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Hephaestus

Hephaestus

Name and meaning: the name Hephaestus means god of the crafts in Greek.

God of: fire and crafts or the two together, blacksmiths

Family: Son of Zeus and Hera, although some accounts say Hera alone. His siblings were Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Dionysus and Persephone. His aunts and uncles were Poseidon, Demeter, Hades, Hera and Hestia.

Hephaestus's symbol: a donkey

Hephaestus's symbol: a hammer

Hephaestus's symbol: an anvil

Some myths about Hephaestus...

Hephaestus’s birth, life and wife

Hephaestus had been cast from heaven by his mother Hera at birth, for she was ashamed at bearing a lame, crippled son. He was raised by some generous heroes in a cave but angry at his mother's treatment, Hephaestus sent a golden throne for Hera to Olympus but when the goddess sat on the cursed throne she was bound tightly. Zeus offered the goddess Aphrodite in marriage to the god who could bring Hephaestus to Olympus. Aphrodite agreed to the arrangement in the belief that her beloved Ares would succeed. Ares stormed the forge of Hephaestus but was driven back by showers of flaming metal. Dionysus next approached the god, and suggested that he might claim Aphrodite for himself if he were to release his mother willingly. Hephaestus was pleased with the plan and went to Olympus with Dionysus, released his mother and wed the reluctant Aphrodite.

Hephaestus and Aphrodite

Hephaestus was a gentle god to which bad things happened to. Even though he covered her with gifts, Aphrodite did not love Hephaestus. When he learned from Helios that she was having an affair with Ares, he could not take it. He made an invisible, unbreakable net and pretended he was leaving; the net came down when Aphrodite was on the bed with Ares. Hephaestus invited all the gods and goddesses to laugh at them then asked to send them to court. The show was amazing entertainment for the immortals but nobody was interested in sending the lovers to court for adultery.

Aphrodite

 

Aphrodite

Name and meaning: The Greeks connected her name with αφρος (aphros) meaning foam, from the story that she was born from the foam of the sea.

Goddess of: Aphrodite is the goddess of love, joy, desire and beauty.

Family: There are two myths of her birth. In one of them, she was the daughter of Zeus and Dionne. However, in another account, she arose from the sea on a giant scallop, after Kronus castrated Ouranos and tossed his genitals into the sea. It is unclear who the siblings of Aphrodite were. If she was the daughter of Ouranos then her siblings were giants and Furies. However, if her father was Zeus, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Dionysus and Persephone were her brothers and sisters.  Her aunts and uncles are Poseidon, Demeter, Hades, Hera and Hestia.

Aphrodite's symbol: a myrtle tree

Aphrodite's symbol: a dove

Some myths about Aphrodite...

Aphrodite is the winner and the cause for the Trojan war

The story begins at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis to which all of the gods were invited, all except Eris, the goddess of discord. In raged that she had been turned away, she made a golden apple to give to the fairest goddess. Three goddesses claimed the apple-Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Zeus was asked to intervene and he commanded Hermes to take the three goddesses to Paris of Troy to decide. The three goddesses appeared before the prince, each offering him gifts. He chose Aphrodite, convinced by her promise to give him Helene, the most beautiful woman, for wife. The abduction of Helene led directly to the Trojan War and the fall of the city.

Aphrodite and Atalanta’s race

Atalanta was a girl abandoned by her father, the king, who wished to have a boy, however, Artemis took pity on her and a bear acted as her mother. Atalanta grew to be an amazingly beautiful huntress much like Artemis but she excelled at sprinting. Her father claimed her many years later and she returned to him in condition to stay a virgin, he accepted but broke his promise. They finally decided that the man who could outrun Atalanta would become her husband but those who failed would die. Many deaths later a handsome man named Hippomenes competed. He was truly in love with Atalanta; he didn’t just want the kingdom. Aphrodite decided to help him and she gave him three golden apples to throw during the race. Before the race Atalanta sighed that such a handsome man had to die, but then Hippomenes threw the apples. Atalanta picked up the first two golden apples with no problem and caught up with Hippomenes again but she dropped the fruit when trying to pick up the last, Hippomenes had already won by the time she managed to hold all of them. In one version of the myth, Hippomenes forgot to thank Aphrodite for her help so she made the lovers meet in Zeus’s temple, who, disrespected turned them into lion and they spent the rest of their days hunting together.

