Mythology offers a fascinating, colorful journey into ancient times. Immortal powerful beings lived on high mountain Olympus and, according to myths, influenced the structure of the world, changed the lives of people who turned to them for help. What were the gods ancient Greece: list and description of their deeds, meaning for the Greeks.
In Ancient Hellas, the most revered were the younger celestials, who defeated the older gods - the Titans. The young gods of ancient Greece settled on Mount Olympus, with the exception of Hades, who lived in his underground kingdom. Each immortal had a certain higher authority and performed its functions. The gods were no strangers to experiences and feelings; their behavior sometimes resembled people. The only thing they differed in was immortality.
In ancient Greece, 12 deities were worshiped. This list does not include the underground god Hades, but he was revered and feared by the people of Ancient Greece. Over time, the relationship between immortal creatures has grown into myths and legends that are of genuine interest today.
We offer a list and pictures of all 12 Olympian gods and Hades:
Apollo
Mighty Zeus
Zeus was considered the main god on Olympus and the ruler of the whole world in ancient Greece. Lord of thunder and lightning, distributing good and evil. Zeus's father was the titan Kronos, and his mother was Rhea. Kronos was predicted that he would lose power because of his own children. In order to prevent this, the titan swallowed all of its newborn children. Rhea managed to hide the son of Zeus in a cave where the boy was growing up. The matured Zeus teamed up with his brothers and sisters to overthrow Kronos. After the death of the ruler, the brothers divided power: Zeus got the heavens, Poseidon the sea, Hades the underworld.
At the beginning of his reign, Zeus was a real tyrant. Tried to destroy the human race twice. Only after consolidating his position in power did he slightly loosen the reins of government. The ancient Greek gods submitted to the power of the Thunderer, only occasionally trying to rebel. Zeus brought kings to rule, strengthened rights and order.
The wife of Zeus was the majestic Hera. Her husband appreciated her and gave her honors. The Thunderer was a passionate person; in addition to his wife, he had many love affairs.
Zeus' lovers were:
- Diameter,
- Eurynoma,
- Mnemosyne,
- Mayan,
- Themis.
Not all women reciprocated the thunderer's feelings. Then Zeus took the form of their lovers, animals, natural phenomena in order to achieve his goal.
Hera gave birth to three children: Hephaestus, Hebe and Ares. Other women gave birth to Hermes, Charit, Persephone, Aphrodite and many others.
Note! All of Zeus' wives were his sisters.
Useful video: Zeus is the most powerful God of Olympus
God of War Ares
Preferred bloody, treacherous massacres carried out for the sake of war itself... God of war in Greek mythology was so cruel and ferocious that his own father hated him. In Greek mythology, the origins of Ares are ambiguous. Some sources claim that he was born from immaculate conception the magical flower of Hera. According to another version, the parents were Zeus and Hera.
The father hated his son so much that if it were not for the relationship, he would have severely punished him. A loving mother always protected Ares and helped. But she could not accept her son’s vicious relationship with Aphrodite.
According to myth, Ares was a merciless warrior who crushed many enemies. Not a single thing could be done without him bloody battle. His companions Enyo and Eris accompanied him in all battles, causing fury among the warriors and patronizing discord. .The God of War was not considered invincible. After each defeat, he became submissive and quiet for a short time, and came to his father with complaints.
Ares was handsome, had a muscular, strong body, fair skin, regular facial features, so he often indulged in lovemaking. Thanks to his beauty, even with a very vile character, he was very popular with the opposite sex. Immortal, simple women competed with each other for the right to become his lover.
He never raped women, captivated by his charisma, the ladies gave themselves to him of their own free will. A passionate, ardent lover gave unearthly pleasure, so women always remembered their lover with warmth and love.
Ares had many lovers, but the only woman he loved was Aphrodite. Their connection in mythology is even called marriage, despite the fact that the beloved was married to Hephaestus. In mythology, the relationship between Ares and Aphrodite is described with condemnation.
Numerous love affairs gave him about 50 children. Aphrodite gave birth to seven children: Pothos, Himeros, Deimos, Phobos, Anteros, Eros and Harmony. Ares loved his children, always came to the rescue, stood up for the heirs.
Some people are now turning to the divine fighter: asking for victory over enemies, success.
Majestic Apollo
Apollo is the sun god of the Greeks. He was revered as the patron of artistic attractiveness. He was also a healer, a talented predictor, and a brave hero. The ambitious, eternally young god occupied a place of honor on Olympus. He was second after Zeus.
Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born on the island of Delos. Their parents are Zeus and Leto. The children were born at seven months old on the seventh day of the month. It was from that time that the seventh number began to be revered by the Greeks. Their mother had to hide from Hera’s wrath for a long time. The rest of the inhabitants of Olympus joyfully received the news of the birth of babies, generously gifted them, fed them with ambrosia and nectar.
The young man quickly matured. On the fourth day after birth, he already killed the snake. At the age of four he built a temple. The giant Titius, who insulted Leto's mother, suffered from the arrows of the young god. For killing the serpent Python, he was exiled by his father to Earth, where he served as a shepherd for eight years. A handsome, charming man was very popular among women. But despite this, he was unhappy in love. Many women deceived him and rejected his love. Coronis gave birth to Asclepius, Cyrene - Aristaeus. Also among the offspring were Pythagoras, Euripides, and Orpheus.
Useful video: Apollo - light and darkness
Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmithing. Since childhood I was weak and ugly. Hera's own mother, seeing her sick child, was ashamed to show him to other deities and threw him into the sea, but the baby survived. The sea goddess Thetis became the adoptive mother. When Hephaestus grew up, his own mother recognized her son. According to some myths, the lame Hephaestus forgave his own mother, even defended her before Zeus. For disobedience, the Thunderer threw Hephaestus from a cliff, which caused him to become lame on both legs.
All buildings on Olympus were built by Hephaestus. The Olympic army was equipped with armor made by his hands. He had a great love for blacksmithing. If other ancient Greek gods were reluctant to engage physical labor, Hephaestus spent all his time at work. Craftsmen and blacksmiths turned to him for help. The patron of crafts taught people blacksmithing. Hephaestus symbolizes the power, complex nature of the flame.
He was ugly and therefore not interesting to women. By order of Zeus, Aphrodite became his wife. The beautiful wife was unable to love her husband, to whom she was forcibly married.
Beautiful Aphrodite
The goddess of love in myths - Aphrodite - was revered by the Greeks as the embodiment eternal spring and youth. She patronized beauty, fertility, and marriages. She was asked for her lover's favor. Many generations associate the names of Aphrodite and Apollo with beauty and impeccability.
Aphrodite brought peace and harmony into people's lives. But the goddess's favor extended only to those who revered her. She severely punished everyone who did not appreciate her gifts. This is what happened with Narcissus. The handsome young man paid with his life for not appreciating his beauty and the benefits bestowed by Aphrodite.
The impeccable beauty of the goddess Aphrodite conquered the inhabitants of Olympus and mere mortals. She was served by the patroness of grace and beauty - Harita and Ora. Everywhere where her foot stepped, flowers bloomed. Aphrodite never suffered defeat in love affairs, she always received reciprocity from her lovers, and personified voluptuousness.
The goddess of love Aphrodite was not faithful in marriage and easily started relationships with other men. She did not give her husband a single heir, while she gave birth to many children to her lovers. The fruits of their love with Ares were: Phobos, Deimos, Harmony, Eros, Anteros. She gave Dionysus a son, Priapus. From Hermes, Aphrodite gave birth to Hemaphrodite. Aeneas was born to the goddess from King Anchises.
There are two versions of the birth of Aphrodite. According to one of them, she was born as an adult from sea foam and came ashore on the island of Cyprus. According to another version, she was born traditional way, parents were Zeus and the nymph Dione.
Useful video: mistress of love desires
Conclusion
The ancient Greek gods are endowed with all the virtues and vices that are inherent in people themselves. The Greeks used myths to explain phenomena they did not understand. The Celestials were not without weaknesses. Behind his power and beautiful appearance, there were many vices hidden. Getting to know the gods allows you to learn better about the life and customs of ancient peoples, and get in touch with history.
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 Mithras-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 the god of the 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 of the 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 lands. 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 be more useful. 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 the Greek pantheon of 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 modern interpretation The word “Olympian,” except for athletes participating in the Olympics, means “calmness, self-confidence, outward 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.
Gods of Olympus of Ancient Greece
Names are ancient greek gods, which everyone knows - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hephaestus - are actually the descendants of the main inhabitants of heaven - the Titans. Having defeated them, the younger gods, led by Zeus, became the inhabitants of Mount Olympus. The Greeks worshiped, revered and paid tribute to the 12 gods of Olympus, personifying in Ancient Greece elements, virtue or the most important areas of social and cultural life.
