Olympus is a mountain range in northern Greece. The highest peak is called Mount Olympus and raises around 9,600 feet high. The whole range stretches between Thessaly and Macedonia. In mythology it is best known as the home of the gods, and the overall center of the earth. The 12 Olympian Gods are the best known inhabitants of this mountain peak. It was said that no elements disturbed them above, and that all of the gods were to meet there when called upon by Zeus.
Olympus was protected by a special layer of clouds that the Seasons had control over. It was very common for the gods to meet in the hall and feast on ambrosia and nectar served by the goddess Hebe. They would then rejoice by the music of Apollo and the nine muses.
Greek mythology is not really clear whether or not Mount Olympus was a place on earth or in the heavens. But the Greeks did name the tallest mountain peak Mount Olympus.
Whenever the council of twelve met, they met on Mount Olympus. Except for Hades, who preferred his home in the underworld, the eleven other Olympians kept a home on Mount Olympus.
It is interesting to note that in Greek mythology, Vulcan, the husband of Venus, was not an Olympian, although he built all the homes on Mount Olympus for the gods.
Here are the twelve Olympians, the 12 major gods:
Zeus - The Greeks loved to tell stories about the magical family who ruled the heavens. The Greeks truly believed that their gods could interfere in their lives, to help or hinder them.
According to Greek myth, Zeus was the king of all the gods. Zeus had two brothers and three sisters. When their father died, the boys - Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades - divided the world up between themselves. Zeus took all of the heavens, Poseidon took the sea, and Hades took the underworld. Each was quite content with their selection.
Zeus had a very jealous wife named Hera. He also had a whole bunch of kids. Zeus was very fond of all his children. Each of his children had special magical powers.
Zeus had more powers than anyone. Zeus could throw his voice, and sound like anybody. He could shape shift, and look like anybody. In fact, he was so good at shape shifting that he could shape shift into the form of an animal. He could throw lightning bolts. His horse, Pegasus, carried his lightning bolts for him.
Zeus had a quick temper, a big sense of humor, and lots of girlfriends. He was not afraid of anything except Hera, his wife.
There are a great many myths about the famous Zeus, king of all the gods. Here are two of them:
Hera - Hera was married to Zeus. She was the queen of all the gods, and also the goddess of marriage.
Hera was very jealous of her famous and powerful husband, Zeus. Hera was rarely nice to the many children Zeus had by other mothers.
There are many myths about Hera's jealously, anger, and revenge.
Other myths share stories about Hera's servant, Argus. Argus had 100 bright eyes all over his body. He was a great guard because he never closed more than half his eyes at one time!
Hades - Hades and Zeus were brothers.
Hades had a seat on Mount Olympus, the magical mountain on which all the main gods, the Olympians, lived. But Hades did not live on Mount Olympus.
When the three sons of Cronos divided up the world, Zeus took the sky, Poseidon took the sea, and Hades took the underworld. Zeus became the king of the gods. Poseidon married happily. Hades was content, living in the Underworld.
Hades was NOT the lord of death. His job was to run the Underworld. He was a good ruler. Parts of the Underworld were very nice, like the Elysian Fields, where heroes dwelled after they died. Parts were not so nice. Those were for people who were not so nice during their lifetime.
You might think Hades would be terribly lonely, surrounded by the souls of the dead. But he wasn't lonely. Not at all. His brother Zeus visited, as did his nephews Apollo, Hermes, and Ares. Hades came up to the surface now and then, if he had to be on Mount Olympus for a meeting of the gods or something. The truth was, Hades preferred the Underworld. It was home.
Hades had everything he needed. He had an invisible helmet, which he liked very much. He had a golden chariot, which was his pride and joy. He had his faithful and deeply loved companion, his three-headed dog, Cerberus. He was perfectly content. At least he was content, until he fell in love with the beautiful Persephone. But that's a different story. If you wish to read it, see the links below.
Poseidon - Poseidon was the Lord of the Sea. His brothers were Zeus - the king of all the gods, and Hades - the king of the underworld.
Poseidon was a good looking fellow. He had deep blue eyes and streaming green hair. He was a restless fellow, always on the move.