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Apollo

Apollo

Name and meaning:  Apollo's name means to destroy.

God of: Apollo was the god of music and also of prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting); poetry, dance and he cared for herds and flocks.

Family: The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. His children were Asclepius (healing), the musician Orpheus and the heroes Troilus and Aristaeus. His half brothers and sisters (gods) were Ares, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes (half brothers), Athena, Aphrodite and Persephone (half sisters). Her aunts and uncles were Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia.

Apollo's symbol: a silver bow and arrow

Apollo's symbol: a laurel tree

Apollo's symbol: a lyre

Apollo's symbol: a wolf

Some myths about Apollo...

Apollo and Daphne

Daphne was a beautiful Nymph; she was created by the Titaness Gaea(Mother Earth) and the god of the rivers, Peneus. Apollo was struck by the arrows of Eros when he saw Daphne for the first time and fell madly in love with her. However, Daphne was not in love with Apollo and tried to flee. But Apollo didn't give up, he ran after Daphne until she was too tired to go on and Apollo finally he caught her. Daphne prayed to her mother Gaea to make her disappear. Gaea gave her wish and Daphne slowly turned into a laurel tree. Apollo, realizing that he would never get his loved one, gave the tree the power to never lose its leaves throughout the year, even in winter. From then on, the laurel tree became the symbol of Apollo.

Birth of Apollo

Hera, in raged of Zeus’s betrayal of having a child with Leto, cursed the titan daughter to have no place on Earth to give birth. Zeus made the island Delos, surrounded by swans, come from beneath the water for Leto.  The delivery of Artemis was painless but the birth of Apollo lasted for nine whole days and nights because Hera had kidnapped Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, preventing Leto from having an easy and painless labor. It is said that, with the absence of Eileithyia, Artemis was the one to help her mother deliver her twin brother, Apollo. The delivery took place under a palm tree. 

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Athena

  

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Name and meaning: the name Athena means: goddess of wisdom

Goddess of: the goddess of wisdom and military victory. She taught weaving and sewing and other crafts to the women and agriculture to men. She would give advice and stood by on any danger. Athena protected the heroes as they went out to war and saved them on their coming back.

Family: Zeus and Métis and the parents of Athena. The aunts and uncles of Athena are Poseidon, Demeter, Hades, Hera and Hestia. Her siblings are Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hephaestus, Artemis and Apollo. Athena never married and had no children.

Athena's symbol: a spear

Athena's symbol: an owl

Athena's symbol: an olive tree

Some myths about Athena...

Athena’s birth

When Métis became pregnant Zeus ate the child as soon as it was born because, according to a prophecy at that time, Métis would bear a son who would pose a severe threat to Zeus. Nine months passed by and then suddenly Zeus started feeling a strong pain in his head and asked Hephaestus to comfort him. Hephaestus opened Zeus' head with an axe without hurting him. Athena sprang out of Zeus' head. She was already an adult, wearing armor with a shield in her hands and uttering warlike cries. From the first moment goddess Athena came into the world, she won the heart of Zeus and became his favorite child. However, she never received a mother's care. That's why she possesses more masculine than feminine attributes.

Athena and Arachne

Arachne was a maiden and she boasted that she was better at weaving than Athena herself. Athena, disguised as an old woman told the girl to take back what she had said. Arachne refused but realized who she was talking to. The goddess and Arachne had a weaving contest and Arachne filled her canvas with images of the gods’ failures. Athena couldn't help admiring but was in raged. She touched the girl’s forehead and Arachne turned into spider. Athena claimed that Arachne and all her descendants would hang from threads and be skillful weavers. 

