Greek Gods and Goddesses, have long since attracted hundred of people and it still does the same. Here's a list of all the famous Gods of Greek mythology.
Ratnashri Dutta
Stories of Greek mythology are famous till date. People still read about their Gods with awe and sometimes wish that they were lucky enough to be a part of that romantic and adventurous as well as mysterious era.
Wouldn't it be interesting to learn more about them, and to know what their names actually means and also what power each of them had? Here is a list.
According to the Greek mythology, these Gods were divided into two important eras; the Titans and the Olympians. Both of them had powerful deities.
Titans
Titans were said to be the first Gods who ruled earth and heaven. They were said to have been created by Gaia (Mother Earth) and her son, Uranus (God of heaven), the first divine couple in this world. They were the first to dwell in Mount Olympus during the Golden Age, but were overthrown by Zeus and other Olympian Gods, in the battle of Titanomachy.
Olympians
The Olympians were the most important and the main deities of Ancient Greece. Their leader was Zeus, the King of Gods and Heaven. According to a myth, there were twelve main Olympians. Let us see some of the important names from both these eras.
Titans Gods: Names and Significance
Cronus: The ruler of Titans and father of Zeus. He was the son of Uranus.
Atlas: Son of Iapetus, was punished by Zeus to carry the heaven on his shoulder forever.
Gaia: Goddess of the earth and the mother of Titans. It is said that she, with her son Uranus's help, gave birth to rest of the Titans.
Oceanus:Son of Uranus and Gaia, ruler of water and oceans and the oldest Titan.
Tethys: Oceanus's sister, wife, and mother of some main rivers like Nile, Alpheus, Maeander and three thousand daughters called Oceanids.
Metis: Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. First wife of Zeus, Goddess of good counsel, planning, cunning, advice, wisdom. Also mother of Athena.
Themis: Goddess of good counsel, divine law, order, custom. In Greek, Metis means 'divine law'.
Uranus: Son of Cronus, God of Heaven and Sky, also called Sky God. First ruler of Universe and father of main Titans.
Hyperion: God of light and observation, father of Helios (Sun), Eos (Dawn) and Selene (Moon). Hyperion in Greek means 'who goes before the Sun'.
Phoebe: The Goddess of Brilliance and the Moon. She married her brother, Coeus, who was the God of intelligence.
Mnemosyne: Goddess of memory and remembrance. She is said to help humans remember the various myths.
Epimetheus: He was the God of afterthought and also the father of excuses.
Iapetus: Iapetus was the God of Morality and the ancestor of human race.
Crius: He was the last individualized of the Titans and was also known as the 'Ram'. He was the God of leadership and domestic animals.
Dione: Dione was known as the Goddess of the oracle of Dodona.
Rhea: She was the mother of the Olympian Gods and also the wife as well as sister of Cronus.
Coeus: God of intellect and keeper of wisdom. He was married to Phoebe. He was the axis of heaven with constellations revolving around this axis.
Prometheus: God of wisdom and forethought. He was known as the creator of mankind.
Theia: Goddess of sight and mother of celestial deities. She was the consort of Hyperion and mother of Helios, Eos, and Selene.
Olympian Gods: Names and Significance
Aphrodite: Goddess of love, beauty, eternal youth, seduction and pleasure. She was married to Hephaestus, but still had many lovers.
Apollo: God of light, medicine, poetry and archery. He represented harmony, civilization and order. He was son of Zeus and Leto.
Athena: Goddess of wisdom, war, handicrafts, reason and patron. She was daughter of Zeus and Metis.
Hermes: God of business and messenger of all Gods and Goddesses. He was also the God of trade, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics and animal husbandry. He was the son of Zeus and Maia.
Artemis: Goddess of the moon, childbirth, forest and hunt. She was the protector of the young and women who were expecting. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto.
Hephaestus: Son of Zeus and Hera, he was the God of the forge and fire. He was known as the Smith of the Olympian Gods.
Poseidon: God of the sea, rivers, floods, horses, droughts and also earthquakes. He was also known as the 'Earth Shaker' and also the 'Storm Bringer'. He was the brother of Zeus and Hades and the son of Cronus and Rhea.
Zeus: King of all Gods, the ruler of all Olympian Gods and the God of Sky. He was the one who had usurped his father's throne and taken over the Titans.
Hestia: Hestia was the Goddess of home, hearth and family. She was also Zeus's sister.
Hades: He was the gloomy God of the underworld and also the God of the death and all hidden wealth of the earth.
Hera: She was married to Zeus and was the Queen of Gods, the heaven, childbirth, kings and their empires and also the protector of marriage. She was Cronus and Rhea's daughter and sister of Zeus.
Ares: God of war, blood-lust, civil order, manly courage and violence. He was born to Zeus and Hera.
Demeter: The natural Goddess of fertility, horticulture, agriculture, harvest and grains. The daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus.
Eros: The son of Aphrodite and Ares. He was God of love, cupids, desire, and pleasure.
Dionysus: The God of wine, drunkenness, pleasure, madness, parties, and festivals. He was born to Zeus and Semele.
Besides these names, there are of course several more, but for the readers benefits, the above tables show only the major gods. Now that you know the names, next time someone asks you anything about them, you can easily answer.