Activities of the gods of ancient Greece. The meaning of the gods of Ancient Greece: mythology and name lists

Mythology of Ancient Greece Gods HadesAntaeusApolloAresAsclepiusBoreasBacchus (one of the names of Dionysus)Helios (Helium)HermesHephaestusHypnosDionysus (Bacchus)ZagreusZeusZephyrusIacchusCronosMomMorpheusNereusNotOceanPanPlutoPlutosPontPoseidonProteusThanatosTitansTyphonTritonChaosCyclops yEvr

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

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 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 of the 2nd 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. 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.

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

Amphitrite- wife of Poseidon, one of the Nereids

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

Triton- son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, messenger depths of the sea blowing a conch 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

Morpheus– ancient 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, Cronus, 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 of 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 Cronos 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 Oceanus with his sister Tethys (Water), all the earth's rivers and Oceanid water nymphs 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). Cronus 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 at her marriage to Zeus

Ory– goddesses of the parts of the day, seasons and periods 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

Greece is unthinkable without mythology. When we talk about this state, the name Olympus, the sacred mountain where Zeus and other supreme deities reigned, naturally comes to mind. Almighty Gods of Ancient Greece- they are immortal, capricious, endowed with the advantages and disadvantages of people. They sin, they love, they take revenge like mere mortals, but at the same time they are formidable, cruel, and sometimes generous.

Legends and myths of Olympus: list and description of 12 gods

Legends about the Olympian gods passed from generation to generation and had a huge influence on world culture. Stories from ancient Greek mythology were present in literature, poetry, painting, sculpture, and music. They “exerted” influence on almost all spheres of human life, as they reflected people’s ideas about the structure of the world.

The information that has reached our times about the legends and tales of Ancient Greece came from the works of Homer, Ovid, Nonnus, and Euripides. Thus, by the “Olympic” period of the development of society, all myths were associated with Mount Olympus, where 12 deities headed by Zeus sat (although their number does not always coincide).

According to ancient Greek myths, before the “central” Gods ascended to Olympus, Chaos existed on Earth, which gave birth to Eternal Darkness and Dark Night. From them came the Eternal Light and the bright Day. So, night began to give way to day, and day to night, forever and ever.

The mighty Goddess Gaia (Earth), also emerging from Chaos, gave birth to Sky (Uranus), Mountains and Sea. And then Uranus took Gaia as his wife. From this union six Titans and six Daughters were born. From their connection with each other, rivers, winds, stars, rains, and the Moon appeared in the world.

In addition, Gaia gave birth to three Cyclops giants and three giants, each of whom had 50 heads and 100 arms. Uranus saw these monsters and hated them, since they had a violent character and powerful strength. Uranus imprisoned them in the bowels of the Earth, but she secretly rescued them and persuaded them to rebel against their father. Only one, the youngest of the brothers named Kronos, managed to take power from Uranus.

Then the goddess Night gave birth to death, discord, deception, nightmares, destruction and revenge. Kronos began to rule in a world where struggle, horror and misfortune reigned. This is how Night punished the cunning Kronos.

Most of all, he was afraid that his children could do away with him at any moment, just like he did with his father. And then he called his wife Rhea to him and ordered her to bring the children that were born. The merciless Kronos swallowed all of them - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. But there was also a sixth child - Zeus. Instead, Rhea gave her husband a stone wrapped in cloth, as if it were a baby in swaddling clothes. And secretly from her ruthless husband, she went to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to a baby in a dark cave.

Zeus

Kronos, the king of the Titans, learned about the forgery and began to look for his son throughout the Earth. The boy was protected by curetes - according to one version, these creatures were born from the tears of little Zeus. They made an incredible noise when he cried, because with his loud voice he could attract the attention of a cruel parent.

Zeus grew up, went to war against his father, overthrew him from the throne and imprisoned him in Tartarus - an abyss from which one cannot escape. But first he made him vomit up all the swallowed children, made his brothers and sisters Gods and reigned over the world, sitting on Olympus.

