Zeus is the most well-known god of all the Greek gods. He is
the leader of the Olympians. He is most commonly known as the god of the sky
and storms or as the king of the other gods. His weapon is a thunderbolt which
he throws at those who displease him. He is married to Hera, goddess of
marriage and childbirth, but he has had many affairs. His brothers are Poseidon
God of the sea and protector of all waters, and Hades the god of the underworld
and wealth.
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Poseidon is the god of the sea and protector of all waters. His
weapon is a trident that can shake the earth and shatter any object. He is
second in command to Zeus his brother. He married Amphitrite but at one point
he desired Demeter, to put him off Demeter asked him to create the most
beautiful animal that the world has ever
seen. After a long time and many failed attempts creating other animals
Poseidon finally created the horse but by this time he had lost interest.
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Hestia is Zeus sister. She is a virgin goddess. She does not
have a distinct personality. She plays no part in myths. She is the Goddess of
the Hearth, the symbol of the house around which a newborn child is carried
before it is received into the family. Each city had a public hearth sacred to
Hestia, where the fire was never allowed to go out. Of all the Olympians, she
is the mildest, most upright and most charitable.
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Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. He was disliked by both
parents. He is the god of war. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but,
also a coward. When caught in an act of adultery with Aphrodite her husband
Hephaestus is able publicly ridicule him. His bird is the vulture. His animal
is the dog.
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Athena is the Greek virgin goddess of reason, intelligent
activity, arts and literature. Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full
grown in armour from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is the
goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She is the
embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus's favourite child and
was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her sacred tree is
the olive and her bird is the owl.
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Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is
Artemis. Apollo is the god of music and plays a golden lyre. He is the Archer,
far shooting with a silver bow, the god of healing who taught man medicine, the
god of light and the god of truth who cannot speak a lie. One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is
to harness his chariot with four horses and drive the Sun across the sky. His
tree is the laurel, his animal the dolphin and his bird the crow.
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Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. She is
the most beautiful goddess. She was the daughter
of Zeus and Dione. She is married to
Hephaestus. Her tree is the myrtle, her birds are the dove, the swan and the
sparrow. Her favourite lover is Ares the god of war. She represents sex,
affection and the attraction that binds people together.
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Hermes was the cleverest of the Olympian gods and the messenger
of all the other gods. He is the son of Zeus and Maia, he is Zeus' messenger.
He is the fastest of the gods and wears winged sandals and a winged hat, and
carries a magical wand. Hermes is the god of thieves and god of commerce. He is
the guide for the dead to go to the underworld and invented the lyre, the
pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics
and the care of olive trees.
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Artemis was the goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the
moon, and the natural environment. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto her
twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of wild things. She is the huntsman of
the gods she uses silver arrows like her brother Apollo. She is a virgin
goddess, and the goddess of chastity. She also presides over childbirth which
may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto no pain when she was
born. Her tree is the cypress and all wild animals are sacred to her especially
the deer.
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Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera but it is also said
that Hera alone produced him. He is the only god to be physically ugly and he
is also lame. Accounts on how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera upset of
having an ugly child threw him off Mount Olympus into the sea breaking his
legs, others say that he took Hera’s side in an argument against Zeus and Zeus
flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge. He is married
to Aphrodite. He is the patron god of both smiths and weavers.
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