Ancient Greece

The Gods and Goddesses

The Gods and Goddesses

The people of Ancient Greece believed in many
powerful Gods. The most powerful of these were
thought to live high up on Mount Olympus. This was
ruled by Zeus, the King of Gods, and was the place
where arguments were resolved and meetings held.
There were some Gods who, though powerful, did not
live on Olympus. Hades, brother of Zeus and Lord of
the Underworld, is the best example.

The Gods and Goddesses

Lets take a look at some of the Gods and Goddesses
of Ancient Greece, learns something about them and
hear some of the stories that were told about them at
the time.

Zeus
Hades
Athena
Apollo
Poseidon

Zeus
Zeus was the god of the sky and ruled the gods of
Mount Olympus. As King of the Gods, he was the one
who made and enforced their laws. He was famous for
punishing the wicked and protecting the weak. Zeus
had more power than any other God - he is well
known for his ability to conjure up thunderbolts.
Zeus had hundreds of children, some of the most
famous being Apollo, Hermes and Heracles. He also
has two important symbols the eagle and the oak
tree.
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Hades
Hades was the God of the Underworld, where he ruled
the dead. Hades was a very important god, even
though he didn't actually live on Mount Olympus with
those who were as powerful as him. Although Hades
was grim and pitiless, he was not an evil god; he
would always judge the dead fairly as they entered
the Underworld.
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Athena
Athena was the Goddesses of war and wisdom and was
the favourite daughter of Zeus. Zeus was proud of his
daughter, who turned out to be a great warrior.
Originally Athena was the goddess of Greek cities,
industry and arts. She was a patron of agriculture and
crafts, including weaving and spinning. She gave many
gifts to men including the inventions of the plough,
the flute and the art of taming animals, building ships
and making shoes. She was associated very often with
birds in particular, the owl.
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Apollo

Apollo was another of Zeus children and he was the

God of the sun, healing and music. Apollo was
considered to be the most arrogant God of all, feared
by even those he favoured. He is famous for his love
of music, and his favourite instrument was the lyre,
given to him by the god Hermes.
Apollo was a powerful god from a very young age just after his birth he killed his mother's enemy,
Python, a serpent God. He was also famous for being
the first winner of the Olympic games.

Poseidon
Poseidon was the brother of Zeus, and God of the Seas
and Oceans. He was known to be a surly God, holding
grudges and tormenting mortals. He also had disputes
with many of the other Gods, mainly over land. At
various times he tried to challenge Zeus, Athena and
Apollo for their land and he lost out every time.
Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa were the mother
and father of Pegasus, the famous winged horse from
Ancient Greek mythology.
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