Greek gods names. Olympic gods of Ancient Greece: names, deeds, symbols

Gods Ancient Greece

Olympian gods

Olympian gods(Olympians) in ancient greek mythology- gods of the second generation (after the original gods and titans - gods of the first generation), the highest beings who lived on Mount Olympus. Olympus (Olumpoz) is a mountain in Thessaly where, according to ancient Greek myths, the gods live. The name Olympus is of pre-Greek origin (a possible connection with the Indo-European root ulu / uelu, “to rotate,” i.e., an indication of the roundness of the peaks) and belongs to a number of mountains of Greece and Asia Minor. On Olympus are the palaces of Zeus and other gods, built and decorated by Hephaestus. The gates of Olympus are opened and closed by the Oras as they ride out in golden chariots. Olympus is thought of as a symbol of the supreme power of the new generation of Olympian gods who defeated the Titans.

Zeus- the god of the sky, thunder and lightning, in charge of the whole world. Chief of the Olympian gods, third son of the Titan Kronos and Rhea.

Poseidon- god of the seas. Son of Kronos and Rhea. Considering himself equal to his brother Zeus, he opposed him along with Hera and Aphrodite, but was defeated and was saved by Thetis. When the world was divided, he got the sea.

Hades (Hades)- the god of the underworld of the dead (and the name of the kingdom of the dead itself), the first son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, Poseidon and Demeter. Husband of Persephone, revered and invoked with him. After the division of the world between three brothers (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades), after the victory over the Titans, Hades inherited the underworld and power over the shadows of the dead.

Hestia- goddess of the family hearth and sacrificial fire in Ancient Greece. Eldest daughter Kronos and Rhea.

Hera- goddess, patroness of marriage, protecting the mother during childbirth. Hera, the third daughter of Cronus and Rhea, is the wife of Zeus, her brother.

Ares- god of insidious, treacherous war, war for the sake of war, son of Zeus and Hera.

Athena- goddess of just war and wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts; warrior maiden, patroness of cities and states, sciences and crafts, intelligence, dexterity, and ingenuity. Daughter of Zeus and Hera.

Apollo (Phoebus)- god of the sun, light, art, god-healer, leader and patron of the muses, patron of the sciences and arts, son of the goddess Latona and Zeus.

Aphrodite- goddess of beauty and love, personification eternal youth, patroness of navigation.

Hermes- the god of trade, profit, intelligence, dexterity, deception, theft and eloquence, giving wealth and income in trade, the god of gymnastics. Patron of heralds, ambassadors, shepherds and travelers; patron of magic and astrology. Messenger of the gods and guide of the souls of the dead to the underworld of Hades. The son of Zeus and the Pleiades Maya (in ancient Greek mythology - the daughter of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione).

Artemis- always the young goddess of the hunt, the goddess of fertility, the goddess of female chastity, the patroness of all life on earth, giving happiness in marriage and assistance during childbirth, later the goddess of the Moon (her brother Apollo was the personification of the Sun). Daughter of Zeus and the goddess Latona.

Hephaestus- the god of fire, the patron of blacksmithing and a skilled blacksmith himself. Son of Zeus and Hera.

Demeter- second daughter of Kronos and Rhea, goddess of fertility and agriculture. It was Demeter, according to myths, who taught people agriculture.

Dionysus- the god of winemaking, the productive forces of nature, inspiration and religious ecstasy.

Nika (Nike)- goddess of victory, accompanied Zeus in his fight against the titans and giants.

Pan- son of the god Hermes, originally revered as the patron of shepherds, the god of flocks; subsequently as the patron of all nature. He was depicted as a man with horns, goat legs and a goat beard.

Eos- goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios (sun) and Selene (moon). The Greeks imagined her as a beautiful young woman, whose fingers and clothes shone with a golden-pink sheen as she rode her chariot to heaven in the morning.

Eros (Eros)- the god of love, the personification of love attraction, ensuring the continuation of life on earth.

