and Dionysus. After that, Zeus proceeded to take the child to place it on one of his thighs. After that he brought him back to life.
Meaning: God of the Vine
Athena: goddess of wisdom
Among the most influential and important gods of Olympus is undoubtedly the goddess Athena. According to what the stories indicate, she would have been born directly from the head of the god Zeus, after the Almighty swallowed her mother. The story tells that Athena was born thanks to the help of Hephaestus, who opened the head of Zeus to get it out of it.
For this reason, the goddess Athena is identified primarily by her impressive skills in science and strategy. Those special gifts of hers were of great help to him to fight countless battles. Let us remember that Athena was always characterized as a warrior woman, with an implacable character.
Meaning: Athena was the goddess of reason, wisdom and war
Apollo: God of the Sun
According to the stories of Greek mythology, the god Apollo is directly related to perfection and physical beauty. His father was the Almighty Zeus and it is believed that he was one of the most important sons of this deity.
In addition to being considered the God of the Sun, he is also identified as the god of diseases and healing, of plagues and antidotes against them.
It could be said that the god Apollo is the ideal balance between the healthy and the impure. During the development of the Trojan War, Apollo became an extremely important and key piece, especially when the King of this city denied the Gods the promised offerings. It was Apollo who was in charge of unleashing a terrible plague that ended the lives of all those who inhabited Troy.
Although it is true that it was an important feat for his life, the most significant achievement of the god Apollo was having directed Prince Paris's arrow towards Achilles' heel, an arrow that ultimately caused Achilles' death.
Meaning: God of the sun, music and art
Artemis: goddess of the hunt
Twin sister of Apollo. The goddess Artemis is mainly identified with tranquility, she even represents relief for women while they are giving birth. Just as it happened with her brother Apollo, Artemis is also vilely rejected by the goddess Hera, for having her origin in an infidelity of Zeus.
When she was just a child, the goddess Artemis made a request to her powerful father Zeus. She asked him to grant her the gift of eternal virginity, a request that Zeus fulfilled without much effort. For this reason, this deity of Greek mythology is one of the few, if not the only one, who does not feel sexual attraction of any kind.
History indicates that many hunting companions, mainly the mortal Orion, repeatedly tried to steal the virginity of the goddess Artemis, however they never succeeded. The only thing they achieved, both Orion and the rest of their hunting companions, was death at the hands of the goddess herself.
Meaning: Artemis was the goddess of the hunt.
Ares: God of War
Another of the most influential gods of Olympus in history was the god Ares, who was the brother of the goddess Athena but in terms of characteristics and attributes they were polar opposites to each other. He represents the purest and most visceral instinct of war. He is identified with war, blood and violence. He is considered to be the creator of the city of Thebes, where the Spartans live.
Beyond being considered the God of War, Ares did not always manage to achieve victory in his confrontations, in fact he was often defeated by his own sister Athena. Among his most remembered experiences, it is worth mentioning the moment when he was wounded by the hero Diomedes and had to return to Olympus to heal, leaving the Trojans alone during the war.
Meaning: God of bloodlust, God of war.
Aphrodite: goddess of beauty and love
Aphrodite is without a doubt one of the most famous deities in Greek mythology. She mainly she is linked to passion and love. Something that characterizes her is her power over everything related to sex and reproduction. Her birth occurred thanks to the sperm of the Greek titan Uranus, whom we remember Cronus cut off his testicles.
She came out of the sea already a formed and mature woman. From the first time she was observed by men, it was inevitable that they felt sexual desire towards her. For fear that a conflict would break out on Olympus, the god Zeus makes the decision that Hephaestus be the one to stay with Aphrodite, however the truth is that the goddess never felt attraction to him.
Although he was with Hephaestus, it was Ares who was secretly in charge of calming sexual passions and pleasing each of the desires of the goddess Aphrodite.
Once Aphrodite's husband realized his wife's infidelity, and without thinking twice he went to the gods of Olympus to complain about what was happening, however they did not heed the alert, on the contrary, they were envious of Ares .
Meaning: Aphrodite was the goddess of love, sex and beauty.
How were the Gods of Olympus and their meaning?
The gods of Olympus were led, so to speak, by Zeus and Hera, considered to be the two main deities.
They were both at the other end of the council room. Their thrones were also the only two that faced gates. The throne of the god Zeus was located on the left side, while the throne of the goddess Hera was on the right.
Each of the thrones belonging to the male Olympian gods were located on the left side facing the right, while the thrones of the women were on the right facing the left. Let's talk now about the throne of the god Zeus, considered to be the king of the gods of Olympus.
Zeus is depicted as follows: Seated on a throne entirely of Egyptian marble, inlaid with gold. Purple sheep's wool cushioned the seat. For part of it the throne of the goddess Hera was ivory. Above the goddess Hera hung a beautiful full moon.
