Zeus

• Roman name is Jupiter

• Lord of the Sky, Rain-god, Cloud gatherer

• wielded the thunderbolt

• divided the universe with his brothers

• not omnipotent or omniscient

• Poseidon and Hera duped him in the Iliad

• fell in love with one woman after another

• descending to all matter of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife

• When his worship spread to a town where there was already a divine ruler the two were slowly fused into one

• His breastplate was the aegis

• His bird was the eagle

• His tree the oak

• His oracle was Dodona in the land of oak trees

• The god's will was revealed by the rustling of the oak leaves which the priests interpreted

Hera

• Roman name is Juno

• Zeus's wife and sister

• protector of marriage

• very little that is attractive in the portrait poets draw of her

• She is shown chiefly engaged in punishing the many women Zeus fell in love with

• She never forgets an injury

• The wrong of her slighted beauty remained with her until Troy fell in ruins

• The cow and peacock were sacred to her

• Argos was her favourite city

Poseidon

• Roman name is Neptune

• Ruler of the sea

• Zeus's brother and second only to him in eminence

• God of the Sea

• His wife was Amphitrite

• Unfaithful to Amphirite

• Poseidon had a splendid palace beneath the sea, but he was most often found in Olympus

• He gave the first horse to man

• Storm and calm were under his control

• Commonly called "Earth-shaker"

• Always shown carrying hid trident, a three-pronged spear, with which he would shake and shatter whatever he pleased

• Connection with bulls

Hades

• Roman name is Pluto

• He was the third brother among the Olympians

• Rules over the dead

• God of Wealth, of the precious metals hidden in the earth

• He had a far-famed cap or helmet which made whoever wore it invisible

• He was not a welcome visitor in Olympus

• He was unpitying, inexorable, but just ; a terrible, not an evil god

• His wife was Persephone

• He was King of the Dead - not death himself Thanatos (Greek) /Orcus (Roman) was

• Had a 3 headed dog called Cerberus that guarded gates of the Underworld

Pallas Athena

• Roman name is Minerva

• She was the daughter of Zeus alone

• She is warlike only to defend the State and the home from outside enemies

• Goddess of the City

• Protector of civilized life, of handicrafts and agriculture

• the inventor of the bridle, who first tamed horses for men to use

• Inventor of weaving

• Zeus's favourite child

• She was trusted to carry the awful aegis, buckler, and his devastating weapon the thunderbolt

• described as "gray-eyed" or "flashing-eyed"

• Chief of the three virgin goddesses and was called the Maiden

• Her temple is the Parthenon

• Embodiment of wisdom, reason, purity

• Athens was her special city

• The olive created by her was her tree

• The owl was her bird

Phoebus Apollo

• Son of Zeus

• Called the most Greek of all the gods

• Master musician who delights Olympus as he plays on his golden lyre

• Lord of the silver bow, Archer-god, far-shooting, the Healer

• He first taught men the healing art

• God of Light

• God of Truth

• Delphi is his temple

• Motto is "all things in moderation"

• Sun-god

• He was a direct link between gods and men

• Two ideas were fighting in him as in all the gods

• The laurel was his tree

• Dolphin and crow were sacred to him

• Invented boxing, gymnastics, and the alphabet

Artemis

• Roman name is Diana

• Apollo's twin sister

• Daughter of Zeus

• One of the three maiden goddesses of Olympus

• Lady of Wild Things

• Huntsman-in-chief to the gods

• Protectress of dewy youth

• She was the Moon

• The cypress was sacred to her

• Wild animals especially the deer were sacred to her