Olympians

## **Summary**

The Twelve Olympians are the major gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon, commonly considered to be Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes and either Hestia or Dionysus.

### **The Other Olympians**

The Olympians lived on Mount Olympus and gained their supremacy through the war of gods in which Zeus led his siblings to victory over the Titans. While the commonly accepted number of Olympians is twelve, there was considerable variation as to which gods and goddesses were included. Other Olympians included:

1. Hades, god of the Underworld, dead and the riches under the Earth
2. Heracles, a divine hero and son of Zeus and Alcmene.
3. Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and a daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Also the goddess of Spring
4. Asclepius, god of medicine and healing, son of Apollo and Coronis
5. Eros, god of sexual love and beauty, son of Aphrodite and Ares
6. Hebe, cupbearer for the gods, daughter of Zeus and Hera
7. Pan, god of nature, the wild, shepherds and flocks, mountains, hunting, the forest, and rustic music

Although not counted as Olympians, there were others who resided on Mount Olympus

1. Aeolus, king of the winds
2. Amphitrite, queen of the Sea, mother of Triton and wife of Poseidon
3. Anemoi, the personification of the four wind directions
4. Aura, goddess of cool breezes and fresh air
5. Bia, personification of force
6. Circe, minor goddess of magic, not to be confused with Hecate
7. Deimos, god of terror, son of Ares and brother of Phobos
8. Dione, Oceanid, mother of Aphrodite by Zeus
9. Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, daughter of Hera and Zeus
10. Enyo, a goddess of warfare, companion of Ares.
11. Eos, personification of dawn
12. Eris, goddess of discord and strife
13. Ganymede, cupbearer of the gods' palace at Olympus
14. Graces, goddesses of beauty and attendants of Aphrodite and Hera
15. Harmonia, goddess of concord and harmony, daughter of Aphrodite
16. Hecate, goddess associated with magic, witches and crossroads
17. Helios, Titan and personification of the sun
18. Horea, Wardens of Olympus
19. Hypnos, god of sleep, father of Morpheus and son of Nyx
20. Iris, personification of the rainbow, messenger of Olympus along with Hermes
21. Kratos, personification of power
22. Leto, Titaness of the unseen; mother of Apollo and Artemis
23. Moirai, the Fates
24. Momus, god of satire, mockery, and poets
25. Morpheus, god of dreams
26. Muses, nine goddesses of science and arts
27. Nemesis, goddess of retribution and revenge, daughter of Nyx
28. Nike, goddess of victory
29. Nyx, goddess of night
30. Paean, Physician of the gods
31. Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae, slayer of Medusa, legendary founder of Mycenae and the Persied dynasty
32. Phobos, god of fear, son of Ares and brother of Deimos
33. Selene, Titaness, personification of the moon
34. Styx, goddess of the River Styx
35. Thanatos, god of death, sometimes considered the personification of death
36. Theseus, son of Poseidon, first Hero of Athens and slayer of the Minotaur
37. Triton, messenger of the Seas, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite
38. Tyche, goddess of luck
39. Zelus, personification of emulation