Poseidon• He was the god of the sea and

was very moody.• He was the son of the Titans,

Kronos and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades.

• He had a trident, which was so powerful it could shake the earth.

• Poseidon had a throne in Mt. Olympus and an undersea palace where he lived with his wife, Amphitrite.

• His sacred animals were the dolphin and the horse.

• Poseidon had shape shifting powers.

Zeus• Supreme god, father of most gods, and

ruler of mankind and the sky.

• His mood affects the weather. When he was happy, the weather was good and when he was sad or angry there were storms.

• His symbols are a thunderbolt and an eagle.

• He punished anyone who lied, though he tried to be fair and keep a balanced view of events.

• He was the child of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, and had five older brothers and sisters. Zeus caused Kronus to vomit up his sisters and brothers, and they joined him in fighting for control of the universe against the Titans and Kronus.

• Two of his brothers are Poseidon and Hades.

• He married his sister, Hera. He was the father of the heroes Perseus and Heracles

Hades• The God of the Underworld. Not technically an Olympian since he has no throne on Olympus.

• God of the dead and ruler of the underworld.

• His symbol is a helmet.

• He lived in the underworld, surrounded by gloom and silence.

• His brothers were Zeus and Poseidon.

• He owned all the gems and precious metals like gold and silver.

• He oversees the souls of the dead and all the riches under the earth. He also guards the pit of Tartarus, where the titans and monsters were imprisoned after the great war.

• His servants include Charon, the ferryman of the dead, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

• He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Many believed him to be dark and stern.

• Animals that were black in color were sacrificed to him.

Ares• The Greek god of War (bad

war). • Lived on Mt. Olympus with his

father, Zeus, and his mother, Hera. His throne was made of human skin.

• Athena was his half sister.• He was a difficult man, making

him unpopular with the other gods.

• Ares’ symbols are the spear and the dog.

• He had no wife, but was constantly under the spell of Aphrodite.

Athena• God of wisdom, skill, and war

(good war).• The patron god of Athens. The

Parthenon was built for her.• Athena's sacred animal was

the owl and her symbol is the olive branch.

• She often appears with a spear and a shield.

• She was the child of Zeus and Metis.

• She was born fully grown, springing out of Zeus head wearing full battle armor.

• Athena was know for her calm and fair mannerism.

Hera• Hera was the goddess of family. She was believed to have been married to her brother, Zeus .

• She was always very angry and jealous.

• The Ancient Greeks believed her

intervention led to their victory in the Trojan War.

• Hera’s sacred animals are the peacock and cow.

• She is often pictured with a diadem, a scepter and the pomegranate

• In Greek mythology, Hera was the reigning female goddess of Olympus

because she was Zeus wife

• The god of merchants, travelers, thieves, and medicine.

• Hermes watches over all who use the roads and are involved in commerce.

• He was the son of Zeus, and could talk when he was only a baby.

• Hermes uses his speedy winged sandals to deliver messages for the gods.

• His was always carrying a caduceus (a winged staff entwined with serpents, which today is the symbol of medicine.)

• He was the only god allowed to visit heaven, earth, and the underworld.

• Hermes was a prankster. He often changed messages and spent time fooling around on Mt. Olympus.

• Hermes was known for his helpfulness to mankind and represented by his winged shoes.

Hermes

Hephaestus• God of fire and blacksmithing.

• As a baby, Hephaestus was thrown from Olympus by his father, Zeus. As a result, he grew up ugly and crippled, but was extremely good at working with his hands.

• He can make anything out of metal, including Zeus’ thunderbolts.

• His mother, Hera, gave him Aphrodite as his bride.

• His symbols were fire, axe, and tongs.

• He is often pictured with a large hammer.

• He was known as a kind God.

Dionysus• The god of wine. • Dionysus was born a mortal, but

Zeus granted him immortality when he invented wine.

• He once turned a boatload of sailors into dolphins because they would not honor him.

• Dionysus was the son of Zeus and the mortal heroine Semele.

• He was known for his lightheartedness and always offered to help those in need.

• He is often pictured with grapes and ivy and his sacred animals is big cats (panthers, tigers etc.).

Demeter• Goddess of agriculture, sister of Hera and Zeus.

• The most famous story about Demeter tells how her daughter Persephone was captured by Hades and taken to the Underworld. Demeter and Hades finally worked out an agreement by which Persephone would spend half the year with her mother and half the year with her new husband, Hades.

• Demeter would only allow crops to grow during the time Persephone was with her leading to the creation of the seasons.

• When depicted in art, Demeter is often shown carrying a sheaf of grain. Her sacred animals include, the Serpent, the Swine and the Gecko.

• Demeter was a peace-loving God and the source of all growth and life.

Artemis• Goddess of the hunt and the moon. • Artemis vowed to always be a maiden.

Because of this, her followers tended to be young, unmarried, girls.

• A great archer and hunter, Artemis roams the wilds of the world with a band of maidens.

• Her symbols are the deer, snake and the bow.

• Artemis and her brother Apollo were the children of Zeus and Leto

• She was Apollo’s twin sister.• She was known as the protector of

children and young animals.• Olympic competitions of archery were in

her honor.• Artemis was known for having quite a

temper and for guarding those she loved with great zeal.

Apollo• He was the god of sun, music and healing

• Apollo’s symbols are the lyre, the laurel tree, and the mouse (an animal which ran everywhere and overheard many secrets).

• He was known to be handsome, talented, and charming.

• He was the most loved of all the gods.

• The Pythian Games (came before the Olympics) were held in his honor.

• He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Leto.

• When someone died suddenly, he was said to have been struck down by one of Apollo's arrows.

• One of Apollo's more important daily tasks was to harness his chariot with four horses an drive the Sun across the sky.

• He slew the great Python and became the force behind the Oracle at Delphi, which could tell the future.

Aphrodite• The goddess of love and beauty who was born from sea foam.

• She is often pictured with a seashell and, or, a mirror and her sacred animal is the dove.

• Nobody knew who here parents were, though in Homer’s writing, she was the daughter of Zeus.

• Because of her beauty, other gods feared that jealousy would interrupt the peace among them and lead to war. As a result, Zeus married her to Hephaestus.

• She is the most beautiful goddess and is very vain.

• She has a magic belt that can cause anyone to fall in love with her.

• In many of the myths involving Aphrodite, she is characterized as vain, ill-tempered and easily offended.