The main Greek gods. Gods and goddesses of ancient Greece

Each of the peoples of the Ancient World had their own deities, powerful and not so powerful. Many of them had unusual abilities and were the owners of wonderful artifacts that gave them additional strength, knowledge and, ultimately, power.

Amaterasu ("Great Goddess Who Illuminates the Heavens")

Country: Japan
Essence: Sun Goddess, ruler of the heavenly fields

Amaterasu is the eldest of three children of the progenitor god Izanaki. She was born from drops of water with which he washed his left eye. She took possession of the upper heavenly world, while her younger brothers got the night and the watery kingdom.

Amaterasu taught people how to cultivate rice and weave. The imperial house of Japan traces its ancestry from her. She is considered the great-grandmother of the first Emperor Jimmu. The rice ear, mirror, sword and carved beads given to her became sacred symbols of imperial power. According to tradition, one of the emperor's daughters becomes the High Priestess of Amaterasu.

Yu-Di (“Jade Sovereign”)

Country: China
Essence: Supreme Overlord, Emperor of the Universe

Yu-Di was born at the moment of the creation of Earth and Heaven. The Heavenly, Terrestrial, and Underground worlds are subject to him. All other deities and spirits are subordinate to him.
Yu-Di is absolutely emotionless. He sits on a throne in a robe embroidered with dragons and holding a jade tablet in his hands. Yu Di has an exact address: the god lives in a palace on Mount Yujingshan, which resembles the court of the Chinese emperors. Under it, there are celestial councils responsible for various natural phenomena. They perform all sorts of actions that the Lord of Heaven himself does not condescend to do.

Quetzalcoatlus ("Feathered Serpent")

Country: Central America
Essence: Creator of the world, lord of the elements, creator and teacher of people

Quetzalcoatl not only created the world and people, but also taught them the most important skills: from agriculture to astronomical observations. Despite his high status, Quetzalcoatl sometimes acted in a very peculiar way. For example, in order to get maize grains for people, he entered an anthill, turning into an ant himself, and stole them.

Quetzalcoatl was depicted both as a feathered serpent (the body symbolizing the Earth, and the feathers representing vegetation) and as a bearded man wearing a mask.
According to one legend, Quetzalcoatl voluntarily went into overseas exile on a raft of snakes, promising to return. Because of this, the Aztecs initially mistook the conquistador leader Cortes for the returned Quetzalcoatl.

Baal (Balu, Baal, "Lord")

Country: Middle East
Essence: Thunderer, god of rain and elements. In some myths - the creator of the world

Baal, as a rule, was depicted either as a bull or as a warrior riding on a cloud with a lightning spear. During the festivities in his honor, mass orgies took place, often accompanied by self-mutilation. It is believed that human sacrifices were also made to Baal in some areas. From his name comes the name of the biblical demon Beelzebub (Ball-Zebula, “Lord of the Flies”).

Ishtar (Astarte, Inanna, "Lady of Heaven")

Country: Middle East
Essence: Goddess of fertility, sex and war

Ishtar, sister of the Sun and daughter of the Moon, was associated with the planet Venus. Associated with the legend of her journey to the underworld was the myth of nature dying and reborn every year. She often acted as an intercessor for people before the gods. At the same time, Ishtar was responsible for various feuds. The Sumerians even called wars “the dances of Inanna.” As a goddess of war, she was often depicted riding a lion, and was probably a prototype of the Whore of Babylon riding on a beast.
The passion of the loving Ishtar was destructive for both gods and mortals. For her many lovers, everything usually ended in big trouble or even death. The worship of Ishtar included temple prostitution and was accompanied by mass orgies.

Ashur ("Father of the Gods")

Country: Assyria
Essence: God of War
Ashur is the main god of the Assyrians, the god of war and hunting. His weapon was a bow and arrow. As a rule, Ashur was depicted together with bulls. Another symbol of it is the solar disk above the tree of life. Over time, as the Assyrians expanded their possessions, he began to be considered the consort of Ishtar. The High Priest of Ashur was the Assyrian king himself, and his name often became part of the royal name, as, for example, the famous Ashurbanipal, and the capital of Assyria was called Ashur.

Marduk ("Son of Clear Sky")

Country: Mesopotamia
Essence: Patron of Babylon, god of wisdom, ruler and judge of the gods
Marduk defeated the embodiment of chaos Tiamat, driving the “evil wind” into her mouth, and took possession of the book of destinies that belonged to her. After that, he cut Tiamat's body and created Heaven and Earth from them, and then created the entire modern, ordered world. The other gods, seeing the power of Marduk, recognized his supremacy.
Marduk's symbol is the dragon Mushkhush, a mixture of scorpion, snake, eagle and lion. Various plants and animals were identified with the body parts and entrails of Marduk. The main temple of Marduk - a huge ziggurat (step pyramid) - probably became the basis of the legend of the Tower of Babel.

Yahweh (Jehovah, "He Who Is")

Country: Middle East
Essence: Single tribal god of the Jews

Yahweh's main function was to help his chosen people. He gave the Jews laws and strictly monitored their implementation. In clashes with enemies, Yahweh provided the chosen people with assistance, sometimes the most direct. In one of the battles, for example, he threw huge stones at his enemies, in another case he abolished the law of nature, stopping the sun.
Unlike most other gods of the ancient world, Yahweh is extremely jealous, and forbids the worship of any deities except himself. Severe punishments await those who disobey. The word “Yahweh” is a replacement for the secret name of God, which is forbidden to be spoken out loud. It was impossible to create his images either. In Christianity, Yahweh is sometimes identified with God the Father.

Ahura-Mazda (Ormuzd, “God the Wise”)

Country: Persia
Essence: Creator of the World and all that is good in it

Ahura Mazda created the laws by which the world exists. He endowed people with free will, and they can choose the path of good (then Ahura Mazda will favor them in every possible way) or the path of evil (serving Ahura Mazda's eternal enemy Angra Mainyu). Ahura Mazda's assistants are the good beings of Ahura created by him. He is surrounded by them in the fabulous Garodman, the house of chants.
The image of Ahura Mazda is the Sun. He is older than the whole world, but at the same time, eternally young. He knows both the past and the future. In the end, he will achieve the final victory over evil, and the world will become perfect.