Zeus is the supreme God, patron of Sky, Thunder and Lightning. Artists depict him as a strong and powerful man in years, with rich hair and a gray beard. He sits on a throne and holds a shield and a labrys (double-sided axe) in his hands. The wife of the Thunderer was Hera.

Zeus is often presented as punitive and cruel, but he “arranged” the lives of people, gave them fate, law, conscience and goodness, and in contrast to them - evil and shamelessness. He is the defender of the offended and humiliated, the patron of kings, the formidable guardian of traditions, order in the world and family.

Hera

Wife of Zeus, chief of the Goddesses of Olympus. She patronizes family ties, preserves family relationships, helps women during childbirth.

Hera is also the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. When she was still a girl, Zeus fell in love with her, and so that she would pay attention to him, he turned into a cuckoo, and Hera caught her. However, in family life she experienced painful jealousy of her husband, who satisfied his sexual hunger with both goddesses and earthly women. She constantly sent disasters and misfortunes to her husband's mistresses.

Hera is the beauty of beauties. Every year she bathed in magical springs to become a virgin again. The Goddess was depicted as a stately and noble lady, with a diadem or crown on her head, with a cuckoo or peacock, sometimes with the head of a horse.

Poseidon

God of the water element, son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, patron of fishermen and horse breeders. In character and appearance, Poseidon was similar to his brother the Thunderer. In painting and sculpture he was depicted as a powerful man with strong arms and legs, and a powerful torso.

His face is never calm, but angry and menacing. Poseidon's constant attribute is the trident. By waving it, the ruler of the seas could cause a storm or, conversely, force the water element to calm down in an instant. Poseidon moves across the sea in a chariot with white horses. His wife is Amphitrite.

Hades

The god of the underworld Hades was the eldest son of Kronos and Rhea. At the same time, he was revered as the patron of the harvest, because everything that grows comes from the depths of the earth. Hades was called “hospitable” because he “waited” and “welcomed” every mortal in his kingdom. Hades was one of the 3 main gods, along with the brothers Zeus and Poseidon, who defeated the Titans.

The god of the underworld was rarely depicted. If the image did exist, then he looked like this: a gloomy man of mature age in dark clothes, mighty, on a golden throne, with the three-headed dog Cerberus at his feet, guarding the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. Next to Hades was his beautiful wife, the daughter of Demeter and the queen of the dead Persephone, whom he once abducted from flowering meadow. Hades held a bident in his hands (sometimes it was a rod or a cornucopia).

Demeter

The beginning of Spring was associated with her, the goddess of prosperity and fertility. Demeter's parents are Zeus and Rhea. Demeter has a beautiful appearance and thick light curls. She was mainly revered as the guardian of life and the goddess of agriculture. She was depicted with a basket full of fruits, a cornucopia and a poppy.

The most famous legend is about Demeter and her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades. The mother left Olympus and wandered the Earth in search of her missing daughter. Demeter grieved greatly for Persephone, even the crops stopped sprouting. Famine set in, people began to die. The gods wondered why people stopped making sacrifices to them, and complained about this to Zeus. Then he sent for Demeter to Earth so that she could be found and returned to Olympus. But she did not want to return to the Gods. Then Zeus ordered Hades to present his daughter to Demeter.

Hades could not disobey his formidable brother, but he came up with a trick so that Persephone would return back to him by adding pomegranate seeds to her. Demeter, seeing her daughter, rejoiced. Zeus ordered Persephone to spend a third of the year with her mother, and the rest of the time with her husband. Mourning for the Mother ended forever, and she decorated her head with a cornflower blue wreath. In honor of the joyful event, the Goddess taught people to sow grain and cultivate wheat. In painting, Demeter was depicted as a girl with a wreath of ears of grain or as a grieving mother.

Apollo

The most beautiful god of Olympus, Apollo, was the son of Zeus and the Titanide Leto. He was incredibly revered in Greece, because he was the patron of art, muses and healing. He is an excellent marksman and a virtuoso musician, which is why he was depicted with a bow and a lyre.

Apollo is young, beautiful and strong: on olympic games won a fist fight with Ares himself (God of War). He had no wife, and more than 70 children. Mythology attributes him with numerous relationships with goddesses, mortal women and even young men.

