Greek Gods & Goddesses 101

References to the gods & goddesses are everywhere in Greece, from street signs to the names of restaurants, statues, bars and beyond. Get to know some of the VIPs (i.e. family, nicknames, passions, lovers, latest gossip) before you travel to the land of the ancient Greeks and dazzle other travelers with your mystical knowledge.

APOLLO

God of the Sun, Light, Music and Prophecy
Son of Zeus
Born on the island of Delos
Incredibly attractive and the ultimate ladies man among goddesses and mortals
Artemis is his twin sister
Known to roll deep to parties at Olympus with the 9 muses in his squad

APHRODITE

Goddess of Love, Beauty & Eternal Youth
Born from foam in the waters of Cyprus when the Titan Cronus killed his Dad Uranus and casually tossed his genitals into the sea….awkward
A serial adulteress after being married off at a young age – Ares was one of her favorite boy toys
Also Cupid’s mom
Winner of the goddess beauty pageant against Hera and Athena judged by Paris
Nude model for the famous sculpture ‘Venus de Milo’ currently at the Louvre in Paris

ARES

God of War
Violent, dangerous, and untamed
Lover of Aphrodite (obvi) and father to their illegitimate daughter Harmonia (Harmony) and Eros (Cupid)
Biological father of at least three of Hercules’ enemies: Cycnus, Lycaon, and Diomedes
Often seen in literature in humiliating circumstances
Liked to wear his helmet most of the time

ARTEMIS

Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon
Apollo’s twin sister
The likely ancient inspiration for Hunger Games’ Katniss – always with bow and arrow in hand
Virgin and protector of chastity – anyone who tried to pull a fast one met a violent punishment
The temple built in her honor is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Frequently found roaming the forests with her nymphs
Known to go from 0 to 100 real quick – Once sent a wild boar after Adonis after he said he was a better hunter that her, and at one point Artemis transformed one of her nymphs who was seduced by Zeus into a bear and then killed her (nbd)

ATHENA

Goddess of wisdom, courage and inspiration – also known as a goddess of war for her expertise in military strategy and reputation to be #fierce and brave in battle
Crazy weird birth story – she sprang from Zeus’ forehead fully grown and clad in armor. With no mother, one of the most commonly cited stories is that Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of crafty thought and wisdom, and then swallowed her whole as he feared she will give birth to a child more powerful than him because of a prophecy…. but she had already conceived, nice try Zeus!
The Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens was built in her honor
Frequently chills with owls
Extra virgin guardian of the olive tree
Zeus’ favorite child and got to use his weapons like the iconic thunderbolt on occasion (#jealous)

DEMETER

Goddess of harvest, grain, earth, and fertility
Her tribe worshipped her at a town called Eleusis near Athens and their rituals was referred to as the the Eleusinian Mysteries.
Despite being basic and a “good goddess” she was often depressed and seen with a torch
Creator of the seasons based on her daughter, Persephone’s whereabouts: Persephone was abducted by Hades into the underworld, and only allowed to return for 3-4 months a year after eating a pomegranate seed from Hades. Demeter would mourn the loss of her daughter and strip the land of fertility (looking at you, winter), and then replenish the earth to its green and floral bounty (hello spring!)

DIONYSIS

God of wine and the grape harvest, ritual madness and partying
The original, ancient party animal
The ancient Greek rock star
Wine connoisseur
Sometimes described in literature as androgynous
Occasionally goes by the name Bacchus – which sounds familiarly like debauchery
Often seen as seasonally depressed and only happy during the wine harvest
The last God to enter Olympus

Who is your favorite? Which god/goddess do you relate the most to? I’m a mix of Athena and Artemis.

Shout out to greekgodsandgoddesses.net for providing some of this ancient knowledge.