Religion played a major role in Everyday life ancient Greeks. The main gods were considered the younger generation of celestials, who defeated their predecessors, the titans, who personified the universal forces. After the victory they settled on sacred mountain Olympus. Only Hades, the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, lived underground in his domain. The gods were immortal, but very similar to people - they were characterized by human traits: they quarreled and made peace, committed meanness and intrigue, loved and cunned. With the pantheon greek gods There are a huge number of myths that have survived to this day, exciting and fascinating. Each god played his role, occupied a certain place in a complex hierarchy and performed his assigned function.

The supreme god of the Greek pantheon is the king of all gods. He commanded thunder, lightning, the sky and the whole world. Son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Hades, Demeter and Poseidon. Zeus had a difficult childhood - his father, the Titan Kronos, fearing competition, devoured his children immediately after birth. However, thanks to his mother Rhea, Zeus managed to survive. Having grown stronger, Zeus threw his father from Olympus to Tartarus and received unlimited power over people and gods. He was very revered - the best sacrifices were made to him. The life of every Greek from infancy was saturated with the praise of Zeus.

One of three main gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. Son of Kronos and Rhea, brother Zeus and Hades. She obeyed him water element, which he got after defeating the Titans. He personified courage and a hot temper - he could be appeased with generous gifts... but not for long. The Greeks blamed it for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. He was the patron saint of fishermen and sailors. Poseidon's constant attribute was a trident - with it he could cause storms and break rocks.

Brother of Zeus and Poseidon, completing the top three most influential gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. Immediately after birth, he was swallowed by his father Kronos, but was subsequently released from the latter's womb by Zeus. He ruled the underground kingdom of the dead, inhabited by the dark shadows of the dead and demons. One could only enter this kingdom - there was no turning back. The mere mention of Hades caused awe among the Greeks, because the touch of this invisible cold god meant death for a person. Fertility also depended on Hades, giving the harvest from the depths of the earth. He commanded underground riches.

Wife and at the same time sister of Zeus. According to legend, they kept their marriage a secret for 300 years. The most influential of all the goddesses of Olympus. Patroness of marriage and conjugal love. Protected mothers during childbirth. Was different amazing beauty and... a monstrous character - she was angry, cruel, hot-tempered and jealous, often sending misfortunes to the earth and people. Despite her character, she was revered by the ancient Greeks almost on a par with Zeus.

God of unjust war and bloodshed. Son of Zeus and Hera. Zeus hated his son and tolerated him only because of his close relationship. Ares was distinguished by cunning and treachery, starting a war only for the sake of bloodshed. He was distinguished by an impulsive, hot-tempered character. He was married to the goddess Aphrodite, with her he had eight children, to whom he was very attached. All images of Ares contain military paraphernalia: a shield, helmet, sword or spear, sometimes armor.

Daughter of Zeus and the goddess Dione. Goddess of love and beauty. Personifying love, she was a very unfaithful wife and easily fell in love with those around her. In addition, she was the embodiment of eternal spring, life and fertility. The cult of Aphrodite was very revered in Ancient Greece- magnificent temples were dedicated to her and gifts were brought great sacrifices. An invariable attribute of the goddess’s attire was a magic belt (the belt of Venus), which made those who wore it unusually attractive.

Goddess of just war and wisdom. She was born from the head of Zeus... without the participation of a woman. Born in full combat uniform. She was depicted as a virgin warrior. She patronized knowledge, crafts and art, sciences and invention. She is, in particular, credited with the invention of the flute. She was a favorite of the Greeks. Her images were invariably accompanied by the attributes (or at least one attribute) of a warrior: armor, spear, sword and shield.

Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Goddess of fertility and agriculture. As a child, she repeated the fate of her brother Hades and was devoured by her father, but was later saved by being extracted from his womb. She was the lover of her brother Zeus. From her relationship with him, she had a daughter, Persephone. According to legend, Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, and Demeter wandered the earth for a long time in search of her daughter. During her wanderings, the land was struck by crop failure, causing famine and death of people. People stopped bringing gifts to the gods, and Zeus ordered Hades to return his daughter to her mother.

Son of Zeus and Semele. The youngest of the inhabitants of Olympus. God of winemaking (he was credited with the invention of wine and beer), vegetation, the productive forces of nature, inspiration and religious ecstasy. The cult of Dionysus was characterized by uncontrollable dancing, mesmerizing music and immoderate drunkenness. According to legend, Hera, the wife of Zeus, who hated the illegitimate child of the Thunderer, sent madness to Dionysus. He himself was credited with the ability to drive people crazy. Dionysus wandered all his life and even visited Hades, from where he rescued his mother Semele. Once every three years, the Greeks held Bacchic festivals in memory of Dionysus' campaign against India.

Daughter of the thunderer Zeus and the goddess Leto. She was born at the same time as her twin brother, the golden-haired Apollo. Virgin goddess of hunting, fertility, female chastity. Patroness of women in labor, giving happiness in marriage. Being a protector during childbirth, she was often depicted with many breasts. A temple was built in her honor at Ephesus, which was one of the seven wonders of the world. She was often depicted with a golden bow and quiver over her shoulders.

