Greek Names

1.

Zeus

The strongest of the Olympian gods and the youngest of the twelve of Rhea's children. Overthrew his father Cronus after Cronus had eaten his eleven older siblings. He was the ruler of the gods, humans, and the earth and heaven (Mt. Olympus). Also the god of thunder, his weapon was the thunderbolt. Zeus had many, many children by many, many lovers. He was the quintessential unfaithful husband--to a very jealous Hera. Roman name: Jupiter.

2.

Poseidon

Although he was the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, he might also be considered a fertility god. He fathered many children: Triton, Rhode, and Benthesicyme, by Amphitrite; Theseus, by Aethra; Despoena and Arion, by Demeter; Pegasus and Chrysaor, by Medusa; the goldenfleeced ram by Theophane; and teh giants Polyphemus, Orus, and Ephialtes.

3.

Hades

Master of the Underworld. One of the Olympians. He fell in love with Persephone and kidnapped her to his kingdom. They were eventually married. Roman: Pluto.

4.

Hera

One of the Olympians. She married her brother, Zeus. She is the goddess of marriage and childbirth.

5.

Hestia Ares Athena

A virgin goddess. Patroness of the hearth, home, and community.

6.

God of war. One of Aphrodite's lovers. See Aphrodite for list of children. Roman: Mars.

7.

Sprang fully grown and dressed in armor from her father's (Zeus's) head. She is the goddess of war, wisdom, and protection. One of the three virgin goddesses. Roman: Minerva.

8.

Apollo

God of the sun. Also the god of fine arts, light, medicine, music, poetry, and eloquence. Artemis is his twin sister. Roman: Apollo, Sol.

9.

Artemis

Goddess of the moon and the hunt and Apollo's twin sister. One of the three virgin goddesses. Roman: Diana.

10. Aphrodite

Who doesn't know her as the goddess of love?! She was born from the sea foam in which Uranus's castrated genitals fell into. She had several children: Aeneas (by Anchises); Priapus (by Dionysus); Hermaphroditus (by Hermes); and Phobus [Panic], Deimus [Fear], and Harmonia (by Ares). She is also there to help you pull loving energy in toward yourself. Roman: Venus.

11. Hermes

An Olympian. The messenger God. Patron of travelers, merchants, rogues, and thieves. Hermes also served as a guide to dead souls to the Underworld. Roman: Mercury.

12. Hephaestus

He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes.

13. Eros

Love. The mover behind the Creation. Roman: Amor or Cupid.

14. Persephone

Hades's wife, Queen of the Underworld. She was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She represents the changing of seasons because every six months she spends in the Underworld with Hades, and the other half of the year is spent above ground with her mother. This arrangement was created after she had been kidnapped by Hades and tricked into eating some pomegranate seeds. The rule in the Underworld was that eating anything condemns a person to stay there. Roman: Proserpine.

15. Dionysus

As close to a "party" god as one can get. He's the god of wine, grapes, and partying (revelry). He freely wandered the world to spread his own religion and its rites. He made a lot of enemies for his focus on having fun. Also known as Bacchus and Bromius.

16. Demeter

The goddess of fertility and harvest. Persephone's mother. Also an important goddess for childbirth and being involved with children. Roman: Ceres.

17. Hecate

A goddess who started out as benevolent and good. She came to be associated with sorcery. She was also an attendant to Persephone.

18. Eris

Discord and strife. Think of the short bratty goddess who always hung out with Ares on the TV show Hercules and you got the picture. Roman: Discordia.

19. Nike

Victory. Styx and Phallas's son. One of Zeus's buddies.

20. Eos

As close to a "party" god as one can get. He's the god of wine, grapes, and partying (revelry). He freely wandered the world to spread his own religion and its rites. He made a lot of enemies for his focus on having fun. Also known as Bacchus and Bromius.

21. Pan

God of shepherds, wild animals, forests, and fertility. His parents were Hermes and one of Dryops's daughters. Pan was half goat and half god. Roman: Faunus.

