Greek and Roman Mythology: The Principal Gods and Goddesses

Myth

A traditional story rooted in the primitive beliefs of cultures and believed to be true, using the supernatural to interpret natural events and explaining a culture's view of the universe and human nature.

Chaos

The shapeless nothingness that existed in the beginning of the universe, which produced Night (darkness) and Erebus (death).

Erebus

Death, born of Chaos alongside Night (darkness).

Love

The entity mysteriously born of darkness and death that initiated order and beauty, creating Light and Day.

Gaea (Gaia)

Mother Earth, who formed the solid ground with a distinct personality and bore Heaven to cover her and provide a home for the gods.

Ouranos (Uranus)

Father Heaven, born from Earth to cover her and act as a dwelling place for the gods.

First Children of Mother Earth and Heaven

Gigantic, monster-like creatures possessing shattering strength like earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes: three monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads, three cyclopes, and the Titans.

The Titans (The Elder Gods)

The enormous and exceedingly strong elder deities born of Earth and Heaven who ruled before the Olympian gods.

Cronos (Saturn)

The ruler of the Titans who mortally wounded Heaven and swallowed his progeny upon birth to prevent a prophecy that a son would overthrow him.

Rhea

Wife of Cronos and mother of the original Olympian gods, who hid her sixth child, Zeus, in Crete and gave Cronos a swaddled stone to swallow.

Ocean

The Titan who represented the enormous river encircling the entire world.

Iapetus

A Titan who fathered Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas.

Atlas

A Titan punished by Zeus for his insolence and condemned to hold the Earth upon his shoulders for eternity.

Prometheus

A Titan whose name means "forethought (before thought)"; described as wise, level-headed, and patient, he shaped man upright like the gods, brought fire from the Sun to mankind, and tricked Zeus into accepting inferior sacrifices.

Epimetheus

A Titan whose name means "afterthought"; described as scatterbrained and impulsive, he gave all advantageous physical traits to animals before man was made.

Punishment of Prometheus

Zeus chained him to the Caucasus mountain without sleep, where an eagle devoured his liver every night, which then grew back every morning.

Pandora

The first woman, whose name means "full of gifts"; driven by curiosity, she opened a forbidden box given to Epimetheus, releasing suffering, famine, and despair into the world, leaving only Hope inside.

Mount Olympus

The lofty mountain abode from which the principal Olympian gods resided and looked down upon the world.

Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)

The supreme god of the Olympians and father of many mythological figures; his primary symbol is the thunderbolt and his animal is the eagle.

Hera (Juno)

Zeus's sister and wife, and the jealous protector of marriage who punished the women Zeus loved; symbolized by the scepter and peacock.

Poseidon (Neptune)

God of the seas and waters, known as "The Earthshaker"; symbolized by the trident (triton) and associated with the seahorse.

Hades (Pluto)

God of the Underworld and the dead who abducted Persephone; symbolized by the drinking horn, scepter, cypress, narcissus, key, and guarded by Cerberus.

Hestia (Vesta)

Goddess of the home and a powerful protector; symbolized by an eternal flame.

Demeter (Ceres)

Goddess of the harvest, an Earth goddess, and mother of Persephone; symbolized by a corn stalk.

Athena (Minerva)

Goddess of wisdom and war strategy who sprang full-grown from Zeus's head; symbolized by armor and accompanied by the owl.

The Parthenon

The monumental ancient temple erected on the Athenian Acropolis dedicated to the worship of Athena.

Ares (Mars)

Bloodthirsty and merciless god of war, and son of Zeus and Hera; accompanied by the dog and symbolized by spears, helmets, chariots, boars, vultures, and flaming torches.

Hephaestus (Vulcan, Mulciber)

Kind god of fire and the forge, and son of Zeus and Hera; symbolized by the mallet, fire, and heat.

Apollo

God of light, the sun, and music, and brother of Artemis; symbolized by the laurel, lyre, and rays of light.

Artemis (Diana)

Goddess of the moon and hunt, and sister of Apollo; symbolized by the bow and arrow and accompanied by the fawn.

Hermes (Mercury)

The messenger of the gods who appears in more classical myths than any other character.

Aphrodite (Venus)

Goddess of love and beauty who sprang from ocean foam; symbolized by foam and roses, and associated with dolphins and doves.

Dionysus (Bacchus)

God of wine, a god of the Earth, and patron deity of the Greek stage; symbolized by grapes and associated with snakes, panthers, and leopards.

Greek Theater

An ancient open-air performance structure composed of the theatron/koilon (viewing area), orchestra (circular dancing place with an altar), proskenion/logeion, and skene (backdrop/stage building).

Persephone (Proserpina)

Goddess of the Underworld and daughter of Zeus and Demeter who was abducted by Hades; symbolized by the pomegranate and the rooster.

Hebe (Juventas)

Goddess of youth and cupbearer to the gods who possessed the ability to restore youth to the elderly; symbolized by the chalice.

Eros (Cupid)

Young god of love and son of Aphrodite and Hephaestus; symbolized by his bow and arrow.

Iris

Goddess of the rainbow and messenger for Zeus and Hera; daughter of the Titan Thaumas and the nymph Electra.

The Muses

Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over the arts and sciences and inspired creators: Clio, Urania, Thalia, Melpomene, Erato, Calliope, Euterpe, Terpsichore, and Polyhymnia.

The Graces

Three goddesses of grace and beauty who "give life its bloom": Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer).

The Erinnyes (The Furies)

Three goddesses of vengeance—Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megaera—born from the blood of castrated Heaven; they pursue evildoers, have snakes for hair, and weep blood from their eyes.

The Fates (Parcae, Moirae)

Three sister deities who control the destiny of human life: Clotho ("The Spinner"), Lachesis ("The disposer of lots"), and Atropos ("The cutter").

Satyrs

Goat-men shepherd gods of the woods and mountains who accompanied Dionysus and loved dancing, drinking, and pursuing nymphs.

Minotaur

A brutish creature with the head of a bull and body of a man that terrorized Crete while confined within a labyrinth.

The Gorgons

Three winged monsters with snakes for hair whose direct gaze turned men to stone, the most renowned of whom was Medusa.

The Centaurs

A race of savage creatures that were half man and half horse and followed Dionysus, with Chiron standing as a notable civilized exception.

The Hydra

A multi-headed serpent-like monster offspring of Typhon and Echidna, and sibling of Cerberus and the Chimaera.

Cerberus

The three-headed dog known as the hound of Hades that guarded the entrance to the Underworld to ensure souls could not depart or unpermitted living beings enter.

The Chimaera