The Olympians:

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• The Olympians
• God and Goddesses of Ancient Greece

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Greeks and their gods

• Heaven and Earth were the parents of the first
  gods, the Titans.
• The Titans possessed enormous strength and were
  also physically enormous. Cronus ruled the
  Titans, until his son Zeus dethroned him.
• Zeus became the leader of the Olympian gods, who
  resided at Mount Olympus. Mt. Olympus was a place
  not quite on earth, but not exactly heaven. It
  was untouched by weather, and its protected by
  the Seasons.
• However, unlike many belief systems, the Greek
  gods have many faults they are prone to fits of
  jealousy, vanity and temper tantrums.

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Zeus
Zeus The Sky Roman name Jupiter Symbols
Thunderbolt, eagle, and oak tree. Family Zeus is
married to Hera, his sister. Zeus rules the Sky,
clouds, thunderbolts and has more power than all
other gods combined. Zeus has numerous famous
children including many of the Olympians, but he
is also the father of Perseus and Persephone.
The Notorious He is infamous for his many love
affairs and bad temper.
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Hera Marriage Roman Name Juno Symbols Cow
and Peacock Family Hera is married to Zeus. Her
children are Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus and a
daughter, Ilithyia. Woman Scorned Hera is the
protector of marriage, particularly married
women. Hera was used to an unfaithful husband and
her jealousy was well known throughout Greece.
She would torment Zeuss other women, many of
whom were unaware they had wronged Hera
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Aphrodite - Love and BeautyRoman name
VenusSymbols dove and swan Family Aphrodite
is said to have been born from the foam of the
sea. Cupid is her son. Legend has it That
Aphrodites beauty awe-struck all men, no matter
how wise. Although often depicted in art for her
beauty and charm, she was also known to be
manipulative. She was married to Hephaestus, but
it was rumored to have had an affair with her
husbands brother, Ares.
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Ares - War

• Roman Name Mars
• Symbols The vulture and dog
• Family He is definitely the son of Hera, and
  Zeus is his father Zeus and Hera did not like
  Ares. Ares has a tendency to be very easily
  angered and immature. Often he is the
  laughingstock of the gods, especially when he and
  Aphrodite were caught together.
• On a planet of his own Ares does not have the
  glorious tales of the other Gods and Goddesses.
  He is more a symbol of war than anything else.

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Athena - Wisdom

• Roman Name Minerva
• Symbols The olive tree and owl
• Family Some say she was born of Zeus alone,
  others that her mother was Metis, the wife Zeus
  had to swallow. Either way, she was born fully
  grown and in armor from her fathers head. Athena
  never married and had no children.
• Where in Greece? Athens was named after Athena.
  She was in competition with Poseidon, her uncle,
  for claim of the city. Each presented the people
  with a gift and Athena gave the beautiful,
  practical gift of the olive tree. Needless to
  say, she won and Athens is hers.

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Dionysus the Vine and Revelry

• Roman Name Bacchus
• Symbol the grape vine, wine
• Family The son of Zeus and the mortal princess
  Semele Dionysus is the youngest of the Gods. Hera
  discovered this affair of Zeuss and tricked the
  sweet princess into her own death. Zeus was able
  to rescue his son and sewed him into his thigh
  until he was ready to be born.
• Party Time Dionysus liked to party, especially
  in the woodlands with forest nymphs and satyrs.

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Artemis - the Hunt and the Moon

• Roman name Diane
• Symbols Cypress tree and deer.
• Family The twin sister of Apollo. Artemis is the
  daughter of Zeus and Leto a goddess.
• Arrowd? If you died a quick and painless death
  it was probably a silver arrow shot by this
  Goddess. Artemis was known for hiding in the
  woodlands with nymphs, remaining chaste and
  shooting hunters if they happened to spot her.

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Apollo Truth, The Sun, and the ArtsRoman
Name ApolloSymbols Laurel and lyreFamily
Apollo is Artemiss twin brother and son of Zeus
and Leto. The Greekiest Greek of them all
Apollo is a prominent figure in the arts
including poetry and music. He has a golden lyre
which he plays to entertain the gods. Apollo
also never told a lie and is the master of the 9
Muses.
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Hermes Messenger of the Gods

• Roman Name Mercury
• Symbols Winged sandals and Caduceus (his wand).
• Family Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia,
  Atlass daughter.
• Its Getting Hot in Here One of his chief
  duties was to guide people to the underworld. He
  was also a master thief and stole many of
  Apollos cows when only one day old! No surprise,
  he is the god of cleverness and knowledge.

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Poseidon - the Sea

• Roman Name Neptune
• Symbols The trident, bulls, and horses.
• Family Poseidon is second in power to his
  brother Zeus. Poseidon has many kids, most of
  which are sea monsters.
• Something smells fishy Poseidon had a beautiful
  palace beneath the sea. Poseidon was an
  important God to the Greeks because they relied
  on the sea for much of their welfare. It was
  Poseidons choice for the sea to be calm or
  enraged with a storm. Poseidon is also well known
  for giving man the horse.

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Demeter Harvest and SeasonsRoman Name
CeresSymbols Cornucopia and plantsFamily
Demeter is the sister of Zeus and company. She is
also the mother of Persephone whom she never let
out of her sight. Lost daughter Demeter was
devastated when her daughter, Persephone, was
kidnapped by Hades. Each spring, Demeter would
greet her daughter at the entrance from the
underworld and bring an end to winter.
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Hephaestus - Fire and Smithing

• Roman Name Vulcan
• Symbols The hammer and forge
• Family He is the son of Hera and Zeus. He
  married Aphrodite at Zeuss order.
• Odd man out Hephaestus did not have the outer
  beauty of the other Gods, but was noted for his
  kindness. Adding to his outer appearance is his
  noticeable limp. This limp was caused by Zeus,
  who threw him off of Mount Olympus for siding
  with Hera over Zeus in a fight. (Some versions
  have Hera throwing him!) Hephaestus is the patron
  of smiths, and he makes enchanted armor and
  weapons.

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HESTIA the Hearth and HomeRoman Name
VestaSymbols The hearth and veilsFamily The
first born of Cronus children.The missing
goddess Hestia has few stories about her. She
just is. She is a private goddess who is the
root of the home and the flame that warms home.
She tends the living sacred fire of Olympus.
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HADES The UnderworldRoman Name
PlutoSymbols Invisible helmet and three-headed
dog Cerberus Family Sibling of Zeus. He drew
the shortest straw when the three brothers
split up their kingdoms, leaving him with the
Underworld. Lost daughter Lonely Hades fell
in love with Demeters daughter Persephone. He
stole her away to the underworld to be his wife.
He is forced to give her back to her mother for
part of each year, and it is winter in the world
above when she is with Hades.