The god of beauty in ancient Greece is a man. Supreme gods of Olympus. Ancient Greek gods and goddesses

The gods of Ancient Greece were different from the rest of the divine beings represented in any other religion of that time. They were divided into three generations, but rumor modern man the names of the second and third generation of the gods of Olympus are more familiar: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia.

According to legend, since the beginning of time, power belonged to the supreme god Chaos. As the name implies, there was no order in the world, and then the goddess of the Earth, Gaia, married Uranus, the father of Heaven, and the first generation of mighty titans was born.

Kronos, according to some sources Chronos (keeper of time), was the last of the six sons of Gaia. Mother doted on her son, but Kronos was a very capricious and ambitious god. One day, a prediction was revealed to Gaia that one of the children of Kronos would kill him. But for the time being, she kept in her depths the fortune teller: the blind half-blood of the Titanides and the secret itself. Over time, Gaia's mother got tired of constant childbirth, and then Kronos castrated his father and overthrew him from heaven.

From that moment began new era: the era of the Olympian gods. Olympus, whose peaks rest against the sky, has become a home for generations of gods. When Kronos decided to marry, his mother told him about the prediction. Not wanting to part with the power of the supreme god, Kronos began to swallow all the children. His wife, meek Rhea, was horrified by this, but she could not break the will of her husband. Then she decided to cheat. Little Zeus, immediately after birth, was secretly transferred forest nymphs to wild Crete, where the gaze of a cruel father never fell. Having reached adulthood, Zeus overthrew his father and forced him to regurgitate all the children he had swallowed.

Thunderer Zeus, father of the gods

But Rhea knew: the power of Zeus is not infinite, and he, like his father, is also destined to die at the hands of his son. She also knew that the titans, imprisoned by Zeus in gloomy Tartarus, would soon be freed and it was they who would take part in the overthrow of Zeus, the father of the Olympic gods. Only one survivor of the Titans could help Zeus retain power and not become like Kronos: Prometheus. Titan had the gift to see the future, but he did not hate Zeus for his cruelty towards people.

In Greece, it is believed that before Prometheus, people lived in permafrost, were like wild creatures without reason and intelligence. Not only the Greeks know that according to legend, Prometheus brought fire to the earth by stealing it from the temple of Olympus. As a result, the thunderer chained the titan and doomed him to eternal torment. Prometheus had the only way out: an agreement with Zeus - the secret of maintaining power for the Thunderer was revealed. Zeus avoided marriage with the one who could bear him a son who could become the leader of the titans. Power forever entrenched in Zeus, no one and nothing dared to encroach on the throne.

A little later, Zeus liked the gentle Hera, the goddess of marriage and the guardian of the family. The goddess was impregnable and the supreme god had to marry her. But after three hundred years, as the chronicles say, this is the honeymoon period of the gods, Zeus got bored. From that moment on, his adventures are described rather amusingly: the Thunderer penetrated to mortal girls in the most different types. For example, to Danae in the form of a dazzling rain of gold, to Europe, the most beautiful of all, in the form of a thoroughbred bull with golden horns.

The image of the father of the gods has always been unchanged: surrounded by heavy thunderstorm, in the mighty hands of lightning.

He was revered, made constant sacrifices. Describing the nature of the Thunderer, it is always especially said about his steadfastness and severity.

Poseidon, god of the seas and oceans

Little is said about Poseidon: the brother of the formidable Zeus takes a place in the shadow of the supreme god. It is believed that Poseidon was not distinguished by cruelty, the punishments that the god of the seas sent to people were always deserved. The most eloquent of the legends associated with the lord of water is the legend of Andromeda.

Poseidon sent storms, but fishermen and sailors more often prayed to him than to the father of the gods. Before traveling by sea, not one of the warriors would risk leaving the harbor without praying in the temple. The altars were usually smoked for several days in honor of the ruler of the seas. According to the legends, Poseidon could be seen in the foam of the raging ocean, in a golden chariot drawn by horses of a special suit. The gloomy Hades gave these horses to his brother, they were indomitable.

His symbol was a trident, giving unlimited power Poseidon in the vastness of the oceans and seas. But at the same time, it is noted that God had a non-conflict character, tried to bypass quarrels and squabbles. He was always devoted to Zeus, did not strive for power, which cannot be said about the third brother - Hades.