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Mythology of Ancient Greece Gods HadesAntaeusApolloAresAsclepiusBoreasBacchus (one of the names of Dionysus)Helios (Helium)HermesHephaestusHypnosDionysus (Bacchus)ZagreusZeusZephyrusIacchusCronosMomMorpheusNereusNotOceanPanPlutoPlutosPont PoseidonProteusThanatosTitansTyphonTritonChaosCic lopsEvr

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The art of ancient Greece and ancient Rome Aphrodite. 1st–2nd centuries Attic kouros Around 600 BC. e. Marble. Height 193.4 Kouros are statues of young athletes or young warriors, common in the archaic art of Greece. They were installed in honor of the winners, as well as on

Known to many since childhood. Some people were seriously fascinated by the myths of ancient Greece, while others loved ancient culture vaccinated at school. It would seem strange to transfer this knowledge into adulthood, because all this is actually a myth.

Brief introduction:

However, ancient Greek gods and the events that happen to them are reflected in many works of literature and cinema; almost all modern plots are taken precisely from antiquity.


Knowledge of the gods of ancient Greece- a necessary condition for understanding many philosophical issues. That is why every person is simply obliged to know as much as possible about the famous gods from Olympus.


Generations of gods of ancient Grtions

  • Distinguish several generations ancient Greek gods.
  • At first there was only darkness, from which Chaos was formed. Having united together, darkness and chaos gave birth to Erob, who personified darkness, Nyukta, or as she is also callednight, Uranus - the sky, Eros - love, Gaia - mother earth and Tartarus, which is the abyss.

I generation of gods

  • All heavenly gods appeared thanks to the union of Gaia and Uranus, the sea deities originated from Pontos, the union with Tartas led to the emergence of giants, while earthly creatures are the flesh of Gaia herself.
  • In principle, all the ancient Greek gods originated from her; she came up with the names, giving life.
  • Usually the earth goddess was depicted as pretty big women, which rises halfway above the planet..
  • Uranus was the ruler of the universe. If it was depicted, it was only in the form of an all-encompassing bronze dome covering the entire world.
  • Together with Gaia they gave birth to several titan gods:
  • The ocean (all the world's waters, was horned bull with a fish tail)
  • Tethys (also titanide), Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne like the goddess of memory,
  • Crius (this titan had the ability to freeze), Kronos.
  • In addition to the Titans, the Cyclopes are considered children of Uranus and Gaia. Hated by their father, they were sent down to Tartarus for a long time.
  • For a long time, the power of Uranus was beyond comparison; he single-handedly controlled his children, until one of them, Kronos, otherwise called Chronos, decided to overthrow his father from his pedestal.
  • The Time Lord managed to depose his father Uranus by killing him with a sickle. As a result of the death of Uranus, the great titans and titanides appeared on earth, who became the first inhabitants of the planet. Gaia also played a certain role in this; she could not forgive her husband for expelling the firstborn of the Cyclops to Tartarus. From the blood of Uranus, the Erinyes emerged, creatures who patronized blood feuds. Kronos thus achieved unprecedented power, but his father’s expulsion did not go unnoticed by his own personality.
  • Kronos's wife was his Native sister Titanide Rhea.. When Kronos became a father, he was madly afraid that one of his children would also turn out to be a traitor. According to thisTitan devoured his offspring as soon as they were born. Kronos's fears were justified by one of his sons, the great Zeus, who sent his father into the darkness of Tartarus.

II generation of gods

  • The Titans and Titanides are the second generation of ancient Greek gods.

III generation of gods

  • The most famous and familiar to modern man is third generation.
  • As is already clear, the main one among them was Zeus, he was the unconditional leader, all life on earth strictly obeyed him.
  • Besides Zeus t third generation of gods Ancient Greece has 11 more Olympian gods.
  • Their wide popularity is justified by the fact that thesethe gods, as the legends say, came down to people and participated in their lives, while the titans always remained on the sidelines, living their own lives, each performing their functions separately.
  • All 12 gods lived , based on myths, on Mount Olympus. Each of the gods performed its own specific function and had its own talents. Each had a unique character, which was often the cause of people's sorrows or, conversely, joys.

And now about the most famous gods in more detail in a brief summary...

Zeus


Poseidon


The rest of the gods

  • Each of the gods described was incredibly powerful and very revered in ancient Greece, but they were not the only ones who made up the third, most famous generation.
  • The descendants of Zeus also joined him. Among them are the common children of the Thunderer and Hera.
  • For example, Ares personified masculinity and was often called the god of war. Ares never appeared alone anywhere; he was always accompanied by two faithful companions: Eris, the goddess of discord, and Enyo, the goddess of war.
  • His brother Hephaestus was worshiped by all blacksmiths, and he was also the master of fire.
  • He was unloved by his father because he was very ugly in appearance and had a limp.
  • Despite this, he had a total of two wives, Aglaya, and the beautiful Aphrodite.

