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Greek Gods, Myths, and Legends - Introduction to Greek Myths and Legends

The Gods and Goddesses

By N.S. Gill, About.com

Gods and Goddesses From Greek Mythology

Zeus, Ares, Hermes, Apollo, and Athena

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Olympian Gods and Goddesses

Greek mythology tells stories about gods and goddesses, other immortals, monsters, extraordinary heroes, and some ordinary people. Some of the gods and goddesses are called Olympian because they sat on thrones on Mt. Olympus. There were 12 Olympians in Greek mythology, although you may run across 14 different names.

Olympians - The Beginnings and Emergence: Chaos, Uranus, Cronus, Zeus

In Greek mythology, Chaos, an elemental force, was all there was in the beginning. An elemental force is one that is not made up of anything else. It exists from the beginning of the universe. To coin a phrase, you could say, "in the beginning, there was Chaos." Period. The idea of having the principle of Chaos at the beginning of the universe is like the New Testament idea that in the beginning was "The Word". Out of Chaos emerged other elemental forces or principles, like Love, Earth, and Sky, and later, from some of them came the Titans.

Titans in Greek Mythology

The Titans were the children of Gaia and Uranus (Ouranos) -- the Earth and Sky. The Olympian gods and goddesses were children born later to one pair of the Titans, making them the grandchildren of Earth and Sky.

Uranus' Revenge
Earth (Gaia) and Sky (Ouranos/Uranus) who were elemental forces, produced numerous offspring: 100-armed monsters, 1-eyed cyclops, and the Titans. Earth was sad because Sky wouldn't let her children see the light of day, so she did something about it. She forged a sickle with which her son Cronus unmanned his father. The love goddess Aphrodite sprang up from the foam from Sky's severed genitals. From Sky's blood dripping on Earth sprang the spirits of Vengeance.

Titanomachy

The Titanomachy (from the word titan and the Greek for battle -- machy) was an important battle for the Olympian gods. At the end of it, Zeus became the dominant power. This was a 10-year battle between immortals - gods and Titans.

Hermes - Thief, Inventor, and Messenger God

This article on the Greek god Hermes contains family trees of Hermes going back to his great grandparents, the Titans Sky (Uranos/Ouranos) and Earth (Gaia), who are also his great-great grandparents and his great-great-great grandparents. In Greek Mythology, since the gods and goddesses were immortal, there was no limitation on child-bearing years and so a grandparent could also be a parent.

Roman Gods and Goddesses

The Romans had their own local gods and goddesses, but when they learned about other gods they frequently either adopted them or combined them with the closest god or goddess in their evolving pantheon. Thus, the vegetation goddess Venus became the equivalent of the Greek love and beauty goddess Aphrodite. The god Mars, whom the Romans esteemed, became associated with almost despised war god of the Greeks, Ares. The Romans also adopted the gods of their neighbors, the Etruscans and Celts. The Romans also deified some of their emperors. Here are the Roman deities divided into the following categories:
  • Foreign Gods and Goddesses
  • Punic Names for Roman Gods
  • Some Etruscan Gods and Their Roman Counterparts
  • Roman Gods and Goddesses of Agriculture
  • Roman Gods and Goddesses of Children and Childbirth
  • Roman Gods and Goddesses of Virtues and Personifications
  • Roman Genres of Spiritual Entities
  • Imperial Divi

Sun Gods | War Gods | Moon Gods | Love Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses
An alphabetical index of major gods and goddesses of the world.

The Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology
Life Begins in Greek Mythology
Myth vs. Legend and Religion
Greek Myths and Legends

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