Artemis

Name and meaning: Artemis’ name’s meaning is unknown.

Goddess of:  hunting, moon, wilderness and wild animals. She was also a goddess of childbirth, and the protectress of the girl child up to the age of marriage. Her twin brother Apollo was similarly the protector of the boy child. Together the two gods were also bringers of sudden death and disease-Artemis targeted women and girls, and Apollo men and boys. Artemis vowed to be a maiden forever.

Family: Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Artemis had a twin brother, Apollo. She was born just before him and helped her mother give birth. Her other siblings (gods) are Athena, Persephone, Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus. Her aunts and uncles (gods) are Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter.

Artemis's symbol: a golden bow and arrow

Artemis's symbol: a stag or a deer

Some of Artemis's most famous myths...

Artemis and Orion

Artemis loved the giant Orion and came near marrying him. Apollo took this hard, and when scolding her did not help, he decided on a more cruel persuasion. When he saw the head of Orion who was swimming, he told his sister that she couldn't hit with her arrows the black object in the sea. Since she wished to be called an expert in that skill, she shot an arrow and pierced the head of Orion. The waves brought his slain body to the shore and Artemis, grieving greatly that she had struck him, and mourning his death with many tears, put him among the constellations.

The daughters of Niobe

Amphion married Niobe, the daughter of Tantalos, who had seven sons and as many daughters. Proud of the number, Niobe claimed to be more blessed with children than Leto. Leto was annoyed by this, and urged Artemis and Apollo against Niobe’s children. Artemis killed all the females in the house with her arrows, an Apollo all the males as they were hunting together on Mount Cithaeron. Of the boys only Amphion was spared, and of the girls only Khloris the elder.

Find out more about 'She was born just before him and helped her mother give birth.' with Apollo's fact sheet.

Zeus

Zeus

I love Greek mythology so I'm making these posts about Greek gods and myths. I hope that this interests you as much as me. 

Name and meaning: Zeus related to the old Indo-European god Dyeus whose name probably meant "shine" or "sky".

God of: the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, justice. He is the king of all gods.

Family: His wife is Hera, though he has lots of affairs with other goddesses and mortals. His children (gods) are Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Persephone, Hephaestus, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus. He is the son of Kronos and Rhea. He is the youngest of his brothers and sisters who are, Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter.

Zeus's symbol: a lightning bolt 

Zeus's symbol: an eagle

Zeus's symbol: an oak tree

Some of the most famous myths of Zeus

The titan war against the gods

Rhea, wife of the titan lord Kronos, told her husband that one of his children would overpower him like he did to his father (another myth). To prevent this, Kronos ate all his children (Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter) as soon as they were born. The only child who escaped this fate was Zeus; Rhea had given Kronos a rock to eat instead and hidden the boy on the island of Crete. When Zeus reached adulthood, he forced Kronos to disgorge his siblings, who, because they were immortal, had grown up in the titan’s stomach. Zeus then made war with the titans and drove them into the pit of Tartarus (after cutting Kronos into pieces). From then on, the gods ruled.

Zeus punishes Prometheus

Prometheus was the titan of forethought and crafty counsel who was entrusted with the task of molding mankind out of clay. Prometheus taught mankind to use fire in every different way; to forge metal, to cook, to keep warm... but Prometheus didn't teach humans to honour the gods. So Zeus, dishonoured took the fire away from humans and kept it in Olympus. Prometheus stole the fire and it shined on earth once more. Since Zeus couldn't kill the immortal titan, he attached Prometheus to a rock on Mount Caucasus and every day, Zeus’s eagle came to feast on the titan’s ever-regenerating liver. Centuries later the great hero Heracles came along and released Prometheus from his torture.