Wednesday 16 June 2010

The Origin and Role of the Greek Gods

In classical-era mythology, twelve Gods and Goddesses ruled from Mt. Olympus.   Zeus was the deemed the king of the Gods and Hera his queen.  This pantheon of twelve Gods and Goddesses are considered the Olympians, representing primary aspects of life such as war, love and death.  Six male gods exist in the pantheon, two (Zeus and Poseidon) were born of Titan Gods themselves and overthrew their father to rule the universe.   Hades, their brother, also fought by their side, but after the victory he was given rule of the Underworld, so did not sit atop Mt. Olympus with his brothers.

Zeus - King of the Gods

Zeus was King of the Gods and ruler of Mt. Olympus.    He was the youngest son to Cronus and Rhea, Titans who were themselves children of Ouranos and Gaia, the sky and Earth in classical Greek mythology.  Zeus overthrew his father Cronus with the aid of his two brothers, Poseidon and Hades in a ten-year battle known as the Titanomachy, or more popularly as "The Clash of the Titans."  Zeus fathered many of the characters in Greek mythology with Goddesses, deities and mortals alike.  Greek artists frequently portrayed Zeus either astride his throne ruling over Olympus or striding forward with thunderbolt in hand.  Jupiter is the Roman equivalent of Zeus.

Poseidon

God of the seas, bringer of earthquakes and brother to Zeus and Hades.  He was given reign of the seas after the battle of the Titans.  He is perhaps the most iconic of the Greek gods, his trident a familiar and pervasive symbol.  The ancient Greeks believed he had the ability to offer calm waters for sailing and bountiful fishing expeditions, but when angered would smash his trident into the ground causing earthquakes and tidal waves.  He was a popular god and considered the protector of many Greek cities.

Apollo

Apollo was perhaps the most multi-faceted God, seen as God of light and the sun; prophecy and truth; healing and medicine; music, art and poetry.  Son of Zeus and Leto, he has a twin sister, the virgin Goddess Artemis.  He was regarded as the most handsome of the Gods, always depicted as youthful and clean-shaven.  He was considered to have both great capacity to heal and to bring forth pestilence and plague.  His symbols are the bow, lyre and laurel.  He is also known as "Apollo" by the Romans.

Ares

The God of war was named Ares.  The Greeks viewed him more as the God of bloodlust or slaughter.  Ares was seen as unpredictable, chaotic and barbaric.  It was his half-sister Athena who acted as goddess of strategic warfare.  The vulture and dog were the sacred animals of Ares.  The Roman God Mars was connected to Ares, but he was also seen as a God of agriculture and held in higher regard by mortals.

Dionysus

Born to Zeus and the mortal Semele in the city of Thebes, Dionysus was regarded as one of the gods of the epiphany or "gods that come."  He was the God of Wine, Merriment and Ecstasy and fittingly a popular god often honored with festivals.  Writings of the time contend that he possessed an androgynous beauty and long, flowing locks.  This could be the influence of one tale that suggests Hermes was tasked by Zeus to hide the boy away to protect him from the vengeful Hera.  Hermes took him to his mortal relatives and commanded that they raise the boy as a girl to deceive Hera and protect him.

Hephaestus

Regarded as a gentle and compassionate god, he was the god of metal, blacksmiths, artisans, craftsman, metallurgy, volcanoes and fire.  Thrown from Mt. Olympus by his mother Hera, he is the only God depicted as repulsive.  He was also described as lame, due to the injuries he suffered in his fall from Mt. Olympus.  Hephaestus is credited with the creation of many of Greek mythologies most magnificent weapons and tools including:  Hermes' sandals and helmet, the Aegis breastplate, the armor of Achilles, Helio's chariot, Eros bow and arrow and the thrones at Mt. Olympus.  The Romans named this god Vulcan.

Hermes

With wings on his sandals, Hermes was possessed of great speed and assumed the role of "messenger of the Gods" and transporter of souls to the Underworld.  He was the only God permitted to enter the realms of Heaven, Earth and the Underworld.  Like all Gods, he was possessed of fallibility:  the impulse to steal.  This shortcoming earned him the honor of God of Thieves.  The son of Zeus, Hermes was a trusted ally of the king of Gods and frequent confidant.  He wore a "petasus" (a shallow, round hat) and was often portrayed with wings on his shoulders along with his famed winged sandals.  The Roman incarnation of Hermes is Mercury.

Hades

Brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades fought alongside his brothers in the Titanomachy, helping to destroy their father Cronus and begin the rule of the Olympian Gods.  After their victory in the battle of the Titans, Hades and his brothers divided rule of the world.  Drawing lots, Zeus was given the sky, Poseidon the seas and Hades the underworld.  Popular notions of Hades are a bit distorted, probably from Christian views of hell.  In Greek mythology, Hades was a benevolent ruler who sought balance in the Underworld, but was capable of rage and vindictive actions if crossed.  Hades is associated with Cerebus, the three-headed canine that helps guard the underworld and the Helm of Darkness given to him by the Cyclops' prior to the Battle of the Titans. 




Rob Mabry is a former military journalist living in San Antonio. He writes about travel, history and film. Rob operates Your Museum Store where you can find a beautiful collection of Greek Statues.

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