Worshiped Ancient Greeks and Hades, but he did not live on Olympus, but lived underground, in the kingdom of the dead.
Who is more important? Gods of Ancient Greece
They got along well with each other, but sometimes there were clashes between them. From their life, which is described in Ancient Greek treatises, the legends and myths of this country emerged. Among the celestials there were those who occupied the high steps of the podium, while others were content with glory, being at the feet of the rulers. The list of gods of Olympia is as follows:
Zeus.
Hera.
Hephaestus.
Athena.
Poseidon.
Apollo.
Artemis.
Ares.
Demeter.
Hermes.
Aphrodite.
Hestia.
Zeus- the most important of all. He is the king of all gods. This thunderer personifies the endless firmament. Led by lightning. It is this ruler who distributes good and evil on the planet, the Greeks believed. The son of the titans married his own sister. Their four children were named Ilithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus and Ares. Zeus is a terrible traitor. He constantly engaged in adultery with other goddesses. He did not neglect earthly girls either. Zeus had something to surprise them with. He appeared to the Greek women either in the form of rain, or as a swan or a bull. Symbols of Zeus are eagle, thunder, oak.
Poseidon. This god ruled over the sea elements. In importance he was in second place after Zeus. In addition to oceans, seas and rivers, storms and sea monsters, Poseidon was “responsible” for earthquakes and volcanoes. In ancient Greek mythology, he was the brother of Zeus. Poseidon lived in a palace underwater. He rode around in a rich chariot drawn by white horses. The trident is the symbol of this Greek god.
Hera. She is the main of the female goddesses. This celestial goddess patronizes family traditions, marriage and love unions. Hera is jealous. She cruelly punishes people for adultery.
Apollo- son of Zeus. He is the twin brother of Artemis. Initially, this god was the personification of light, the sun. But gradually his cult expanded its borders. This god turned into the patron of the beauty of the soul, mastery of art, and everything beautiful. The muses were under his influence. Before the Greeks, he appeared in a rather refined image of a man with aristocratic features. Apollo played excellent music and was engaged in healing and divination. He is the father of the god Asclepius, the patron saint of doctors. At one time, Apollo destroyed the terrible monster that occupied Delphi. For this he was exiled for 8 years. Later he created his own oracle, the symbol of which was the laurel.
Without Artemis The ancient Greeks did not imagine hunting. The patroness of forests personifies fertility, birth and high relations between the sexes.
Athena. Everything related to wisdom, spiritual beauty and harmony is under the auspices of this goddess. She is a great inventor, lover of science and art. Artisans and farmers are subordinate to her. Athena “gives the go-ahead” for the construction of cities and buildings. Thanks to her, public life flows smoothly. This goddess is called upon to protect the walls of fortresses and castles.
Hermes. This ancient Greek god is quite mischievous and has earned the reputation of being a fidget. Hermes is the patron of travelers and traders. He is also the messenger of the gods on earth. It was on his heels that charming wings began to shine for the first time. The Greeks attribute traits of resourcefulness to Hermes. He is cunning, smart and knows all foreign languages. When Hermes stole a dozen cows from Apollo, earning his wrath. But he was forgiven, because Apollo was captivated by the invention of Hermes - the lyre, which he presented to the god of beauty.
Ares. This god personifies war and everything connected with it. All kinds of battles and battles - under the representation of Ares. He is always young, strong and handsome. The Greeks painted him as powerful and warlike.
Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love and sensuality. Aphrodite constantly incites her son Eros to shoot arrows that ignite the fire of love in the hearts of people. Eros is the prototype of the Roman Cupid, a boy with a bow and quiver.
Hymen- god of marriage. Its bonds bind the hearts of people who met and fell in love with each other at first sight. Ancient Greek wedding chants were called "hymens".
Hephaestus- god of volcanoes and fire. Potters and blacksmiths are under his patronage. This is a hardworking and kind god. His fate did not turn out very well. He was born with a limp because his mother Hera threw him from Mount Olympus. Hephaestus was educated by the goddesses - the queens of the sea. On Olympus he returned and generously rewarded Achilles, presenting him with a shield and Helios with a chariot.
Demeter. She personifies the forces of nature that people have conquered. This is agriculture. A person’s entire life is under the watchful control of Demeter - from birth to deathbed.
Hestia. This goddess patronizes family ties, protects the hearth and comfort. The Greeks took care of offerings to Hestia by setting up altars in their homes. All residents of one city are one big community-family, the Greeks are sure. Even in the main city building there was a symbol of Hestia's sacrifices.
