The 14 most relevant Greek gods of Ancient Greece

A summary of the Olympian gods of Ancient Greece, deities that marked an era.

Greek mythology is one of the most popular in Western culture. It has served as 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 of the ancient Greeks, which tells how it would have been the origin of the universe, following the power of the Gods of Olympus.

The Greek Gods and their mythology have been spread especially by the oral way, although also through the prose it has been given to know the epic stories of their heroes.

The most important Greek gods

Ancient Greek culture developed one of the most interesting pantheons of gods in the history of Europe, and its influence was such that even the Romans took these deities as a reference point. influence was such that even the Romans took these deities as a reference point.. Greco-Roman culture arose, in part, from a mixture of these Greek influences, which have reached our days, although the religion on which these icons and concepts linked to the sacred were based has already disappeared.

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

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 who inhabit the earth. He is originally from the island of Cretewhere at birth he was rescued from the jaws of his father, Cronus.

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

Rhea hid and raised Zeus until he became the maximum referent of the Greek Gods. However, it should be noted that despite being the main Greek god, he was much more humanized than the Judeo-Christian God, and was even described as an opportunist and an entity given to deception (especially adopting 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 his pleasure.. He is a native of the city of Rhodes, where he was raised by the Telchines (marine-terrestrial hybrid creatures).

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

Poseidon joins forces with Zeus to defeat Cronus, and thus receives thus receives his famous trident, as well as the custody of the seas and oceans.as well as the custody of the seas and oceans.

3. Hades: god of the underworld

Hades was the eldest of the sons of the titan Cronus.. He was devoured 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 Cronus.

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

He is usually associated with evil, but Hades can be seen as a noble god who always, however confused he might seem, sought to maintain in the world a proper balance between good and evil. a proper balance between good and evil in the world..

4. Hermes: the messenger of the Gods

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

His greatest feat is to have gone to the underworld, on behalf of Zeus, to negotiate with his uncle (Hades himself), so that he would set her sister Persephone free.which he achieved thanks to his divine rhetoric.

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 attributed with the responsibility of watching over marriages and births, as well as providing special protection for them.She was always of a noble and very human personality.

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

6. Hephaestus: Hero of the Gods

The artisans had their 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 very clear. There are versions where it is indicated that he is only son of Hera.

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

He was rescued from the sea by the Goddess Thetis (mother of Achilles) 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 woman named Semele, this Greek god is also known as the ruler of the is also known as the ruler of agriculture.

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

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

8. Athena: goddess of wisdom

She is one of the main and most influential goddesses of Olympus. The stories tell that she was born directly from the head of Zeus, once he swallowed her mother, Athena emerged with the help of Hephaestus, who opened the head of Zeus; Hence her great abilities for science and strategy, gifts that also served her well in theHence her great skills in science and strategy, which also served her well on the battlefield, where she was a relentless warrior.

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

9. Apollo: god of the Sun

In the stories 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 disease and healing, of plagues and antidotes against them. This Deity is the perfect balance between the healthy and the unhealthy.

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

But his greatest feat, undoubtedly, is to have directed the arrow of Prince Paris to the heel of Achilles, causing his death.

10. Artemis: goddess of hunting

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

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

Many hunting companions, among them the mortal Orion, tried 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.He is the violence in its maximum expression. He is the founder of the city of Thebes, where the Spartans live.

Despite being the god of war, Ares was defeated on several occasions by his sister Athena. It is also known 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. She is born from the sperm of the Greek Titan Uranus, whose testicles were cut off by Cronus.

She emerges directly from the sea as an adultShe is desired by many men from the very first moment.

For fear of a conflict in Olympus, Zeus decides that Hephaestus will be the one 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 dishonor that represented the adultery committed by Aphrodite, complained to the Gods of Olympus, but they ignored his claims, and were envious of Ares.