Athena

There was also the goddess of war on Olympus - Athena. She personified faith in victory, wisdom and strength military strategy. Athena patronized the arts, crafts, science and knowledge.

Thanks to her unusual appearance, the goddess of war is easy to distinguish in paintings and sculptures. Her clothes are a linen dress, armor, and a helmet. In her hands there must be a spear, and next to her is a chariot. Athena has a strong-willed face, clear gaze and gray expressive eyes, fair-haired long hair. Her appearance expresses calm and determination.

It is not entirely clear who Athena’s parents are. According to one version, he was Zeus, who gave birth to her single-handedly.

Hermes

Even the gods of Olympus were no strangers to deceit and deceit. One very handsome, judging by ancient images, a god named Hermes was known as a famous cheat and thief. He was born to the Maya galaxy from Zeus. Being just a baby, Hermes committed his first theft - he stole 50 cows from Apollo. After a good “bashing” from dad, the kid pointed out where he hid the cattle. True, subsequently Zeus more than once turned to the clever child to carry out his orders. One day he asked Hermes to steal a cow from Hera: Io, the beloved of the Thunderer, turned into her.

Hermes is very inventive: he invented writing, patronizes trade and banking, astrology, alchemy and magic. He conveys “important” messages to people from the gods through dreams. Hermes is young and efficient. He showed signs of attention to Aphrodite, but she rejected him. Hermes has many children, as well as lovers, but no wife. IN fine arts and in sculpture he was depicted wearing a hat with wings and winged sandals.

Hephaestus

It's not easy with this god. There are several versions of his birth, one of which says that Hera, the wife of Zeus, gave birth to him from her thigh. And she became pregnant herself, not from her husband. So she wanted to take revenge on him for the birth of Athena. However, the baby was born frail, weak and lame. Then Hera, in despair, threw the boy into the depths of the sea, where the sea goddess Thetis sheltered him.

Since childhood, Hephaestus loved to forge: his metal products had no equal either on Earth or on Olympus. Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmithing. The most famous legend is about him and about Prometheus, whom the best blacksmith in the world had to chain to a rock by order of Zeus. Hephaestus' wives were Aglaia and Aphrodite.

Aphrodite

As you know, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility was born from sea foam near the island of Cythera, but was transported by the winds to the shores of the island of Cyprus. One legend says that Aphrodite was conceived by Zeus and Dione, another and more popular that she was born from the seed of castrated Uranus.

Aphrodite is the patroness of family ties and childbirth. She was obliged to create love and severely punished those who rejected her. The all-powerful Hera could not forgive Aphrodite for her incomparable beauty and made the ugly Hephaestus become her husband. However, the goddess cheated on her spouse more than once. The most sensational story about Aphrodite was her love for the earthly hunter Adonis.

Aphrodite is a “popular” mythological character in the works of ancient sculptors and artists. She is almost never alone in them, for her beauty captivated not only people and gods, but birds and animals. Her companions are nymphs, Eros, harites, dolphins and oras. Sometimes she was portrayed as a naked modesty, sometimes as a flirtatious girl, sometimes as a passionate woman.

Ares

The god of war, Ares, is distinguished by treachery and deceit. If he fought, it was for the sake of war, rather than for justice and honor. Hera and Zeus are considered his parents, although according to one version, Hera gave birth to him without the participation of her husband, but with the help of the power of a magic flower.

Zeus did not have paternal feelings for Ares and even hated him. On sacred Olympus, he had difficulty “pushing through” his authority. Ares took part in the Trojan War, but fair Athena defeated him.

In art he was depicted as a young and strong man. Ares was accompanied by dogs and a kite, and in his hands he held a spear and a torch with fire. Ares's wife is Aphrodite.

Artemis

12th place belongs to the goddess of hunting Artemis. She was the protector of virgins, and she herself was innocent, but she patronized those who were married and helped women during childbirth. Artemis was also considered the goddess of fertility and everything that grows on Earth.

