All of us have a knack for ancient tales of Greek Gods and Goddesses and their power to dictate the universe. One of the most popular is the Greek mythology was eternalized in the works of Aristotle, Sophocles, Homer, Plato, Euripides, etc. The world has long been fascinated by the Greeks Gods and their human lives; they are so much like us in the way they love and get angry and struggle to preserve their reputation. Here are the ten most popular ancient Greek Gods mythology characters,
Ancient Greek Gods
1. Zeus
He was the king of Gods and the Universe. Although opinion is divided on whether he or Poseidon (his brother) was the most powerful; the greeks worshipped him as the ruler and the personification of all-natural phenomenon. Although married to Hera, the queen of all goddesses in Greek mythology, he was known for his adventures outside wedlock. Called the great seducer and highly capable of taking various shapes and forms, he undertook quite a many romantic ventures, one of which was with Helen, a simple mortal, with whom he had intercourse disguised as a swan. This event is said to have caused the Trojan war at a later time. He was highly volatile and easy to provoke; often would respond by hurling thunderbolts at those who displeased him.
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2. Hades
Also known as the God of the Dead and the King of Underworld, he was the one who won back control over the universe by defeating his father Cronus and the Titans. He was worshipped and honored more out of fear; although not so prominent in Greek mythology. He was feared to be unforgiving; not somebody to let goes of someone who once enters the underworld. He was often mistaken with death itself and associated with all things gloomy and ominous. He was also called the ‘God of Wealth’ because he possessed all the precious metals of the Earth. As the king of the dismal underworld, his sight was not welcomed by other Gods and men and therefore, he hardly left the underworld.
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3. Athena
She was the Goddess of intelligence, reasoning, wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. She had unprecedented popularity amongst the mortals and other Gods. Her birth is an unusual tale. Her mother, Metis was swallowed by Zeus because it was prophesied that the child that she carried would rule the heavens after birth. When it was time for Athena to be born, Zeus complained of a headache and Athena then sprang forth from Zeus’s head clad in armor and weapons. She was his favorite child and had the liberty to use his thunderbolt whenever there was a need. A ferocious fighter, she always fought for justice and in self-defense. The city of Athens was named after her; this shows her massive popularity amongst the mortals.
4. Poseidon
He was the most greedy, foul-tempered of Olympian Gods. He was especially the favorite of sailors, seamen, and voyagers because he was the ruler of Sea and controlled the storms and earthquakes. He was Zeus’s brother, second to him only in terms of power while both of them were equal on a lot of terms. He boasted of machoism like Zeus and had a lot of affairs with other women during his lifetime engendering many children. Due to this, he was deemed to be the ‘God of Fertility’.
5. Prometheus
Coveted to be the God of Fire and forethought, he was quite a hoodwinker. He was a Titan and was able to look into the future. He foresaw the defeat of the Titans at the hands of the Olympian Gods and cleverly sided with the Olympians and escaped imprisonment. He was assigned by the Gods to create humankind out of clay; in the process, he would cross paths with Zeus as he had become attached to them.
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6. Hera
Hera was known as the Goddess of birth and marriage. The wife of Zeus, she was also known for being extremely jealous and vengeful. She ruled over the heavens and the human world even before of her marriage to Zeus, who feared her. The Trojan War would have ended in peace, but Hera had a vested interest in its outcome and influenced Zeus to either switch sides or remain neutral.
7. Apollo
He is the twin brother of Artemis, the love child of Zeus and Leto. Though complicated, he was a God of many important things like Sun, light, knowledge, music, etc….He was often depicted with a lyre and a silver bow as he was a skilled archer. While he was revered for his medicine ad healing powers, when crossed, he was capable of bringing about death and ill-health. He had many love affairs with mortals as well as Goddesses. Most famously, he was involved with the wife of the king of Troy, Hecuba. He was also involved with Cassandra who had rejected his advances.
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8. Artemis
One of the most popular Greek Gods in Greek mythology is a capable archer like her twin brother Apollo, Artemis was called the ‘Goddess of hunt’ as well as of virginity, wilderness and childbirth. She was popular for rejecting all advances of the Gods and mortals but fell for her hunting companion Orion who she accidentally killed. Artemis was furious whenever her wishes were disobeyed or the animals that were sacred to her were transgressed.
9. Aphrodite
She was the goddess of beauty and love and was born from the foam of Paphos. She charmed many Gods and mortals, even birds and beats and successfully caused rifts between them. For this reason, Zeus married her to Hephaestus who was ugly and deformed and hence not envied. Despite her marriage, she had many lovers. She was the desire and affection personified.
10. Ares
He was the son of Zeus and Hera and deemed to be the God of War. He was of a violent and untamed nature. Although he had great potential in war situations due to his aggression, he was not of high prominence because of his overwhelming and dangerous force. He was the lover of Aphrodite and had conceived more mortal children than divine children. It is one of the most popular Greek Gods in Greek mythology.
Although hilarious and really old, Greek mythology is not senseless. The myths spoke to their readers about the frailties of deities and how they comprehended the world. The stories of powerful goddesses and hilarious accounts of gods are what have kept the fan base intact for Greek mythology.