Hades- ruler of the kingdom of the dead. In his underground world, dark creatures, dark shadows, and demonic monsters rejoice. Hades is considered one of the most powerful gods. He moved around the kingdom of Hades in a chariot made of gold. His horses are black. Hades - owns untold wealth. All the gems and ores that are contained in the depths belong to him. The Greeks feared him more than fire and even Zeus himself.
Except 12 gods of Olympus and Hades, the Greeks also have a lot of gods and even demigods. All of them are descendants and brothers of the main celestials. Each of them has its own legends or myths.
Greek coast and its features
The seas attract tourists the most in Greece. This is the real natural heritage of the country, creating comfortable conditions for living and recreation. Almost all of Greece is comfortably located on the coast, and is washed from different sides by three seas, each of which is shrouded in legends and myths. According to ancient legend Hellas was born from the sea, which from ancient times determined the employment of the population of the entire coast. Frear ton Inusson is the deepest depression in the Mediterranean Sea, with a depth of 4850 meters, due to which the country's topography has elevation differences of about 7 km. taking into account the highest point in Greece - Mount Olympus, whose height is 2917 m.
Gastronomic trip to Greece
Vacation is exactly the time when you want to do only the things you love. Everyone imagines vacation in their own way: new places, Fresh air, lots of impressions, leisurely walks, plenty of sleep, delicious food. For this reason, many go on vacation to other countries, because it is believed that the best way to relax is by changing the environment. And to make your vacation healthy, you should pay a lot of attention to your vacation menu. Where do we have the healthiest food? Of course, in the Mediterranean countries, and especially in Greece. Therefore, we invite you on a gastronomic journey to this country.
What do the Greeks laugh at?
Caryatids - a monument of Ancient Greek architecture
What do you know about Caryatid? This attraction of Greece is on the list of TOP 10 monuments that you must visit upon arrival in the country.
Kifara - one of the most common musical instruments in Ancient Greece
The main gods in Ancient Hellas were recognized as those who belonged to the younger generation of celestials. 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 older generation of gods 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.
- the main deity of ancient Greek mythology, the king of all other gods, the personification of the boundless sky, the lord of lightning. In Roman religion Jupiter corresponded to it.
P
oseidon - the god of the seas, among the ancient Greeks - the second most important deity after Zeus. Like olithe symbol of the changeable and turbulent water element, Poseidon was closely associated with earthquakes and volcanic activity. In Roman mythology he was identified with Neptune.Hades - the ruler of the gloomy underground kingdom of the dead, inhabited by the ethereal shadows of the dead and terrible demonic creatures. Hades (Hades), Zeus and Poseidon made up the triad of the most powerful gods of Ancient Hellas. As ruler of the depths of the earth, Hades was also involved in agricultural cults, with which his wife, Persephone, was closely associated. The Romans called him Pluto.
Hera - sister and wife of Zeus, the main female goddess of the Greeks. Patroness of marriage and conjugal love. Jealous Hera severely punishes violation of marriage bonds. For the Romans, it corresponded to Juno.
Apollo - originally the god of sunlight, whose cult then gained broader meaning and connection with the ideas of spiritual purity, artistic beauty, medical healing, and retribution for sins. As a patron creative activity considered the head of the nine muses, as a healer - the father of the god of doctors, Asclepius. The image of Apollo among the ancient Greeks was formed under the strong influence of Eastern cults (the Asia Minor god Apelun) and carried refined, aristocratic features. Apollo was also called Phoebus. Under the same names he was revered in Ancient Rome
Artemis - sister of Apollo, virgin goddess of forests and hunting. Like the cult of Apollo, the veneration of Artemis was brought to Greece from the East (the Asia Minor goddess Rtemis). Artemis's close connection with forests stems from her ancient function as the patroness of vegetation and fertility in general. The virginity of Artemis also contains a dull echo of the ideas of birth and sexual relations. In Ancient Rome she was revered in the person of the goddess Diana.
Athena - goddess spiritual harmony and wisdom. She was considered the inventor and patroness of most sciences, arts, spiritual pursuits, agriculture, and crafts. With the blessing of Pallas Athena, cities are built and public life continues. The image of Athena as a defender of fortress walls, a warrior, a goddess who, at her very birth, emerged from the head of her father, Zeus, armed, is closely connected with the functions of patronage of cities and the state. For the Romans, Athena corresponded to the goddess Minerva.
