The Mythology Book

30

Of the second generation of gods,

several joined the Dodekatheon,

and were powerful deities in their

own right. The gods Apollo, Ares,

Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Hermes

all joined the ranks of Zeus and his

siblings on Mount Olympus, as did

the goddesses Artemis and Athena.

The Dodekatheon met as a council

to discuss matters in their ruling of

the cosmos; Dionysus, god of wine,

attained his seat at the table only

after Hestia left Olympus to reside

on Earth.

Human personalities

The Olympian gods were all too

human in their personalities,

and often lacked the lofty

transcendence of the supreme

beings in later religions. In a

dramatic soap opera of fierce

rivalries and petty spats, their

actions were influenced not by

a desire to work for the good of

humankind, but by their own

selfish desires and whims. The

Greeks therefore did not worship

THE OLYMPIAN GODS

Athena and her uncle Poseidon

battled over Athens—a family squabble

that the goddess won. The struggle is

illustrated in this Venetian fresco by

Giambattista Mengardi (1787).

Marble sculptures from the Parthenon

temple on the Acropolis in Athens show

the gods—from left to right: Dionysus,

Demeter, Persephone, and Artemis—

reacting to the birth of Athena.

the gods by attempting to emulate

them, instead treating them as they

might a powerful human ruler by

offering sacrifices and celebrating

the deities at regular festivals.

At its core, this was a system of

exchange: people offered gifts to

the gods in the hope that the gods

would give them what they asked

for. The gods often rewarded

mortals who treated them well

and showed them the appropriate

deference and respect.

Zeus and his siblings could be

needlessly cruel and were often

subject to jealousies and petty

fights. His brothers Poseidon and

Hades often used humans as pawns

in these squabbles, which usually

stemmed from a reluctance to

accept the supreme god's authority

as unquestionable.

Still more reluctant was his

sister Demeter, a strong-willed

deity in her own right. After

she was pursued and raped by

Poseidon, and Hades abducted her

daughter Persephone, Demeter

wreaked havoc across the world.

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31

Infidelity, too, was a major theme

in all Greek myths—not just in the

affairs (and assaults) committed by

Zeus that riled the jealous Hera.

Between gods and mortals

Despite their power, in many ways

Greek deities appear to have had

an intermediate status, hovering

somewhere between the spiritual

and the real. Their attributes reflect

the countless aspects of Greek

everyday life in which the gods

played an implicit part. All the gods

had specific areas of influence,

such as Zeus and Athena, who

were among the theoi agoraioi

(gods of the agora—the marketplace

and people’s assembly). Both Zeus

and the goddess Hestia were also

gods of the home (theoi ktesioi).

Hestia, Dionysius, and Aphrodite

were among the theoi daitioi, who

presided over feasts and banquets.

The gods themselves also

needed sustenance. According

to Greek tradition, they lived on a

diet of nectar and ambrosia, carried

to Mount Olympus by doves. To

later belief systems, the notion that

deities needed material sustenance

seems at odds with their divinity.

Ancient Greek authorities, however,

agreed on the importance of this

nourishment for the gods to

empower and sustain them. ■

ANCIENT GREECE

Aphrodite, the goddess of love

and beauty, was often shown

with a scepter, myrtle, and dove.

Apollo was an archer, but also

played the lyre, while the laurel

symbolized his love for Daphne.

Ares was the bloodthirsty god

of war. His love of arms was

usually represented by a spear.

Artemis, the hunting goddess

and Apollo’s twin, was shown

with a bow and her sacred deer.

Demeter, the scepter-wielding

harvest goddess, carried a torch

in a bid to find her daughter.

Hera, Zeus’s queen, carried a

scepter and wore a regal crown.

Her bird was the peacock.

Poseidon, the sea god, wielded

a trident to shake the earth. Bulls

and horses were sacred to him.

Athena, goddess of wisdom,

bore the Aegis shield; her bird

was the owl, her tree the olive.

Hephaestus was the god of

smiths, craftsmen, and fire. His

axe was never far from his side.

Dionysus, god of wine, was

crowned with ivy and bore a

thyrsos—a symbol of pleasure.

Hermes, the gods’ messenger,

wore winged boots and carried

a caduceus, a magical staff.

Zeus, the supreme god, tossed

thunderbolts at foes. The eagle

was his bird, the oak his tree.

The 12 Olympians

Symbols of the gods

Scepter Dove

Spear

Scepter

Myrtle

Bow Lyre Laurel

Bow Deer

Aegis Owl Olive

Torch Grain

Grapevine Ivy Thyrsos

Axe

Scepter Diadem Peacock

Caduceus Winged boots

Trident Bull Horse

Thunderbolt Eagle Oak

Description

Demeter was wroth

with the gods and

quitted heaven.

Library

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