Aphrodite


Hera was the last, but not the only wife of Zeus. His second wife Themis was consumed by the Thunderer even before Athena was born, but this did not prevent the birth of one of the great goddesses.

Athena was born from her father, Zeus himself, and came out of his head. It personifies war, but not only. She is also known as the embodiment of wisdom and crafts. All the ancient Greeks turned to her, but especially the residents of the city of Athena, since the young goddess was considered the patroness of this locality.

Less known in wide circles another daughter of Zeus and Themis, Ora, who personified the seasons. In addition, the three goddesses Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, who together were simply called Moira, are also credited as daughters of Zeus and Themis.

First, Clotho spun the threads of life, Lachesis determined human destiny, and Anthropos personified death. However, not all sources of information call the Moiras daughters of Zeus; there is another version, according to which they were daughters of the night.

One way or another, all three sisters were constantly close to the supreme god, helping him keep track of people, and predetermining many different destinies.

This is where the children of Zeus, born in a legal marriage, end, and a whole galaxy of illegitimate, but no less revered and respected descendants begins. These are the twin brother and sister Apollo, who was the patron of music and a predictor of the future, and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

They appeared to Zeus after his relationship with Leto. Artemis was born earlier. Speaking about her, not only the image of a huntress pops up in my head, but also a pure and virgin virgin, since Artemis embodied chastity, was not loving, or more precisely, there is not a single confirmation of her possible romances.

But Apollo, on the contrary, is known not only as a golden-haired youth and the embodiment of light, but also for his numerous love affairs. One of love stories became very symbolic for the young god, leaving an eternal reminder of himself in the form of a laurel wreath crowning the head of Apollo.

Another illegitimate son Hermes was born from the galaxy of Maya. He patronized merchants, speakers, gymnasiums and sciences, and was also the god of livestock. During life, the ancient Greeks asked Hermes for the gift of eloquence, and after death they relied on him as a faithful guide in last way. It was Hermes who accompanied the souls of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. Widely known thanks, among other things, to his constant attributes: winged sandals and an invisibility helmet and a staff decorated with metal weave in the form of snakes.

In addition, it is also known about illegitimate daughter Zeus to Persephone, born from the goddess Demeter, as well as about the son Dionysus, who was born by a mere mortal woman Semele. Dionysus, nevertheless, was a full-fledged god, the patron of the theater.

Ariadne became his wife, which brought Dionysus even closer to greatness, making him also one of the most famous gods of ancient Greece. There are other known children of Zeus born from mortal women. This is, for example, Perseus, who was born by the Argive princess Danae, the famous Helen, also the daughter of Zeus, her mother was the Spartan queen Leda, the Phoenician princess gave the Thunderer another descendant of Minos.

All the Olympian gods led a calm, measured lifestyle, succumbing to hobbies, mortal passions, and fleeting amusements, without forgetting to fulfill their direct duties. Life on Olympus was not so simple, due to numerous feuds and intrigues between various gods. Each sought to prove their power without encroaching on the other’s responsibilities, so sooner or later a compromise was reached. But not all the gods of ancient Greece were lucky enough to live on Mount Olympus; some of them lived in other, less well-known places. These are all those who, for whatever reason, fell out of favor with Zeus or simply did not deserve his recognition.

In addition to the Olympian gods, there were others. For example, Hymen, who was the patron saint of marriage. Born thanks to the union of Apollo and the muse Calliope. The goddess of victory Nike was the daughter of the titan Pallatus, Iris, personifying the rainbow, was born of one of the oceanids, Electra. Ata can also be distinguished as the goddess of the gloomy mind; her father was the famous Zeus. The child of Aphrodite and Ares, Phobos, the god of fear, lived separately from his parents, just like his brother Deimos, the lord of horror.

In addition to the gods, ancient Greek mythology also includes muses, nymphs, satyrs and monsters. Each character is thoughtful and individual, carrying some kind of idea. Everyone has a certain type of behavior and thinking, perhaps it is because of this that the world of myths is so much more multifaceted and arouses special interest in childhood.

In conclusion I must say...