God of fire, patron of blacksmiths. Son of Zeus and Hera, brother of Ares and Athena. However, the paternity of Zeus was questioned by the Greeks. Different versions have been put forward. One of them, the obstinate Hera, gave birth to Hephaestus from her thigh without male participation, in revenge on Zeus for the birth of Athena. The child was born weak and lame. Hera abandoned him and threw him from Olympus into the sea. However, Hephaestus did not die and found shelter with the sea goddess Thetis. The thirst for revenge tormented Hephaestus, rejected by his parents, and the opportunity to take revenge eventually presented itself to him. Being a skilled blacksmith, he forged a golden throne of incredible beauty, which he sent as a gift to Olympus. The delighted Hera sat down on him and immediately found herself shackled with previously invisible shackles. No amount of persuasion or even the order of Zeus had any effect on the blacksmith god - he refused to free his mother. Only Dionysus was able to cope with the obstinate man by drugging him.

Son of Zeus and the Pleiades of Maya. God of trade, profit, eloquence, dexterity and athleticism. He patronized merchants, helping them get generous profits. In addition, he was the patron of travelers, ambassadors, shepherds, astrologers and magicians. He also had another honorable function - he accompanied the souls of the dead to Hades. He was credited with the invention of writing and numbers. From infancy, Hermes had a penchant for theft. According to legend, he even managed to steal the scepter from Zeus. He did it as a joke... when he was a baby. The constant attributes of Hermes were: a winged staff capable of reconciling enemies, a wide-brimmed hat and winged sandals.

The gods of Olympus were the most revered among the entire Greek pantheon, which also included the Titans and various minor deities. These main ones ate the ambrosia prepared for them, were devoid of prejudices and many moral concepts, and that is why they are so interesting to ordinary people.

The Olympian gods of Ancient Greece were Zeus, Hera, Ares, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Demeter, Hestia, Hermes and Dionysus. Sometimes this list included the brothers of Zeus - Poseidon and Hades, who, undoubtedly, were significant gods, but did not live on Olympus, but in their kingdoms - underwater and underground.

The myths about the most ancient gods of Ancient Greece have not been preserved in their entirety, however, even those that have reached contemporaries evoke strange feelings. The main Olympian god was Zeus. His pedigree begins with Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky), who first gave birth to huge monsters - the Hundred-Handed and Cyclops, and then - the Titans. The monsters were cast into Tartarus, and the Titans became the parents of many gods - Helios, Atlas, Prometheus and others. The youngest son of Gaia, Cronus, overthrew and castrated his father because he had cast so many monsters into the bosom of the earth.

Having become the supreme god, Cron took his sister, Rhea, as his wife. She gave birth to Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon and Hades. But since Cronus knew about the prediction of being overthrown by one of his children, he ate them. The last son– Zeus, his mother hid him on the island of Crete and raised him. As an adult, Zeus gave his father a potion that made him vomit up the children he had eaten. And then Zeus began a war against Cronus and his allies, and his brothers and sisters, as well as the Hundred-Handed, Cyclops and some Titans, helped him.

Having won, Zeus with his supporters began to live on Olympus. The Cyclopes forged lightning and thunder for him, and so Zeus became the Thunderer.

Hera. The wife of the main Olympian god Zeus was his sister Hera, the goddess of the family and protector of women, but at the same time jealous and cruel to her rivals and children of her loving husband. The most famous children of Hera are Ares, Hephaestus and Hebe.

Ares- the cruel god of aggressive and bloody war, patronizing commanders. Few people loved him and even his father only tolerated this son.

Hephaestus- a son rejected for his ugliness. After his mother threw him from Olympus, Hephaestus was raised by the sea goddesses, and he became a wonderful blacksmith who created magical and very beautiful things. Despite the ugliness, it was Hephaestus who became the husband of the most beautiful Aphrodite.

Aphrodite was born from sea foam - many people know this, but not everyone knows that first the seminal fluid of Zeus got into this foam (according to some versions it was the blood of castrated Uranus). The goddess of love Aphrodite could subjugate anyone - both god and mortal.

Hestia- sister of Zeus, personifying justice, purity and happiness. She was the protector of the family hearth, and later the patroness of the entire Greek people.

Demeter- another sister of Zeus, goddess of fertility, prosperity, spring. After Hades abducted Demeter's only daughter, Persephone, a drought reigned on earth. Then Zeus sent Hermes to return his niece, but Hades refused his brother. After long negotiations, it was decided that Persephone would live with her mother for 8 months, and with her husband in the underworld for 4 months.

Hermes- son of Zeus and the nymph Maya. From infancy, he showed cunning, dexterity and excellent diplomatic qualities, which is why Hermes became the messenger of the gods, helping to safely resolve the most difficult problems. In addition, Hermes was considered the patron saint of merchants, travelers and even thieves.

Athena appeared from the head of her father, Zeus, so this goddess was considered the personification of strength and justice. She was the defender of Greek cities and a symbol of just war. The cult of Athena was very widespread in Ancient Greece; a city was even named after her.

Apollo and Artemis- illegitimate children of Zeus and the goddess Latona. Apollo had the gift of clairvoyance and the Delphic Temple was built in his honor. In addition, this beautiful god was a patron of the arts and a healer. Artemis is a wonderful huntress, the patroness of all life on earth. This goddess was described as a virgin, but she blessed marriages and the birth of children.

Dionysus- the son of Zeus and the king's daughter Semele. Because of Hera's jealousy, Dionysus's mother died, and the god carried his son by sewing his legs into his thigh. This god of winemaking gave people joy and inspiration.