Hermes is the ancient pre-Greek god of roads and field boundaries, all boundaries separating one from the other. Because of his ancestral connection with roads, Hermes was later revered as the messenger of the gods with wings on his heels, the patron of travel, merchants and trade. His cult was also associated with ideas about resourcefulness, cunning, subtle mental activity (skillful differentiation of concepts), knowledge foreign languages. The Romans have Mercury.
Ares is the wild god of war and battles. In Ancient Rome - Mars.
Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of sensual love and beauty. Her type is very close to the Semitic-Egyptian veneration of the productive forces of nature in the image of Astarte (Ishtar) and Isis. The famous legend about Aphrodite and Adonis is inspired by the ancient eastern myths about Ishtar and Tammuz, Isis and Osiris. The ancient Romans identified it with Venus.
Eros - son of Aphrodite, divine boy with a quiver and bow. At the request of his mother, he shoots well-aimed arrows that ignite incurable love in the hearts of people and gods. In Rome - Amur.
Hymen - companion of Aphrodite, god of marriage. After his name, wedding hymns were called hymens in Ancient Greece.
Hephaestus - a god whose cult in the era of hoary antiquity was associated with volcanic activity - fire and roar. Later, thanks to the same properties, Hephaestus became the patron of all crafts associated with fire: blacksmithing, pottery, etc. In Rome, the god Vulcan corresponded to him.
Demeter - in Ancient Greece, she personified the productive force of nature, but not wild, as Artemis once was, but “ordered”, “civilized”, the one that manifests itself in regular rhythms. Demeter was considered the goddess of agriculture, who rules the annual natural cycle of renewal and decay. She also directed the cycle human life- from birth to death. This last side of the cult of Demeter constituted the content of the Eleusinian mysteries.
Persephone - daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by the god Hades. Inconsolable mother after 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.
Hestia - patron goddess of the hearth, family and community ties. Altars to Hestia stood in every ancient Greek house and in the main public building a city where all citizens were considered one big family.
Dionysus - the god of winemaking and those violent natural forces that drive a person to insane delight. Dionysus was not one of the 12 “Olympian” gods of Ancient Greece. His orgiastic cult was borrowed relatively late from Asia Minor. The common people's veneration of Dionysus was contrasted with the aristocratic service of Apollo. From the frenzied dances and songs at the festivals of Dionysus, ancient Greek tragedy and comedy later emerged.
Ancient Greek mythology was formed in the south of the Balkan Peninsula and became the basis of the worldview of the peoples of the Mediterranean in antiquity. It had a strong influence on ideas about the world in the pre-Christian era, and also became the basis for many later folklore stories.
In this article we will look at who the gods of Ancient Greece were, how the Greeks treated them, how the ancient greek mythology and what influence it had on later civilizations.
The origins of Greek mythology
The settlement of the Balkans by Indo-European tribes - the ancestors of the Greeks - occurred in several stages. The first wave of settlers were the founders Mycenaean civilization, which we know from archaeological data and Linear B.
Initially higher power in the minds of the ancients they did not have personification (the element did not have an anthropomorphic appearance), although there were family ties between them. There were also legends about the universe, linking gods and people.
As the settlers settled in a new place, their religious views also modified. This happened thanks to contacts with the local population and events that had a strong impact influence on the life of the ancients. In their minds, both natural phenomena (change of seasons, earthquakes, eruptions, floods) and human actions (the same wars) could not do without the intervention or direct will of the gods, which is reflected in literary works. Moreover, later interpretations of events, when their participants were no longer alive, were based precisely on divine intrigue (for example, the Trojan War).
Influence of Minoan culture
The Minoan civilization, located on the island of Crete and a number of smaller ones (Thira), was partly the predecessor of the Greek one. Relatives The Minoans did not come to the Greeks. They, judging by archaeological data, originated from prehistoric Asia Minor from Neolithic times. During their life on Crete they formed unified culture, language (it has not been completely deciphered) and religious ideas based on the mother cult (the name of the Great Goddess has not reached us) and bull worship.
The state that existed on Crete did not survive the crisis of the Bronze Age. Climate change on mainland Eurasia has led to mass migrations from the mainland, which Crete did not escape; Pelasgians and other so-called “peoples of the sea” (as they were called in Egypt) began to settle on it, and later - the second wave of Greek settlers - the Dorians. The volcanic eruption on the island of Thira led to a protracted economic crisis, from which the Minoan civilization never recovered.