The gods described above are only short version. Naturally, this list of gods cannot be called complete. Hundreds of books are not enough to tell about all the gods of ancient Greece without exception, but everyone must know about the existence of the ones described above. If for the inhabitants of ancient Greece the pantheon of gods served as a justification for all kinds of objects and phenomena, then for modern people the images themselves are curious.

It is not their material environment and not the reasons that prompted the birth of such heroes, but precisely the allegories that they evoke. Otherwise, it will be impossible to understand all the ancient Greek myths and legends. Almost any text written in antiquity has references to one or more of the main gods of both the first, second and third generations.

And since all literature and theater of our time are in any case built on ancient ideals, every self-respecting person is obliged to know these ideals. The images of Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo have long become household names; today they are very archetypal, and, oddly enough, understandable to everyone.

Just because you don’t have to get seriously involved Greek mythology in order to know famous story about the Apple of Discord. And there are many such examples. Therefore, the gods of ancient Greece are not just passing characters from childhood, this is something that absolutely every educated adult should know.

Ancient Hellas... A land of myths and legends, a land of fearless heroes and brave sailors. The homeland of the formidable gods sitting on high Olympus. Zeus, Ares, Apollo, Poseidon - these names are familiar to everyone from school history lessons.

Today we will talk about their wives and daughters - the all-powerful ancient goddesses of Greece, who cleverly manipulated their husbands, being the real mistresses of Olympus and mistresses of mortals. These great beings ruled the world, not paying attention to the pitiful people below, because they were the directors and spectators in the greatest theater in the world - Earth.

And when the time came to leave, the proud goddesses of Hellas left traces of their presence on Greek soil, albeit not as noticeable as those of the male half of the Pantheon.

Let's remember the myths about the beautiful, sometimes incredibly cruel daughters of Olympus and take a short trip to the places that are associated with them.

Goddess Hera - patroness of the hearth and family life

Hera is the goddess of ancient Greece, the highest among equals and the nominal mother of almost all the other goddesses of Olympus from the fourth generation (the first generation is the creators of the world, the second is the Titans, the third is the first gods).

Why? Because her husband Zeus is very far from the ideal of a faithful man.

However, Hera herself is good - in order to marry then not even the supreme god, but only the killer of Kronos (the strongest of the titans), Hera fell in love with Zeus, and then refused to become his mistress until he did not vow to make her his wife.

Moreover, the oath featured the waters of the Styx (the river that separates the world of the living and the dead, and has enormous power over both gods and people).

In the madness of love, the oath was pronounced and Hera became the main goddess on Olympus. But Zeus soon enough had enough family life and happily made connections on the side, which embittered Hera and forced her to look for ways to take revenge on those whom her unfaithful husband preferred, and at the same time on his side children.

Hera is the guardian goddess of the hearth and family, helps abandoned wives, punishes unfaithful husbands (which often brings her nose to nose with her flighty daughter-in-law, Aphrodite).


Hera's favorite son is Ares, the god of war, despised by his father for his love of battles and constant killing.

But the hatred of the first lady of Olympus is shared by two creatures - the daughter of Zeus Athena and the son of Zeus Hercules, both of whom were not born by his legal wife, but nevertheless ascended to Olympus.


In addition, Hera is hated by her own son Hephaestus, the god of crafts and the husband of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who was thrown from Olympus by Hera as an infant for his physical deformity.

The largest trace of this cruel lady can be considered the Temple of Hera in ancient Olympia.

The religious building was built at the end of the 7th century BC. e. The massive temple fell into ruins long ago, but thanks to the efforts of several generations of archaeologists, the foundations of the temple and its surviving parts have been restored and are now open to tourists.

In addition, in the Olympia Museum, you can see fragments of statues, dedicated to Hera and understand exactly how the goddess was portrayed by her admirers.

The cost of a ticket to Olympia is 9 euros, which includes entry to the excavation area and the museum. You can take a ticket only to the excavation area, it will cost 6 euros.

Aphrodite – goddess of love in Ancient Greece

Beautiful Aphrodite, whose beauty could only be matched by her frivolity, is not the daughter of Zeus or Hera, but comes from a much older family.

She is the last creation of Uranus, the first of the Titans, castrated by Kronos during the first war for Olympus.