Having settled on the mountain and dividing spheres of influence, the Olympian gods of Ancient Greece turned their gaze to the earth. To some extent, people became pawns in the hands of the gods, who decided destinies, rewarded and punished. However, due to connections with ordinary women, many heroes were born who challenged the gods and sometimes became winners, such as Hercules.

The names of Greek gods and goddesses are still heard today - we know the myths and legends about them, we can use them to convey the image. Often in modern literary works some motifs known since the times of ancient Greece are mentioned. Let's consider brief information about Greek gods and goddesses, the mythology of this country.

Greek gods

There are many Greek gods and goddesses, but we will focus on those whose names are to some extent familiar to a wide circle of people today:

• Hades - the famous ruler world of the dead, which in myths is often called the kingdom of Hades;
• Apollo is the god of light and the sun, a most beautiful young man who is still mentioned as a model of male attractiveness;
• Ares is an aggressive god of war;
• Bacchus or Dionysus - the eternally young god of wine (who, by the way, was sometimes depicted as an obese man);
• Zeus is the supreme deity, ruler over people and other gods.
• Pluto is the god of the underworld, who owned countless underground riches (while Hades ruled over the souls of the dead).
• Poseidon is the god of the entire sea element, who could easily control earthquakes and storms;
• Thanatos – god of death;
• Aeolus - lord of the winds;
• Eros is the god of love, the force that contributed to the emergence of an ordered world from chaos.

Typically, Greek gods and goddesses were symbolically depicted as beautiful and powerful people living on Olympus. They were not perfect, they were connected by intricate relationships and simple human passions.

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Let's look at the most famous ancient Greek goddesses. There are quite a few of them, and each of them is responsible for something different:

• Artemis – goddess of nature, patroness of hunting and hunters;
• Athena is the famous goddess of wisdom and war, patron of science and knowledge;
• Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty, was considered the standard of female perfection;
• Hebe is the deity of eternal youth, who participated in the feasts of the Olympians;
• Hecate is a slightly lesser-known goddess of dreams, darkness and witchcraft;
• Hera is the supreme goddess, patroness of marriage;
• Hestia is the goddess of fire in general and hearth and home in particular;
• Demeter is the patroness of fertility, helping farmers;
• Metis is the goddess of wisdom, the mother of Athena herself;
• Eris is the warlike goddess of disassembly.

This is far from full list all Greek gods and goddesses, but this includes the most famous and recognizable of them.

Greek mythology has always attracted attention with its diversity. The names of Greek gods and goddesses began to appear in many ballads, stories and films. A special role has always been given to the goddesses of Hellas. Each of them had its own charm and zest.

Names of Greek goddesses

This list is quite wide and varied, but there are those goddesses who played a major role in Greek mythology. One of them was Aurora, whose name was increasingly given to daughters. Daughter of Hyperion and Thea, goddess of the dawn and wife of the Titan Astraeus. The Greek names of goddesses and their images were always carefully thought out and carried a special semantic load. Aurora brought daylight to people and was often depicted as winged. Often she sat on a chariot drawn by horses in red and yellow blankets. A halo or crown was depicted above her head, and in her hands she held a burning torch. Homer described her image especially vividly. Rising early in the morning from her bed, the goddess sailed on her chariot from the depths of the seas, illuminating the entire Universe with bright light.

Famous greek names goddesses also include Artemis, a wild and unrestrained young maiden. She was depicted in a tightly tucked dress, sandals, with a bow and a spear behind her back. A hunter by nature, she led her nymph friends, and was always accompanied by a pack of dogs. She was the daughter of Zeus and Latona.
Artemis was born on the quiet island of Delos in the shade of palm trees along with her brother Apollo. They were very friendly, and Artemis often came to visit her beloved brother to listen to his magnificent playing of the golden cithara. And at dawn the goddess went hunting again.

Athena is a wise woman whose image was the most revered among all the inhabitants of Olympus who glorified Greek names. There are many goddesses-daughters of Zeus, but only she was born in a helmet and shell. She was responsible for victory in the war and was the patroness of knowledge and crafts. She was independent and proud of the fact that she remained a virgin forever. Many believed that she was equal to her father in strength and wisdom. Her birth was quite unusual. After all, when Zeus found out that a child could be born, surpassing him in power, he ate the mother who was carrying his child. After which he was overcome by a strong headache, and he called upon his son Hephaestus to cut off the head. Hephaestus fulfilled his father’s request, and the wise warrior Athena emerged from the split skull.

Talking about greek goddesses, one cannot help but touch upon the beautiful Aphrodite - the goddess of love, who awakens this bright feeling in the hearts of gods and mortals.
Slender, tall, radiating incredible beauty, pampered and flighty, she has power over everyone. Aphrodite is nothing more than the personification of unfading youth and divine beauty. She has her own maids who comb her golden sparkling hair and dress her in beautiful clothes. Where this goddess passes, flowers instantly bloom and the air is filled with amazing aromas.

The famous Greek names of goddesses are firmly established not only in Greek mythology, but also in world history generally. Many name them after their daughters, believing that they will acquire the same qualities that the great goddesses possessed.

Who knows all the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece?? ? (name it!!!)

Free as a wind**

Gods of ancient Greece
Hades - god - ruler of the kingdom of the dead.




Boreas is the god of the north wind, the son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.
Bacchus is one of the names of Dionysus.
Helios (Helium) is the god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (morning dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.