Nevertheless, the religion of the Minoans had a strong influence on that of the Greeks who moved here. The island fits firmly into their ideas about the world, there they placed the homeland of many of their gods, and the legend of the Minotaur (a remnant of the bull cult) survived both Ancient Greece and subsequent eras.
Names of the gods of Mycenaean Greece
In the tablets written in Linear B, it was possible to read the names of some gods. They are also known to us from later inscriptions, already classical. The difficulty in reading these tablets was that the letter itself was borrowed o (like all letter systems) from Minoan, which, in turn, was a development of the old hieroglyphic characters. At first, people from Knossos who lived in Knossos began to use the letter. mainland Greece, and then it spread to the mainland. It was used most often for economic purposes.
The structure of the letter was syllabic. Therefore, the names of the gods below will be given in this version.
It is unknown to what extent these deities were personified. A priestly stratum existed in the Mycenaean period, this fact is known from written sources. But some circumstances are suggestive. For example, name of Zeus found in two variants - di-wi-o-jo and di-wi-o-ja - both in male and in feminine. The very root of the word - “div” - has the meaning of a deity in general, which can be seen in parallel concepts in other Indo-European languages - remember, for example, the Iranian devas.
During this era, ideas about the creation of the world from Mist and Chaos, which gave birth to the sky (Uranus) and the earth (Gaia), as well as darkness, the abyss, love, and night, also disappear. In later beliefs of some developed cults of these gods and titans we don’t see - all the stories with them have been preserved in the form of myths about the universe.
Pre-Greek cults of mainland Greece
It should be noted that a number of areas of life of the ancient Greeks that we attribute to them are not Greek in origin. This also applies to the cults that “controlled” these areas. All of them belonged earlier to the peoples who lived here before the first wave of Greek Achaean settlers. These were both Minoans and Pelasgians, Cycladic Islanders and Anatolians.
Definitely, the pre-Greek manifestations of the cult include the personification of the sea as an element and concepts associated with the sea (the word θάλασσα is most likely of Pelasgian origin). This also includes the cult olive tree.
Finally, some of the deities were originally of external origin. So, Adonis came to Greece from the Phoenicians and other Semitic peoples.
All this existed among the peoples who lived in the eastern Mediterranean before the Greeks, and was adopted by them along with a number of deities. The Achaeans were people from the continent and did not cultivate olives, nor did they possess the art of navigation.
Greek mythology of the classical period
The Mycenaean period was followed by a decline in civilization, which was associated with the invasion of the northern Greek tribes - the Dorians. After this comes the period of the Dark Ages - so called due to the lack of written sources in Greek dating from that period. When the new Greek writing appeared, it had nothing in common with Linear B, but arose independently from Phoenician alphabet.
But at this time, the mythological ideas of the Greeks formed into a single whole, which was reflected in the main source of those times - Homer’s poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”. These ideas were not entirely monolithic: there were alternative interpretations and variations, and these were developed and supplemented in later times, even when Greece was under the rule of the Roman Empire.
Gods of Ancient Greece
Homer in his poems does not explain where the gods and heroes of his works came from: from this we can conclude that they were known to the Greeks. The events described by Homer, as well as the plots of other myths (about the Minotaur, Hercules, etc.) were considered by them historical events, where the actions of gods and people are closely intertwined.
Ancient Greek gods
The gods of Ancient Greece during the polis period can be divided into several categories. The Greeks themselves divided the other world depending on the “relevance” of a particular god at the current moment, the sphere of his influence, as well as his status among other gods.
Three generations of gods
The world, according to the Greeks, arose from Mist and Chaos, which gave birth to the first generation of gods - Gaia, Uranus, Nikta, Erebus and Eros. In the classical period, they were perceived as something abstract, and therefore they did not have any developed cults. Nevertheless, their presence was not denied. Thus, Gaia (earth) was a chthonic force, ancient and indomitable, Eros in the main source of those times was the embodiment of physical love, Uranus represented the sky.
The second generation of gods were the Titans. There were many of them, and some of them became the progenitors of people and other gods. Some of the most famous titans include:
- Kronos is the father of the Olympian gods;
- Rhea - mother of the Olympian gods;
- Prometheus - who gave fire to people;
- Atlas - holding the sky;
- Themis is the giver of justice.