Hades, lord of the realm of the dead

Dark Hades - unusual god and character. He was feared and revered almost more than the lord of the existing Zeus himself. The thunderer himself experienced a feeling of strange fear, barely saw the sparkling chariot of his brother, harnessed by horses with demonic fire in their eyes. No one dared to step into the depths of the kingdom of Hades until there was such a will of the lord underworld. The Greeks were afraid to pronounce his name, especially if there was a sick person nearby. In some records kept in the library of Alexandria, it is said that before death, people always hear the terrible, penetrating howl of the guardian of the gates of hell. Two-headed, according to some notes three-headed, the dog Cerberus was the inexorable guardian of the gates of hell and the favorite of the formidable Hades.

It is believed that when Zeus shared power, he offended Hades by giving him the kingdom of the dead. Time passed, the gloomy Hades did not claim the throne of Olympus, but the legends describe quite often that the lord of the dead was constantly looking for ways to spoil the life of the father of the gods. Hades is portrayed as a vindictive and cruel person. It was a man, even in the annals of that era, that it was written that Hades was endowed more than others with human features.

Zeus did not have full power over the kingdom of his brother, he could not bring out or free a single soul without the permission of Hades. Even at the moment when Hades kidnapped the beautiful Persephone, in fact a niece, the father of the gods preferred to refuse the saddened Demeter, rather than demand from his brother to return his mother's daughter. And only the right move of Demeter herself, the goddess of fertility, forced Zeus to descend into the realm of the dead and convince Hades to conclude an agreement.

Hermes, patron of cunning, deceit and trade, messenger of the gods

Hermes belongs to the third generation of the gods of Olympus. This god illegitimate son Zeus and Maia, daughters of Atlas. Maya, even before the birth of her son, was predicted that her son would an unusual child. But even she could not know that the problems would start from the infancy of the little god.

There is a legend about how Hermes, seizing the moment when Maya was distracted, slipped out of the cave. He liked the cows very much, but these animals were sacred and belonged to the god Apollo. Not at all embarrassed by this, the little rogue stole the animals, and in order to deceive the gods, he brought in the cows so that the tracks led out of the cave. And then he hid in the cradle. The enraged Apollo quickly figured out the tricks of Hermes, but the young god promised to create and give the divine lyre. Hermes kept his word.

From that moment on, the golden-haired Apollo never parted with the lyre; all images of God necessarily reflect this instrument. Lyra so touched the god with her sounds that he not only forgot about the cows, but also presented Hermes with his rod of gold.

Hermes is the most unusual of all the children of the Olympians already in that he is the only one who could freely be in both worlds.

Hades loved his jokes and dexterity, it was Hermes who is often depicted as a guide to the gloomy realm of shadows. God brought souls to thresholds sacred river Styx transferred his soul to the silent Chiron, the eternal carrier. By the way, the ritual of burials with coins in front of their eyes is associated precisely with Hermes and Chiron. One coin for the labors of God, the second for the carrier of souls.

Classmates

The most interesting and instructive stories, fascinating stories and adventures gave the world Greek mythology. The narrative immerses us in a fairy-tale world where you can meet heroes and gods, scary monsters and unusual animals. The myths of ancient Greece, written many centuries ago, are currently the greatest cultural heritage of all mankind.

What are myths

Mythology is an amazing separate world in which people opposed the deities of Olympus, fought for honor and resisted evil and destruction.

However, it is worth remembering that myths are works created exclusively by people using fantasy and fiction. These are stories about gods, heroes and deeds, unusual phenomena nature and mysterious creatures.

The origin of legends is no different from the origin folk tales and legends. The Greeks invented and retold unusual stories that mixed truth and fiction.

It is possible that the share of truth was present in the stories - the basis could be taken life case or an example.

Source of the myths of ancient Greece

Where did modern people myths and their plots are known for certain? It turns out that Greek mythology was preserved on the tablets of the Aegean culture. They were written in Linear B, which was deciphered only in the 20th century.

The Crete-Mycenaean period, to which this type of writing belongs, knew most of the gods: Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and so on. However, due to the decline of civilization and the emergence of ancient Greek mythology, mythology could have its gaps: we know it only from the latest sources.

Various plots of the myths of Ancient Greece were often used by writers of that time. And before the onset of the Hellenistic era, it became popular to create their own legends based on them.

