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I. THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS

GREEK

The Twelve great gods of the Greeks were known as the Olympians. Together
they presided over every aspect of human life. The goddess Hestia (listed here
in the second rank) was sometimes included amongst the Twelve.

Aphrodite

Venus *

Apollo

Apollo *

ROMAN

Cult of the Greek Gods

Ares

Mars

Bestiary of Creatures

Artemis

Diana

Kingdoms of Myth

Athena

Minerva *

Star Myths

Demeter

Ceres

Plant & Flower Myths

Dionysus

Liber *

GREEK MYTH BIOS

Gods & Goddesses
Olympian Gods
Titans & Titanesses

APHRODITE

APOLLO

ARES

Personified Spirits

Hephaestus

Vulcan

Hera

Juno

Hermes

Mercury

Poseidon

Neptune

Zeus

Jupiter

Nymphs & Daemones

* Both the Greeks and

Romans used the titles Cypris
for Aphrodite, Phoebus for
Apollo, Bacchus for Dionysus
and Pallas for Athena.

Heroes & Heroines

Fabulous Creatures
Giants & Fantastic Men

GALLERIES

GREEK & ROMAN NAMES

II

Greek Vase Paintings

Greco-Roman Sculpture

ARTEMIS

ATHENA

DEMETER

Greco-Roman Fresco

GREEK

ROMAN

Greco-Roman Mosaics

Asclepius

Aesculapius

LIBRARY
Theoi Classical Texts

FAQ
Site Bibliography

DIONYSUS

HERMES

HEPHAESTUS

POSEIDON

HERA

ZEUS

II. OTHER OLYMPIAN GODS

A number of other gods were described as Olympian. Most of these were
functionaries or minions of the Twelve. For example, the Horae belonged to
Zeus, the Muses to Apollo, Eileithyia and Hebe to Hera, and the Erotes to
Aphrodite.

ASCLEPIUS

CHARITES

EILEITHYIA

Ariadne

Ariadne

Charites

Gratiae **

Deimus

Metus

Dike

Justitia

Dioscuri

Dioscuri

Eileithyia

Lucina

Eirene

Pax

Enyo

Bellona

Eris

Discordia

Eros

Cupid

Erotes

Cupides

Eunomia

Eunomia

Ganymedes

Ganymede

Harmonia

Concordia

Hebe

Juventas

Heracles

Hercules

Hestia

Vesta

Hygeia

Salus

Hymenaeus

Hymen

Iris

Iris

Leto

Latona

Moirae

Parcae

Musae

Musae **

Nike

Victoria

Peitho

Suada

Phobus

Terror

Psyche

Psyche

Themis

Themis

Thyone

Thyone

Tyche

Fortuna

** The Roman names for the

individual Muses and Charites
were the same as the Greek.