Angra Mainyu (Ahriman, "Evil Spirit")

Country: Persia
Essence: The embodiment of evil among the ancient Persians
Angra Mainyu is the source of everything bad that happens in the world. He spoiled the perfect world created by Ahura Mazda, introducing lies and destruction into it. He sends diseases, crop failures, natural disasters, gives birth to predatory animals, poisonous plants and animals. Under the command of Angra Mainyu are the devas, evil spirits, who carry out his evil will. After Angra Mainyu and his minions are defeated, an era of eternal bliss should begin.

Brahma ("Priest")

Country: India
Essence: God is the creator of the world
Brahma was born from a lotus flower and then created this world. After 100 years of Brahma, 311,040,000,000,000 earthly years, he will die, and after the same period of time a new Brahma will self-generate and create a new world.
Brahma has four faces and four arms, which symbolizes the cardinal directions. Its indispensable attributes are a book, rosary, a vessel with water from the sacred Ganges, a crown and a lotus flower, symbols of knowledge and power. Brahma lives on the top of the sacred Mount Meru and rides on a white swan. The descriptions of the action of Brahma's weapon Brahmastra are reminiscent of the description of nuclear weapons.

Vishnu ("All-encompassing")

Country: India
Essence: God is the keeper of the world

The main functions of Vishnu are maintaining the existing world and opposing evil. Vishnu appears in the world and acts through his incarnations, avatars, the most famous of which are Krishna and Rama. Vishnu has blue skin and wears yellow clothes. He has four hands in which he holds a lotus flower, a mace, a conch shell and Sudarshana (a rotating disk of fire, his weapon). Vishnu reclines on the giant multi-headed snake Shesha, which swims in the world's Causal Ocean.

Shiva ("Merciful")

Country: India
Essence: God is the destroyer
Shiva's main task is to destroy the world at the end of each world cycle in order to make room for a new creation. This happens during the dance of Shiva - Tandava (therefore Shiva is sometimes called the dancing god). However, he also has more peaceful functions - a healer and a deliverer from death.
Shiva sits in lotus position on a tiger skin. There are snake bracelets on his neck and wrists. On Shiva's forehead there is a third eye (it appeared when Shiva's wife, Parvati, jokingly covered his eyes with her palms). Sometimes Shiva is depicted as a lingam (an erect penis). But sometimes he is also depicted as a hermaphrodite, symbolizing the unity of the male and female principles. According to popular beliefs, Shiva smokes marijuana, so some believers consider this activity a way to understand him.

Ra (Amon, "Sun")

Country: Egypt
Essence: Sun God
Ra, the main god of Ancient Egypt, was born from the primordial ocean of his own free will, and then created the world, including the gods. He is the personification of the Sun, and every day with a large retinue he travels across the sky in a magic boat, thanks to which life in Egypt becomes possible. At night, Ra's boat sails along the underground Nile through the afterlife. The Eye of Ra (sometimes considered an independent deity) had the ability to pacify and subjugate enemies. The Egyptian pharaohs traced their origins to Ra, and called themselves his sons.

Osiris (Usir, "The Mighty One")

Country: Egypt
Essence: God of rebirth, ruler and judge of the underworld.

Osiris taught people agriculture. His attributes are associated with plants: the crown and boat are made of papyrus, he holds bundles of reeds in his hands, and the throne is covered with greenery. Osiris was killed and cut into pieces by his brother, the evil god Set, but was resurrected with the help of his wife and sister Isis. However, having conceived the son Horus, Osiris did not remain in the world of the living, but became the ruler and judge of the kingdom of the dead. Because of this, he was often depicted as a swaddled mummy with free hands, in which he holds a scepter and flail. In Ancient Egypt, the tomb of Osiris was highly revered.

Isis ("The Throne")

Country: Egypt
Essence: Intercessor Goddess.
Isis is the embodiment of femininity and motherhood. All segments of the population turned to her with pleas for help, but, first of all, the oppressed. She especially patronized children. And sometimes she acted as a defender of the dead before the afterlife court.
Isis was able to magically resurrect her husband and brother Osiris and give birth to his son Horus. In popular mythology, the floods of the Nile were considered the tears of Isis, which she shed for Osiris, who remained in the world of the dead. The Egyptian pharaohs were called the children of Isis; sometimes she was even depicted as a mother feeding the pharaoh with milk from her breast.
The well-known image is the “veil of Isis,” meaning the concealment of the secrets of nature. This image has long attracted mystics. No wonder Blavatsky’s famous book is called “Isis Unveiled.”

Odin (Wotan, "The Seer")

Country: Northern Europe
Essence: God of war and victory
Odin is the main god of the ancient Germans and Scandinavians. He travels on the eight-legged horse Sleipnir or on the ship Skidbladnir, the size of which can be changed at will. Odin's spear, Gugnir, always flies to the target and hits on the spot. He is accompanied by wise crows and predatory wolves. Odin lives in Valhalla with a squad of the best fallen warriors and warlike Valkyrie maidens.
In order to gain wisdom, Odin sacrificed one eye, and in order to understand the meaning of the runes, he hung on the sacred tree Yggdrasil for nine days, nailed to it with his own spear. Odin's future is predetermined: despite his power, on the day of Ragnarok (the battle preceding the end of the world) he will be killed by the giant wolf Fefnir.

Thor (Thunder)

Country: Northern Europe
Essence: Thunderer

Thor is the god of the elements and fertility among the ancient Germans and Scandinavians. This is a hero god who protects not only people, but also other gods from monsters. Thor was depicted as a giant with a red beard. His weapon is the magic hammer Mjolnir (“lightning”), which can only be held with iron gloves. Thor is girded with a magic belt that doubles his strength. He rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by goats. Sometimes he eats goats, but then resurrects them with his magic hammer. On the day of Ragnarok, the last battle, Thor will deal with the world serpent Jormungandr, but he himself will die from his poison.

Ancient Greek mythology was formed in the south of the Balkan Peninsula and became the basis of the worldview of the peoples of the Mediterranean in antiquity. It had a strong influence on ideas about the world in the pre-Christian era, and also became the basis for many later folklore stories.

In this article we will look at who the gods of Ancient Greece were, how the Greeks treated them, how ancient Greek mythology was formed and what influence it had on later civilizations.

The origins of Greek mythology

The settlement of the Balkans by Indo-European tribes - the ancestors of the Greeks - occurred in several stages. The first wave of settlers were the founders Mycenaean civilization, which we know from archaeological data and Linear B.