The largest and most famous sources are:

1. Homer, Iliad, Odyssey
2. Hesiod "Theogony"
3. Pseudo-Apollodorus, "Library"
4. Gigin, "Myths"
5. Ovid, "Metamorphoses"
6. Nonnus, "Acts of Dionysus"

Karl Marx believed that the mythology of Greece was a vast repository of art, and also created the ground for it, thus fulfilling a dual function.

ancient greek mythology

Myths did not appear overnight: they took shape over several centuries, passed from mouth to mouth. Thanks to the poetry of Hesiod and Homer, the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, we can get acquainted with the stories at the present time.

Each story has value, keeping in itself the atmosphere of antiquity. Specially trained people - mythographers - began to appear in Greece in the 4th century BC.

These include the sophist Hippias, Herodotus of Heracles, Heraclitus of Pontus and others. Dionysius of Samoia, in particular, was engaged in compiling genealogical tables and studied tragic myths.

There are many myths, but the most popular are stories related to Olympus and its inhabitants.

However, the complex hierarchy and history of the origin of the gods can confuse any reader, and therefore we propose to understand this in detail!

With the help of myths, it becomes possible to recreate the picture of the world in the view of the inhabitants of Ancient Greece: the world is inhabited by monsters and giants, among which are giants - one-eyed creatures and Titans.

Origin of the gods

Eternal, boundless Chaos enveloped the Earth. It contained the world source of life.

It was believed that it was Chaos that gave birth to everything around: the world, the immortal gods, the goddess of the Earth, Gaia, who gave life to everything growing and living, and the mighty force that animates everything - Love.

However, a birth also took place under the Earth: the gloomy Tartarus was born - an abyss of horror filled with eternal darkness.

In the process of creating the world, Chaos gave birth to Eternal Darkness, called Erebus, and dark night named Nikta. As a result of the union of Nikta and Erebus, Ether was born - eternal light and Hemera, bright day. Thanks to their appearance, the light filled the whole world, and day and night began to replace each other.

Gaia, a powerful and gracious goddess, created an immense blue sky- Uranus. Spread over the Earth, he reigned throughout the world. High mountains proudly reached out to him, and the noisy Sea spread over the whole Earth.

Goddess Gaia and her Titan children

After Mother Earth created the Sky, Mountains and Sea, Uranus decided to take Gaia as his wife. From the divine union came 6 sons and 6 daughters.

Titan Ocean and the goddess Thetis created all the rivers that rolled their waters to the sea, and the goddesses of the seas, called oceanides. Titan Gipperion and Theia gave the world Helios - the Sun, Selena - the Moon and Eos - the Dawn. Astrea and Eos gave birth to all the stars and all the winds: Boreas - the north, Eurus - the east, Notus - the south, Zephyr - the west.

The overthrow of Uranus - the beginning of a new era

The goddess Gaia - the mighty Earth - gave birth to 6 more sons: 3 cyclops - giants with one eye in the forehead, and 3 fifty-headed hundred-armed monsters called Hekantocheirs. They possessed boundless power that knew no limits.

Struck by the ugliness of his giant children, Uranus renounced them and ordered them to be imprisoned in the bowels of the Earth. Gaia, being a Mother, suffered, weighed down by a terrible burden: after all, her own children were imprisoned in her bowels. Unable to stand it, Gaia called her children-titans, persuading them to rebel against their father - Uranus.

Battle of the gods with the titans

Being great and powerful, the titans were still afraid of their father. And only Kronos, the youngest and most treacherous, accepted his mother's offer. Having outwitted Uranus, he overthrew him, seizing power.

As a punishment for the deed of Kronos, the goddess Night gave birth to death (Tanat), discord (Eris), deceit (Apata),

Kronos devouring his child

destruction (Ker), nightmare(Hypnos) and vengeance (Nemesis) and other terrible gods. All of them brought horror, discord, deceit, struggle and misfortune to the world of Kronos.

Despite his cunning, Kronos was afraid. His fear was built on personal experience: after all, the children could overthrow him, as he once overthrew Uranus - his father.

Fearing for his life, Kronos ordered his wife Rhea to bring him born children. To Rhea's horror, 5 of them were eaten: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.

Zeus and his reign

Heeding the advice of her father Uranus and her mother Gaia, Rhea fled to the island of Crete. There, in a deep cave, she gave birth to her youngest son, Zeus.

Hiding the newborn in it, Rhea tricked the hard Kronos into swallowing a long stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of her son.

As time went. Kronos did not figure out his wife's deceit. Zeus grew up while in Crete. His nannies were nymphs - Adrastea and Idea, instead of mother's milk, he was fed with the milk of the divine goat Amalthea, and industrious bees carried honey to baby Zeus from Mount Dikta.