Hypnos is the deity of sleep, the son of Nyx (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.



Zephyr is the god of the west wind.
Iacchus is the god of fertility.
Kronos is a titan, younger son Gaia and Uranus, father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was dethroned by Zeus. .






















Aeolus is the lord of the winds.


Ether - sky deity

Laria and Ruslan F

1. Gaia
2. Ocean
3. Uranus
4. Hemera
5. Chronos
6. Eros
7. Cyclops
8. Titans
9. Muses
10. Rhea
11. Demeter
12. Poseidon
13. Summer
14. Pan
15. Hestia
16. Artemis
17. Ares
18. Athena
19. Aphrodite
20. Apollo
21. Hera
22. Hermes
23. Zeus
24. Hecate
25. Hephaestus
26. Dionysus
27. Pluto
28. Antey
29. Ancient Babylonia
30. Persephone

Nikolay Pakhomov

Lists of gods and genealogy differ among different ancient authors. The lists below are compilative.
First generation of gods
At first there was Chaos. Gods who emerged from Chaos - Gaia (Earth), Nikta (Nyukta) (Night), Tartarus (Abyss), Erebus (Darkness), Eros (Love); gods that emerged from Gaia - Uranus (Sky) and Pontus (inner Sea). The gods had the appearance of those natural elements that they embodied.
Children of Gaia (fathers - Uranus, Pontus and Tartarus) - Keto (mistress sea ​​monsters), Nereus (calm sea), Thaumant (sea wonders), Phorcys (guardian of the sea), Eurybia (sea power), titans and titanides. Children of Nyx and Erebus - Hemera (Day), Hypnos (Dream), Kera (misfortune), Moira (Fate), Mom (Slander and Stupidity), Nemesis (Retribution), Thanatos (Death), Eris (Strife), Erinyes (Vengeance) ), Ether (Air); Apata (Deception).

Natalia

Hades - god - ruler of the kingdom of the dead.
Antaeus is a hero of myths, a giant, the son of Poseidon and the Earth of Gaia. The earth gave its son strength, thanks to which no one could control him.
Apollo is the god of sunlight. The Greeks depicted him as a beautiful young man.
Ares is the god of treacherous war, the son of Zeus and Hera.
Asclepius - god of medicine, son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis
Boreas is the god of the north wind, the son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.
Bacchus is one of the names of Dionysus.
Helios (Helium) is the god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.
Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maya, one of the most multi-valued Greek gods. Patron of wanderers, crafts, trade, thieves. Possessing the gift of eloquence.
Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera, the god of fire and blacksmithing. He was considered the patron of artisans.
Hypnos is the deity of sleep, the son of Nyx (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.
Dionysus (Bacchus) is the god of viticulture and winemaking, the object of a number of cults and mysteries. He was depicted either as an obese elderly man or as a young man with a wreath of grape leaves on his head.
Zagreus is the god of fertility, the son of Zeus and Persephone.
Zeus is the supreme god, king of gods and people.
Zephyr is the god of the west wind.
Iacchus is the god of fertility.
Kronos is a titan, the youngest son of Gaia and Uranus, the father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was overthrown from the throne by Zeus...
Mom is the son of the goddess of Night, the god of slander.
Morpheus is one of the sons of Hypnos, the god of dreams.
Nereus is the son of Gaia and Pontus, a meek sea god.
Not - the god of the south wind, was depicted with a beard and wings.
Ocean is a titan, the son of Gaia and Uranus, the brother and husband of Tethys and the father of all the rivers of the world.
The Olympians are the supreme gods of the younger generation of Greek gods, led by Zeus, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus.
Pan is a forest god, the son of Hermes and Dryope, a goat-footed man with horns. He was considered the patron saint of shepherds and small livestock.
Pluto is the god of the underworld, often identified with Hades, but unlike him, he owned not the souls of the dead, but the riches of the underworld.
Plutos is the son of Demeter, a god who gives wealth to people.
Pontus is one of the senior Greek deities, the offspring of Gaia, the god of the sea, the father of many titans and gods.
Poseidon is one of the Olympian gods, the brother of Zeus and Hades, who rules over the sea elements. Poseidon was also subject to the bowels of the earth,
he commanded storms and earthquakes.
Proteus is a sea deity, son of Poseidon, patron of seals. He had the gift of reincarnation and prophecy.
Satyrs are goat-footed creatures, demons of fertility.
Thanatos is the personification of death, the twin brother of Hypnos.
The Titans are a generation of Greek gods, the ancestors of the Olympians.
Typhon is a hundred-headed dragon born of Gaia or Hera. During the battle of the Olympians and the Titans, he was defeated by Zeus and imprisoned under the volcano Etna in Sicily.
Triton is the son of Poseidon, one of the sea deities, a man with a fish tail instead of legs, holding a trident and a twisted shell - a horn.
Chaos is the endless empty space from which at the beginning of time arose ancient gods Greek religion - Nyx and Erebus.
Chthonic gods are deities of the underworld and fertility, relatives of the Olympians. These included Hades, Hecate, Hermes, Gaia, Demeter, Dionysus and Persephone.
Cyclops are giants with one eye in the middle of their forehead, children of Uranus and Gaia.
Eurus (Eur) - god of the southeast wind.
Aeolus is the lord of the winds.
Erebus is the personification of the darkness of the underworld, the son of Chaos and the brother of Night.
Eros (Eros) - god of love, son of Aphrodite and Ares. IN ancient myths- a self-emerging force that contributed to the ordering of the world. He was depicted as a winged youth (in the Hellenistic era - a boy) with arrows, accompanying his mother.