The blood of a titan deprived of a certain part of its body mixed with sea ​​foam and from her arose a treacherous and cruel beauty, who hid in Cyprus from the gaze of Kronos until he was overthrown by Zeus.

Thanks to Hera's cunning plan, Aphrodite married the powerful but ugly Hephaestus. And while he was working in his workshop, the goddess either basked on Olympus, communicating with the gods, or traveled around the world, falling in love with gods and people, and falling in love herself.

The most famous lovers of the flighty beauty were Adonis - beautiful body and a hunter in spirit, with whom the goddess fell in love so much that after him tragic death from the tusks of a boar, she threw herself down the Lydian rock.

And Ares, the god of war and destruction, secretly sent the boar to Adonis.

It was Ares who overflowed the patience of the proud Hephaestus, who set a trap for the lovers - he forged a strong net, so thin that the lovers simply did not notice it when the net was thrown on the bed. In the midst of the “meeting,” Hephaestus’ trap entangled the lovers and lifted them above the bed.

When the god of crafts returned to Olympus, he laughed for a long time at the unlucky lovers, and the disgraced Aphrodite fled for a while to her temple in Cyprus, where she gave birth to the sons of Ares - Phobos and Deimos.

The god of war himself appreciated the elegance and softness of Hephaestus’s trap and accepted defeat with dignity, leaving the beautiful Aphrodite, who was soon forgiven by her husband.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and love madness. She, despite her youthful appearance, is the oldest goddess on Olympus, to whom Hera often turns for help (especially in those cases when the hearth of love for her wife begins to fade in Zeus again). Aphrodite is also considered the goddess of fertility, and also one of the sea goddesses.

Aphrodite's favorite son is Eros, also known as Cupid, the god of carnal love, who always accompanies his mother. She has no permanent enemies on Olympus, but her frivolity often leads to quarrels with Hera and Athena.


Aphrodite's greatest legacy is Paphos, a city in Greek Cyprus located in the place where she once emerged from the sea foam.

This place was appreciated not only by women, but also by men - in some parts of ancient Greece there was a belief that a girl who visited the temple of Aphrodite and entered into a relationship with a stranger in the vicinity of the temple received the blessing of the goddess of love for life.

In addition, the temple housed the bath of Aphrodite, into which the goddess sometimes descended in order to restore her beauty and youth. Greek women believed that if you entered the bathhouse, there was every chance of maintaining youth.

Nowadays, only ruins remain of the temple, open to tourists. Not far from the Temple of Aphrodite in Paphos you can always find both newlyweds and single people, because according to legend, those who find a heart-shaped pebble on the coast will find eternal love.

Warrior Goddess Athena

The goddess Athena is the owner of the most abnormal birth myth.

This goddess is the daughter of Zeus and his first wife Metis, the goddess of wisdom, who, according to the prediction of Uranus, was supposed to give birth to a son, who, in turn, would soon overthrow his thunder father.

Having learned about his wife’s pregnancy, Zeus swallowed her whole, but soon felt wild pain in his head.

Fortunately, the god Hephaestus was on Olympus at that time, who, at the request of the royal father, hit him on the sore part of his body with his hammer, splitting his skull.

From the head of Zeus came a woman in full battle garb, who combined the wisdom of her mother and the talents of her father, becoming the first goddess of war in ancient Greece.

Later, another fan of swinging a sword, Ares, was born and tried to claim his rights, but the goddess, in numerous battles, forced her brother to respect herself, proving to him that battle madness was not enough to win.

The city of Athens is dedicated to the goddess, which she won from Poseidon in the legendary dispute over Attica.
It was Athena who gave the Athenians a priceless gift - the olive tree.

Athena is the first general of Olympus. During the war with the giants, the goddess fought alongside Hercules until she realized that the gods could not win.
Then Athena retreated to Olympus and, while the sons of Zeus were holding back the hordes of giants, she brought the head of Medusa to the battlefield, whose gaze turned the surviving warriors into stones, or rather, into mountains.


Athena is the goddess of wisdom, “smart” war and the patroness of crafts. Athena's second name is Pallas, received in honor of her foster sister, who died due to the oversight of the then-girl Athena - the goddess, without meaning to, accidentally killed her friend.

Having matured, Athena became the most perspicacious of the goddesses of Olympus.

She is a perpetual virgin and rarely gets into conflicts (except those involving her father).