EROS

HEBE

HESTIA

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HORAE

HYGEIA

IRIS

LETO

MOIRAE

MUSES

NIKE

THEMIS

TYCHE

CATEGORIES OF OLYMPIAN GODS

The Olympian gods ("Theoi Olympioi") presided over ever facet of ancient life
and were often grouped according to their common functions.
THE THEOI AGORAIOI were the gods of the "agora" (the marketplace and
people's assembly). Zeus, as the god of kings and princes, presided over the
the assembly, alongside Athena, as goddess of wise counsel, Dike (Justice),
Themis (Custom) and Calliope (Eloquence). The gods of the marketplace, on
the other hand, were led by Hermes, the god of commerce, along with
Hephaestus and Athena, the patron gods of artisans : weavers, potters,
metalworkers, sculptors, etc. Apollo was another god of the marketplace.
THE THEOI DAITIOI were the gods of feasts and banquets. Dionysus, the god
of wine, and Hestia, goddess of feasting, presided over these. They were
accompanied by festive gods such as Aphrodite, goddess of pleasure, and the
Charites, goddesses of joy, dancing and other amusements. The Theoi
Mousikoi, or gods of music, also accompanied the feast.
THE THEOI GAMELIOI were the gods of marriage. The first of these were Zeus,
Hera, and Aphrodite, but others included Hymenaios (Wedding Song), the
Erotes (Loves), Peitho (Persuasion), the Charites (Graces), Eunomia (Good
Order), Harmonia (Harmony) and Hebe (Youth).
THE THEOI GEORGIKOI were the gods of agriculture. Olympian Demeter was
their leader, but for the most part these were non-Olympian chthonic gods.
See the Gods of Agriculture page for more information.
THE THEOI GYMNASTIKOI were the gods of the gymnasium, athletics and the
Games. The first of these were Hermes, Heracles and the Dioscuri. Nike
(Victory) and Agon (Contest) were minor daemones of the Games. Eros, as the
god of comradeship, was also frequently worshipped in the gymnasia.
THE THEOI HALIOI were the gods of the sea led by King Poseidon. Several of
the other Olympian gods had minor maritime roles including Apollo, Artemis,
Aphrodite and the Dioscuri who presided over embarkations, harbours, safe
voyage, and salvation from storms. Most of this class of god, however, were
non-Olympian marine divinities.
THE THEOI IATRIKOI were the gods of medicine and healing. These belonged
to the train of Apollo and included his son the medicine-god Asclepius, and his
family : Epione (Soothing), Hygeia (Good Health), Panaceia (Curative), Aegle
(Radiance), Iaso (Healing), Aceso (Cure) and Telesphorus (Accomplisher).
THE THEOI KTESIOI were the gods of house and home. They were led by Zeus
protector of the home (Ctesius) and of the family courtyard (Hicesius) along
with Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. Hecate and Hermes were also
important household gods who protected the gates and entranceways.
THE THEOI MANTIKOI were the gods of oracles, divination and prophecy.
These were led by Apollo, the god or oracles and seers, and Zeus, the god of
fate. Other oracular gods included the Titanesses Phoeibe (at Delphi) Themis
(at Delphi and Dodona), Dione (at Dodona) and Mnemosyne (at Lebadeia). The
god Hermes presided over certain primitive forms of diviniation including the
casting of stones, coin-throwing oracles, and astrology. Lastly Pan and the
Nymphs inspired the rustic prophets.
THE THEOI NOMIOI were the gods of the countryside and country pursuits,
including hunting, fowling, fishing, and the herding of cattle and sheep. They
were led by the Olympians Artemis (for hunting), Hermes (for herding) and
Dionysus. The rest of the rustic gods were mostly non-Olympian divinities. See
the Theoi Nomioi page for more information on these.
THE THEOI MOUSIKOI were the gods of music, dance and education in the
arts. They were led by the Olympian twins Apollo and Artemis, the former
presiding over music and poetry, and the latter over the choirs and dances of
girls. Other important musical gods included the nine Muses, the dancing
Charites or Graces, and the musical demi-gods Hymenaeus and Linos.
Dionysus, Hermes and Aphrodite were also gods of music and the arts.
THE THEOI POLEMIKOI were the gods of war. These were led by Ares and
Athena, and included gods such as Enyo, Eris (Strife), Nike (Victory), Deimos
(Terror) and Phobos (Fear). Zeus, as the god of fate, and Apollo, as god of
archery, also had wartime functions.
THE THEOI THESMIOI were the gods of divine law and custom. These were led
by Zeus Nomius (of the Laws) and Demeter Thesmophorus (the Law Bringer).
Lesser gods in this sphere included the Horae, specifically Dike (Justice),
Eunomia (Good Order), and Irene (Peace), their mother Themis (Custom), and
Apollo.
A COMPLETE LIST OF OLYMPIAN GODS & GODDESSES
AGLAEA (Aglaia) The goddess of beauty and adornment. She was one of the
three Charites and the wife of the god Hephaestus.
AEGLE (Aigle) The goddess of the radiant glow of good health. She was a
daughter of the medicine-god Asclepius.