If Zeus began to cry, the young Curetes, who stood at the entrance to the cave, struck their shields with their swords. Loud sounds they drowned out the crying so that Kronos would not hear it.

The myth of the birth of Zeus: feeding the milk of the divine goat Amalthea

Zeus grew up. Having defeated Kronos in battle with the help of the Titans and the Cyclopes, he became the supreme deity of the Olympian Pantheon. The lord of heavenly forces commanded thunders, lightnings, clouds and showers. He dominated the universe, giving people laws and protecting order.

Views of the Ancient Greeks

The Greeks believed that the gods of Olympus are like people, and the relationship between them is comparable to human. Their lives were also filled with quarrels and reconciliations, envy and interference, resentment and forgiveness, joy, fun and love.

In the views of the ancient Greeks, each deity had its own occupation and sphere of influence:

• Zeus - lord of the sky, father of gods and people
• Hera - the wife of Zeus, the patroness of the family
• Poseidon - the sea
• Hestia - family hearth
• Demeter - agriculture
• Apollo - light and music
• Athena - wisdom
• Hermes - trade and messenger of the gods
• Hephaestus - fire
• Aphrodite - beauty
• Ares - war
• Artemis - hunting

From the earth, people each turned to their god, according to their destiny. Temples were built everywhere to propitiate them, and gifts were offered instead of sacrifices.

In Greek mythology, not only Chaos, the Titans and the Olympian Pantheon mattered, there were other gods.

• Nymphs Naiads who lived in streams and rivers
• Nereids - nymphs of the seas
• Dryads and Satyrs - nymphs of the forests
• Echo - nymph of mountains
• Goddesses of fate: Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos.

The rich world of myths was given to us by ancient Greece. It's filled deep meaning and instructive stories. Thanks to them, people can learn ancient wisdom and knowledge.

How many different legends exist at the moment, do not count. But believe me, every person should get acquainted with them after spending time with Apollo, Hephaestus, Hercules, Narcissus, Poseidon and others. Welcome to the ancient world of the ancient Greeks!

The life of the ancient Greek gods on Mount Olympus seemed to people a continuous fun and a daily holiday. Myths and legends of those times are a storehouse of philosophical and cultural knowledge. Having considered the list of the gods of Ancient Greece, you can plunge into a completely different world. Mythology surprises with its uniqueness, it is important because it pushed humanity to the development and emergence of many sciences, such as mathematics, astronomy, rhetoric, and logic.

First generation

Initially, there was Mist, and Chaos arose from it. From their union came Erebus (darkness), Nikta (night), Uranus (sky), Eros (love), Gaia (earth) and Tartarus (abyss). All of them played a gigantic role in the formation of the pantheon. All other deities are related to them in one way or another.

Gaia is one of the first deities on earth, which arose along with the sky, sea and air. She is the great mother of everything on earth: heavenly gods were born from her union with her son Uranus (heaven), sea gods from Pontos (sea), giants from Tartaros (hell), and mortal beings were created from her flesh. Depicted as a fat woman, half rising from the ground. We can assume that it was she who came up with all the names of the gods of Ancient Greece, a list of which can be found below.

Uranus is one of the primeval gods of Ancient Greece. He was the original ruler of the universe. He was overthrown by his son Kronos. Born to one Gaia, was also her husband. Some sources call his father Akmon. Uranus was depicted as a bronze dome covering the world.

List of gods of Ancient Greece born by Uranus and Gaia: Oceanus, Kous, Hyperion, Crius, Thea, Rhea, Themis, Iapetus, Mnemosyne, Tethys, Kronos, Cyclopes, Brontes, Steropes.

Uranus did not feel much love for his children, more precisely, he hated them. And after their birth he imprisoned them in Tartarus. But during their rebellion he was defeated and castrated by his son Kronos.

Second generation

The Titans, born of Uranus and Gaia, were the six gods of time. The list of titans of ancient Greece includes:

Ocean - tops the list of gods of Ancient Greece, titanium. It was a big river surrounding land, was the repository of all fresh water. Oceanus' wife was his sister, the titanide Tethys. Their union gave birth to rivers, streams and thousands of oceanids. They did not take part in the Titanomachy. The ocean is depicted as horned bull with a fish tail instead of legs.