Initially, the higher powers in the minds of the ancients did not have personification (the element did not have an anthropomorphic appearance), although there were family ties between them. There were also legends about the universe, linking gods and people.

As the settlers settled in a new place, their religious views also modified. This happened thanks to contacts with the local population and events that had a strong impact influence on the life of the ancients. In their minds, both natural phenomena (change of seasons, earthquakes, eruptions, floods) and human actions (the same wars) could not do without the intervention or direct will of the gods, which is reflected in literary works. Moreover, later interpretations of events, when their participants were no longer alive, were based precisely on divine intrigue (for example, the Trojan War).

Influence of Minoan culture

The Minoan civilization, located on the island of Crete and a number of smaller ones (Thira), was partly the predecessor of the Greek one. Relatives The Minoans did not come to the Greeks. They, judging by archaeological data, originated from prehistoric Asia Minor from Neolithic times. During their life on Crete they formed unified culture, language (it has not been completely deciphered) and religious ideas based on the mother cult (the name of the Great Goddess has not reached us) and bull worship.

The state that existed on Crete did not survive the crisis of the Bronze Age. Climate change on mainland Eurasia has led to mass migrations from the mainland, which Crete did not escape; Pelasgians and other so-called “peoples of the sea” (as they were called in Egypt) began to settle on it, and later - the second wave of Greek settlers - the Dorians. A volcanic eruption on the island of Thira led to a protracted economic crisis from which the Minoan civilization never recovered.

Nevertheless, the religion of the Minoans had a strong influence on that of the Greeks who moved here. The island fits firmly into their ideas about the world, there they placed the homeland of many of their gods, and the legend of the Minotaur (a remnant of the bull cult) survived both Ancient Greece and subsequent eras.

Names of the gods of Mycenaean Greece

In the tablets written in Linear B, it was possible to read the names of some gods. They are also known to us from later inscriptions, already classical. The difficulty in reading these tablets was that the letter itself was borrowed o (like all letter systems) from Minoan, which, in turn, was a development of the old hieroglyphic characters. First, people from mainland Greece who lived in Knossos began to use the letter, and then it spread to the mainland. It was used most often for economic purposes.

The structure of the letter was syllabic. Therefore, the names of the gods below will be given in this version.

It is unknown to what extent these deities were personified. A priestly stratum existed in the Mycenaean period, this fact is known from written sources. But some circumstances give rise to speculation. For example, name of Zeus occurs in two variants - di-wi-o-jo and di-wi-o-ja - both masculine and feminine. The very root of the word - “div” - has the meaning of a deity in general, which can be seen in parallel concepts in other Indo-European languages ​​- remember, for example, the Iranian devas.

In this era, ideas about the creation of the world from Mist and Chaos, which gave birth to the sky (Uranus) and the earth (Gaia), as well as darkness, the abyss, love, and night, also disappear. In later beliefs of some developed cults of these gods and titans we don’t see - all the stories with them have been preserved in the form of myths about the universe.

Pre-Greek cults of mainland Greece

It should be noted that a number of areas of life of the ancient Greeks that we attribute to them are not Greek in origin. This also applies to the cults that “controlled” these areas. All of them belonged earlier to the peoples who lived here before the first wave of Greek Achaean settlers. These were both Minoans and Pelasgians, Cycladic Islanders and Anatolians.

Definitely, the pre-Greek manifestations of the cult include the personification of the sea as an element and concepts associated with the sea (the word θάλασσα is most likely of Pelasgian origin). This also includes the cult olive tree.

Finally, some of the deities were originally of external origin. So, Adonis came to Greece from the Phoenicians and other Semitic peoples.

All this existed among the peoples who lived in the eastern Mediterranean before the Greeks, and was adopted by them along with a number of deities. The Achaeans were people from the continent and did not cultivate olives, nor did they possess the art of navigation.

Greek mythology of the classical period

The Mycenaean period was followed by a decline in civilization, which was associated with the invasion of the northern Greek tribes - the Dorians. After this comes the period of the Dark Ages - so called due to the lack of written sources in Greek dating from that period. When the new Greek writing appeared, it had nothing in common with Linear B, but arose independently from Phoenician alphabet.

But at this time, the mythological ideas of the Greeks formed into a single whole, which was reflected in the main source of those times - Homer’s poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”. These ideas were not entirely monolithic: there were alternative interpretations and variations, and these were developed and supplemented in later times, even when Greece was under the rule of the Roman Empire.

Gods of Ancient Greece

Homer in his poems does not explain where the gods and heroes of his works came from: from this we can conclude that they were known to the Greeks. The events described by Homer, as well as the plots of other myths (about the Minotaur, Hercules, etc.) were considered by them to be historical events, where the actions of gods and people are closely intertwined.

Ancient Greek gods

The gods of Ancient Greece during the polis period can be divided into several categories. The Greeks themselves divided the other world depending on the “relevance” of a particular god at the current moment, the sphere of his influence, as well as his status among other gods.

Three generations of gods

The world, according to the Greeks, arose from Mist and Chaos, which gave birth to the first generation of gods - Gaia, Uranus, Nikta, Erebus and Eros. In the classical period, they were perceived as something abstract, and therefore they did not have any developed cults. Nevertheless, their presence was not denied. Thus, Gaia (earth) was a chthonic force, ancient and indomitable, Eros in the main source of those times was the embodiment of physical love, Uranus represented the sky.

The second generation of gods were the Titans. There were many of them, and some of them became the progenitors of people and other gods. Some of the most famous titans include:

• Kronos is the father of the Olympian gods;
• Rhea - mother of the Olympian gods;
• Prometheus - who gave fire to people;
• Atlas - holding the sky;
• Themis is the giver of justice.

The third generation is the gods of Olympus. It was they who were revered by the Greeks, the temples of these gods were erected in cities, and they are the main characters of many myths. The Olympian gods also took on a number of functions of older gods: for example, initially Helios was the sun god, and later he was brought closer to Apollo. Because of this duplication of functions, it is often difficult to give a "crossword" concise definition of a Greek god. Thus, both Apollo and Asclepius can be called the god of healing, and both Athena and her companion Nike can be called the goddess of victory.

According to legend, the Olympian gods defeated the Titans in a ten-year battle, and now rule over people. They have different origins, and even their lists differ from one author to another. But we will tell you about the most influential of them.

