Greek Gods and Goddesses
Although they seem to be things of the past, reminders of ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses are all around us. When you read the following names, more than a few will look familiar.
Greek Gods and Goddesses
The Greek Pantheon was a polytheistic system of thought and religion that assumed its Greek Gods and Goddesses existed independently and individually. There roll was to rule diverse aspects of the mortals every day life. Myth and culture is gathered in the Pantheon from where the Gods leave toward their corresponding realm.
Due to the Hellenic polytheist beliefs in ancient times, gods and goddesses formed relationships with each other on a more human scale. Compared to one-deity gods in many modern religions, Greek gods and goddesses had a surprising number of human limitations and weaknesses. Contrary to other religions, none of the ancient Greek Deities was omniscient or omnipotent, although their power was beyond the mortals' limit.
All Greek gods and goddesses had the same origin as minor deities ruled by the Titans. They later overthrew the Titans in an epic battle. Some of the most renowned are:
- Aether - God of the upper air
- Aphrodite - Goddess of love and beauty
- Apollo - God of the light, music, prophecy, poetry, and healing
- Ares - God of war, primarily violent war and bloodshed
- Artemis - Goddess of the moon and the hunt
- Athena - Goddess of war, wisdom, strategy
- Chaos - Non-gendered deity of the nothingness
- Chronos - God of eternal time
- Demeter - Goddess of agriculture
- Erebus - God of darkness
- Eros - God of love
- Gaia - Titan Goddess of the Earth
- Hades - God of the underworld, the death and the earth wealth, his realm receives his name.
- Hemera - Goddess of daylight
- Hephaestus - God of fire and the forge
- Hera - Goddess of marriage and the family, sister and wife of Zeus
- Hermes - God of commerce, travel, and thieves. Messenger of the gods.
- Hestia - Goddess of the hearth and domestic life that gave her place in the Mount Olympus to Dionysus.
- Nyx - Goddess of night
- Pontus - Titan God of the sea
- Poseidon - God of the sea
- Tartarus - Titan God of the depths of the underworld
- Uranus - Titan God of the heavens
- Zeus - King of the Gods and God of thunder and lightning
As you can see, the long list of Greek gods and goddesses is rather amazing when compared to one-deity religions such as Christianity and Islam. Regardless of the religious connotations, the names of these gods are often found in modern civilization although Roman translations are often used. For instance, Ares has been translated in Roman to Mars, the God of War and name of the 4th planet from our son.
Greek gods and goddesses represent a unique view of religion held by ancient Greeks. If the opportunity presents itself, you should read the Greek classics to gain an understanding of the rather emotional actions of the deities.