Artemis was born from the relationship of Zeus with the Titanide Leto. Oceanids and nymphs served her. Despite the fact that she was the patroness of childbirth, Artemis herself was unmarried and childless. Artists and sculptors depicted her as a young woman, dressed in a chiton convenient for hunting, with a spear in her hand, with a bow and quiver on her back. When Artemis appeared naked on Houdon’s canvas, a real scandal broke out. It was the end of the 18th century.

According to some sources, the list of 12 gods of Olympus was somewhat different: it included Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Dionysus (god of winemaking and fun), Persephone (goddess of Spring, she is also the queen of the Kingdom of the Dead).

Especially for Liliya-Travel.RU - Anna Lazareva

Culture and religion in Athens have been closely intertwined since time immemorial. Therefore, it is not surprising that the country has so many attractions that are dedicated to the idols and gods of antiquity. There is probably nothing like it anywhere. But still the most complete reflection Greek mythology became the oldest civilization. Gods and titans, kings and heroes from legends - all these are parts of the life and existence of ancient Greece.

Of course, many tribes and people had their own deities and idols. They personified the forces of nature, incomprehensible and frightening ancient man. However, the ancient Greek gods were not only symbols of nature, they were considered the creators of all moral goods and guardians of the beautiful and great powers of the ancient people.

Generations of Gods of Ancient Greece

IN different time there were also different ones. The list of one ancient author differed from another, but it is still possible to identify common periods.

So, during the time of the Pelasgians, when the cult of worship of the forces of nature flourished, the first generation of Greek gods appeared. It was believed that the world was ruled by Mist, from which the first supreme deity appeared - Chaos, and their children - Nikta (Night), Eros (Love) and Erebus (Darkness). There was complete chaos on earth.

The names of the second and third generation Greek gods are already known throughout the world. These are the children of Nyx and Eber: the god of air Ether and the goddess of the day Hemera, Nemesis (Retribution), Ata (Lie), Mom (Stupidity), Kera (Misfortune), Erinyes (Revenge), Moira (Fate), Eris (Strife). And also the twins Thanatos (messenger of Death) and Hypnos (Dream). Children of the earth goddess Hera - Pontus (inner Sea), Tartarus (Abyss), Nereus (calm sea) and others. As well as the first generation of powerful and destructive titans and giants.

The Greek gods that existed among the Pelagestians were overthrown by the Titans and a series of universal catastrophes, the stories of which were preserved in myths and legends. After them a new generation appeared - the Olympians. These are the human-shaped gods of Greek mythology. The list of them is huge, and in this article we will talk about the most significant and famous people.

The first supreme god of Ancient Greece

Kronos or Khronov is the god and keeper of time. He was the youngest of the sons of the earth goddess Hera and the god of heaven Uranus. His mother loved him, cherished him and indulged him in everything. However, Kronos grew up to be very ambitious and cruel. One day, Hera heard a prediction that Kronos’s death would be his son. But she decided to keep it a secret.

Meanwhile, Kronos killed his father and gained supreme power. He settled on Mount Olympus, which went straight into the heavens. This is where the name of the Greek gods, the Olympians, came from. When Kronos decided to get married, his mother told him about the prophecy. And he found a way out - he began to swallow all his born children. His poor wife Rhea was horrified, but she failed to convince her husband otherwise. Then she hid her third son (little Zeus) from Kronos on the island of Crete under the supervision of forest nymphs. It was Zeus who became the death of Kronos. When he grew up, he went to Olympus and overthrew his father, forcing him to regurgitate all his brothers.

Zeus and Hera

So, the new humanoid Greek gods from Olympus became the rulers of the world. The thunderer Zeus became the father of the gods. He is the gatherer of clouds and the lord of lightning, the creator of all living things, as well as the establisher of order and justice on earth. The Greeks considered Zeus the source of goodness and nobility. The Thunderer is the father of the goddesses Or, mistresses of time and annual changes, as well as the Muses, who give people inspiration and joy.

