List of Greek Gods and Goddesses

The ancient Greek civilization and some other related civilizations following Greco-Roman polytheism (also known as Hellenistic religion) and common polytheism, worshiped a number of deities, of several generations. Deities of the Greek civilization can be broadly classified into different groups, according to their prominence, or the authority that they held in the Greek religion, or the even their generation and time period of dominance. There were some deities who were half-human and half-gods. Gods who were originators of the universe were titled as primordial Gods. One common feature of deities was that they represented some or the other natural element or phenomenon, so much so that some gods and goddesses also represented planets. The gods also had a certain empowerment of the force of nature that they represented. Common example, Aphrodite the Goddess of love had the Eros (Cupid) at her service.

Today, in the modern era, we are prone to consider the 12 Olympians as the only Greek deities. This is probably due to the vast depiction of the Olympians in literature and art. However there are several other deities. In fact there are also generations of deities which preceded the Olympians. Notable among these were the Titans.

In the paragraphs that follow, we shall be discussing the important deities and some other groups of Greek deities, who are not that commonly head of. Apart from that, there is also a small table of interesting terminologies and facts has been included.

Greek Gods and Goddesses List

• Zeus: Zeus was the ruler and leader of all the Greek Gods. He was the ruler of the sky and ruled and resided on mount Olympus. His Roman God equivalent is Jupiter and in the Hindu religion he is known as Indra. Zeus is the son of Cronus and Rhea, is the husband to Hera, and has fathered 15 children, all of whom were Olympians. The symbols of Zeus were the thunderbolt, eagle, bull and oak.
• Hera: Hera is the Goddess of childbirth and marriage. She is often said to be the Goddess of women and is the wife of Zeus. Her symbols are the scepter, peacock and diadem.
• Aphrodite: Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and is considered to be the most popular deity in Greek culture. She is the Goddess of love, beauty and lust. She is the wife of Hephaestus, and a mother of two, Eros or famously known as the Cupid and Harmonia. Aphrodite is represented by the symbols of scepter, dove and myrtle.
• Apollo: Apollo, was probably the most learned deity of the Greek culture. He was the God of music, medicine, health, fitness, light and truth. He was also the God of archery and bows. He is always associated with the sun and its light and also said to be the most handsome Greek deity. He is a son to Zeus and is the twin of Artemis. He is represented by the symbols of bows, lyre and laurel.
• Artemis: She is the twin of Apollo and unlike her brother is associated with the moon. She is also the Goddess of hunting, virginity, wildlife and dew. She is represented by the bow, dogs and deer.
• Ares: Ares is considered to be the most violent of all Greek deities. He is the God of war, bloodshed and murder. He is the son of Zeus and lover of Aphrodite.
• Athena: Athena is the daughter of Zeus and sister to Ares. She is seen by the Greeks as the wisest of all and is the Goddess of wisdom, warfare and reason.
• Demeter: Often considered to be the deity of the farmer, Demeter is the Goddess of fertility, grain, agriculture and harvest. She is a sister of Zeus and the calmest of all deities. She is represented by the symbols of corn, scepter and torch. She is also, at times considered to be the Goddess of creativity.
• Dionysus: Dionysus is the God of enjoyment and merriment. He is often represented as a drunk fellow and also governs intoxication of wine, parties, festivals and merry occasions. He is symbolized by grape-vine and ivy.
• Hades: Hades is probably the darkest of all Greek Gods, as he is the ruler and God of the Underworld and wealth. He is represented by the Helm of Darkness and a three-headed dog. He is also the husband to Persephone.
• Hephaestus: Hephaestus, often known as the lord of forge, is the God of blacksmiths and all metal workers. He is also the God of technology with so renowned skills that he made the arms and armor of Greek heroes like Achilles. His symbols are the ax, flame and hammer.
• Hermes: Hermes is the God of mischief and travelers. He is a messenger of the Greek Gods and has a humorous knack of playing tricks on people. He is represented by a pair of winged boots.
• Hestia: Hestia is the sister of Zeus and is the Goddess of homes and hearth. She is the center point of all the homes of Greek civilization.
• Poseidon: Often known as Neptune, Poseidon is the ruler and God of the sea. He is the one who creates the horses from sea-foam and is also the creator of earthquakes. His symbols are sea-foam, trident and dolphins.

Other Important Gods and Demigods
There are some other important deities of the Greek culture who are not mentioned that frequently. Now one must remember that almost every deity has a story or a popular lore, sadly though not all of may have heard of them. But if you come across any such story, feel free to share it so that we too can enjoy it.

• Protogenoi: The Protogenoi were the first born gods and are the originators of the current universe. Chaos, Gaia, Uranus and Pontus are some well-known among the Protogenoi.
• Titans: The Titans are described to be a powerful race of gods who were descendants (often considered to be children) of Gaia and Uranus. Cronus, Rhea and Styx are some of the well-known Titans.
• Giants: The Giants are considered to be the children of Gaia and Uranus. There are several giants or groups of giants personifying specific natural phenomenon such as hurricanes, storms, etc. Notable among them were Alcyoneu, Antaeus and Porphyrion who were struck down by Heracles. Another very well-known giant was Orion, a handsome hunter, who later became a constellation and was placed among the starts by Zeus.
• Spirits: Personification of natural phenomenon and worship of forces of nature is not uncommon to the ancient Greek culture. Almost everything and anything has its own spirit, such as Alastor, who was the spirit of bloody feuds and vengeance. Then there as Homados, the spirit of the din of battle.
• Chthonic: The Chthonic deities are referred to as either the gods inside the earth or gods of the underworld. The meaning and usage is symbolic. For example, Hecate, the goddess of magic and witchcraft (also night, ghosts and necromancy). There were also rivers and winds in the underworld each with its own spirit for example, Styx was the river of hate.
• Sea Spirits: There were several sea deities and spirits representing natural phenomenon of the sea. Aegaeon, the god of violent sea storms who was also an ally of the Titans, is a popular deity. Some other popular ones include, Glaucus (sea-god of the fishermen), Leucothea (sea-god of sailors, especially the ones in distress), Pontos (the god of sea beings)
• Sky Deities: These deities were the deities of sky, astronomic and cosmic phenomenon. Popular and important ones include, Aura, the goddess of breeze and fresh, cool air or Selene, the goddess moon.
• Rustic and Agricultural Gods: There were some rustic and agricultural deities which were specially worshiped by the village folk. These included Aristaeus (goddess of bee-keeping and cheese, herds and hunting), Adonis (the god of the cycle of birth, life and death), Demeter (goddess of fertility, harvest, grain and agriculture) and Pan, the god of shepherds and pastures.
• Deities of Health: There were also some deities of health such as Asclepius (the god of healing), Paeon (the doctor/physician of Olympians) and Panacea (a goddess of healing).
• Deified mortals: There were some mortals who were either made god-like by the gods or were demigods due to their parentage or were considered to be gods due to their achievements. Achilles, the mighty warrior of the Trojan war, Aeolus the king of Thessaly who was conferred the position of 'immortal king of the winds' by Zeus and of course, the mighty Heracles.

The Greek Gods and Goddesses have their own cult, temples and populations of worship. Most of the Greek Gods appear in some form or the other in many mythologies. These deities, influenced many stories of the Greek culture. For example, the story of the great Trojan war started with a quarrel between the Greek goddesses. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are highly influenced by these Gods and Goddesses. So, be it love or war, Greek Gods have been there and done it all.