Athena is the most faithful of all the Olympians and even during the exodus of the gods she wished to remain in Greece in the hope that one day she could return to her city.

Athena has neither enemies nor friends on Olympus. Her military prowess is respected by Ares, her wisdom is valued by Hera, and her loyalty is valued by Zeus, but Athena keeps her distance even from her father, preferring solitude.

Athena repeatedly showed herself as the guardian of Olympus, punishing mortals who declared themselves equal to the gods.

Her favorite weapon is a bow and arrow, but often she simply sends Greek heroes to her enemies, repaying them with her favor.

Athena's greatest legacy is her city, which she defended many times, including personally entering the battlefield.

The grateful Athenians built the goddess the most incredible sanctuary in Greece - the famous.

An 11-meter statue of her, made of bronze with a lot of gold, was installed in the temple. famous sculptor Fidiem:

The statue has not survived to this day, as has a significant part of the temple itself, but at the end of the twentieth century, the Greek government restored the legendary ruins and began searching for the removed relics, which are gradually returning to their places.

There were miniature copies of the Parthenon in many Athenian colonies, in particular those on the Black Sea coast.

A long time ago, the all-powerful gods and goddesses of ancient Greece sunk into oblivion. But there are temples dedicated to them, and their great deeds are well remembered by the descendants of those who worshiped them.

And even though Greece no longer honors the mighty Olympians, having become the homeland for Orthodox Church, let scientists try to prove that these gods never existed... Greece remembers! Remembers the love of Zeus and the deceit of Hera, the rage of Ares and the calm power of Athena, the skill of Hephaestus and unique beauty Aphrodite...
And if you come here, she will definitely tell her stories to those who want to listen.

To complement the impression of the ancient gods of Olympus, we get acquainted with the sights that are described in them.

What does the most look like now? high mountain in Greece - the legendary Olympus you will learn by reading this.

A brief excursion into history

Greece was not always called that way. Historians, in particular Herodotus, highlight even more ancient times in those territories that were later called Hellas - the so-called Pelasgian.

This term comes from the name of the Pelasgian tribe (“storks”) who came to the mainland from the Greek island of Lemnos. According to the historiographer’s conclusions, Hellas at that time was called Pelasgia. There were primitive beliefs in something unearthly that would save people - cults of fictitious creatures.

The Pelasgians united with a small Greek tribe and adopted their language, although they never grew from barbarians into a nationality.

Where did the Greek gods and myths about them come from?

Herodotus assumed that the Greeks adopted the names of many gods and their cults from the Pelasgians. At least, the veneration of lower deities and Kabirs - great gods who, with their unearthly power, saved the earth from troubles and dangers. The Sanctuary of Zeus in Dodona (a city near present-day Ioannina) was built much earlier than the still famous Delphic one. From those times came the famous “troika” of Kabiri - Demeter (Axieros), Persephone (Axiokersa, in Italy - Ceres) and her husband Hades (Axiokersos).

In the Pontifical Museum in the Vatican, there is a marble statue of these three cabirs in the form of a triangular column by the sculptor Scopas, who lived and worked in the 4th century BC. e. At the bottom of the pillar are carved miniature images of Mithra-Helios, Aphrodite-Urania and Eros-Dionysus as symbols of the unbroken chain of mythology.

This is where the names of Hermes come from (Camilla, Latin for “servant”). In the “History of Athos” Hades (Hell) is a god other world, and his wife Persephone gave life on earth. Artemis was called Kaleagra.

The new gods of Ancient Hellas descended from the “storks” and took away their right to reign. But they already had a human appearance, although with some exceptions remaining from zoomorphism.

The goddess, the patroness of the city named after her, was born from the brain of Zeus, the main god of the third stage. Consequently, before him, the heavens and the earth's firmament were ruled by others.

The first ruler of the earth was the god Poseidon. During the capture of Troy he was the main deity.

According to mythology, he ruled both the seas and oceans. Since Greece has a lot of island territories, the influence of Poseidon and his cult also applied to them. Poseidon was the brother of many new gods and goddesses, including such famous ones as Zeus, Hades and others.

Next, Poseidon began to look at the continental territory of Hellas, for example, Attica, a huge part south of the central mountain range Balkan Peninsula and to the Peloponnese. He had a reason for this: in the Balkans there was a cult of Poseidon in the form of a fertility demon. Athena wanted to deprive him of such influence.