Zeus's wife was Hera. She was portrayed as a grumpy goddess of the atmosphere, as well as a guardian of the hearth. Hera patronized all women who remained faithful to their husbands. And also, together with her daughter Ilithia, she facilitated the birth process. According to myths, Zeus was very loving, and after three hundred years of married life he became bored. He began to visit mortal women in a variety of guises. Thus, he appeared to beautiful Europe in the form of a huge bull with golden horns, and to Danae - in the form of star rain.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the god of the seas and oceans. He always remained in the shadow of his more powerful brother Zeus. The Greeks believed that Poseidon was never cruel. And all the troubles and punishments that he sent to people were deserved.

Poseidon is the patron saint of fishermen and sailors. Always, before setting sail, people prayed first of all to him, and not to Zeus. In honor of the lord of the seas, altars were smoked for several days. According to legends, Poseidon could be seen during a storm on the high seas. He appeared from the foam in a golden chariot drawn by dashing horses, which his brother Hades gave him as a gift.

Poseidon's wife was the goddess of the roaring sea, Amphitrite. The symbol is a trident, which granted complete power over deep sea. Poseidon had a soft, non-conflicting disposition. He always sought to avoid quarrels and conflicts, and was unconditionally loyal to Zeus, unlike Hades.

Hades and Persephone

The Greek gods of the underworld are, first of all, the gloomy Hades and his wife Persephone. Hades is the god of death, ruler of the kingdom of the dead. They feared him even more than the Thunderer himself. No one could get down to underworld without Hades' permission, much less return. As Greek mythology says, the gods of Olympus divided power among themselves. And Hades, who inherited the underworld, was dissatisfied. He harbored a grudge against Zeus.

Despite the fact that he never spoke directly and openly, there are many examples in legends when the god of death tried in every possible way to ruin the life of his crowned brother. So, one day Hades kidnapped the beautiful daughter of Zeus and the goddess of fertility Demeter Persephone. He forcibly made her his queen. Zeus had no power over the kingdom of the dead, and chose not to get involved with his embittered brother, so he refused the upset Demeter’s request to save her daughter. And only when the goddess of fertility, in grief, forgot about her duties, and drought and famine began on earth, Zeus decided to talk to Hades. They entered into an agreement according to which Persephone would spend two thirds of the year on earth with her mother, and the rest of the time in the kingdom of the dead.

Hades was depicted as a gloomy man sitting on a throne. He traveled on earth in a chariot drawn by hellish horses with eyes burning in flames. And at this time people were afraid and prayed that he would not take them into his kingdom. Was Hades' favorite three headed dog Cerberus, who tirelessly guarded the entrance to the world of the dead.

Pallas Athena

The beloved Greek goddess Athena was the daughter of the thunderer Zeus. According to myths, she was born from his head. At first it was believed that Athena was the goddess of the clear sky, who dispersed all the black clouds with her spear. She was also a symbol of victorious energy. The Greeks portrayed Athena as a powerful warrior with a shield and spear. She always traveled with the goddess Nike, who personified victory.

In Ancient Greece, Athena was considered the protector of fortresses and cities. She gave people fair and correct government regulations. The goddess personified wisdom, calmness and insightful intelligence.

Hephaestus and Prometheus

Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmithing. His activity was manifested by volcanic eruptions, which greatly frightened people. Initially, he was considered only the god of heavenly fire. Since on earth people lived and died in eternal cold. Hephaestus, like Zeus and other Olympian gods, was cruel to the human world, and was not going to give them fire.

Prometheus changed everything. He was the last of the Titans to survive. He lived on Olympus and was the right hand of Zeus. Prometheus could not watch people suffer, and, having stolen the sacred fire from the temple, he brought it to earth. For which he was punished by the Thunderer and doomed to eternal torment. But the titan was able to come to an agreement with Zeus: he granted him freedom in exchange for the secret of maintaining power. Prometheus could see the future. And in the future of Zeus, he saw his death at the hands of his son. Thanks to the titan, the father of all gods did not marry the one who could give birth to a murderous son, and thereby forever secured his power.

The Greek gods Athena, Hephaestus and Prometheus became symbols of the ancient festival of running with lit torches. The progenitor of the Olympic Games.

