The Twelve Olympian Gods
οί δώδεκα θεοί
Dr. M. Nicholson, Queen's University
The canonical 12 Olympian gods are: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, Athena, Hephaistos, Hestia.
Several later variations include the following: on the east frieze of the Parthenon (5th century B.C.) Hestia was displaced by Dionysos; in Plato's writings, Pluto (also known as Hades, the god of death) displaced Hestia as one of the canonical Twelve. However, Hades, although a brother of Zeus, did not live on Olympus, but in the underworld along with Persephone and Hecate, and so did not really belong with the inhabitants of Olympus.
In the agora of Athens there was an altar to the Twelve; it was a sanctuary for suppliants and distances were measured from it.
ZEUS: (Roman Juppiter [2 p's is the older spelling], Sanskrit Dyauspitar, Germanic Tiw or Ziu) The bright, shining one. He lives in the sky, he is the sky. Father of gods and men, he rules among all the immortals. He is the god of sky and weather. His attributes are the sceptre, the eagle [Roman Legions] and the thunderbolt. The supreme god of the Greeks, the, protector of laws and morals, the dispenser of good and evil.
HERA: (Roman Juno) Sister and wife of Zeus. Hieros gamos (sacred marriage). Possibly a moon goddess, certainly the goddess of marriage and of childbirth. Her attributes are the sceptre topped by a cuckoo, the pomegranate and the peacock.
POSEIDON: (Roman Neptunus) Brother of Zeus. God of the sea, earthquakes, builders and horses. His attributes are a trident sceptre, and sometimes a rudder.
DEMETER: (Roman Ceres) Earth-mother, corn-mother, life-mother. Goddess of the wheat-bearing earth, of agriculture, of family-life, fertility and immortality. Called Thesmophoros, the law-giver, she was the goddess of civilisation. With her daughter Persephone (Kore, the Maiden), she was worshipped at Eleusis. "The twin Goddesses" orthe Demeters" were closely associated with afterlife and the origin of the Mystery religions. Her attributes are a sceptre, ears of corn, a poppy, a torch and a mystic basket.
APOLLO [son of Zeus]: God of light and of sunlight in the spring, often identified with the sun; the archer god of plagues and the healing god (sunshine); god of purification; of oracles (Delphi,etc); of states and Hellenic colonies [Pan-Hellenism]. God. of prophecy, music and poetry. Protector of the flocks, god of manhood, athletes and beauty. His attributes are the bow, the quiver, the shepherd's crook, the lyre.
ARTEMIS: (Roman Diana) Twin sister of Apollo and like him a divinity of light, of plagues and sudden death, and of beauty. Huntress-goddess of the chase and of forests, her symbol is a she-bear. The attributes of the maiden goddess Artemis are her bow and the quiver.
ARES: (Roman Mars) God of war, brutal courage and bloody rages.
APHRODITE: (Roman Venus) A fertility goddess (human, animal and vegetable); goddess of beauty and of love (in all meanings, lustful and sublime).
HERMES: (Roman Mercurius) God of stone cairns, of roads, of travellers. God of commerce, of eloquence and good luck, of gymnastics. Ambassadorof Zeus and the messengerofthegods, he guides souls on their way to Hades [the underworld]. His attributes are his hat, his staff and his winged sandals.
ATHENA: (Roman Minerva) She "of the brilliant eyes"; also of absolute chastity. She is the counsellor, the guiding wisdom, the warrior-goddess, defender of towns and guardian of the acropolis. In peace, Athena is the protector of various arts and industries, as well as of agriculture (the olive). Animals sacred to her are the owl, the serpent and the cock. Her attributes are the aegis, a spear, a statue of Victory, an olive branch.
HEPHAISTOS: (Roman Vulcanus) Son of Hera, husband of Aphrodite. The god of fire, the divine blacksmith, the beneficent artisan-god. With Athena, he imparts skills to mortal artists.
HESTIA: (Roman Vesta) Goddess of the hearth and of the home-fire, of the sacred fire of the altar, of the fire of a community. Invoked first at sacrifices, she is the goddess of domestic fire and family happiness. [Hestia was displaced by Dionysos and Pluto]
Dr. M. Nicholson, Queen's University
The canonical 12 Olympian gods are: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, Athena, Hephaistos, Hestia.