Olympian gods

Let's imagine the Olympian gods in the following table:

The information indicated in the fourth column is ambiguous. In different regions of Greece there were different versions of the origin of the Olympians who were not the children of Kronos and Rhea.

The Olympian gods had the most developed cults. Statues were erected for them, temples were built, and holidays were held in their honor.

The Olympus mountain range in Thessaly, the highest in Greece, was considered the habitat of the Olympian gods.

Minor gods and goddesses

They were the younger generation of gods and also had different origins. Most often, such gods were subordinate to the older ones and performed some specific function. Here are some of them:

This is a separate category of revered objects of Greek mythology. They are heroes of myths and represent people of semi-divine origin. They have superpowers, but, like people, they are mortal. Heroes are favorite characters in ancient Greek vase paintings.

Of all the heroes, only Asclepius, Hercules and Polydeuces were awarded immortality. The first was elevated to the rank of gods because he surpassed everyone in the art of healing and gave his knowledge to people. Hercules, according to one version, received immortality thanks to the fact that he drank the milk of Hera, with whom he later feuded. According to another, it was the result of an agreement on ten labors (in the end he performed twelve).

Polydeuces and Castor (the Dioscuri twins) were the sons of Zeus and Leda. Zeus gave immortality only to the first, because the second had died by that time. But Polydeuces shared immortality with his brother, and since then it was believed that the brothers lie in the tomb for a day, and spend the second on Olympus.

Other heroes worth mentioning are:

• Odysseus, king of Ithaca, participant in the Trojan War and wanderer;
• Achilles, a hero of the same war, who had one weak spot - his heel;
• Perseus, conqueror of Medusa the Gorgon;
• Jason, leader of the Argonauts;
• Orpheus, a musician who descended to his dead wife in the underworld;
• Theseus visiting the Minotaur.

In addition to gods, titans and heroes, in the beliefs of the Greeks there were also entities of a smaller order, representing a place or element. Thus, the winds had their own name (for example, Boreas is the patron of the north wind, and Not - the southern wind) and the sea elements, and rivers, streams, islands and other natural objects were under the power of the nymphs who lived there.

Supernatural beings

Appear regularly in myths and poems. Here are some of them:

• Gorgon Medusa;
• Minotaur;
• Basilisk;
• Sirens;
• Griffins;
• Centaurs;
• Cerberus;
• Scylla and Charybdis;
• Satires;
• Echidna;
• Harpies.

The role of the gods for the Greeks

The Greeks themselves did not consider the gods to be something distant and absolute. They weren't even all-powerful. Firstly, each of them had his own area of ​​​​activity, and secondly, they argued among themselves and people, and victory was not always on the side of the former. Gods and people were connected by a common origin, and people considered the gods to be superior to them in strength and abilities, hence the worship and peculiar ethics of treating the gods: they could not be angered and they could not be proud of victories over them.

An illustration of the latter was the fate of Ajax, who escaped the wrath of Poseidon, but the latter still caught up with him and broke the rock to which he was clinging. And also a symbolic description of the fate of Arachne, who surpassed Athena in the art of weaving and was turned into a spider.

But both gods and people were subject to fate, which was personified by the three Moirai, weaving the thread of fate for every mortal and immortal. This image comes from the Indo-European past and is identical to the Slavic Rozhanitsy and Germanic Norns. For the Romans, fate is represented by Fatum.

Their origin is lost; in ancient times there were various legends about how they were born.

At a later time, when Greek philosophy began to develop, the concepts of what governs the world began to develop precisely in the direction of a certain higher world that has power over everything. First, Plato outlined the theory of ideas, then his student, Aristotle, substantiated the existence of a single deity. The development of such theories paved the way for the spread of Christianity later.

Influence of Greek mythology on Roman

The Roman Republic, and then the Empire, absorbed Greece quite early, in the 2nd century BC. But Greece not only avoided the fate of other conquered territories that underwent Romanization (Spain, Gaul), but also became a kind of standard of culture. Some Greek letters were borrowed into the Latin language, dictionaries were replenished with Greek words, and knowledge of Greek itself was considered a sign of an educated person.

The dominance of Greek mythology was also inevitable - it was closely intertwined with Roman, and Roman became, as it were, its continuation. The Roman gods, who had their own history and characteristics of the cult, became analogues of the Greek ones. Thus, Zeus became an analogue of Jupiter, Hera - Juno, and Athena - Minerva. Here are some more gods:

• Hercules - Hercules;
• Aphrodite - Venus;
• Hephaestus - Vulcan;
• Ceres - Demeter;
• Vesta - Hestia;
• Hermes - Mercury;
• Artemis - Diana.

Mythology was also subsumed under Greek models. Thus, the original god of love in Greek mythology (more precisely, the personification of love itself) was Eros - among the Romans it corresponded to Cupid. The legend of the founding of Rome was “tied” to the Trojan War, where the hero Aeneas was introduced, who became the ancestor of the inhabitants of Lazio. The same applies to other mythical characters.

Ancient Greek mythology: influence on culture

The last followers of the cult of the ancient Greek gods lived in Byzantium back in the first millennium AD. They were called Hellenes (from the word Hellas) in contrast to the Christians, who considered themselves Romans (heirs of the Roman Empire). In the 10th century, Greek polytheism was completely eradicated.

But the myths and legends of Ancient Greece did not die. They became the basis of many folklore stories of the Middle Ages, and in countries completely distant from each other: for example, the story about Cupid and Psyche became the basis for the fairy tale about beauty and the beast, presented in the Russian corpus as “The Scarlet Flower.” In medieval books, pictures with scenes from the mythology of the Greeks - from European to Russian - are not uncommon (in any case, they are in the Litsevoy Vault of Ivan the Terrible).

All European ideas about the pre-Christian era were associated with the Greek gods. Thus, the action of Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear” dates back to pre-Christian times, and although at that time the Celts lived on the territory of the British Isles and there were Roman garrisons, it is the Greek gods that are mentioned.

Finally, Greek mythology became a source of subjects for the works of artists, and for a long time it was a plot from Greek mythology (or, as an option, the Bible) that was supposed to be the theme of the examination paper at graduation from the Academy of Arts in the Russian Empire. The future members of the Itinerants Association who broke this tradition became famous.