Known to many since childhood. Some were seriously fascinated by the myths of ancient Greece, while others were instilled with a love of ancient culture at school. It would seem strange to transfer this knowledge to adult life, because all this is actually a myth.

Brief introduction:

However, the ancient Greek gods and the events that happen to them are reflected in many works of literature and cinema; almost all modern plots are taken precisely from antiquity.

Knowledge of the gods of ancient Greece- a necessary condition for understanding many philosophical issues. That is why every person is simply obliged to know as much as possible about the famous gods from Olympus.

Generations of gods of ancient Grtions

• Distinguish several generations ancient Greek gods.

• At first there was only darkness, from which Chaos was formed. Having united together, darkness and chaos gave birth to Erob, who personified darkness, Nyukta, or as she is also callednight, Uranus - the sky, Eros - love, Gaia - mother earth and Tartarus, which is the abyss.

I generation of gods

• All heavenly gods appeared thanks to the union of Gaia and Uranus, the sea deities originated from Pontos, the union with Tartas led to the emergence of giants, while earthly creatures are the flesh of Gaia herself.

• In principle, all the ancient Greek gods originated from her; she came up with the names, giving life.

• Usually the earth goddess was depicted as pretty big women, which rises halfway above the planet..

• Uranus was the ruler of the universe. If it was depicted, it was only in the form of an all-encompassing bronze dome covering the entire world.

• Together with Gaia they gave birth to several titan gods:
• The ocean (all the world's waters, was horned bull with a fish tail)
• Tethys (also titanide), Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne like the goddess of memory,
• Crius (this titan had the ability to freeze), Kronos.
• In addition to the Titans, the Cyclopes are considered children of Uranus and Gaia. Hated by their father, they were sent down to Tartarus for a long time.
• For a long time, the power of Uranus was beyond comparison; he single-handedly controlled his children, until one of them, Kronos, otherwise called Chronos, decided to overthrow his father from his pedestal.

• The Time Lord managed to depose his father Uranus by killing him with a sickle. As a result of the death of Uranus, the great titans and titanides appeared on earth, who became the first inhabitants of the planet. Gaia also played a certain role in this; she could not forgive her husband for expelling the firstborn of the Cyclops to Tartarus. From the blood of Uranus appeared the Erinyes, creatures who patronized blood feuds. Kronos thus achieved unprecedented power, but the expulsion of his father did not go unnoticed by his own personality.

• Kronos's wife was his Native sister Titanide Rhea.. When Kronos became a father, he was madly afraid that one of his children would also turn out to be a traitor. According to thisTitan devoured his offspring as soon as they were born. Kronos's fears were justified by one of his sons, the great Zeus, who sent his father into the darkness of Tartarus.

II generation of gods

• The Titans and Titanides are the second generation of ancient Greek gods.

III generation of gods

• The most famous and familiar to modern man is third generation.

• As is already clear, the main one among them was Zeus, he was the unconditional leader, all life on earth strictly obeyed him.

• Besides Zeus t third generation of gods Ancient Greece has 11 more Olympian gods.

• Their wide popularity is justified by the fact that thesethe gods, as the legends say, came down to people and participated in their lives, while the titans always remained on the sidelines, living their own lives, each performing their functions separately.

• All 12 gods lived , based on myths, on Mount Olympus. Each of the gods performed its own specific function and had its own talents. Each had a unique character, which was often the cause of human sorrows or, conversely, joys.

And now about the most famous gods in more detail in a brief summary...

Zeus

Poseidon

The rest of the gods

• Each of the gods described was incredibly powerful and very revered in ancient Greece, but they were not the only ones who made up the third, most famous generation.
• The descendants of Zeus also joined him. Among them are the common children of the Thunderer and Hera.
• For example, Ares personified masculinity and was often called the god of war. Ares never appeared alone anywhere; he was always accompanied by two faithful companions: Eris, the goddess of discord, and Enyo, the goddess of war.
• His brother Hephaestus was worshiped by all blacksmiths, and he was also the master of fire.
• He was unloved by his father because he was very ugly in appearance and had a limp.
• Despite this, he had a total of two wives, Aglaya, and the beautiful Aphrodite.

Aphrodite

Hera was the last, but not the only wife of Zeus. His second wife Themis was consumed by the Thunderer even before Athena was born, but this did not prevent the birth of one of the great goddesses.

Athena was born from her father, Zeus himself, and came out of his head. It personifies war, but not only. She is also known as the embodiment of wisdom and crafts. All the ancient Greeks turned to her, but especially the residents of the city of Athena, since the young goddess was considered the patroness of this locality.

Less known in wide circles is the other daughter of Zeus and Themis, Ora, who personified the seasons. In addition, the three goddesses Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, who together were simply called Moira, are also credited as daughters of Zeus and Themis.

First, Clotho spun the threads of life, Lachesis determined human destiny, and Anthropos personified death. However, not all sources of information call the Moiras daughters of Zeus; there is another version, according to which they were daughters of the night.

One way or another, all three sisters were constantly close to the supreme god, helping him keep track of people, and predetermining many different destinies.