Poseidon was very powerful. He could raise his hand and a new island would appear! The Greeks were terrified of Poseidon.
All the Greeks, but especially those who lived in coastal towns, built a temple to honor Poseidon. They brought special gifts to the temple every day, hoping to keep him happy. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn't. Poseidon was very moody.
Poseidon had many wives. But his main wife was not jealous, so Poseidon did not have the problems at home that Zeus did.
Athena - Athena was born without a mother. Her father was the mighty Zeus, king of all the gods. Athena was born directly out of Zeus' brain.
Zeus loved all his children, but if he had to pick a favorite, it would probably have been Athena, the goddess of wisdom.
Athena was a powerful force, and one of the 12 deities who held a seat on Mount Olympus.
There are many myths about Athena in Greek mythology. Here is one of them.
As the story goes ...
In ancient Greece, each town had a special deity, a god that looked after them. Poseidon was Zeus' brother. He was Athena's uncle. He was also Lord of the Sea. Poseidon was a very powerful god. He loved attention. He loved having towns build temples to worship him. He loved the gifts people brought him.
Poseidon was always on the lookout for towns that had not yet been claimed by a god. He wanted as many towns as possible to call his own. Although towns could only have one god to watch over them, gods could watch over as many towns as they chose.
One day, Athena, goddess of wisdom, and Poseidon, lord of the sea, both claimed the village of Athens. Back then, Athens was pretty small. Normally, the people would have been thrilled to be selected by a god to watch over them. But two gods at once? A town could have only one guardian, and they did not want to choose. They did not want to anger either god.
Athena, who was wise as well as beautiful, understood their worry. She suggested that both gods should give the town a gift. The townspeople could decide which gift was better. Poseidon loved the idea. The townspeople, if possible, were even more nervous than before.
Poseidon tapped the side of the mountain. Water flowed out in a beautiful stream. Fresh water was so important. The people were sure Poseidon had won. When they tasted the water, they tried to smile, but they had to spit the water out. It was salt water!
Then Athena waved her hand. An olive tree began to grow. The people tasted the olives. Smiles broke out. The olives were delicious. The olive tree would provide food, shelter, and oil for cooking. It was a magnificent gift indeed.
But no coastal town in their right mind would risk angering the lord of the sea, the mighty Poseidon. Fortunately, for the people of Athens, they did not have to choose.
Poseidon threw back his head and laughed his hearty roar. "Yours is a far better gift than mine, my lovely niece. I award you Athens."
And that is how Athena became the guardian of the city-state of Athens. Even today, Athena's special tree is the olive.
It is said there were many people in ancient Greece who were sure that Athens' rise to fame was due mostly to Athena's wise direction. But that is probably just a myth.
Ares - Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera. His father was king, his mother was queen.
Ares was tall and handsome, and mean and self-centered. His sidekick, Eris, the spirit of disagreement, traveled everywhere with him. They carried four spirits along as well - the spirits of Pain, Panic, Famine, and Oblivion.
In Greek mythology, Ares did not care who won or lost a battle. He just liked to see bloodshed. Most of the other gods stayed as far away from Ares as possible. He only caused trouble
Apollo - Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was Apollo's twin sister.
Artemis was very different from her brother. To took a lot to get Apollo angry. He was usually pretty gentle and full of warmth.
But Artemis was nearly always cold and pitiless. The only thing Artemis loved besides her family were her floppy-eared dogs.
Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the goddess of the moon.
Artemis - Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto. She was Apollo's twin sister.
Artemis was very different from her brother. To took a lot to get Apollo angry. He was usually pretty gentle and full of warmth.
But Artemis was nearly always cold and pitiless. The only thing Artemis loved besides her family were her floppy-eared dogs.
Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the goddess of the moon.
Hermes - Zeus was the king of all the gods. And Hermes was Zeus' youngest son.
Hermes was born mischievous. Even as a baby, Zeus could tell that Hermes was going to be a whole lot of fun to have around. He liked his son Hermes very much.
Zeus wanted Hermes to have an important job in the world of the Greek gods. Hermes was fast on his feet and very clever. Zeus decided he would make a wonderful messenger.