The third generation is the gods of Olympus. It was they who were revered by the Greeks, the temples of these gods were erected in cities, and they are the main characters of many myths. The Olympian gods also took on a number of functions of older gods: for example, initially Helios was the sun god, and later he was brought closer to Apollo. Due to this duplication of functions, it is often difficult to give a “crossword” short definition Greek god. Thus, both Apollo and Asclepius can be called the god of healing, and both Athena and her companion Nike can be called the goddess of victory.
According to legend, the Olympian gods defeated the Titans in a ten-year battle, and now rule over people. They have different origins, and even their lists differ from one author to another. But we will tell you about the most influential of them.
Olympian gods
Let's imagine the Olympian gods in the following table:
| Greek name | Accepted in the literature | What does it patronize? | Parents | Who is Zeus related to? |
| Ζεύς | Zeus | thunder and lightning, supreme god | Kronos and Rhea | |
| Ἥρα | Hera | marriage and family | Kronos and Rhea | sister and wife |
| Ποσειδῶν | Poseidon | chief sea god | Kronos and Rhea | Brother |
| Ἀΐδης | Hades | patron of the kingdom of the dead | Kronos and Rhea | Brother |
| Δημήτηρ | Demeter | agriculture and fertility | Kronos and Rhea | sister |
| Ἑστία | Hestia | hearth and sacred fire | Kronos and Rhea | sister |
| Ἀθηνᾶ | Athena | wisdom, indeed military strategy, science, craft, cities | Zeus and the Titanide Metis | daughter |
| Περσεφόνη | Persephone | wife of Hades, patroness of spring | Zeus and Demeter | daughter |
| Ἀφροδίτη | Aphrodite | love and beauty | Uranus (more precisely, sea foam, which formed after Kronos castrated Uranus and threw it into the sea) | aunt |
| Ἥφαιστος | Hephaestus | blacksmithing, construction, invention | Zeus and Hera | son |
| Ἀπόλλων | Apollo | light, art, healing | Zeus and Titanide Leto | son |
| Ἄρης | Ares | war | Zeus and Hera | son |
| Ἄρτεμις | Artemis | hunting, fertility, chastity | Zeus and Leto, sister of Apollo | daughter |
| Διόνυσος | Dionysus | viticulture, winemaking, religious ecstasy | Zeus and Semele (mortal woman) | daughter |
| Ἑρμῆς | Hermes | dexterity, theft, trade | Zeus and the nymph Maya | son |
The information indicated in the fourth column is ambiguous. IN different regions In Greece, there were various versions of the origin of the Olympians who were not the children of Kronos and Rhea.
The Olympian gods had the most developed cults. Statues were erected for them, temples were built, and holidays were held in their honor.
The Olympus mountain range in Thessaly, the highest in Greece, was considered the habitat of the Olympian gods.
Minor gods and goddesses
They were the younger generation of gods and also had different origins. Most often, such gods were subordinate to the older ones and performed some specific function. Here are some of them:
This is a separate category of revered objects of Greek mythology. They are heroes of myths and represent people of semi-divine origin. They have superpowers, but, like people, they are mortal. Heroes are favorite characters in ancient Greek vase paintings.
Of all the heroes, only Asclepius, Hercules and Polydeuces were awarded immortality. The first was elevated to the rank of gods because he surpassed everyone in the art of healing and gave his knowledge to people. Hercules, according to one version, received immortality thanks to the fact that he drank the milk of Hera, with whom he later feuded. According to another, it was the result of an agreement on ten labors (in the end he performed twelve).
Polydeuces and Castor (the Dioscuri twins) were the sons of Zeus and Leda. Zeus gave immortality only to the first, because the second had died by that time. But Polydeuces shared immortality with his brother, and since then it was believed that the brothers lie in the tomb for a day, and spend the second on Olympus.
Other heroes worth mentioning are:
- Odysseus, king of Ithaca, participant in the Trojan War and wanderer;
- Achilles, a hero of the same war, who had one weak spot - his heel;
- Perseus, conqueror of Medusa the Gorgon;
- Jason, leader of the Argonauts;
- Orpheus, a musician who descended to his dead wife in the underworld;
- Theseus visiting the Minotaur.
In addition to gods, titans and heroes, in the beliefs of the Greeks there were also entities of a smaller order, representing a place or element. Thus, the winds had their own name (for example, Boreas is the patron of the north wind, and Not - the southern wind) and the sea elements, and rivers, streams, islands and other natural objects were under the power of the nymphs who lived there.