The names of the Greek gods and their Roman analogues are used to name celestial bodies, new types of microscopic creatures, and some concepts have firmly entered the vocabulary of citizens far from Greek mythology. Thus, inspiration for a new business is described as the convergence of the muse (“for some reason the muse does not come”); the mess in the house is called chaos (there is even a colloquial version with the emphasis on the second syllable), and the vulnerable spot is called the Achilles heel by those who do not know who Achilles is.

Ancient Greece before the arrival of the Greeks was inhabited by Pelasgian peoples. They never assimilated further with the Greeks, disappearing into oblivion. Thanks to them, according to Herodotus, the ancient Hellenes arose a religion with the gods of Ancient Greece in its modern understanding.

Characteristic features of the religion of Ancient Greece.

With the emergence of the first statehood of Hellas, approximately 3000 BC, religion began to play an increasingly important role in the life of the ancient Greeks. The main gods were the titans, who personified the elements of nature.

The supreme god of the Titans, Kronos, killed his father in a struggle for power. He feared the same fate and therefore devoured his sons. One of them was saved by Rhea, the wife of Kronos. His name was Zeus. When Zeus grew up, he forced his father to return his swallowed sons from his womb and, joining forces with other gods, began the fight against the Titans.

Elder Gods

In these numerous battles, according to the myths of Ancient Greece, the gods led by Zeus won. After the victory, they divided power and went to live on the sacred Mount Olympus.

• Zeus began to rule the sky, lightning and thunder. He became the main one in the pantheon of twelve elder gods. All other gods obeyed him and considered him the most fair. The ancient Greeks erected a statue of Zeus; it was located on the island of Poseidon and reached 15 meters.

Rice. 1. Statue of Zeus on the island of Poseidon.

• He began to rule the seas and oceans Poseidon . He was married to the goddess Amphitrite, from whom was born a son, Triton. In anger, this god was terrible: he could cause a flood, or destroy a seaport with waves. Where Poseidon walked on the ground, spring water began to flow. This god was revered by all sea travelers and sailors.
• Hades did not want to rule the earthly world and went to Tartarus, where he began to rule the kingdom of the dead. On a chain at the entrance to the underworld sat his faithful three-headed dog Cerberus, who did not allow the living into Tartarus. Hades stole his beloved niece Persephone from Zeus and forced her to marry him. The ancient Greeks sacrificed a black bull to Hades. Usually it was placed in front of crevices or the entrance to a cave, which personified the entrance to the kingdom of the dead.
• The main female goddess among the Greeks was considered Hera . The last wife of Zeus was the patroness of marriage and severely punished married people for adultery. The ancient Greeks worshiped her and asked for the birth of strong and healthy children.
• He was the god of sunshine and the crown of male beauty. In addition to spiritual purity, this god was endowed with the abilities of a healer. Later, the ancient Greeks revered him as a patron of the arts, including music.

Rice. 2. Apollo.

The religion of ancient Greece did not carry symbols of immortality; the gods, like people, had completely human traits: they fell in love, suffered, were capable of mercy or betrayal. In the minds of the ancient Greeks, the gods conquered the world from the natural elements, made this world a better place and became its patrons and protectors.

• The god of all borders separating one from another and roads was Hermes . He had a sharp mind and resourcefulness, because he was the patron of trade, knew several languages ​​and stood out with brilliant manners. In addition to merchants, this god was revered by shepherds and travelers.
• Hephaestus - the god of fire - patronized the blacksmith's craft, and was himself considered an unsurpassed blacksmith. He was lame on both legs because, according to legend, he was thrown down by Zeus for helping Hera get out of her shackles.
• Ares - God of unjust wars. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. Zeus secretly hated him for his wild and unbridled temper. Ares loved wild games and could start a conflict without any reason. He was married to Aphrodite.

All Olympian gods and goddesses led a pleasure lifestyle, indulging in intrigue and passion. Each of the gods was powerful in its own way, so feuds very often ended in compromise.

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Lesser Gods

The elder gods had children, this generation was more numerous than the previous one, some of them:

• Dionysus - god of fertility and winemaking. He patronized grape growing and dancing. According to the legends of Ancient Greece, Hera hated Dionysus and drove him crazy. Wherever Dionysus appeared, he was accompanied by unbridled drunkenness, causeless fun and even murder.
• Helios - Sun God. This god performed the same functions as Apollo, was a solar deity, and at the same time the eyes of Zeus: he knew what and where was going on in the mortal world of people. In Greece, many statues were erected in honor of Helios, one of them is called the Colossus of Rhodes and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The statue reached 33 meters and stood on the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea.

Rice. 3. Colossus of Rhodes.

• Iris carried out small and large orders of the gods. She carried messages and news about the gods of Olympus to people. The ancient Greeks also revered her as the goddess of the rainbow.
• Themis - goddess of justice, protector of the unjustly accused. Helped Zeus start the Trojan War. The Greeks depicted this goddess blindfolded, which meant her impartiality. The cornucopia in the hands of Themis meant the measure of retribution for those who appeared before her fair trial.

According to the religion of Ancient Greece, you can recreate a picture of the life of the ancient Greeks.
The following table provides a short list and description of the gods of Ancient Greece:

The veneration of the god Dionysus, which came from the north of the Balkans, developed separately from the rest of polytheism. Over time, this worship became monotheistic (monotheism - one god). Historians generally believe that the worship of Dionysus was the first harbinger of the formation of the Christian religion.

What have we learned?

The religion of Ancient Greece, which is studied in grade 5, unlike other religions, endowed the gods with human traits, which brought them closer to people and allowed contemporaries to better understand the life of the ancient Greeks. In addition, although the Greeks believed in an afterlife, this did not serve as the basis for them to worship the gods.

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The names of Greek gods and goddesses are still heard today - we know the myths and legends about them, we can use them to convey the image. Often in modern literary works some motifs known since the times of ancient Greece are mentioned. Let's look at some brief information about the Greek gods and goddesses and the mythology of this country.

Greek gods

There are many Greek gods and goddesses, but we will focus on those whose names are to some extent familiar to a wide circle of people today:

• Hades is the famous ruler of the world of the dead, which in myths is often called the kingdom of Hades;
• Apollo is the god of light and the sun, a most beautiful young man who is still mentioned as a model of male attractiveness;
• Ares is an aggressive god of war;
• Bacchus or Dionysus - the eternally young god of winemaking (who, by the way, was sometimes depicted as an obese man);
• Zeus is the supreme deity, ruler over people and other gods.
• Pluto is the god of the underworld, who owned countless underground riches (while Hades ruled over the souls of the dead).
• Poseidon is the god of the entire sea element, who could easily control earthquakes and storms;
• Thanatos – god of death;
• Aeolus - lord of the winds;
• Eros is the god of love, the force that contributed to the emergence of an ordered world from chaos.

