Greek Gods and Goddesses - II

Hiii!!

How ya doing readers? Ready to start rocking?!!

Athena - Goddess of wisdom, skill, warfare, handicrafts and reason. She is the sister of Ares, and daughter of Zeus and Metis. Her Roman name is Minerva, and she sprung from Zeus's head in full body armor. She is the wisest of the gods (as her mother was keeping inside herself all the world's wisdom).

Athena, one of the three Eternal Virgin goddesses (the other two are Hera and Hestia), was the sophisticated goddess who taught mankind various skills. She was always giving precious advice and stood by on any danger. Athena officially became the patron deity of the city of ancient Athens and the Parthenon was built in her honor. She was known as "Athena Nike" (Athena the victorious), as she was believed to have given the Athenians the victory during the Persian War.

Most common depiction of Athena: A tall, slim woman with glaucous eyes wearing a suit of armor. Her symbols and weapons: The owl, the aegis and the olive tree.

The sixth, Demeter, is the Goddess of fertility, grain and harvest. Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, sister of Zeus, her Roman name is Ceres. (My favorite fruit juice!)

Demeter was a peace-loving deity and the source of all growth and life; she was the goddess who provided all nutrition on the earth and taught mortals how to cultivate the earth and ease life. She was most appreciated for introducing wheat to mankind, making man different from animals.

Her symbols and weapons: The ear of wheat, the scepter, torch, and corn.

Dionysus – The God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. He represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. He was a Lover of Peace and his Roman name is Bacchus.

Dionysus was the son of the Zeus and the beautiful Theban Princess Semele, daughter of King Cadmus and Armonia (Harmony). He was one of the Olympian gods who did not live in Mount Olympus but was constantly travelling around the world to discover the secrets of winemaking.
Dionysus was known for his joyfulness and always offered his help to anyone in need. He was therefore very popular among gods and mortals and many feasts were being held every year in his honor.

Most common depiction of Dionysus: A handsome young man with impressive hair and a wreath of ivy on his head. In his hand he holds a "thyrsos" - a light staff wrapped with leaves of ivy and a pine cone on its top. His symbols are the grape vine, ivy, and thyrsus.

Hades - God of the Dead and ruler of the underworld. Son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Poseidon, Zeus and Hera, and consort to Persephone (whom he abducted from her mother Demeter). His Roman name is Pluto.

Hades almost never left his gloomy kingdom; he stayed there surrounded by darkness and silence. His helper was Charos (the angel of dead), whose duty was to transfer the dead people's souls over the River Acheron from the world of the living to the world of the dead. Furthermore, Hades had a dog with three heads which was named Cerberus.

His symbols are the bident, the Helm of Darkness, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

The ninth God, Hephaestus - Greek God of Fire, Metallurgy and the Smith. He was the ill-fated son of Zeus and Hera (although it was considered by some that he had been conceived prenuptially), and his Roman name is Vulcan.

Hephaestus was a very kind and loveable god, but was the only deity who was physically ugly and lame. When his mother Hera saw him for the first time, she was so frustrated that she threw him from Mount Olympus to the depths of the seas, causing a deformation to his leg. He was rescued and raised by two Nereids inside a cave, hidden from his cruel mother.

Hephaestus made armor for the gods and other heroes like Achilles. He worked closely with the one-eyed Cyclops to create strong thunderbolts for his master Zeus. Famous for having created the first woman of the ancient world (Pandora), he was cheated upon by his wife Aphrodite coz he was deformed.

Symbols and weapons of Hephaestus: Fire, the axe, pincers and hammer.

Hera - Goddess of Marriage and Family and protector of married women. She is the sister and wife of Zeus. She often appears with peacock feathers and her Roman name is Juno.

Although Hera was one of the fairest goddesses in Mount Olympus, Zeus was giving Hera plenty of reason to be suspicious and jealous. Hera therefore used to stay in high places in order to keep an eye on her husband's doings. Many times she also caused harm to Zeus' mistresses, as Zeus himself was invincible.

Hera, despite being a mother of four, embodied the eternal virginity, since she annually renewed her virginity by bathing in the spring of Canathus. Thus, she was considered one of the three virgin goddesses in ancient Greece.

Most common depiction of Hera: A beautiful, mature woman wearing an ornate crown and golden sandals. Her symbols and weapons: The peacock, the scepter, diadem and the pomegranate as a symbol of fertility.

You ain’t dozing off, are you?
Okie, bye for now.

-Princess