A simplified guide to the main Greek gods, with their Roman names.
The Olympian Gods led by Zeus were not the "oldest" gods of the Greeks.
The oldest of the gods, ruled by Uranus and Gaea, were Zeus' grandparents.
Zeus's father, Kronos [Roman name= Saturn], led a group of gods called the
Titans who overthrew Uranus. Kronos then became the ruler of the gods.
Zeus was one of his children, and led the Olympians (Kronos' other children) in
overthrowing the Titans. For more, and for more on each of these gods,
take a look at the entries at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Olympians
- Zeus: King of the
Olympian gods, who overthrew his father Kronos and the Titans. Sky,
thunder, weather god. [Roman =Jupiter]
- Hera: Zeus’s wife/older sister,
“queen” of gods. Mother Goddess, goddess of marriage. [Roman=Juno]
- Poseidon: #2 god, brother
of Zeus, God of Sea. [Roman=Neptune]
- Hades: ruler of
underworld/dead. Brother of Zeus, husband of Persephone. [Roman = Pluto]
- Aphrodite: goddess of love
and beauty. Daughter of Zeus (maybe) {But not of Hera}, wife of
Hephaestus. [Roman = Venus]
- Apollo: god of music and
healing and the sun. Son of Zeus (but not of Hera), twin of Artemis. [Roman = Apollo]
- Ares: god of savage war. Son of
Zeus and Hera [Roman = Mars]
- Artemis: goddess of
hunting and the moon. Daughter of Zeus (but not of Hera), twin of Apollo. [Roman =
Dianna]
- Athena: goddess of
wisdom. “Born” from head of Zeus. [Roman = Minerva]
- Hephaestus: god of fire
and forge (metal-working). Son of Zeus and Hera, husband of Aphrodite.
[Roman = Vulcan]
- Hestia: goddess of home
and hearth, domesticity. Zeus’ older sister. [Roman = Vesta]
- Hermes:
messenger/trickster god. Son of Zeus (but not of Hera) [Roman=Mercury]
- Demeter: goddess of the
harvest and fertility. Older sister of Zeus, mother of Persephone. [Roman = Ceres]
- Dionysus” god of wine.
Son of Zeus and a mortal. [Roman = Bacchus]