Typically, Greek gods and goddesses were symbolically depicted as beautiful and powerful people living on Olympus. They were not perfect, they were connected by intricate relationships and simple human passions.

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Let's look at the most famous ancient Greek goddesses. There are quite a few of them, and each of them is responsible for something different:

• Artemis – goddess of nature, patroness of hunting and hunters;
• Athena is the famous goddess of wisdom and war, patron of science and knowledge;
• Aphrodite - the goddess of love and beauty, was considered the standard of female perfection;
• Hebe is the deity of eternal youth, who participated in the feasts of the Olympians;
• Hecate is a slightly less well-known goddess of dreams, darkness and witchcraft;
• Hera is the supreme goddess, patroness of marriage;
• Hestia is the goddess of fire in general and the hearth in particular;
• Demeter is the patroness of fertility, helping farmers;
• Metis is the goddess of wisdom, the mother of Athena herself;
• Eris is the warlike goddess of disassembly.

This is not a complete list of all Greek gods and goddesses, but it includes the most famous and recognizable of them.

Greek mythology has always attracted attention with its diversity. The names of Greek gods and goddesses began to appear in many ballads, stories and films. A special role has always been given to the goddesses of Hellas. Each of them had its own charm and zest.

Names of Greek goddesses

This list is quite wide and varied, but there are those goddesses who played a vital role in Greek mythology. One of them was Aurora, whose name was increasingly given to daughters. Daughter of Hyperion and Thea, goddess of the dawn and wife of the Titan Astraeus. The Greek names of goddesses and their images were always carefully thought out and carried a special meaning. Aurora brought daylight to people and was often depicted as winged. Often she sat on a chariot drawn by horses in red and yellow blankets. A halo or crown was depicted above her head, and in her hands she held a burning torch. Homer described her image especially vividly. Rising early in the morning from her bed, the goddess sailed on her chariot from the depths of the seas, illuminating the entire Universe with bright light.

Famous Greek goddess names also include Artemis, a wild and unrestrained young maiden. She was depicted in a tightly tucked dress, sandals, with a bow and a spear behind her back. A hunter by nature, she led her nymph friends, and was always accompanied by a pack of dogs. She was the daughter of Zeus and Latona.
Artemis was born on the quiet island of Delos in the shade of palm trees along with her brother Apollo. They were very friendly, and Artemis often came to visit her beloved brother to listen to his magnificent playing of the golden cithara. And at dawn the goddess went hunting again.

Athena is a wise woman whose image was the most revered among all the inhabitants of Olympus who glorified Greek names. There are many goddesses-daughters of Zeus, but only she was born in a helmet and shell. She was responsible for victory in the war and was the patroness of knowledge and crafts. She was independent and proud of the fact that she remained a virgin forever. Many believed that she was equal to her father in strength and wisdom. Her birth was quite unusual. After all, when Zeus found out that a child could be born, surpassing him in power, he ate the mother who was carrying his child. After which he was overcome by a severe headache, and he called on his son Hephaestus to cut off the head. Hephaestus fulfilled his father’s request, and the wise warrior Athena emerged from the split skull.

Speaking about Greek goddesses, one cannot fail to mention the beautiful Aphrodite - the goddess of love, who awakens this bright feeling in the hearts of gods and mortals.
Slender, tall, radiating incredible beauty, pampered and flighty, she has power over everyone. Aphrodite is nothing more than the personification of unfading youth and divine beauty. She has her own maids who comb her golden sparkling hair and dress her in beautiful clothes. Where this goddess passes, flowers instantly bloom and the air is filled with amazing aromas.

The famous Greek names of goddesses are firmly entrenched not only in Greek mythology, but also in world history in general. Many name them after their daughters, believing that they will acquire the same qualities that the great goddesses possessed.

Who knows all the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece?? ? (name it!!!)

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Gods of ancient Greece
Hades - god - ruler of the kingdom of the dead.




Boreas is the god of the north wind, the son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.
Bacchus is one of the names of Dionysus.
Helios (Helium) is the god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (morning dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.


Hypnos is the deity of sleep, the son of Nyx (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.



Zephyr is the god of the west wind.
Iacchus is the god of fertility.
Kronos is a titan, the youngest son of Gaia and Uranus, the father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was dethroned by Zeus. .






















Aeolus is the lord of the winds.


Ether - sky deity

Laria and Ruslan F

1. Gaia
2. Ocean
3. Uranus
4. Hemera
5. Chronos
6. Eros
7. Cyclops
8. Titans
9. Muses
10. Rhea
11. Demeter
12. Poseidon
13. Summer
14. Pan
15. Hestia
16. Artemis
17. Ares
18. Athena
19. Aphrodite
20. Apollo
21. Hera
22. Hermes
23. Zeus
24. Hecate
25. Hephaestus
26. Dionysus
27. Pluto
28. Antey
29. Ancient Babylonia
30. Persephone

Nikolay Pakhomov

Lists of gods and genealogy differ among different ancient authors. The lists below are compilative.
First generation of gods
At first there was Chaos. Gods who emerged from Chaos - Gaia (Earth), Nikta (Nyukta) (Night), Tartarus (Abyss), Erebus (Darkness), Eros (Love); gods that emerged from Gaia - Uranus (Sky) and Pontus (inner Sea). The gods had the appearance of those natural elements that they embodied.
Children of Gaia (fathers - Uranus, Pontus and Tartarus) - Keto (mistress of sea monsters), Nereus (calm sea), Thaumant (sea wonders), Phorcys (guardian of the sea), Eurybia (sea power), titans and titanides. Children of Nyx and Erebus - Hemera (Day), Hypnos (Dream), Kera (misfortune), Moira (Fate), Mom (Slander and Stupidity), Nemesis (Retribution), Thanatos (Death), Eris (Strife), Erinyes (Vengeance) ), Ether (Air); Apata (Deception).

