Digital Learning Commons: Ancient Greece: Mythology

Greek Gods & Heroes

OLYMPIANS

NAME	DOMAIN	SYMBOLS
Zeus	King of the gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; god of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order and justice.	thunderbolt, eagle, oak tree, bull, scepter, and scales
Hera	Queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, women, childbirth and family.	peacock, cuckoo, and cow
Poseidon	God of the seas, water, storms, hurricanes, earthquakes and horses.	horse, bull, dolphin, and trident
Demeter	Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons.	poppy, wheat, torch, cornucopia, and pig
Athena	Goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare.	owls, olive tree, snakes, armor, helmets, spears, Gorgoneion
Apollo	God of light, the sun, prophecy, philosophy, archery, truth, inspiration, poetry, music, arts, manly beauty, medicine, healing, and plague.	the sun, bow and arrow, lyre, swan, and mouse
Artemis	Goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, virginity, the moon, archery, childbirth, protection and plague.	the moon, horse, deer, hound, she-bear, snake, cypress tree, and bow and arrow
Ares	God of war, violence, bloodshed and manly virtues.	boar, serpent, dog, vulture, spear, and shield
Aphrodite	Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty and desire.	the dove, bird, apple, bee, swan, myrtle (a kind of flower), and rose
Dionysus*	God of wine, the grape vine, fertility, festivity, ecstasy, madness and resurrection.	the grapevine, ivy, cup, tiger, panther, leopard, dolphin, goat, and pinecone
Hades*	God of the underworld, the dead, and riches.	cornucopia, Cypress tree, Narcissus flower, keys, serpent, mint plant, white poplar, dog, pomegranate, sheep, cattle, screech owl, horse, chariot
Hephaestus	Master blacksmith and craftsman of the gods; god of the forge, craftsmanship, invention, fire and volcanoes.	fire, anvil, axe, donkey, hammer, tongs, and quail
Hermes	Messenger of the gods; god of travel, commerce, communication, borders, eloquence, diplomacy, thieves and games.	caduceus (staff entwined with two snakes), winged sandals and cap, stork, and tortoise
Hestia*	Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family.	hearth and its fire

* These gods are sometimes included with the list of Olympians and sometimes not.

OTHER NOTABLE GODS AND DEITIES

Hecate: goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy
Hypnos: god of sleep
Iris: goddess of the rainbow and divine messenger
The Moirai or "Fates" : incarnations of destiny
- Clotho: the spinner of the life thread
- Lachesis: the measurer of the life thread
- Atropos: the severer of the life thread
Morpheus: god of dreaming
Muses: goddesses of music, song and dance, and the source of inspiration to poets
Nike: goddess of victory
Nyx: the primeval goddess of night
Persephone: queen of the underworld, wife of Hades and goddess of spring growth
Thanatos: spirit of death and mortality

HEROES AND IMPORTANT MORTALS

Achilles: hero of the Trojan War and a central character in Homer's Iliad
Arachne: a skilled weaver, transformed by Athena into a spider for her blasphemy
Atalanta: fleet-footed heroine who participated in the Calydonian Boar hunt and the quest for the Golden Fleece
Cassandra: a princess of Troy cursed to see the future but never to be believed
Daedalus: creator of the labyrinth and great inventor, until King Minos trapped him in his own creation.
Diomedes: a king of Argos and hero of the Trojan War
Ganymede: Trojan hero and lover of Zeus, who was given immortality and appointed cup-bearer to the gods
Icarus: the son of the master craftsman Daedalus
Jason: leader of the Argonauts
Medusa: a mortal woman transformed into a gorgon by Athena
Odysseus: a hero and king of Ithaca whose adventures are the subject of Homer's Odyssey; he also played a key role during the Trojan War
Orpheus: a legendary musician and poet who attempted to retrieve his dead wife from the Underworld
Pandora: the first woman
Perseus: son of Zeus and the founder-king of Mycenae and slayer of the Gorgon Medusa
Theseus: son of Poseidon and a king of Athens and slayer of the Minotaur

Icons by Freepik via Flaticon

Infographic by Matthew Barrett

Links: Mythology

Who were the ancient Greek gods and heroes?
Illustrated introduction to Ancient Greek gods and heroes from BBC Bitesize.
5 Terrifying Tales from Greek Mythology
Five Greek mythological tales from National Geographic Kids.
Myths about the Ancient Greek Gods for Kids
List of Greek myths available on Mr. Donn's social studies website.
Greek Mythology
Overview of Greek mythology, the Olympians, and heroes from History.com.
Greek Mythology
Article from the Ancient History Encyclopedia on Greek mythology including the tradition of telling myths and an overview of the myths.
Greek Mythology
Detailed article on Greek mythology from Encyclopedia Britannica.