Glossary Of The Myths

What, and who are the Twelve Olympian gods?

The 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology were actually the third generation of gods, six of them having been born of the powerful Titans who had overthrown their father, Uranus, the sky. The leader of the Titans, Cronus, feared that his children would someday rise against him. To prevent this, he swallowed his children as they were born. In the end, his fears proved correct, for his wife Rhea concealed their son Zeus and saved him from being ingested. Once grown, Zeus managed to free his siblings, and with the help of their gigantic half-siblings, the three Cyclopes and three fifty-headed monsters, the Olympians triumphed over the Titans. They ruled over the affairs of mankind from their palace atop Mount Olympus. 

Zeus – King of the Gods
After leading the battle against Cronus, Zeus became the chief god, and ruled over the other divinities living on their divine mountain. He held dominion over the earth and sky and was the ultimate arbitrator of law and justice. He controlled the weather, using his ability to hurl thunder and lightning to enforce his reign. Zeus’s first wife was Metis, one of the Titan sisters. He later married his own sister Hera, but he had a wandering eye and a penchant for flings with any and all women. His romantic interests gave birth to numerous other gods, demi-gods, and mortal heroes on the earth.

Hera – Queen of the Gods
Hera ruled as queen of the gods. As the goddess of marriage and fidelity, she was one of the only Olympians to remain steadfastly faithful to her spouse. Though faithful, she was also vengeful, and tormented many of Zeus’s extramarital partners. One of these, Io, was turned into a cow, and Hera sent a gadfly to pester her unceasingly. She turned Callisto into a bear and set Artemis to hunt her. Another woman, Semele, she tricked into asking Zeus to reveal his full glory before her, the sight of which killed the unfortunate mortal woman. Zeus’s tryst with Alcmene produced his son Hercules, and Hera focused her hatred on the boy. She sent snakes to poison him in the crib, arranged his twelve labors in the hopes that he would not survive, and set the Amazons on him when he visited their land. 

 Poseidon – The God of the Sea
When Zeus became king, he divided the universe amongst himself and his two brothers. Poseidon received dominion over the seas and waters of the world. He also held the power to produce storms, floods, and earthquakes. He was also the protector of seamen and the god of horses. His own majestic team of horses intermingled with the sea foam as they pulled his chariot through the waves. Poseidon lived with his wife Amphitrite in a magnificent palace under the sea, though he was also prone to stepping out. Amphitrite was no more forgiving than  Hera, using magic herbs to turn one of Poseidon’s paramours, Scylla, into a monster with six heads and twelve feet.

Demeter – Goddess of the Harvest
Known as the “good goddess” to the people of the earth, Demeter oversaw farming, agriculture, and the fertility of the earth. Not surprisingly, as she controlled the production of food, she was very highly worshipped in the ancient world. Demeter had one daughter, Persephone, who caught the eye of Zeus’s third brother, Hades. Eventually, he abducted the girl and brought her to his gloomy palace in the underworld. Distraught, Demeter searched the entire earth for her daughter, and neglected her duties. 

The resulting famine consumed the world and killed so many people that Zeus eventually commanded Hades to return his prize. However, wily Hades tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds from the underworld, forever tying her to the land of the dead. They struck a deal that Persephone should spend four months of each year with Hades. During those four months, Demeter is so heartbroken at the absence of Persephone that nothing can grow, leading to each year’s winter.

Athena – Goddess of War and Wisdom
Athena was the daughter of Zeus and his first wife, Metis. Fearing that a son would usurp him as he had his father, Zeus swallowed Metis to prevent this. However, Metis survived, and fashioned armor for her coming child from within Zeus. Eventually, the pounding gave him a splitting headache – quite literally – for Hephaestus split Zeus’s head open with an axe. From the wound sprang Athena, fully grown and armor clad. Athena’s strength rivaled that of any of the other gods. She refused to take any lovers, remaining determinedly a virgin. She took her place on Mount Olympus as the goddess of justice, strategic warfare, wisdom, rational thought, and arts and crafts. The owl was one of her most important symbols, and she planted the first olive tree as a gift to her favorite namesake Athens.