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AKESO The goddess of curing illness. She was one of the daughters of
Asclepius.
ALEXIARES A son of the god Heracles, who with his brother Anicetus guarded
the gates of Olympus. His name means "the unconquerable."
ANICITUS (Aniketos) A son of the god Heraces, named "he-who-wards off
war." He was one of the gate-keepers of Olympus.
APHRODITE One of the ruling twelve great Olympians. She was the goddess of
love, beauty and procreation. Alongside Zeus and Hera, she was also the
leader of the Theoi Gamelioi or gods of marriage.
APOLLO (Apollon) One of the twelve great Olympian gods. He was the god of
music, prophecy and healing, and the leader of both the Theoi Mousikoi (gods
of music) and Theoi Mantikoi (gods of prophecy).
ARES The great Olympian god of war and conflict. He was the leader of the
Theoi Polemikoi or gods of war.
ARIADNE The wife of the god Dionysos. She was granted a seat beside her
husband amongst the gods of heavens.
ARTEMIS One of the twelve ruling Olympians, Artemis was the goddess of
hunting, wild animals, childbirth and children. She was also a death-dealing
goddess who brought sudden death to women with her arrows. Alongside her
brother Apollo she was a leader of the Theoi Mousikoi or gods of music,
presiding over maiden song and dance.
ASCLEPIUS The god of medicine and healing. He was originally a mortal man
who was destroyed by Zeus for the crime of restoring the dead to life.
Afterwards he was welcomed into Olympus as a god.
ATHENA One of the twelve great Olympians, Athena was the goddess of war,
fortifications and the defence of towns, and of good counsel and heroic
endeavour. She was also a patron goddess of craftsmen, presiding over the
arts of weaving, pottery, carpentry and the manufacture of oil.
BIA The goddess of force. She was one of four winged daemones who stood
attendant on the throne of Zeus.
CALLIOPE (Kalliope) The leader of the nine Muses, and goddess of epic poetry.
She also bestowed the gift of eloquence upon kings and princes.
CHARITES (Kharites) The goddesses of joy, pleasure, mirth, beauty, dancing,
feasts and banquets. The three Graces were handmaidens of the goddesses
Hera and Aphrodite, and attendants of Dionysus. They were numbered
amongst the Theoi Gamelioi (gods of marriage) and Theoi Datioi (gods of the
banquet).
CLYMENE (Klymene) The Titan goddess of fame and renown. She was a
handmaiden of the goddess Hera.
CLIO (Kleio) The Muse of historical writings.
CRATUS The god of strength and power. He was one of four winged Daemones
who stood attendant by the throne of Zeus.
DEIMUS (Deimos) The god of fear. He was a son of Ares who accompanied his
father on the battlefield.
DEMETER One of the twelve great Olympian gods, Demeter was the goddess of
agriculture : from the ploughing of the earth, to the milling of grain for flour.
DIKE The goddess of justice, who reported the misdemeanors of man to her
father Zeus. She was one of the three Horae, goddesses of the seasons and
heavenly order.
DIONE The Titaness mother of the goddess Aphrodite. She was a prophetic
goddess, associated with the great oracle of Zeus at Dodona.
DIONYSUS (Dionysos) One of the twelve great Olympian gods. He was the god
of wine, viticulture, and wild vegetation.
DIOSCURI (Dioskouroi) The gods of horsemen and gymnasia, patron gods of
the Games, and protectors of sailors. Castor and Polydeuces, the Dioscuri
twins, were originally a pair of mortal heroes. When Polydeuces was offered
immortality by his father Zeus he insisted on sharing the benefaction with his
brother. As a result the pair spent alternating days in heaven and the
netherworld.
EILEITHYIA The goddess of childbirth and the pains of labour. She was a
daughter of Zeus and Hera.
EIRENE The goddess of peace. She was one of the three Horae, goddesses of
the heavenly order and the seasons.
ENYO The goddess of war, a companion of Ares.
EPIONE The goddess of the soothing of pain. She was the wife of the
medicine-god Asclepius.
ERATO The Muse of love poetry and mimicry.
ERIS The goddess of strife. She was a sister and companion of the god Ares.
EROS The god of love and sexual desire. He was the son and divine minion of
the goddess Aphrodite.
EROTES Thewinged gods of love. A flock of these or three (Himerus, Pothos
and Eros) accompanied the goddess Aphrodite.
EUNOMIA The goddess of good order. She was one of the three Horae and an
attendant of Aphrodite who was numbered amongst the Theoi Gamelioi or
gods of marriage.
EUPHROSYNE The goddess of merriment and good cheer. She was one of the
three sister Charites.
EURYNOME The goddess of flowery pastures. Eurynome was mother of the
Charites and a handmaiden of the goddess Hera.
EUTERPE One of the nine Muses. She presided over lyric poetry.
GANYMEDES The cupbearer of Zeus who served nectar at the feasts of the
gods. He was originally a Trojan prince whose beauty caught the eye of Zeus.
HARMONIA The goddess of harmony. As a daughter of Ares and Aphrodite she
was both a goddess of war (one of the Theoi Polemikoi) and of marriage (one
of the Theoi Gamelioi). Harmonia represented unity and harmonious action.
HEBE The goddess of youth. She was one of the Theoi Gamelioi or gods of

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marriage, a daughter of Zeus and Hera, and wife of Heracles.