This is where the children of Zeus, born in a legal marriage, end, and a whole galaxy of illegitimate, but no less revered and respected descendants begins. These are the twin brother and sister Apollo, who was the patron of music and a predictor of the future, and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.

They appeared to Zeus after his relationship with Leto. Artemis was born earlier. Speaking about her, not only the image of a huntress pops up in my head, but also a pure and immaculate maiden, since Artemis embodied chastity, was not loving, or more precisely, there is not a single confirmation of her possible romances.

But Apollo, on the contrary, is known not only as a golden-haired youth and the embodiment of light, but also for his numerous love affairs. One of the love stories became very symbolic for the young god, leaving an eternal reminder of himself in the form of a laurel wreath crowning the head of Apollo.

Another illegitimate son Hermes was born from the galaxy of Maya. He patronized merchants, speakers, gymnasiums and sciences, and was also the god of livestock. During life, the ancient Greeks asked Hermes for the gift of eloquence, and after death they relied on him as a faithful guide on their final journey. It was Hermes who accompanied the souls of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. Widely known thanks, among other things, to his constant attributes: winged sandals and an invisibility helmet and a staff decorated with metal weave in the form of snakes.

In addition, it is also known about illegitimate daughter Zeus to Persephone, born from the goddess Demeter, as well as about the son Dionysus, who was born by a simple mortal woman Semele. Dionysus, nevertheless, was a full-fledged god, the patron of the theater.

Ariadne became his wife, which brought Dionysus even closer to greatness, making him also one of the most famous gods of ancient Greece. There are other known children of Zeus born from mortal women. This is, for example, Perseus, who was born by the Argive princess Danae, the famous Helen, also the daughter of Zeus, her mother was the Spartan queen Leda, the Phoenician princess gave the Thunderer another descendant of Minos.

All the Olympian gods led a calm, measured lifestyle, succumbing to hobbies, mortal passions, and fleeting amusements, without forgetting to fulfill their direct duties. Life on Olympus was not so simple, this was due to numerous feuds and intrigues between various gods. Each sought to prove their power without encroaching on the other’s responsibilities, so sooner or later a compromise was reached. But not all the gods of ancient Greece were lucky enough to live on Mount Olympus; some of them lived in others, less famous places. These are all those who, for whatever reason, fell out of favor with Zeus or simply did not deserve his recognition.

Besides Olympic gods there were others too. For example, Hymen, who was the patron saint of marriage. Born thanks to the union of Apollo and the muse Calliope. The goddess of victory Nike was the daughter of the titan Pallatus, Iris, personifying the rainbow, was born of one of the oceanids, Electra. Ata can also be distinguished as the goddess of the gloomy mind; her father was the famous Zeus. The child of Aphrodite and Ares Phobos, the god of fear, lived separately from his parents, just like his brother Deimos, the lord of horror.

Besides the gods in ancient greek mythology There are also muses, nymphs, satyrs and monsters. Each character is thoughtful and individual, carrying some idea. Everyone has a certain type of behavior and thinking, perhaps it is because of this that the world of myths is so much more multifaceted and arouses special interest in childhood.

In conclusion I must say...

The gods described above are just a short version. Naturally, this list of gods cannot be called complete. Hundreds of books are not enough to tell about all the gods of ancient Greece without exception, but everyone must know about the existence of the ones described above. If for the inhabitants of ancient Greece the pantheon of gods served as a justification for all sorts of objects and phenomena, then for modern people the images themselves are curious.

It is not their material environment and not the reasons that prompted the birth of such heroes, but precisely the allegories that they evoke. Otherwise, it will be impossible to understand all the ancient Greek myths and legends. Almost any text written in antiquity has references to one or more of the main gods of both the first, second and third generations.

And since all literature and theater of our time are in any case built on ancient ideals, every self-respecting person is obliged to know these ideals. The images of Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo have long become household names; today they are very archetypal, and, oddly enough, understandable to everyone.

Simply because you don’t have to be seriously interested in Greek mythology in order to know famous story about the Apple of Discord. And there are many such examples. Therefore, the gods of ancient Greece are not just passing characters from childhood, this is something that absolutely every educated adult should know.

Ancient Greek mythology expressed a living sensory perception of the surrounding reality with all its diversity and colors. Behind every phenomenon material world- thunderstorm, war, storm, dawn, lunar eclipse, according to the Greeks, stood the act of one or another god.

Theogony

The classical Greek pantheon consisted of 12 Olympian deities. However, the inhabitants of Olympus were not the first inhabitants of the earth and the creators of the world. According to the poet Hesiod's Theogony, the Olympians were only the third generation of gods. At the very beginning there was only Chaos, from which eventually emerged:

• Nyukta (Night),
• Gaia (Earth),
• Uranus (Sky),
• Tartarus (Abyss),
• Skothos (Darkness),
• Erebus (Darkness).

These forces should be considered the first generation of Greek gods. The children of Chaos married each other, giving birth to gods, seas, mountains, monsters and various amazing creatures - hecatoncheires and titans. The grandchildren of Chaos are considered to be the second generation of gods.

Uranus became the ruler of the whole world, and his wife was Gaia, the mother of all things. Uranus feared and hated his many titan children, so immediately after their birth he hid the babies back into the womb of Gaia. Gaia suffered greatly from the fact that she could not give birth, but the youngest of her children, the titan Kronos, came to her aid. He overthrew and castrated his father.