22. Kastor and Polydeukes

THE DIOSKOUROI (or Dioscuri) were twin star-crowned gods whose appearance (in the form of St Elmo's fire) on the rigging of a ship was believed to portent escape from a storm. They were also gods of horsemanship and protectors of guests and travellers. Polydeukes is the Prince of Lakedaimonia (in Southern Greece) who with his twin-brother was known as the Dioskouroi. Polydeukes was the son of Zeus and Leda, while his twin brother was the son of Leda's husband Tyndareus. Called as Gemini in constellation.

23. Aeolus

King or regent of the four winds (north, east, south, and west).

24. Boreas

The North Wind.

25. Zephir

God of the West Wind. One of the fours sons of EOS and ASTRAEUS, he's gentle and breezy and loves rustling the leaves of flowers. Such a softie.

26. Notus

The South Wind.

27. Eurus

God of the East Wind. He's one of the fours sons of EOS andASTRAEUS, and brings mostly rain and drizzle. Not very popular.

28. Aether

The upper air/sky. He was the son of Nyx and Erebus.

29. Hygeia

Was the goddess of good health. She was a daughter and attendant of the medicine-god Asklepios, and a companion of the goddess Aphrodite. Her sisters included Panakeia (All-Cure) and Iaso (Remedy).

30. Hebe

One of Zeus and Hera's daughters. Perpetual youthfulness and beauty. She married Heracles after he joined the gods on Olympus.

31. Erinyes

Another name for the Furies. There are three. They seek to avenge wrongs against a family. They are Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megara. They were born of the blood that dripped to the earth from Uranus's castrated genitals.

32. Hespara

Her name means 'Light of Evening', a reference to the setting sun. She is in charge of watering the sacred apple tree.One of the HESPERIDES who tends the Golden Apples of Immortality.

33. Hypnos

Sleep. One of Nyx's children.

34. Nemesis

One of Nyx's daughters, she was a goddess of retribution.

35. Mors

Is the personification of death equivalent to the Greek Thnatos. As the Latin noun for "death", mors, genitive mortis, is of feminine gender, but ancient Roman art is not known to depict Death as a woman. (Thanatus) was the god or daimon of non-violent death. His touch was gentle, likened to that of his twin brother Hypnos (Sleep). Violent death was the domain of Thanatos' blood-craving sisters, the Keres, spirits of slaughter and disease. Called the God of Death.

36. Morpheus

Was the leader of the Oneiroi, the gods or spirits (daimones) of dreams. He manifested himself in the dreams of kings and rulers in the likeness of men as a messenger of the gods. The son of Sleep, and the god of dreams. The name signifies the fashioner or moulders, because he shaped or formed the dreams which appeared to the sleeper.

37. Hercules

The most famous hero of Greek mythology. He was the son of Zeus and the mortal Alchemene. He killed his first wife, Megara, and their children because insanity caused by Hera. Hera followed and tormented him his entire mortal life. To make up for the death of his family, Heracles was forced to perform ten labors (which ended up being twelve). During this time he killed many monsters and captured many beasts. He fathered over 100 children and after being tricked into putting on a poison shirt, he ended his mortal life and moved to Olympus where he married Hebe. Roman: Hercules or Heracles.

The diagram above would be less of a family "tree" and more of a family "Celtic knot". It begins simply with the mating of Heaven and Earth to produce the Titans. Then the tree begins to collapse on itself as brother and sister mate. Cronus and Rhea had what we now consider to have been the main gods: Hestia, Pluto, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, and Demeter. Although Zeus was married to Hera, he was not very faithful. Zeus had Apollo and Artemis with Leto, Persephone with his own sister Demeter, Hermes with Maia, and Aphrodite with Dione. The branches of this tree were quite twisted.

Research Work On English 17-05

(Thurs. 12:00- 3:00)

Submitted by: Alex P. Ibaez

Submitted to: Dr. Francisca Reyes