Beside him sat the god Ares, described as the god of war. The throne of ares was burnished bronze, it had a cushion covered with human skin. The throne room, also called the council room, was located in the middle of a luxurious palace, which was built for the Olympic athletes by the Cyclopes, gigantic with one eye.
How did the Olympian gods live?
The gods of Olympus had a great particularity among them and it was their way of living. The vast majority reflected postures very similar to that of human beings, that is, they were very similar to people, with the main difference that they lived forever and possessed much more power than humans.
Like people, the gods of Olympus came to experience the most intense emotions. They fell in love, they felt anger, they were attacked by jealousy and they don't always behave. The Greeks were in charge of creating the Olympian gods and when these deities were created, the Greeks did so in the image of humans.
This means that most of the gods of Olympus had many of the human qualities, beyond being deities. They constantly fought with each other, behaved irrationally and unfairly, and were often jealous of each other. If we talk particularly about Zeus, the main god, many things could be highlighted about his behavior.
The god Zeus rarely showed himself as a faithful god to his wife Hera. For her part, the goddess Hera came to conspire against Zeus and punished her lovers. Each of the Olympian gods used to be quite emotional and behaved inconsistently and sometimes immortally.
Place where the gods of olympus lived
Each of the gods of Olympus maintained their own place to live on Mount Olympus and it was precisely in this space that they regularly met. The god Hades, called as the god of the Underworld, used to stay longer in that place and not on Mount Olympus. For his part, Poseidon often chose to stay in his palace under the sea.
The rest of the other gods usually spent their days on Mount Olympus, unless they had to go on a trip. According to the myths, these gods of Olympus lived in the gorges at the top of the mountain, each with its opulent palace with magnificent marble columns and gold furniture.
The god Zeus came to live in the biggest and best palace on Mount Olympus, having overthrown his father Cronus. The palace where Zeus lived was really charming. It offered a spectacular panoramic view of the universe, giving the other gods the opportunity to see each of the events that occurred on earth. He could obscure the view with clouds according to his needs.
Hephaestus, son of Zeus, also eventually came to live in that palace, just after he was banished. He lived with his wife Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Poseidon for his part also lived in the palace, although he generally preferred to spend most of the day in the ocean.
Hades, the god of the underworld, lived in a dark palace under the earth. Other gods such as Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hestia, Hermes and Ares, the god of war, also lived in that immense palace on Mount Olympus. This palace had interesting features that made it a true gem.
The golden gates of the heavenly fortress were guarded by the three Horai (Horael) and contained the palace of Zeus, minor palaces for the other gods, and stables for the immortal horses. These buildings were built of stone with bronze foundations and were surrounded by enclosed courtyards with golden pavements.
The most important structure in the building complex was the Palace of Zeus, which had a very simple design, as was the tradition of ancient Greek palaces, with a central hall, private rooms, and storage rooms. The gold-floored hall functioned as a council room and party room for the Olympian gods and provided them with a wide view of the nether world.
For many years the Greeks were in charge of erecting important buildings for their gods and goddesses. A large part of these temples were characterized by being small in size, although we also found some quite large and spacious buildings, with amazing decorations.
Each of the cities located in Greece had a god or goddess to worship. The people of that time had the belief that these deities could provide them with security and protection in the face of any dangerous scenario that they had to face in life.
Whenever people felt like asking the gods for help, they had to go to one of these temples to pray. Most came when they were feeling a little sick, on a trip, or worried about the harvest on the farm.
How did the Olympian gods disappear?
The first thing to clarify is that the gods of Olympus are immortal, therefore they cannot disappear so easily. For one of these deities to disappear or die, the meaning of their domains must necessarily be destroyed. Let's take an example to understand better.
Suppose Zeus has to "die," his domain; Heaven and lightning should have no meaning. This means that once the sky and lightning are no longer recognized or worshiped by people, then only then will the god Zeus have finished disappearing.
The same happens with the other existing deities, for example Poseidon. For the god of oceans and seas, earthquakes and horses to disappear, people would no longer have to recognize these bodies. Only two gods are said to have truly died. One of them is Pan, the god of nature, the wild and the shepherds.
History indicates that the god Pan ceased to exist once people stopped worshiping nature and the wild. People stopped worshiping nature spirits, Naids, nymphs, etc.
What festivals were dedicated to the Olympian gods?
The city of Athens was the place to go in ancient Greece for culture. Every four years in that city the Panathenaic Games were held, where a large number of people parade through the streets of the city to worship the god Athena. Athletics competitions, poetry reading and music were developed. The games concluded with a grand all-night banquet.
Another of the festivities held in the city of Athens in honor of the Olympian gods was the theater festival called Dionysia, which was held with the purpose of worshiping and worshiping the god Dionysus. Let us remember that this deity was the god of theater and wine. We cannot forget the Pythian Games.
These games were developed in Delphi and through them the god Apollo was worshipped. It was an activity similar to the Olympic Games, with the difference that in the Pythian games there were competitions in music, painting, acting and dancing, as well as athletics.
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