The goddess won the dispute for the land. The gist of it is this. One day a new alignment of the influence of the gods occurred. At the same time, Poseidon lost his right to land, and the seas were left to him. The sky was seized by the god of thunder and lightning thrower. Poseidon began to dispute the rights to certain territories. He struck the ground during a dispute on Olympus, and water flowed from there, and

Athena gave Attica an olive tree. The gods decided the dispute in favor of the goddess, believing that the trees would more benefits. The city was named after her.

Aphrodite

When the name of Aphrodite is uttered in modern times, her beauty is mainly revered. In ancient times she was the goddess of love. The cult of the goddess first arose in the colonies of Greece, its current islands, founded by the Phoenicians. Worship similar to Aphrodite was then reserved for two other goddesses - Asherah and Astarte. IN Greek pantheon gods

Aphrodite was more suited to the mythical role of Asherah, lover of gardens, flowers, inhabitant of groves, goddess of spring awakening and voluptuousness in pleasure with Adonis.

Reincarnating as Astarte, the “goddess of heights,” Aphrodite became unapproachable, always with a spear in her hand. In this guise, she protected family loyalty and doomed her priestesses to eternal virginity.

Unfortunately, in later times the cult of Aphrodite became bifurcated, so to speak, the differences between the various Aphrodites.

Myths of Ancient Greece about the gods of Olympus

They are the most common and most cultivated in both Greece and Italy. This supreme pantheon of Mount Olympus included six gods - the children of Kronos and Hera (the Thunderer himself, Poseidon and others) and nine descendants of the god Zeus. Among them the most famous are Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite and others like them.

In the modern interpretation of the word “Olympian,” in addition to athletes participating in the Olympics, it means “calmness, self-confidence, external greatness.” And earlier there was also Olympus of the gods. But at that time, these epithets applied only to the head of the pantheon - Zeus, because he fully corresponded to them. We talked about Athena and Poseidon in detail above. Other gods of the pantheon were also mentioned - Hades, Helios, Hermes, Dionysus, Artemis, Persephone.

The main gods in Ancient Hellas those who belonged to the younger generation of celestials were recognized. Once upon a time, it took away power over the world from the older generation, who personified the main universal forces and elements (see about this in the article The Origin of the Gods of Ancient Greece). The gods of the older generation are usually called titans. Having defeated the Titans, the younger gods, led by Zeus, settled on Mount Olympus. The ancient Greeks honored the 12 Olympian gods. Their list usually included Zeus, Hera, Athena, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hermes, Hestia. Hades is also close to the Olympian gods, but he does not live on Olympus, but in his underground kingdom.

Gods of Ancient Greece. Video

God Poseidon (Neptune). Antique statue II century according to R.H.

Olympian goddess Artemis. Statue in the Louvre

Statue of Virgin Athena in the Parthenon. Ancient Greek sculptor Phidias

Venus (Aphrodite) de Milo. Statue approx. 130-100 BC.

Eros Earthly and Heavenly. Artist G. Baglione, 1602

Hymen- companion of Aphrodite, god of marriage. After his name, wedding hymns were also called hymens in Ancient Greece.

- daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by the god Hades. The inconsolable mother, after a long search, found Persephone in the underworld. Hades, who made her his wife, agreed that she should spend part of the year on earth with her mother, and the other with him in the bowels of the earth. Persephone was the personification of grain, which, being “dead” sown into the ground, then “comes to life” and comes out of it into the light.

The abduction of Persephone. Antique jug, ca. 330-320 BC.

Amphitrite- wife of Poseidon, one of the Nereids

Proteus- one of the sea deities of the Greeks. Son of Poseidon, who had the gift of predicting the future and changing his appearance

Triton- the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a messenger of the deep sea, blowing a shell. By appearance- a mixture of man, horse and fish. Close to the eastern god Dagon.

Eirene- goddess of peace, standing at the throne of Zeus on Olympus. IN Ancient Rome- goddess Pax.