Things were always going on in the mythical world. The job of messenger to the gods allowed Hermes to have the inside scoop on just about everything. It is no wonder that there are probably more myths that include Hermes than any other god.
The other gods trusted Hermes. Hermes had a true warmth. He was playful enough to be interesting. He was very bright and very loyal. He was the best negotiator in the world. He was always cracking deals to get himself and others out of trouble.
Aphrodite - Aphrodite was the exception to the Greek God family tree. Some say her parents were unknown, and that she was born of sea foam. Others, like the poet Homer, said she was a daughter of the mighty Zeus, king of all the gods. No one knows quite where to place her on the Greek God family tree.
However she was born, Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. She was an essential element of many Greek myths.
Legend says that Aphrodite could be kind or merciless. But the truth is that most of the myths about Aphrodite are, well, rather focused on Aphrodite. Not that she was vain. Aphrodite knew that she was the fairest in the land.
To be fair to Aphrodite, she was not at all like Ares, the god of war. Ares loved to cause pain and havoc. Aphrodite was only merciless if you did something that truly angered her. Aphrodite was easier angered, especially when it came to vanity.
For example, if you believe the old myths, it was not a quarrel over land or goods, but was instead Aphrodite's vanity that caused the Trojan War. Read the myth: Aphrodite and Queen Helen of Sparta.
Demeter - Zeus, the king of all the gods, had three sisters. Hera, his wife and sister, was the goddess of marriage and the queen of all the gods.
Hestia, another of his sisters, was a much loved goddess by the woman of Greece - Hestia was the goddess of home and hearth.
His third sister, Demeter, was in charge of the harvest. All the gods jobs were important. Demeter's job was very important. If she was upset, the crops could die. Everyone, gods and mortals, worked hard to keep Demeter happy. What made her happy was enjoying the company of her daughter, Persephone.
As the story goes ....
Persephone had grown into a beautiful young woman, with a smile for everyone. One day, while picking flowers in the fields, Hades, her uncle, the god of the underworld, noticed her.
Hades was normally a gloomy fellow. But Persephone’s beauty had dazzled him. He fell in love instantly. Quickly, before anyone could interfere, he kidnapped Persephone and hurled his chariot down into the darkest depths of the underworld, taking Persephone with him.
Locked in a room in the Hall of Hades, Persephone cried and cried. She refused to speak to Hades. And she refused to eat. Legend said if you ate anything in Hades, you could never leave. She did not know if the legend was true, but she did not want to risk it in case someone came to rescue her.
Nearly a week went by. Finally, unable to bear her hunger, Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds. It seemed her fate was sealed. She would have to live in the Underworld forever.
Meanwhile, back on earth, Zeus was worried about the crops. The people would die if the crops failed. If that happened, who would worship Zeus? He had to do something. Zeus did what he often did. He sent Hermes, his youngest son, the messenger, to crack a deal, this time with Hades.
Even as a baby, Hermes was great at making deals. Everyone knew that. But this deal might be the challenge of his life. His uncle Hades, king of the underworld, was really in love. This was no passing fancy.
When Hermes heard that Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, he had to think quickly. The deal he made with Hades was that if Persephone would marry Hades, she would live as queen of the underworld for six months out of the year. However, each spring, Persephone would return and live on earth for the other six months of the year. Hades agreed. Zeus agreed. Persephone agreed. And finally, Demeter agreed.
Each spring, Demeter makes sure all the flowers bloom in welcome when her daughter, Queen of the Underworld, returns to her. Each fall, when Persephone returns to Hades, Demeter cries, and lets all the crops die until spring, when the cycle starts again.
Hestia - Hestia was the goddess of heath and home.
Her sisters were famous. One of her sisters was Hera, wife of Zeus, queen of the gods, and the goddess of marriage. Her other sister was Demeter, goddess of agriculture and the harvest.
You would think that there would be lots of myths about such an important goddess. But there are not a lot of myths about Hestia.
But Hestia was deeply honored by the ancient Greek women. Every day, when the women gathered in the central courtyard of their homes, to do their sewing and cooking, they knew that Hestia was keeping watch over them.
The women of ancient Greece listened to stories about the other gods. But they took comfort from Hestia. To them, Hestia was perhaps the most famous of all.
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