The children of Uranus and Gaia were finally able to emerge from their mother's womb. Kronos married one of his sisters, the Titanide Rhea, and became the supreme deity. His reign became a real “golden age”. However, Kronos feared for his power. Uranus predicted to him that one of Kronos' children would do to him the same way as Kronos himself did to his father. Therefore, all the children born to Rhea - Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter - were swallowed by the titan. Rhea managed to hide her last son, Zeus. Zeus grew up, freed his brothers and sisters, and then began to fight his father. So the titans and the third generation of gods - the future Olympians - clashed in battle. Hesiod calls these events the “Titanomachy” (literally “Battle of the Titans”). The struggle ended with the victory of the Olympians and the fall of the titans into the abyss of Tartarus.

Modern researchers are inclined to believe that the Titanomachy was not an empty fantasy based on nothing. In fact, this episode reflected important social changes in the life of Ancient Greece. The archaic chthonic deities - the titans, who were worshiped by the ancient Greek tribes, gave way to new deities who personified order, law and statehood. The tribal system and matriarchy are becoming a thing of the past; they are being replaced by the polis system and the patriarchal cult of epic heroes.

Olympian Gods

Thanks to numerous literary works, many ancient Greek myths have survived to this day. Unlike Slavic mythology, which has been preserved in fragmentary and incomplete form, ancient Greek folklore has been deeply and comprehensively studied. The pantheon of the ancient Greeks included hundreds of gods, however, only 12 of them were given the leading role. There is no canonical list of Olympians. IN different versions myths, the pantheon may include different gods.

Zeus

At the head of the ancient Greek pantheon was Zeus. He and his brothers - Poseidon and Hades - cast lots to divide the world among themselves. Poseidon got the oceans and seas, Hades got the kingdom of the souls of the dead, and Zeus got the sky. Under the rule of Zeus, law and order are established throughout the earth. For the Greeks, Zeus was the personification of the Cosmos, opposing ancient Chaos. In a narrower sense, Zeus was the god of wisdom, as well as thunder and lightning.

Zeus was very prolific. From goddesses and earthly women he had many children - gods, mythical creatures, heroes and kings.

A very interesting moment in the biography of Zeus is his fight with the titan Prometheus. The Olympian gods destroyed the first people who lived on earth since the time of Kronos. Prometheus created new people and taught them crafts; for their sake, the titan even stole fire from Olympus. An angry Zeus ordered Prometheus to be chained to a rock, where an eagle flew every day and pecked the titan's liver. In order to take revenge on the people created by Prometheus for their self-will, Zeus sent to them Pandora, a beauty who opened a box in which diseases and various misfortunes of the human race were hidden.

Despite such a vindictive disposition, in general, Zeus is a bright and fair deity. Next to his throne there are two vessels - with good and evil, depending on the actions of people, Zeus draws gifts from the vessels, sending mortals either punishment or mercy.

Poseidon

Zeus's brother, Poseidon, is the ruler of such a changeable element as water. Like the ocean, it can be wild and wild. Most likely, Poseidon was originally an earthly deity. This version explains why the cult animals of Poseidon were quite “land” bulls and horses. Hence the epithets that were given to the god of the seas - “earth shaker”, “land ruler”.

In myths, Poseidon often opposes his thunder brother. For example, he supports the Achaeans in the war against Troy, on whose side Zeus was.

Almost the entire commercial and fishing life of the Greeks depended on the sea. Therefore, rich sacrifices were regularly made to Poseidon, thrown directly into the water.

Hera

Despite the huge number of connections with the most different women, Zeus’s closest companion all this time was his sister and wife, Hera. Although Hera was the main female deity on Olympus, she was actually only the third wife of Zeus. The first wife of the Thunderer was the wise oceanid Metis, whom he imprisoned in his womb, and the second was the goddess of justice Themis - the mother of the seasons and moira - the goddesses of fate.

Although divine spouses often quarrel and cheat on each other, the union of Hera and Zeus symbolizes all monogamous marriages on earth and relationships between men and women in general.

Distinguished by her jealous and sometimes cruel disposition, Hera was still the keeper of the family hearth, the protector of mothers and children. Greek women prayed to Hera for a message to them good husband, pregnancy or easy childbirth.

Perhaps Hera's confrontation with her husband reflects the chthonic character of this goddess. According to one version, touching the earth, she even gives birth to a monstrous serpent - Typhon. Obviously, Hera is one of the first female deities of the Peloponnesian Peninsula, an evolved and reworked image of the mother goddess.

Ares

Ares was the son of Hera and Zeus. He personified war, and war not in the form of a liberation confrontation, but a senseless bloody massacre. It is believed that Ares, who has absorbed part of his mother’s chthonic violence, is extremely treacherous and cunning. He uses his power to sow murder and discord.

In myths, Zeus’s dislike for his bloodthirsty son can be traced, however, without Ares, even a just war is impossible.

Athena

Athena's birth was very unusual. One day Zeus began to suffer from severe headaches. To ease the suffering of the Thunderer, the god Hephaestus hits him on the head with an ax. A beautiful maiden in armor and with a spear emerges from the resulting wound. Zeus, seeing his daughter, was very happy. The newborn goddess received the name Athena. She became her father's main assistant - the keeper of law and order and the personification of wisdom. Technically, Athena's mother was Metis, imprisoned within Zeus.