Natalia

Hades - god - ruler of the kingdom of the dead.
Antaeus is a hero of myths, a giant, the son of Poseidon and the Earth of Gaia. The earth gave its son strength, thanks to which no one could control him.
Apollo is the god of sunlight. The Greeks portrayed him as a beautiful young man.
Ares is the god of treacherous war, the son of Zeus and Hera.
Asclepius - god of medicine, son of Apollo and the nymph Coronis
Boreas is the god of the north wind, the son of the Titanides Astraeus (starry sky) and Eos (morning dawn), brother of Zephyr and Note. He was depicted as a winged, long-haired, bearded, powerful deity.
Bacchus is one of the names of Dionysus.
Helios (Helium) is the god of the Sun, brother of Selene (goddess of the Moon) and Eos (dawn). In late antiquity he was identified with Apollo, the god of sunlight.
Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maya, one of the most multi-valued Greek gods. Patron of wanderers, crafts, trade, thieves. Possessing the gift of eloquence.
Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera, the god of fire and blacksmithing. He was considered the patron of artisans.
Hypnos is the deity of sleep, the son of Nyx (Night). He was depicted as a winged youth.
Dionysus (Bacchus) is the god of viticulture and winemaking, the object of a number of cults and mysteries. He was depicted either as an obese elderly man or as a young man with a wreath of grape leaves on his head.
Zagreus is the god of fertility, the son of Zeus and Persephone.
Zeus is the supreme god, king of gods and people.
Zephyr is the god of the west wind.
Iacchus is the god of fertility.
Kronos is a titan, the youngest son of Gaia and Uranus, the father of Zeus. He ruled the world of gods and people and was overthrown from the throne by Zeus...
Mom is the son of the goddess of Night, the god of slander.
Morpheus is one of the sons of Hypnos, the god of dreams.
Nereus is the son of Gaia and Pontus, a meek sea god.
Not - the god of the south wind, was depicted with a beard and wings.
Ocean is a titan, the son of Gaia and Uranus, the brother and husband of Tethys and the father of all the rivers of the world.
The Olympians are the supreme gods of the younger generation of Greek gods, led by Zeus, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus.
Pan is a forest god, the son of Hermes and Dryope, a goat-footed man with horns. He was considered the patron saint of shepherds and small livestock.
Pluto is the god of the underworld, often identified with Hades, but unlike him, he owned not the souls of the dead, but the riches of the underworld.
Plutos is the son of Demeter, a god who gives wealth to people.
Pontus is one of the senior Greek deities, the offspring of Gaia, the god of the sea, the father of many titans and gods.
Poseidon is one of the Olympian gods, the brother of Zeus and Hades, who rules over the sea elements. Poseidon was also subject to the bowels of the earth,
he commanded storms and earthquakes.
Proteus is a sea deity, son of Poseidon, patron of seals. He had the gift of reincarnation and prophecy.
Satyrs are goat-footed creatures, demons of fertility.
Thanatos is the personification of death, the twin brother of Hypnos.
The Titans are a generation of Greek gods, the ancestors of the Olympians.
Typhon is a hundred-headed dragon born of Gaia or Hera. During the battle of the Olympians and the Titans, he was defeated by Zeus and imprisoned under the volcano Etna in Sicily.
Triton is the son of Poseidon, one of the sea deities, a man with a fish tail instead of legs, holding a trident and a twisted shell - a horn.
Chaos is an endless empty space from which at the beginning of time the most ancient gods of the Greek religion - Nyx and Erebus - emerged.
Chthonic gods are deities of the underworld and fertility, relatives of the Olympians. These included Hades, Hecate, Hermes, Gaia, Demeter, Dionysus and Persephone.
Cyclops are giants with one eye in the middle of their forehead, children of Uranus and Gaia.
Eurus (Eur) - god of the southeast wind.
Aeolus is the lord of the winds.
Erebus is the personification of the darkness of the underworld, the son of Chaos and the brother of Night.
Eros (Eros) - god of love, son of Aphrodite and Ares. In the most ancient myths - a self-emerging force that contributed to the ordering of the world. He was depicted as a winged youth (in the Hellenistic era - a boy) with arrows, accompanying his mother.

During Antiquity, mythology had a huge influence on people, closely fitting into everyday life and religious customs. The main religion of this period was pagan polytheism, which was based on a large pantheon of gods. The gods of ancient Greece had a special meaning and each played their role. In different regions there was a cult of one or another god, which was largely determined by the peculiarities of life and way of life. This article provides a list and description of the gods.

The gods were humanized, endowed with anthropomorphic behavior. Ancient Greek mythology had a clear hierarchy - the Titans, Titanides and the younger generation of gods stood out, giving rise to the Olympians. The Olympian gods are the supreme celestial beings who lived on Mount Olympus. They were the ones who had the greatest influence on the ancient Greeks.

The ancient Greek gods of the first generation - ancient entities that gave rise to all living and nonliving things, are considered the creators of the world. They entered into a relationship, thanks to which other gods were born, who also belong to the first generation, as well as the titans. The progenitors of all the ancient Greek gods were Skotos (Mist) and Chaos. It was these two entities that gave rise to the entire primary pantheon of Ancient Greece.

The primary pantheon of gods of ancient Greece:

• Nyukta (Nikta);
• Erebus (Darkness);
• Eros (Love);
• Gaia (Earth);
• Tartarus (Abyss);
• Uranus (Sky).

Almost no descriptions of each of these deities have survived, since the Olympians later became key to the mythology of Ancient Greece.

Gods, unlike people, were allowed to enter into family relationships, so children were often the fruits of incest.

The deities of the second generation are the titans, thanks to whom the Olympian gods were born. These are 6 sisters and 6 brothers who actively married each other and fought for power. The most revered titans are Kronos and Rhea.

Olympian gods of Greece

These are the children and descendants of the children of Kronos and his wife Rhea. The Titan Kronos was originally considered the god of agriculture, and later of time. He had a harsh disposition and a thirst for power, for which he was overthrown, castrated and sent to Tartarus. His reign was replaced by the Olympian gods, led by Zeus. The lives and relationships of the Olympians are detailed in ancient Greek legends and myths, and they were worshiped, respected, and given gifts. There are 12 main gods.