HEPHAESTUS (Hephaistos) One of the twelve ruling gods of Olympus.
Hephaestus was the craftsman's god presiding over metalworking, building,
sculpture, and artistry.
HERA The Queen of the gods, and wife of Zeus. Hera was the goddess of
women, and the leader of the Theoi Gamelioi or gods of marriage. She was
also a goddess of the sky and stars.
HERACLES The greatest of the Greek heroes. Upon his death he was welcomed
into Olympus, becoming the gatekeeper of heaven, and the god of strength
and heroic endeavour and the averter of evil.
HERMES One of the twelve great Olympian gods. He was the herald of Zeus,
and thegod of herds and flocks, the country arts, travel, trade, merchants, and
thievery.
HESTIA The goddess of the hearth. With Zeus she was the leader of the gods
of house and home, who also presided over the feast and the altar flame. Like
Artemis and Athena she was a maiden goddess.
HIMERUS (Himeros) The god of sexual desire. The Erotes Himerus, Pothus and
Eros were minions of the goddess Aphrodite.
HORAE The goddesses of the seasons and the ordering of heaven. Individually
they presided over peace (Eirene), justice (Dike) and good order (Eunomia).
The Horae were also guardians of the gates of heaven and handmaidens of the
goddess Hera.
HYGEIA The goddess of good health, one of the many daughters of Asclepius.
HYMENAEUS (Hymenaios) The god of the weddings and the marriage hymn.
He was a winged minion of the goddess Aphrodite, numbered amongst the
gods of marriage.
IASO The goddess of cures and remedies, a daughter of the medicine-god
Asclepius.
IRIS The goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. She was the
personal handmaiden of the goddess Hera.
LETO The Titan goddess of motherhood and womanly demure. She was the
mother of the twin Olympians Apollo and Artemis.
LEUCIPPIDES (Leukippides) The goddess wives of the Dioscuri twins. They
were originally mortal princesses who were carried up to heaven by the gods.
LITAE (Litai) The elderly goddesses of prayer who delivered the prayers of
men to the gods in heaven.
MELPOMENE The goddess muse of tragedy plays.
MOIRAI (Moirae) The three goddesses of fate who spun the thread of human
destiny. They were attendants of Zeus Moiragete ("Leader of the Fates").
MUSES (Mousai) Nine sister goddesses of music, song, dance and the other
arts. They were minions of the god Apollo Musagete ("Leader of the Muses"),
and sang as a choir at the feasts of the gods.
NIKE The goddess of victory. She was one of four winged siblings who guarded
the throne of Zeus, the others being Bia, Cratus and Zelus. Nike was also
Zeus' personal charioteer.
OCEANIDES (Okeanides) Goddess and nymph daughters of the great earthencircling river Oceanus. Many of these were handmaidens of the Olympian
gods, including Artemis' troupe, Demeter's entourage, Hera's Clymene and
Aphrodite's Peitho.
PAEON (Paion) The physician of the Olympian gods. He was perhaps the same
as Asclepius.
PANACEIA (Panakeia) The goddess of curatives, literally named "All-Cure."
She was one of the daughters of the medicine god Asclepius.
PEITHO The goddess of persuasion and seductive speech. She was a
handmaiden of Aphrodite and one of the Theoi Gamelioi (gods of marriage).
PHOBUS (Phobos) The god of panic. He was one of the Theoi Polemikoi (gods
of war), a minion of his father Ares.
POLYHYMNIA The goddess muse of religious hymns. She was also known as
Polymnia
POSEIDON The King of the sea and one of the twelve ruling gods of Olympus.
He weas also the lord of rivers, lakes and other sources of fresh-water, and
the god of horses and chariots. Unlike the other Olympian gods he had his
residence in the sea rather than heaven, although he still attended all the
councils and feasts of the heavenly gods.
POTHUS (Pothos) The god of sexual yearning. He was a winged Erote
(Love-God) in the service of Aphrodite.
PSYCHE (Psykhe) The goddess of the soul and wife of the god Eros.
TERPSICHORE (Terpsikhore) The Muse of choral dance and song.
THALIA (1) (Thalia) The Muse of comedy drama and idyllic poetry.
THALIA (2) The goddess of banquets and festivities. She was one of the three
Graces (Charites).
THEMIS The Titan goddess of divine law and order, custom and tradition. She
was also a prophetic goddess, the leader of the assembly, and the personal
councillor of Zeus.
THYONE The mother of the god Dionysus. Thyone is the divine name of
Semele, who was brought to Olympus by her son subsequent to her death.
TYCHE (Tykhe) The goddess of good fortune. She was sometimes represented
as a handmaiden of the goddess Hera.
URANIA (Ourania) The goddess Muse of astronomy and astronomical writings.
ZELUS (Zelos) The god of rivalry and competition. He was one of four winged
Daemones who guarded the throne of Zeus.
ZEUS The great King of the Gods, ruler of Olympos and the Heavens, and
leader of the Twelve. He was the god of the sky, weather, kings, fate, law and
order.

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The Theoi Project: Guide to Greek Mythology was created and is edited by Aaron J. Atsma.
Website copyright 20002007 Aaron Atsma, New Zealand.