Since the warlike Athena embodied both the feminine and masculine principles, she did not need a spouse and remained virginal. The goddess patronized warriors and heroes, but only those of them who wisely managed their power. Thus, the goddess balanced the rampage of her bloodthirsty brother Ares.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus, the patron saint of blacksmithing, crafts and fire, was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was born lame in both legs. Hera was disgusted by the ugly and sick baby, so she threw him off Olympus. Hephaestus fell into the sea, where Thetis picked him up. On seabed Hephaestus mastered the blacksmith's craft and began to forge wonderful things.

For the Greeks, Hephaestus, thrown from Olympus, personified, although ugly, a very smart and kind god who helps everyone who turns to him.

To teach his mother a lesson, Hephaestus forged a golden throne for her. When Hera sat down in it, shackles closed on her arms and legs, which none of the gods could unfasten. Despite all the persuasion, Hephaestus stubbornly refused to go to Olympus to free Hera. Only Dionysus, who intoxicated Hephaestus, was able to bring the blacksmith god. After his release, Hera recognized her son and gave him Aphrodite as his wife. However, Hephaestus did not live long with his flighty wife and entered into a second marriage with the Charita Aglaya, the goddess of goodness and joy.

Hephaestus is the only Olympian constantly busy with work. He forges lightning bolts, magic items, armor and weapons for Zeus. From his mother, he, like Ares, inherited some chthonic traits, however, not so destructive. Hephaestus's connection with underground world emphasizes its fiery nature. However, the fire of Hephaestus is not a destructive flame, but a home fire that warms people, or a blacksmith's forge with which you can make many useful things.

Demeter

One of the daughters of Rhea and Kronos, Demeter, was the patroness of fertility and agriculture. Like many female deities personifying Mother Earth, Demeter had a direct connection with the world of the dead. After Hades kidnapped her daughter Persephone with Zeus, Demeter fell into mourning. Eternal winter reigned on the earth; thousands of people died of hunger. Then Zeus demanded that Persephone spend only one third of the year with Hades, and return to her mother for two thirds.

It is believed that Demeter taught people agriculture. She also gave fertility to plants, animals and people. The Greeks believed that at the mysteries dedicated to Demeter, the boundaries between the world of the living and the dead were erased. Archaeological excavations show that in some areas of Greece, human sacrifices were even made to Demeter.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty - appeared on earth in a very unusual way. After the castration of Uranus, Kronos threw his father's reproductive organ into the sea. Since Uranus was very fertile, beautiful Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam that formed in this place.

The goddess knew how to send love to people and gods, which she often used. One of the main attributes of Aphrodite was her wonderful belt, which made any woman beautiful. Due to Aphrodite's fickle temperament, many suffered from her spell. The vengeful goddess could cruelly punish those who rejected her gifts or offended her in some way.

Apollo and Artemis

Apollo and Artemis are the children of the goddess Leto and Zeus. Hera was extremely angry with Leto, so she pursued her all over the earth and for a long time did not allow her to give birth. In the end, on the island of Delos, surrounded by Rhea, Themis, Amphitrite and other goddesses, Leto gave birth to two twins. Artemis was the first to be born and immediately began to help her mother in giving birth to her brother.

With a bow and arrows, Artemis, surrounded by nymphs, began to wander through the forests. The virgin goddess-hunter was the patroness of wild and domestic animals and all living things on earth. Both young girls and pregnant women, whom she protected, turned to her for help.

Her brother became the patron of the arts and healing. Apollo brings harmony and tranquility to Olympus. This god is considered one of the main symbols of the classical period in the history of Ancient Greece. He brings elements of beauty and light to everything he does, gives people the gift of foresight, teaches them to cure illnesses and play music.

Hestia

Unlike most of the cruel and vengeful Olympians, Zeus's elder sister, Hestia, was distinguished by a peaceful and calm disposition. The Greeks revered her as the guardian of the hearth and the sacred fire. Hestia adhered to chastity and refused all the gods who offered her marriage.

The cult of Hestia was very widespread in Greece. It was believed that she helps to conduct sacred ceremonies and protects peace in families.

Hermes

The patron of trade, wealth, dexterity and theft - Hermes, most likely, was originally an ancient Asian rogue demon. Over time, the Greeks turned the minor trickster into one of the most powerful gods. Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. Like all children of Zeus, he demonstrated his amazing abilities from birth. So, on the very first day after his birth, Hermes learned to play the cithara and stole Apollo's cows.

In myths, Hermes appears not only as a deceiver and a thief, but also as a faithful assistant. He often rescued heroes and gods from difficult situations, bringing them weapons, magic herbs or some other necessary items. The distinctive attribute of Hermes were winged sandals and a caduceus - a rod around which two snakes were entwined.

Hermes was revered by shepherds, traders, moneylenders, travelers, swindlers, alchemists and fortune-tellers.

Hades

Hades, the ruler of the world of the dead, is not always included among the Olympian gods, since he lived not on Olympus, but in gloomy Hades. However, he was certainly a very powerful and influential deity. The Greeks were afraid of Hades and preferred not to say his name out loud, replacing it with various epithets. Some researchers believe that Hades is a different form of Zeus.

Although Hades was the god of the dead, he also bestowed fertility and wealth. At the same time, he himself, as befits such a deity, had no children; he even had to kidnap his wife, because none of the goddesses wanted to descend into the underworld.

The cult of Hades was almost not widespread. Only one temple is known where sacrifices were made to the king of the dead only once a year.