Nika- goddess of victory. Constant companion of Zeus. In Roman mythology - Victoria

Dike- in Ancient Greece - the personification of divine truth, a goddess hostile to deception

Tyukhe- goddess of luck and good fortune. For the Romans - Fortuna

Morpheusancient greek god dreams, son of the god of sleep Hypnos

Plutos– god of wealth

Phobos(“Fear”) – son and companion of Ares

Deimos(“Horror”) – son and companion of Ares

Enyo- among the ancient Greeks - the goddess of frantic war, who arouses rage in the fighters and brings confusion into the battle. In Ancient Rome - Bellona

Titans

Titans are the second generation of gods of Ancient Greece, generated by natural elements. The first Titans were six sons and six daughters, descended from the connection of Gaia-Earth with Uranus-Sky. Six sons: Cronus (Time among the Romans - Saturn), Ocean (father of all rivers), Hyperion, Kay, Kriy, Iapetus. Six daughters: Tethys(Water), Theia(Shine), Rhea(Mother Mountain?), Themis (Justice), Mnemosyne(Memory), Phoebe.

Uranus and Gaia. Ancient Roman mosaic 200-250 AD.

In addition to the Titans, Gaia gave birth to Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires from her marriage with Uranus.

Cyclops- three giants with a large, round, fiery eye in the middle of their forehead. In ancient times - personifications of clouds from which lightning flashes

Hecatoncheires- “hundred-handed” giants, against whose terrible strength nothing can resist. Incarnations of terrible earthquakes and floods.

The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires were so strong that Uranus himself was horrified by their power. He tied them up and threw them deep into the earth, where they are still rampaging, causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The presence of these giants in the belly of the earth began to cause terrible suffering. Gaia persuaded her youngest son, Krona, to take revenge on his father, Uranus, by castrating him.

Cron did it with a sickle. From the drops of blood of Uranus that spilled, Gaia conceived and gave birth to three Erinyes - goddesses of vengeance with snakes on their heads instead of hair. The names of Erinny are Tisiphone (the killing avenger), Alecto (the tireless pursuer) and Megaera (the terrible). From that part of the seed and blood of castrated Uranus that fell not on the ground, but in the sea, the goddess of love Aphrodite was born.

Night-Nyukta, in anger at the lawlessness of Krona, gave birth to terrible creatures and deities Tanata (Death), Eridu(Discord) Apata(Deception), goddesses violent death Ker, Hypnos(Dream-Nightmare), Nemesis(Revenge), Gerasa(Old age), Charona(carrier of the dead to the underworld).

Power over the world has now passed from Uranus to the Titans. They divided the universe among themselves. Cronus became the supreme god instead of his father. The ocean gained power over a huge river, which, according to the ideas of the ancient Greeks, flows around the entire earth. Four other brothers of Crohn reigned in the four cardinal directions: Hyperion - in the East, Crius - in the south, Iapetus - in the West, Kay - in the North.

Four of the six elder titans married their sisters. From them came the younger generation of titans and elemental deities. From the marriage of Ocean with his sister Tethys (Water), all the earth's rivers and water nymphs, the Oceanids, were born. Titan Hyperion - (“high-walking”) took his sister Theia (Shine) as his wife. From them were born Helios (Sun), Selena(Moon) and Eos(Dawn). From Eos were born the stars and the four gods of the winds: Boreas(North wind), Note(South wind), Marshmallow(west wind) and Eurus(Eastern wind). The Titans Kay (Heavenly Axis?) and Phoebe gave birth to Leto (Night Silence, mother of Apollo and Artemis) and Asteria (Starlight). Kron himself married Rhea (Mother Mountain, the personification of the productive power of mountains and forests). Their children are the Olympic gods Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus.

The Titan Crius married the daughter of Pontus Eurybia, and the Titan Iapetus married the oceanid Clymene, who gave birth to the Titans Atlas (he holds the sky on his shoulders), the arrogant Menoetius, the cunning Prometheus (“thinking first, foreseeing”) and the feeble-minded Epimetheus (“thinking after").

From these titans came others:

Hesperus- god of the evening and the evening star. His daughters from the night-Nyukta are the nymphs Hesperides, who guard on the western edge of the earth a garden with golden apples, once presented by Gaia-Earth to the goddess Hera upon her marriage to Zeus

Ory- goddesses of parts of the day, seasons and periods of human life.

Charites- goddess of grace, fun and joy of life. There are three of them - Aglaya (“Rejoicing”), Euphrosyne (“Joy”) and Thalia (“Abundance”). A number of Greek writers have different names for charites. In Ancient Rome they corresponded to grace