Apollo

The Greek sun god Apollo was the son of Zeus. He was identified with Helios. According to Greek mythology, Apollo lives in the distant lands of the Hyperboreans in winter, and returns to Hellas in the spring and again pours life into withered nature. Apollo was also the god of music and singing, since, together with the revival of nature, he gave people the desire to sing and create. He was called the patron of art. Music and poetry in Ancient Greece were considered the gift of Apollo.

Due to his regenerative powers, he was also considered the god of healing. According to legend, Apollo expelled all darkness from the sick with his sun rays. The ancient Greeks depicted God as a blond youth holding a harp.

Artemis

Apollo's sister Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the hunt. It was believed that at night she wandered through the forests with her companions, the naiads, and watered the ground with dew. She was also called the patroness of animals. At the same time, many legends are associated with Artemis, where she cruelly drowned sailors. To appease her, people were sacrificed.

At one time, the Greeks called Artemis the patroness of brides. The girls performed rituals and brought offerings to the goddess in the hope of a strong marriage. Artemis of Ephesus even became a symbol of fertility and childbirth. The Greeks depicted the goddess with many breasts on her chest, which symbolized her generosity as a nurse of people.

The names of the Greek gods Apollo and Artemis are closely related to Helios and Selene. Gradually the brother and sister lost their physical significance. Therefore, in Greek mythology, separate sun god Helios and moon goddess Selene appeared. Apollo remained the patron of music and the arts, and Artemis - of hunting.

Ares

Ares was originally considered the god of the stormy sky. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. But among the ancient Greek poets he received the status of the god of war. He was always depicted as a fierce warrior, armed with a sword or spear. Ares loved the noise of battle and bloodshed. Therefore, he was always at enmity with the goddess of the clear sky, Athena. She was for prudence and fair conduct of battle, he was for fierce skirmishes and countless bloodsheds.

Ares is also considered the creator of the tribunal - the trial of murderers. The trial took place on a sacred hill, which was named after God - Areopagus.

Aphrodite and Eros

Beautiful Aphrodite was the patroness of all lovers. She is the favorite muse for all poets, sculptors and artists of that time. The goddess was depicted as a beautiful woman emerging naked from the sea foam. Aphrodite's soul was always full of pure and immaculate love. During the time of the Phoenicians, Aphrodite contained two principles - Asherah and Astarte. She was an Asherah when she enjoyed the singing of nature and the love of the young man Adonis. And Astarte - when she was revered as the “goddess of heights” - a stern warrior who imposed a vow of chastity on her novices and protected marital morality. The ancient Greeks combined these two principles in their goddess and created an image of ideal femininity and beauty.

Eros or Eros is the Greek god of love. He was the son of the beautiful Aphrodite, her messenger and faithful assistant. Eros united the destinies of all lovers. He was depicted as a small, plump boy with wings.

Demeter and Dionysus

Greek gods, patrons of agriculture and winemaking. Demeter personified nature, which under sunlight and heavy rains ripens and bears fruit. She was portrayed as a “fair-haired” goddess, giving people a harvest deserved by labor and sweat. It is to Demeter that people owe the science of arable farming and sowing. The goddess was also called "earth mother". Her daughter Persephone was the link between the world of the living and the kingdom of the dead; she belonged to both worlds.

Dionysus is the god of wine. And also brotherhood and joy. Dionysus gives people inspiration and joy. He taught people how to cultivate the vine, as well as wild and riotous songs, which then served as the basis for ancient Greek drama. God was depicted as a young, cheerful youth, his body was entwined with a vine, and in his hands was a jug of wine. Wine and vine are the main symbols of Dionysus.

Rhea, captured by Cronus, bore him bright children - the Virgin - Hestia, Demeter and the golden-shod Hera, the glorious might of Hades, who lives underground, and the provider - Zeus, the father of both immortals and mortals, whose thunder makes the wide earth tremble. Hesiod "Theogony"

Greek literature arose from mythology. Myth- This is an ancient man’s idea of ​​the world around him. Myths were created at a very early stage in the development of society in various areas of Greece. Later, all these myths merged into a single system.

With the help of myths, the ancient Greeks tried to explain all natural phenomena, presenting them in the form of living beings. At first, experiencing a strong fear of natural elements, people depicted the gods in a terrible animal form (Chimera, Gorgon Medusa, Sphinx, Lernaean Hydra).