Supernatural beings
Appear regularly in myths and poems. Here are some of them:
- Gorgon Medusa;
- Minotaur;
- Basilisk;
- Sirens;
- Griffins;
- Centaurs;
- Cerberus;
- Scylla and Charybdis;
- Satires;
- Echidna;
- Harpies.
The role of the gods for the Greeks
The Greeks themselves did not consider the gods to be something distant and absolute. They weren't even all-powerful. Firstly, each of them had his own area of activity, and secondly, they argued among themselves and people, and victory was not always on the side of the former. Gods and people were connected by a common origin, and people considered the gods to be superior to them in strength and abilities, hence the worship and peculiar ethics of treating the gods: they could not be angered and they could not be proud of victories over them.
An illustration of the latter was the fate of Ajax, who escaped the wrath of Poseidon, but the latter still caught up with him and broke the rock to which he was clinging. And also a symbolic description of the fate of Arachne, who surpassed Athena in the art of weaving and was turned into a spider.
But both gods and people were subject to fate, which was personified by the three Moirai, weaving the thread of fate for every mortal and immortal. This image comes from the Indo-European past and is identical to the Slavic Rozhanitsy and Germanic Norns. For the Romans, fate is represented by Fatum.
Their origin is lost; in ancient times there were various legends about how they were born.
At a later time, when Greek philosophy began to develop, the concepts of what governs the world began to develop precisely in the direction of a certain upper world who has power over everything. First, Plato outlined the theory of ideas, then his student, Aristotle, substantiated the existence of a certain one deity. The development of such theories paved the way for the spread of Christianity later.
Influence of Greek mythology on Roman
The Roman Republic, and then the Empire, absorbed Greece quite early, in the 2nd century BC. But Greece not only avoided the fate of other conquered territories that underwent Romanization (Spain, Gaul), but also became a kind of standard of culture. Some Greek letters were borrowed into the Latin language, dictionaries were replenished in Greek words, and the very knowledge of Greek was considered a sign of an educated person.
The dominance of Greek mythology was also inevitable - it was closely intertwined with Roman, and Roman became, as it were, its continuation. The Roman gods, who had their own history and characteristics of the cult, became analogues of the Greek ones. Thus, Zeus became an analogue of Jupiter, Hera - Juno, and Athena - Minerva. Here are some more gods:
- Hercules - Hercules;
- Aphrodite - Venus;
- Hephaestus - Vulcan;
- Ceres - Demeter;
- Vesta - Hestia;
- Hermes - Mercury;
- Artemis - Diana.
Mythology was also subsumed under Greek models. Thus, the original god of love in Greek mythology (more precisely, the personification of love itself) was Eros - among the Romans it corresponded to Cupid. The legend of the founding of Rome was “tied” to the Trojan War, where the hero Aeneas was introduced, who became the ancestor of the inhabitants of Lazio. The same applies to other mythical characters.
Ancient Greek mythology: influence on culture
The last followers of the cult ancient greek gods lived in Byzantium back in the first millennium AD. They were called Hellenes (from the word Hellas) in contrast to the Christians, who considered themselves Romans (heirs of the Roman Empire). In the 10th century, Greek polytheism was completely eradicated.
But the myths and legends of Ancient Greece did not die. They became the basis of many folklore stories of the Middle Ages, and in countries completely distant from each other: for example, the story about Cupid and Psyche became the basis for the fairy tale about beauty and the beast, presented in the Russian corpus as “The Scarlet Flower.” In medieval books, pictures with scenes from the mythology of the Greeks - from European to Russian - are not uncommon (in any case, they are in the Litsevoy Vault of Ivan the Terrible).
All European ideas about the pre-Christian era were associated with the Greek gods. Thus, the action of Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear” dates back to pre-Christian times, and although at this time in the territory British Isles The Celts lived and there were Roman garrisons; it is the Greek gods that are mentioned.
Finally, Greek mythology became a source of subjects for the works of artists, and for a long time it was a plot from Greek mythology (or, alternatively, the Bible) that was supposed to be the topic of the examination paper at graduation from the Academy of Arts in Russian Empire. The future members of the Itinerants Association who broke this tradition became famous.
The names of the Greek gods and their Roman analogues are used to name celestial bodies, new types of microscopic creatures, and some concepts have firmly entered the vocabulary of citizens far from Greek mythology. Thus, inspiration for a new business is described as the convergence of the muse (“for some reason the muse does not come”); the mess in the house is called chaos (there is even a colloquial version with the emphasis on the second syllable), and the vulnerable spot is called the Achilles heel by those who do not know who Achilles is.