Kay (Koy/Keos) - Phoebe's brother and husband. Their union gave birth to Leto and Asteria. Depicted in the form of a celestial axis. It was around her that the clouds revolved and Helios and Selena walked across the sky. The couple were thrown by Zeus into Tartarus.

Kriy (Krios) - an ice titan that can freeze all living things. He shared the fate of his brothers and sisters, thrown into Tartarus.

Iapetus (Iapetus / Iapetus) - the most eloquent, commanded the titans during the attack on the gods. Also sent by Zeus to Tartarus.

Hyperion - lived on the island of Trinacria. He did not take part in the Titanomachy. The wife was the titinide Thea (she was thrown into Tartarus along with her brothers and sisters).

Kronos (Chronos/Kronus) is the temporary ruler of the world. He was so afraid of losing the power of the supreme god that he devoured his children so that none of them would claim the throne of the ruler. He was married to his sister Rhea. She managed to save one child and hide him from Kronos. Deposed by his only rescued heir, Zeus, and sent to Tartarus.

Closer to people

The next generation is the most famous. They are the main gods of Ancient Greece. The list of their exploits, adventures and legends with their participation is very impressive.

They not only became closer to people, descending from heaven and emerging from chaos to the top of the mountain. The gods of the third generation began to contact people more often and more willingly.

This was especially boasted by Zeus, who was very partial to earthly women. And the presence of the divine wife Hera did not bother him at all. It was from his union with a man that the familiar hero of myths, Hercules, was born.

third generation

These gods lived on Mount Olympus. From its name they got their title. There are 12 gods of Ancient Greece, the list of which is known to almost everyone. All of them performed their functions and were endowed with unique talents.

But more often they talk about fourteen gods, the first six of which were the children of Kronos and Rhea:

Zeus - the main god of Olympus, the ruler of the sky, personified power and strength. God of lightning, thunder and creator of people. The main attributes of this god were: Aegis (shield), Labrys (double-sided ax), Zeus' lightning (two-pointed pitchfork with notches) and an eagle. Distributed good and evil. Was in alliance with several women:

• Metis - the first wife, the goddess of wisdom, was swallowed by her husband;
• Themis - the goddess of justice, the second wife of Zeus;
• Gera - last wife, the goddess of marriage, was the sister of Zeus.

Poseidon is the god of rivers, floods, seas, drought, horses and earthquakes. His attributes were: a trident, a dolphin and a chariot with white-maned horses. Wife - Amphitrite.

Demeter is the mother of Persephone, the sister of Zeus and his lover. She is the goddess of fertility and patronizes farmers. Demeter's attribute is a wreath of ears of corn.

Hestia is the sister of Demeter, Zeus, Hades, Hera and Poseidon. The patroness of the sacrificial fire and the family hearth. I took a vow of chastity. The main attribute was a torch.

Hades is the ruler of the underworld of the dead. Husband of Persephone (goddess of fertility and queen of the kingdom of the dead). The attributes of Hades were a bident or a wand. Depicted with an underground monster Cerberus - a three-headed dog, who stood guard at the entrance to Tartarus.

Hera is the sister and wife of Zeus. The most powerful and wise goddess of Olympus. She was the patroness of family and marriage. Required attribute Hera is a diadem. This decoration is a symbol of the fact that she is the main one on Olympus. She obeyed (sometimes reluctantly) all the main gods of ancient Greece, the list of which she headed.

Other Olympians

Although these gods did not have such powerful parents, almost all of them were born from Zeus. Each of them was talented in their own way. And he did his job well.

Ares is the son of Hera and Zeus. God of battles, war and masculinity. He was a lover, then the husband of the goddess Aphrodite. Ares' companions were Eris (goddess of discord) and Enyo (goddess of violent war). The main attributes were: a helmet, a sword, dogs, a burning torch and a shield.

Apollo - the son of Zeus and Leto, was the twin brother of Artemis. The god of light, the leader of the muses, the god of medicine and the predictor of the future. Apollo was very loving, he had many mistresses and lovers. The attributes were: a laurel wreath, a chariot, a bow with arrows and a golden lyre.

Hermes is the son of Zeus and the Pleiades Maya or Persephone. God of trade, eloquence, dexterity, intelligence, animal husbandry and roads. Patron of athletes, merchants, artisans, shepherds, travelers, ambassadors and thieves. He is the personal messenger of Zeus and the escort of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. He taught people writing, trade and accounting. Attributes: winged sandals that allow him to fly, an invisibility helmet, a caduceus (a wand adorned with two intertwined snakes).