However, later the gods become anthropomorphic, that is, they have a human appearance and are characterized by a variety of human qualities (jealousy, generosity, envy, generosity). The main difference between gods and people was their immortality, but for all their greatness, the gods communicated with mere mortals and even often entered into love relationships with them in order to give birth to a whole tribe of heroes on earth.

There are 2 types of ancient Greek mythology:

1. cosmogonic (cosmogony - the origin of the world) - ends with the birth of Kron
2. theogonic (theogony - the origin of gods and deities)

The mythology of Ancient Greece went through 3 main stages in its development:

1. pre-Olympic- This is mainly cosmogonic mythology. This stage begins with the idea of ​​the ancient Greeks that everything came from Chaos, and ends with the murder of Cronus and the division of the world between the gods.
2. Olympic(early classic) – Zeus becomes the supreme deity and, with a retinue of 12 gods, settles on Olympus.
3. late heroism- heroes are born from gods and mortals who help the gods in establishing order and destroying monsters.

Poems were created on the basis of mythology, tragedies were written, and lyricists dedicated their odes and hymns to the gods.

There were two main groups of gods in Ancient Greece:

1. titans - gods of the second generation (six brothers - Ocean, Kay, Crius, Hipperion, Iapetus, Kronos and six sisters - Thetis, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, Theia, Themis, Rhea)
2. olympian gods - Olympians - gods of the third generation. The Olympians included the children of Kronos and Rhea - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus, as well as their descendants - Hephaestus, Hermes, Persephone, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Athena, Apollo and Artemis. The supreme god was Zeus, who deprived his father Kronos (the god of time) of power.

The Greek pantheon of the Olympian gods traditionally included 12 gods, but the composition of the pantheon was not very stable and sometimes numbered 14-15 gods. Usually these were: Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hestia, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Hades. The Olympian gods lived on the sacred Mount Olympus ( Olympos) in Olympia, off the coast of the Aegean Sea.

Translated from ancient Greek, the word pantheon means "all gods". Greeks

deities were divided into three groups:

• Pantheon (great Olympian gods)
• Lesser deities
• Monsters

Heroes occupied a special place in Greek mythology. The most famous of them:

v Odysseus

Supreme gods of Olympus

Minor Greek gods

In addition to Olympus in Greece, there was the sacred Mount Parnassus, where they lived muses – 9 sisters, Greek deities who personified poetic and musical inspiration, patroness of the arts and sciences.

Greek muses

Lesser deities in Greek mythology they are satyrs, nymphs and oras.

Satires - (Greek satyroi) are forest deities (the same as in Rus' goblin), demons fertility, retinue of Dionysus. They were depicted as goat-legged, hairy, with horse tails and small horns. Satyrs are indifferent to people, mischievous and cheerful, they were interested in hunting, wine, and pursued forest nymphs. Their other hobby was music, but they only played wind instruments that produced sharp, piercing sounds - the flute and the pipe. In mythology, they personified the rude, base nature in nature and man, so they were represented with ugly faces - with blunt, wide noses, swollen nostrils, tousled hair.

Nymphs – (the name means “source”, among the Romans it means “bride”) personification of the living elemental forces, noticed in the murmur of a stream, in the growth of trees, in the wild beauty of mountains and forests, spirits of the earth's surface, manifestations of natural forces acting besides man in the solitude of grottoes, valleys, forests, far from cultural centers. They were depicted as beautiful young girls with wonderful hair, wearing wreaths and flowers, sometimes in a dancing pose, with bare legs and arms, and loose hair. They engage in yarn and weaving, sing songs, dance in the meadows to the flute of Pan, hunt with Artemis, participate in the noisy orgies of Dionysus, and constantly fight with annoying satyrs. In the minds of the ancient Greeks, the world of nymphs was very vast.

The azure pond was full of flying nymphs,
The garden was animated by dryads,
And the bright water spring sparkled from the urn
Laughing naiads.

