Definition:
There were 12 Olympian gods and goddesses in Greek mythology, although you may run across 14 different names. Hestia, Demeter, Dionysus, and Hades are variable. The remaining 10 are: Apollo, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Zeus, among the gods; Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, and Hera, among the goddesses.
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. [See Roman Gods and Goddesses.]
Olympians Profiles
Alternate Spellings: Hephaestus' name is sometimes spelled Hephaistos or Hephestus.
Examples:
The twelve Olympian gods and goddesses were the major deities with prominent roles in Greek mythology. Although Being an Olympian god meant a throne on Mt. Olympus, some of the major Olympians spent most of their time elsewhere. Poseidon lived in the sea and Hades in the Underworld.