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Gods assembled: In the line behind and from left to right: first Hades, holding his two-forked sceptre, the mother of the gods Rhea 1, and between her and Hera is Hera's peacock. Zeus sits in the middle with the eagle at his feet, holding the thunderbolt in his hand. To his right sits Cronos holding the ouroboros, and standing are Athena and Apollo. Under the latter Artemis, with a half-moon adorning her head, is seen holding her bow. In the first line and from left to right: Dionysus 2 is seen reclining. Ares in armour sits close to Aphrodite who looks at Eros as he comes towards her. In the far right sits Poseidon holding his trident
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OLYMPIANS are called the gods who live in the House of Olympus, which sometimes means heaven but is also a mountain in Pieria, a region of Thessaly in northern Greece. The Olympian gods, presided by Zeus, came to rule the universe after they overthrew the TITANS (see also Titanomachy). The gods, being immortal, neither eat bread nor drink wine, wherefore they are also bloodless. Instead they drink and eat Nectar and Ambrosia and their blood is called Ichor (see also Mythical Objetcs).
The lists below include all OLYMPIANS, i.e. both the first generation (Cronides) and the second, sprung from the first. Among them are also counted the lords of the sea and the Underworld.
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"Olympus is the abode of the gods that stands fast forever. Neither is it shaken by winds nor ever wet with rain, nor does snow fall upon it, but the air is outspread clear and cloudless, and over it hovers a radiant whiteness. Therein the blessed gods are glad all their days..." (Homer, Odyssey 6.42).
"Thus the whole day long till the setting of the sun the Olympians feasted, nor did their heart lack anything of the equal feast, nor of the beauteous lyre, that Apollo held, nor yet of the Muses, who sang, replying one to the other with sweet voices. But when the bright light of the sun was set, they went each to his own house to take their rest, where for each one a palace had been built with cunning skill by the famed Hephaestus, the limping god; and Zeus, the Olympian, lord of the lightning, went to his couch, where of old he took his rest, whenever sweet sleep came upon him. There went he up and slept, and beside him lay Hera of the golden throne." (Homer, Iliad 1.601).
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Demeter.
Goddess of fertility.
Demeter has been
represented holding Sheaves of Corn,
Poppies and Snakes. These symbols
relate to Demeter's nature as a goddess of
fertility and divinity of the earth.
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Hades.
Ruler of the
Underworld.
Hades is known to own a
Helmet which makes him invisible, and
therefore when we see the Helmet we cannot see
Hades, who is only visible
when he does not wear it. He is also seen holding a
two-pronged staff.
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Hera.
Queen of Heaven.
The Emperor Hadrian once dedicated a Peacock
of gold and gleaming stones because the Peacock was
held to be the bird sacred to
Hera. The
Pomegranate also has appeared as an
attribute of Hera but the
reason for this is said to be a holy mystery. The
Cuckoo is also a bird sacred to
Hera because when
Zeus was in love with
Hera he changed himself
into a Cuckoo, and she caught it to be her pet.
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Hestia.
Goddess of the hearth.
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Poseidon.
Ruler of the sea.
The Trident, which he received from the
CYCLOPES, is
Poseidon's best known
attribute. Poseidon is
associated to Horses, which were first tamed
by him, and also to Bulls.
Poseidon is often
depicted with a Dolphin, probably the same
Dolphin which persuaded Amphitrite to marry this
god.
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Zeus.
Ruler of Heaven.
Zeus' main attribute is the
Thunderbolt, which he received from the
CYCLOPES. The s
is Zeus' bird. An Eagle was
seen by Zeus as an omen for
attacking the TITANS, and
an Eagle snatched
Ganymedes.
Zeus approached Aegina in
the form of an Eagle. An Eagle punished
Prometheus 1 who
defied Zeus, and an Eagle
brings back the Thunderbolts which
Zeus has flung. This is why
an Eagle is often depicted at his feet.
Zeus' Aegis (see also Athena below), which was made by Hephaestus is
indestructible, and when he shakes it a storm and
thunder ensues. The oak is
Zeus' tree.
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Other OLYMPIANS
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Aphrodite.
Goddess of the tender passions.
The Rose and the Myrtle are sacred to
Aphrodite and said to
be connected with the story of
Adonis. The Dove
is Aphrodite's bird.