Hephaestus is the son of Hera and Zeus. God of blacksmithing and fire. He limped on both legs. Wives of Hephaestus - Aphrodite and Aglaya. The attributes of the god were: bellows, tongs, a chariot and a pilos.

Dionysus is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele. God of vineyards and winemaking, inspiration and ecstasy. Theater patron. He was married to Ariadne. Attributes of God: a cup of wine, a vine wreath and a chariot.

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto, the twin sister of Apollo. The young goddess is a huntress. Being the first to be born, she helped her mother give birth to Apollo. Chaste. Attributes of Artemis: doe, quiver with arrows and chariot.

Demeter is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Mother of Persephone (wife of Hades), sister of Zeus and his lover. Goddess of agriculture and fertility. Demeter's attribute is a wreath of ears.

Athena, the daughter of Zeus, completes our list of the gods of Ancient Greece. She was born from his head after he swallowed her mother Themis. Goddess of war, wisdom and craft. patroness Greek city Athens. Her attributes were: a shield with the image of the Gorgon Medusa, an owl, a snake and a spear.

Born in foam?

I want to talk about the next goddess separately. She is not only to this day a symbol female beauty. In addition, the history of its origin is hidden in mystery.

There is a lot of controversy and speculation about the birth of Aphrodite. The first version: the goddess was born from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed foam. The second version: Aphrodite originated from a sea shell. The third hypothesis: she is the daughter of Dione and Zeus.

This goddess was in charge of beauty and love. Spouses: Ares and Hephaestus. Attributes: chariot, apple, rose, mirror and dove.

How they lived on the great Olympus

All the Olympic gods of Ancient Greece, the list of which you see above, had the right to live and spend all their free time from miracles on the great mountain. The relationship between them was not always rosy, but few of them dared to open hostility, knowing the power of their opponent.

Even among the great divine beings, there was no permanent peace. But everything was decided by intrigues, secret conspiracies and betrayals. It is very similar to the human world. And this is understandable, because humanity was created by the gods, so they all look like us.

Gods who do not live on Mount Olympus

Not all deities had a chance to reach such heights and climb Mount Olympus to rule the world there, feasting and having fun. Many other gods either failed to deserve such a high honor, or were modest and contented ordinary life. If, of course, you can call the existence of a deity that way. In addition to the Olympic gods, there were other gods of Ancient Greece, a list of their names is here:

• Hymen is the god of marriage bonds (the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope).
• Nike is the goddess of victory (daughter of Styx and the titan Pallas).
• Irida is the goddess of the rainbow (daughter of the sea god Tawmant and the oceanid Electra).
• Ata is the goddess of obscuration of the mind (daughter of Zeus).
• Apata is the mistress of lies (heiress of the goddess of night darkness Nyukta).
• Morpheus is the god of dreams (the son of the lord of dreams Hypnos).
• Phobos - the god of fear (a descendant of Aphrodite and Ares).
• Deimos - the lord of horror (the son of Ares and Aphrodite).
• Ora - the goddess of the seasons (daughters of Zeus and Themis).
• Eol - the demigod of the winds (the heir of Poseidon and Arna).
• Hekate is the mistress of darkness and all monsters (the result of the union of the titan Perse and Asteria).
• Thanatos is the god of death (son of Erebus and Nyukta).
• Erinyes - goddesses of revenge (daughters of Erebus and Nyukta).
• Pontus is the ruler of the inland sea (heir to Ether and Gaia).
• Moira - the goddess of fate (daughter of Zeus and Themis).

These are not all the gods of Ancient Greece, the list of which can be continued even further. But to get acquainted with the main myths and legends, it is enough to know only these actors. If you would like to read more stories about each, we are sure that the ancient storytellers came up with a lot of interweaving of their destinies and details of the divine life, in which you will gradually get to know more and more new heroes.

Meaning of Greek mythology

There were also muses, nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, heroes, cyclops, giants and monsters. This whole vast world was not invented in one day. Myths and legends have been written for decades, with each retelling acquiring other details and characters that have not been seen before. All the new gods of ancient Greece appeared, the list of names of which grew from one storyteller to another.

The main goal of these stories was to teach future generations the wisdom of the elders, to tell in an understandable language about good and evil, about honor and cowardice, about loyalty and lies. And besides, such a huge pantheon made it possible to explain almost any a natural phenomenon which has not yet been scientifically substantiated.

Gods of Ancient Greece