F. Schiller

Nymphs of the mountains - oreads,

nymphs of forests and trees - dryads,

nymphs of springs – naiads,

nymphs of the oceans - oceanids,

nymphs of the sea - nerids,

nymphs of the valleys - drink,

nymphs of meadows - limnades.

Ory - goddesses of the seasons, were in charge of order in nature. Guardians of Olympus, now opening and then closing its cloud gates. They are called the gatekeepers of the sky. Harnessing the horses of Helios.

There are numerous monsters in many mythologies. There were a lot of them in ancient Greek mythology too: Chimera, Sphinx, Lernaean Hydra, Echidna and many others.

In the same vestibule, crowds of shadows of monsters crowd:

Two-shaped scylla and herds of centaurs live here,

Here Briareus the hundred-armed lives, and the dragon from Lernaean

The swamp hisses, and the Chimera frightens enemies with fire,

Harpies fly in a flock around three-body giants...

Virgil, "Aeneid"

Harpies are evil child abductors and human souls, suddenly swooping in and disappearing just as suddenly, like the wind, terrify people. Their number ranges from two to five; are depicted as wild half-women, half-birds of a disgusting appearance with the wings and paws of a vulture, with long sharp claws, but with the head and chest of a woman.

Gorgon Medusa - a monster with a woman’s face and snakes instead of hair, whose gaze turned a person to stone. According to legend there was beautiful girl with beautiful hair. Poseidon, seeing Medusa and falling in love, seduced her in the temple of Athena, for which the goddess of wisdom, in anger, turned the hair of the Gorgon Medusa into snakes. The Gorgon Medusa was defeated by Perseus, and her head was placed on the aegis of Athena.

Minotaur - a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. He was born from the unnatural love of Pasiphae (the wife of King Minos) and a bull. Minos hid the monster in the Knossos labyrinth. Every eight years, 7 boys and 7 girls descended into the labyrinth, destined for the Minotaur as victims. Theseus defeated the Minotaur, and with the help of Ariadne, who gave him a ball of thread, he got out of the labyrinth.

Cerberus (Kerberus) - this is a three-headed dog with a snake tail and snake heads on its back, guarding the exit from the kingdom of Hades, not allowing the dead to return to the kingdom of the living. He was defeated by Hercules during one of his labors.

Scylla and Charybdis - These are sea monsters located within an arrow's flight distance of each other. Charybdis is a sea whirlpool that absorbs water three times a day and spews it out the same number of times. Scylla (“barking”) is a monster in the form of a woman whose lower body was turned into 6 dog heads. When the ship passed by the rock where Scylla lived, the monster, with all its jaws open, abducted 6 people from the ship at once. The narrow strait between Scylla and Charybdis posed a mortal danger to everyone who sailed through it.

There were also other mythical characters in Ancient Greece.

Pegasus - winged horse, favorite of the muses. He flew at the speed of the wind. Riding Pegasus meant receiving poetic inspiration. He was born at the source of the Ocean, therefore he was named Pegasus (from Greek “stormy current”). According to one version, he jumped out of the body of the gorgon Medusa after Perseus cut off her head. Pegasus delivered thunder and lightning to Zeus on Olympus from Hephaestus, who made them.

From the foam of the sea, from the azure wave,

Faster than an arrow and more beautiful than a string,

An amazing fairy horse is flying

And easily catches the heavenly fire!

He loves to splash in colored clouds

And often walks in magical verses.

So that the ray of inspiration in the soul does not go out,

I saddle you, snow-white Pegasus!

Unicorn - a mythical creature symbolizing chastity. Usually depicted as a horse with one horn coming out of its forehead. The Greeks believed that the unicorn belonged to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Subsequently, in medieval legends there was a version that only a virgin could tame him. Once you catch a unicorn, you can only hold it with a golden bridle.

Centaurs - wild mortal creatures with the head and torso of a man on the body of a horse, inhabitants of mountains and forest thickets, accompany Dionysus and are distinguished by their violent temperament and intemperance. Presumably, centaurs were originally the embodiment of mountain rivers and turbulent streams. In heroic myths, centaurs are the educators of heroes. For example, Achilles and Jason were raised by the centaur Chiron.