Zeus

Zeus was the King of the Gods as well as the gods of the sky and thunder. His equivalent in Roman mythology is Jupiter. After conquering the Titans with the help of his brothers Hades and Poseidon, Zeus shared the world with his siblings and became the ruler of the heavens. The Olympics, a major sporting event in ancient Greece, was a tribute to Zeus.

Zeus has many offspring with his consort Hera and other goddesses and mortals alike. Some of his children include many Olympian gods including Ares, Hermes and Athena. His children born of mortals include Heracles, also known as Hercules, a famous mythical hero.

Zeus is symbolised by the lightning bolt.

Hades

Hades is the god of the dead and of the Underworld. His equivalent in Roman mythology is Pluto. He is the oldest out of his brothers Zeus and Poseidon. He resides in The Realm of Hades. The three-headed dog Cerberus guards the Realm. Hades was feared and loathed by the mortals and very much disliked by the other Olympian gods because of his rather gloomy and dark personality.

Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter is the consort of Hades. According to Greek mythology, Hades kidnapped Persephone. Heartbroken, Demeter cast a curse on the land causing a great famine. After Zeus intervened with this incident, Demeter and Hades compromised by allowing a Persephone to spend part of the year with each of them. During the time Persephone is with Hades in the Underworld, Demeter mourns, leaving the Earth barren.

Hades is symbolised by the pomegranate fruit and the Helm of Darkness.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the god of the sea, storms and earthquakes His equivalent in Roman mythology is Neptune. He is the middle child out of his two brothers Hades and Zeus. In ancient mythology, Poseidon was swallowed by his father Cronus along with his other siblings but was rescued by his brother Zeus.

Poseidon is widely worshipped and competed with the goddess Athena to become the patron of Athens. His son Triton is a merman and the messenger of the sea.

Poseidon is symbolised by the triton.

Hera

Hera is the goddess of women, birth and marriage. Her equivalent in Roman mythology is Juno. She is the sister and consort of Zeus and sister to Hades, Poseidon, Demeter and Hestia. The eldest of her sisters, she was swallowed by her father Cronus but was freed by Zeus.

Hera has shown much jealousy and hatred towards the children of Zeus by other mortal women. A well known example of this is when she sent two serpents to murder the infant Heracles in his sleep but he killed them with his incredible strength.

Peacock feathers are sacred to Hera.

Demeter

Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, earth and agriculture. Her equivalent in Roman mythology is Ceres. She is the elder sister of Zeus and like her siblings, was swallowed by her father Cronus.

One of the most famous myths about Demeter was about her and her daughter, Persephone. Hades kidnapped Persephone, leaving Demeter devastated. Her grief plunged the earth into a drought and brought chaos to the land. Zeus could not bear to see this continue and sent Hermes to retrieve Persephone. Hades complied with this request but Persephone had eaten the pomegranate seeds that were sacred to Hades. In doing so, she was forced to return to Hades for a third of the year. During this time, Demeter grieves and wanders the earth in search of Persephone.

Poppies and wheat are sacred to Demeter.

Athena

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, crafts and war. Her equivalent in Roman mythology is Minerva. Athena is also the patron of the Greek capital Athens, named in honour of her. Zeus swallowed her mother, Metis, before Athena was born. Hence she was born inside Zeus’ head. After complaining of excruciating headaches, Zeus asked his son Hephasteus to crack his head open and Athena burst forth from it.

In an ancient myth, Athena was said to have transformed the Gorgon, Medusa, into a monster. Athena did so as Medusa had been disrespectful in her temple.

Olive branches are sacred to Athena.

Artemis

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, the forests, the wilderness and childbirth. Her equivalent in Roman mythology is Diana. Artemis is the twin sister of the god Apollo and the daughter of Zeus.

According to legend, Artemis spent much of her time looking for tools and weapons to become a huntress. She received her bow and arrow from The Kyklopes. Also, she received a chariot made of gold and pulled by four golden horned deers.

The deer, bow and arrow are sacred to Artemis.

Apollo

Apollo is the god of the sun, light, poetry and music. He is still associated with his Greek name in Roman mythology. Apollo is the son of Zeus by Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He was given the lyre by Hermes.

In his early years, Apollo killed the dragon Python that had been sent by Hera to kill his mother Leto. He did this in Delphi near the Castalian Spring that emitted sweet vapours that caused the Oracle at Delphi to give her predictions. Hence, the temple in which the Oracle at Delphi lived in was dedicated to Apollo.

The lyre, bow and arrow are sacred to Apollo.

Hermes

Hermes is the god of commerce, travellers and thieves. His equivalent in Roman mythology is Mercury. Hermes is also the messenger of the gods to humans. The son of Zeus, Hermes was thought to have invented many sports and was a patron to athletes.

Many travellers would give offerings to Hermes before their journey, as he would offer protection to them in return. His winged sandals allowed him to travel with ease, even to the Realm of Hades and return to Olympus safely. Hermes also invented the lyre and traded it with Apollo.

Hermes is symbolised by his winged sandals.