Doves sat on a wonderful egg which had fallen into
the Euphrates River, and when the egg was heated it
hatched out Aphrodite.
Aeneas,
Aphrodite's son,
recognised his mother's help in the Doves which
showed him the place where a certain Golden Bough,
a key to the
Underworld, was
hidden. Since ancient times
Aphrodite has been
depicted as coming out from a Shell.
Aphrodite is often
seen holding an Apple, the prize of beauty
she won in the Judgement of
Paris. The Golden
Apples of
Aphrodite should also
be remembered; because of them
Atalanta lost the race
and had to marry.
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Apollo.
Prophecy and healing.
The Bow and the Quiver are the
attributes of this god who strikes from afar, and
also the Lyre, which some say was invented
by Hermes.
"The lyre and
the curved bow shall ever be dear to me, and I will
declare to men the unfailing will of Zeus."
(Apollo.
Homeric
Hymn to Delian Apollo 131).
A couple of Crows has been associated
with Apollo who cursed
one of them and it became black instead of white. A
man called Aristaeas said he turned into a
Crow when he followed
Apollo. Since
Daphne 1, pursued by
Apollo, changed into a
Laurel tree, the god is associated with the
Laurel because he broke a branch from the
tree and placed it on his head.
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Ares.
God of war.
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Artemis.
Goddess of hunters, and protectress of the
wilderness.
Artemis is often
represented with the Bow and Quiver
of the huntress and with emblems representing the
Moon and the Stars. She is often seen
in the company of a Hind or a Dog.
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Athena.
Goddess of warriors, industries and prudent
intelligence.
The Aegis, usually a goat skin, is an
attribute of both Athena
and Zeus.
Athena's Aegis is surrounded by Fear, Strife, Force and Pursuit or sometimes by snakes, and in the center there is the Gorgon's head (see Medusa 1). The Owl is Athena's bird, but
sometimes she has been depicted with a Cock
on her helmet and it has been assumed that the
Cock might have been considered as sacred to
her. Others say that the Cock is sacred to
Helius (Sun) and
proclaims when he is about to rise. The
Olive is her tree.
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Dionysus 2.
God of the vine
The Thyrsus, a staff that is crowned with
ivy, is sacred to Dionysus 2 and an emblem of his worship. Also
Vine Leaves and Bunches
of Grapes are associated with him
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Hebe.
Cup-bearer in Olympus.
Hebe is Youth.
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Hephaestus.
The smith of Heaven.
This god, who tames fire and was once called to
chain Prometheus 1,
the thief of that same element, is mostly seen with
oval cap and the hammer and tongs of the smith.
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Hermes.
Messenger of Zeus.
The Petasus, which is a round winged hat and
the Winged Sandals are two well known
attributes of Hermes.
Another one is the Caduceus, which is a
winged staff entwined with two serpents (the
medical emblem resembles this, but it is not the
same). According to some
Hermes received the
Caduceus, which is a golden staff or wand,
from Apollo who used it
while he herded cattle, in exchange for a flute
that Hermes had invented.
The Caduceus is a splendid staff of riches
and wealth, which keeps
Hermes scatheless.
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Persephone.
Queen of the
Underworld.
The Pomegranate is associated with
Persephone. Because
of having eaten a seed or seeds of
Pomegranate
Persephone became for
ever bound to Hades.
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Close to the OLYMPIANS are:
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Bia. Force (see ABSTRACTIONS).
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CHARITES, in
the train of
Aphrodite.
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Cratos. Power (see ABSTRACTIONS).
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Dione 1 (see Aphrodite).
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Eos. Dawn.
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Eros. Love.
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Ganymedes.
Cup-bearer in Heaven.
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Helius. The
Sun.
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HORAE. Wardens
of the gates of Heaven.
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Ilithyia. Goddess of childbirth (see Other Deities).
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Iris 1. Heavenly
messenger.
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Leto. Titaness,
mother of Apollo and
Artemis.
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MUSES.
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Nemesis.
Retribution, divine vengeance.
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Nike. Victory.
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Paeeon. Universal healer (see Other Deities).
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Selene. The
Moon.
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Themis.
Titaness. The laws.
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Zelos. Emulation (see ABSTRACTIONS).
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