Several later variations include the following: on the east frieze of the Parthenon (5th century B.C.) Hestia was displaced by Dionysos; in Plato's writings, Pluto (also known as Hades, the god of death) displaced Hestia as one of the canonical Twelve. However, Hades, although a brother of Zeus, did not live on Olympus, but in the underworld along with Persephone and Hecate, and so did not really belong with the inhabitants of Olympus.
In the agora of Athens there was an altar to the Twelve; it was a sanctuary for suppliants and distances were measured from it.
ZEUS: (Roman Juppiter [2 p's is the older spelling], Sanskrit Dyauspitar, Germanic Tiw or Ziu) The bright, shining one. He lives in the sky, he is the sky. Father of gods and men, he rules among all the immortals. He is the god of sky and weather. His attributes are the sceptre, the eagle [Roman Legions] and the thunderbolt. The supreme god of the Greeks, the, protector of laws and morals, the dispenser of good and evil.
HERA: (Roman Juno) Sister and wife of Zeus. Hieros gamos (sacred marriage). Possibly a moon goddess, certainly the goddess of marriage and of childbirth. Her attributes are the sceptre topped by a cuckoo, the pomegranate and the peacock.
POSEIDON: (Roman Neptunus) Brother of Zeus. God of the sea, earthquakes, builders and horses. His attributes are a trident sceptre, and sometimes a rudder.
DEMETER: (Roman Ceres) Earth-mother, corn-mother, life-mother. Goddess of the wheat-bearing earth, of agriculture, of family-life, fertility and immortality. Called Thesmophoros, the law-giver, she was the goddess of civilisation. With her daughter Persephone (Kore, the Maiden), she was worshipped at Eleusis. "The twin Goddesses" orthe Demeters" were closely associated with afterlife and the origin of the Mystery religions. Her attributes are a sceptre, ears of corn, a poppy, a torch and a mystic basket.
APOLLO [son of Zeus]: God of light and of sunlight in the spring, often identified with the sun; the archer god of plagues and the healing god (sunshine); god of purification; of oracles (Delphi,etc); of states and Hellenic colonies [Pan-Hellenism]. God. of prophecy, music and poetry. Protector of the flocks, god of manhood, athletes and beauty. His attributes are the bow, the quiver, the shepherd's crook, the lyre.
ARTEMIS: (Roman Diana) Twin sister of Apollo and like him a divinity of light, of plagues and sudden death, and of beauty. Huntress-goddess of the chase and of forests, her symbol is a she-bear. The attributes of the maiden goddess Artemis are her bow and the quiver.
ARES: (Roman Mars) God of war, brutal courage and bloody rages.
APHRODITE: (Roman Venus) A fertility goddess (human, animal and vegetable); goddess of beauty and of love (in all meanings, lustful and sublime).
HERMES: (Roman Mercurius) God of stone cairns, of roads, of travellers. God of commerce, of eloquence and good luck, of gymnastics. Ambassadorof Zeus and the messengerofthegods, he guides souls on their way to Hades [the underworld]. His attributes are his hat, his staff and his winged sandals.
ATHENA: (Roman Minerva) She "of the brilliant eyes"; also of absolute chastity. She is the counsellor, the guiding wisdom, the warrior-goddess, defender of towns and guardian of the acropolis. In peace, Athena is the protector of various arts and industries, as well as of agriculture (the olive). Animals sacred to her are the owl, the serpent and the cock. Her attributes are the aegis, a spear, a statue of Victory, an olive branch.
HEPHAISTOS: (Roman Vulcanus) Son of Hera, husband of Aphrodite. The god of fire, the divine blacksmith, the beneficent artisan-god. With Athena, he imparts skills to mortal artists.
HESTIA: (Roman Vesta) Goddess of the hearth and of the home-fire, of the sacred fire of the altar, of the fire of a community. Invoked first at sacrifices, she is the goddess of domestic fire and family happiness. [Hestia was displaced by Dionysos and Pluto]
Comments
Post a Comment