Definition: There were twelve Olympians, or rather twelve thrones on Mt. Olympus for the gods and goddesses known as the Olympians to sit, but you may run across 14 different names for the Olympians. Hestia, Demeter, Dionysus, and Hades are variable. The remaining ten are: Apollo, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Zeus, among the gods; Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, and Hera, among the goddesses.
Also Known As: The Roman versions of the Greek names are: Apollo, Mars, Mercury, Vulcan, Neptune, and Jupiter, among the canonical males; Venus, Minerva, Diana, and Juno, among the canonical females. The alternates are Vesta, Ceres, Bacchus, and Pluto.
- Greco-Roman Gods and Goddesses
Resources on the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus.
Olympians Series: Adultery - A Peacock's Tale
The first in an ongoing series of light-hearted retellings of the major myths about the major gods and goddesses. This one is about Hera and Zeus.
Go to Other Ancient / Classical History Glossary pages beginning with the letter
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | wxyzAlternate Spellings: An alternate one of the Olympians, Hephaestus' name is sometimes spelled Hephaistos or Hephestus.
