The 12 most relevant Greek gods of Ancient Greece

Greek mythology is one of the most popular in Western culture. It has served as an inspiration for many writers and film directors. The Greek gods are, therefore, of universal knowledge.

Although Greek mythology does not properly represent a religion, it is based on a collection of myths and stories from the ancient Greeks, in which it is told how the origin of the universe would have been, as a result of the power of the Gods of the Olympus.

The Greek Gods and their mythology have been disseminated especially orally, although the epic tales of their heroes have also been made known through prose.

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The most important Greek gods

The culture of Ancient Greece developed one of the most interesting pantheons of gods in the history of Europe, and Their influence was such that even the Romans took these deities as references. Greco-Roman culture arose, in part, from a hodgepodge of these Greek influences, which have gone as far as our days, although the religion on which these icons and concepts linked to the sacred were based has already missing.

In this article we will meet the most relevant Greek gods in mythology and we will see some of their characteristics. These deities are associated with the elements and feelings.

1. Zeus: God of Heaven and Sovereign of Olympus

In addition to being the God of Lightning, Zeus is also the supreme father of all deities and mortals that inhabit the earth. He is originally from the island of Crete, where at birth he was rescued from the jaws of his father, Cronos.

Had it not been for the timely intervention of Rhea (his mother), Zeus would have been eaten by his progenitor, like the rest of his siblings.

Rhea hid and raised Zeus until he became the maximum reference of the Greek Gods. However, it must be taken into account that despite being the main Greek god, he was much more humanized than the God Judeo-Christian, and was even described as an opportunist and an entity given to deception (mostly taking the form of other beings).

2. Poseidon: god of the seas and oceans

This deity has the power to control the fury of the waters, apart from causing earthquakes at will. He hails from the city of Rhodes, where he was raised by the Telquines (hybrid marine-land creatures).

The legend of the god Poseidon is very similar to that of his brother Zeus, he was hidden by his mother in a herd of lambs to prevent his father, Cronos, from devouring him.

Poseidon joins forces with Zeus to defeat Cronos, and that is how he receives his famous trident, in addition to the custody of the seas and oceans.

3. Hades: god of the underworld

Hades was the eldest of the male children of the titan Cronos. He was eaten by his father, although he would later be rescued from death by Zeus. Joining forces with his brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, they managed to defeat Cronos.

Together they take over the universe and share it among themselves, Hades was given the underworld, being relegated to a terrible loneliness, which led him to take the maiden Persephone (daughter of Zeus) into captivity, to force her to marry him.

He is usually associated with evil, but Hades can be seen as a noble god that he always, confusing as he seemed, always sought to keep in the world. a proper balance between good and evil.

4. Hermes: the messenger of the Gods

Hermes is the son of the God Zeus, because of his eloquence and charisma, he earned the title of protector of thieves and God of borders. Born on Olympus, like his father, he had informal relationships with a large number of women, thus leaving a vast offspring.

His greatest feat is to have gone to the underworld, commissioned by Zeus, to negotiate with his uncle (Hades himself), so that he would release his sister Persephone, which he achieved thanks to his divine rhetoric.

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5. Hera: Queen of the Gods

This deity was the elder sister of the almighty Zeus, and at the same time his wife. She is credited with the responsibility of watching over marital unions and births, in addition to providing special protection to all women.

She was always of a noble and very human personality, despite her divinity. In honor of Goddess Hera, parties called "Matronalia" are held, which are held on the first of March.

6. Hephaestus: Hero of the Gods

The artisans had his protector, Hephaestus. The God of fire and forge works. He is the son of the Goddess Hera and the almighty Zeus, although this is not too clear. There are versions where it is indicated that he is only Hera's son.

Hephaestus, with the exception of the rest of the deities, was born without physical beauty, his appearance was so unpleasant at birth that his mother threw him from Olympus, and he was lame after the fall.

He was rescued from the sea by the Goddess Thetis (Achilles' mother) and raised by her on the island of Lemons.

7. Dionysus: god of wine and life

In the strict sense of the word, Dionysus turns out to be a demigod. Born of Zeus with a mortal named Semele, this Greek god also he is known as the sovereign of agriculture.

The legend of Dionysus tells that he was born twice, the first in a mortal way and the second thanks to the divinity of his father.

On one occasion Zeus took his true form, and the lightning that struck killed Semele and Dionysus. The almighty god took the child, and placing it on one of his thighs gave him life back.

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8. Athena: goddess of wisdom

She is one of the main and most influential Goddesses of Olympus. The stories tell that he is born directly from the head of Zeus, once he swallowed his mother, Athena emerged with the help of Hephaestus, who opened the head of Zeus; hence her great abilities for science and strategy, gifts of her that also served him in the battlefield, where she was an implacable warrior.

The Goddess Athena, in counterpart to her brother Ares hers, represents just causes.

9. Apollo: god of the Sun

In the accounts of Greek mythology, the god Apollo represents perfection and beauty. Of the sons of Zeus, Apollo was the most influential of them all.

He was not only the God of the Sun, but also of diseases and healing, of plagues and of the antidotes against them. This Deity is the perfect balance between healthy and unhealthy.

Apollo she played a momentous role during the Trojan WarWhen the King of this city denied the Gods the promised offerings, it was he who unleashed a deadly plague on Troy.

But the greatest feat of him, without a doubt, is to have directed the arrow of Prince Paris towards the heel of Achilles, causing his death.

10. Artemis: goddess of the hunt

Artemis is Apollo's twin sister. This goddess represents relief for women during childbirth. Like her brother Apollo hers are disowned by the goddess Hera, since both come from the infidelity of Zeus.

As a child, among other cravings, she asked her father to grant her the gift of eternal virginity, which she was granted. For this reason, Artemis is a Goddess without any sexual desire.

Many hunting companions, including the mortal Orion, attempted to steal her virginity. All of them, including Orion, ended up dead at the hands of the goddess.

11. Ares: God of War

Ares is the counterpart of his sister, the goddess Athena. This deity represents the purest and most visceral instinct of war, is violence at its finest. He is the founder of the city of Thebes, where the Spartans live.

Despite being the God of War, Ares was repeatedly defeated by his sister Athena. Also known is the anecdote of when he was wounded by the hero Diomedes and had to return to Olympus to heal, leaving the Trojans without his help during the war.

12. Aphrodite: goddess of beauty and love

Lustful and full of passion, this is the Goddess Aphrodite. This deity rules over everything related to sex and reproduction. It is born the product of the sperm of the Greek titan Uranus, whose testicles Cronos cut off.

Emerges from the sea directly as an adult, being desired by many men from the first moment.

Fearing a conflict on Olympus, Zeus decides that it is Hephaestus who stays with Aphrodite, but the Goddess never wanted to be with him, and it would be Ares who would calm the intense sexual desires of Aphrodite.

Hephaestus, after the anger and disgrace represented by the adultery committed by Aphrodite, complained before the Olympian Gods, but they ignored his claims, and were envious of Ares.

Bibliographic references:

• Burkert, W. (1985). Greek Religion. Hoboken: Blackwell Publishers.
• Gantz, T. (1993). Early Greek myth: a guide to literary and artistic sources. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Graves, R. (2011). Greek myths. Madrid: Editorial Gredos.
• Lowell, E. (1990), Approaches to Greek Myth, Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Morford, M. P. OR.; Lenardon, R. J. (2002). Classical Mythology (7th edition). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Otto, W.F. (2012). The gods of Greece. Madrid: Siruela Editions.