Zeus

The youngest son of Rhea and Kronos, considered the father and patron of people and gods, personified good and evil. He opposed his father, overthrowing him into Tartarus. After this, power on earth was divided between him and his brothers - Poseidon and Hades. He is the patron of lightning and thunder. His attributes were a shield and an axe, and later an eagle began to be depicted next to him. They loved Zeus, but they were also afraid of his punishment, so they offered valuable gifts.

People imagined Zeus as a strong and robust middle-aged man. He had noble features, thick hair and a beard. In myths, Zeus was portrayed as a character in love stories who deceived earthly women, as a result of which he gave rise to many demigods.

Hades

The eldest son of Kronos and Rhea, after the overthrow of the rule of the Titans, became the god of the underworld of the dead. He was personified by people as a man over 40 years old who rode a golden chariot drawn by golden horses. He is credited with terrifying surroundings, such as Cerberus, a dog with three heads. They believed that he owned the untold riches of the underworld, so they feared and respected him, sometimes more than Zeus. Married to Persephone, whom he kidnapped, thereby causing the wrath of Zeus and the inconsolable grief of Demeter.

Among people they were afraid to say his name out loud, replacing it with various epithets. One of the few gods whose cult was practically not widespread. During the rituals, black-skinned cattle, most often bulls, were sacrificed to him.

Poseidon

The middle son of Kronos and Rhea, after defeating the Titans, gained possession of the water element. According to myths, he lives in a majestic palace in the underwater depths, along with his wife Amphitrite and son Triton. Moves across the sea in a chariot drawn by seahorses. Wields a trident that has enormous power. Its impacts led to the formation of springs and underwater springs. In ancient drawings he is depicted as a powerful man with blue eyes, like the color of the sea.

The Greeks believed that he had a difficult temper and a hot temper, which contrasted with the calmness of Zeus. The cult of Poseidon was widespread in many coastal cities of Ancient Greece, where they brought him rich gifts, including girls.

Hera

One of the most revered goddesses of Ancient Greece. She was the patroness of marriage and marriage. She had a tough character, jealousy and a great love of power. She is the wife and sister of her brother Zeus.

In myths, Hera is portrayed as a power-hungry woman who sends disasters and curses on Zeus's many lovers and their children, which leads to grins and funny antics on the part of her husband. She bathes annually in the Kanaf spring, after which she becomes a virgin again.

In Greece, the cult of Hera was widespread, she was the protector of women, they worshiped her and brought gifts to help during childbirth. One of the first deities to whom a sanctuary was built.

Demeter

Second daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Hera. The goddess of fertility and patroness of agriculture, therefore enjoyed great respect among the Greeks. There were large cults throughout the country; it was believed that it was impossible to get a harvest without bringing a gift to Demeter. It was she who taught people to cultivate the land. She appeared to be a young woman of beautiful appearance with curls the color of ripe wheat. The most famous myth is about the abduction of her daughter by Hades.

Descendants and children of Zeus

In the mythology of Ancient Greece, the born sons of Zeus are of great importance. These are gods of the second order, each of whom was the patron of one or another human activity. According to legends, they often came into contact with earthly inhabitants, where they weaved intrigues and built relationships. Key ones:

Apollo

People called him “radiant” or “shining.” He appeared to be a golden-haired young man, endowed with extraterrestrial beauty of appearance. He was a patron of the arts, a patron of new settlements and a healer. Widely revered by the Greeks, large cults and shrines were found at Delos and Delphi. He is the patron and mentor of muses.

Ares (Ares)

The god of bloody and brutal war, which is why he was often opposed to Athena. The Greeks imagined him as a mighty warrior with a sword in his hand. In later sources, he is depicted next to a griffin and two companions - Eris and Enio, who sowed discord and anger among people. In myths he is described as the lover of Aphrodite, in whose relationship many deities and demigods were born.

Artemis

Patron of hunting and female chastity. It was believed that bringing gifts to Artemis would bring happiness in marriage and make childbirth easier. She was often depicted next to a deer and a bear. The most famous temple was located in Ephesus, and later she was the patroness of the Amazons.

Athena (Pallas)

Highly revered goddess in Ancient Greece. She was the patroness of organized war, wisdom and strategy. Later it became a symbol of knowledge and crafts. She was depicted by the ancient Greeks as a tall and well-proportioned woman, with a spear in her hand. Temples to Athena were erected everywhere, and the cult of veneration was widespread.

Aphrodite

The ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love, later considered the patron of fertility and life. She had a huge influence on the entire pantheon; she had both people and gods in her power (except for Athens, Artemis and Hestia). She was the wife of Hephaestus, but she is credited with love affairs with Ares and Dionysus. Depicted with flowers of roses, myrtle or poppy, apple. Her retinue included doves, sparrows and dolphins, and her companions were Eros and numerous nymphs. The largest cult was located in the city of Paphos, located on the territory of modern Cyprus.

Hermes

An extremely controversial god of the ancient Greek pantheon. He patronized trade, eloquence and dexterity. He was depicted with a winged staff, around which two snakes were entwined. According to legends, he was able to use it to reconcile, wake up and put people to sleep. Hermes is often depicted wearing sandals and a wide-brimmed hat, as well as carrying a lamb on his shoulder. Often he not only helped earthly inhabitants, but also weaved intrigues, bringing citizens together.

Hephaestus

God the blacksmith, who is the patron of blacksmithing and construction. It was he who made the attributes of most of the gods, and also made lightning for Zeus. According to legends, Hera gave birth to him without the participation of her husband, from her thigh in revenge for the birth of Athena. He was often depicted as a broad-shouldered and ugly-looking man, lame on both legs. He was the legal husband of Aphrodite.

Dionysus

The youngest Olympian god, widely loved by the ancient Greeks. He is the patron saint of winemaking, vegetation, fun and madness. His mother is the earthly woman Semele, who was killed by Hera. Zeus personally carried the child from the age of 6 months, giving birth to him from the thigh. According to myths, this son of Zeus invented wine and beer. Dionysus was revered not only by the Greeks, but also by the Arabs. Often depicted with a staff with a hop pommel and a bunch of grapes in his hand. The main retinue is satyrs.

The ancient Greek pantheon is represented by several dozen major gods, deities, mythical creatures, monsters and demigods. The legends and myths of Antiquity have many interpretations, since different sources were used in the description. The ancient Greeks loved and respected all gods, worshiped them, brought gifts and turned to them for blessings and curses. Ancient Greek mythology was described in detail by Homer, who described all the major events and the appearance of the gods.