Greek Mythology

On these pages you'll soon be able to find some more information about the various gods and goddesses in the Greek pantheon, especially the most famous ones, the gods of the Olymp, but I'll probably add some of the lesser-known ones, too.

Interesting things to know about Greek mythology:

  • A god for (nearly) everything - The greeks had dozens of gods and goddesses, all having a different "job", often representing and or even being embodiment of something. For example, Iris was the messenger of Hera (see below in the family tree) and embodied rainbows.
  • Parents who fight their children - Their story of the origin of the world will soon be posted here as well. It features a lot of fighting between generations, parent deities plotting against their children and grandchildren and sending them monsters to fight
  • Birth by castration - It also features the old god of the sky (Uranos) getting his testicles cut off by his son Kronos. These testicles fall into the water. Out of the sea foam created by them emerged Aphrodite, also known as Venus, the goddess of beauty.[1]
  • Fighting destiny the gruesome way - The same Kronos guy, a titan, tried to devour all of his own children, since his parents Uranos and Gaia told him his destiny would be to lose his power to his sons, when he had just gotten it by force from his father Uranos [2]
  • Father spitting children out - His wife Rhea saved one of the babies, Zeus, with the help of Gaia. Zeus later forced his father Kronos to vomit his siblings out and with them he fighted the destined battle against him and the other titans. This fight was called the Titanomachy.[3]
  • The parents' punishment - At the end, Zeus, and his siblings win and banish their parents and their parents' siblings, that is, all the titans, to the darkest part of the underworld known as Tartarus.
  • Complicated family - Their family tree was complex, since some Gods, especially Zeus and Poseidon were sexually very active, having had dozens of partners of both sexes and having a lot of children, some of which weren't even human. See link below.
    		•
    [1]Aphrodite emerging from the sea
    [3]The fall of the Titans after the end of the Titanomachy.
    [2]Kronos trying to get rid of his son by devouring him.

    Family tree of most of the ancient Greek gods, including titans and some of the monsters, too.

    The Olympian Gods

    The probably most important gods
    (Click an image to enlarge it and get more information about it, e. g. artist, year, etc.)

    Zeus - (Roman Jupiter)

    "Father of gods and men"
    Lightning and Thunder, Sky,
    Law and Order, Justice

    Poseidon - (Roman Neptun)

    Sea and storms,
    earthquakes, horses

    Hades - (Roman Pluto)

    Ruler of the Underworld
    the Dead and the Rich

    Hera - (Roman Juno)

    "Queen of the Gods"
    Marriage, women


    The other olympic gods and goddesses:
    (Click an image to enlarge it and get more information about it, e. g. artist, year, etc.)
    Demeter
    Athene
    Artemis
    Apollo
    Aphrodite
    Ares
    Hephaistos
    Hermes
    Hestia
    Dionysos*

    (usually a bearded man as well,
    but depicted as a child here)
    Hebe*

    Herakles*


    * These three were only admitted to the Olymp later.