Olympians: 12 Most Important Greek Gods

Friday, September 14, 2012, 16:35 [IST]

Just like Hindus have 33 crore Gods and Goddesses, the Greeks had numerous gods and goddesses. Equal status was not given to all these Greek Gods. Like the Hindus have the Holy Trinity, the Greeks had the Olympian Gods. These were the 12 most important Gods who resided on Mount Olympus. The modern games Olympics are names after this mythical mountain.

The 12 Olympians came to power after a war in which they defeated the older generation Gods, the Titans. The battle was lead by Zeus who obviously became the ruler Mount Olympus. The 12 Olympian Gods and their fields of expertise have been listed here.

1. Zeus or Jupitor: He is the amorous King of the Greek Gods who is known by the sign of Thunderbolt. The sky is his fiefdom and his role is much similar to the Hindu God Indra. Zeus was known to be a womaniser.

2. Hera Or Juno: She is the queen of the Gods as she is Zeus' wife. She presided over the rituals of marriage and family life. Apart from being Zeus' wife she is also his sister as they born out of the same parents.

3. Poseidon Or Neptune: He is the lord of the Seas and Storms. Poseidon is a brother to Zeus and is often depicted in art riding a sea-horse.

4. Athena Or Minerva: She is the Goddess of War and Wisdom who was born an adult. She came out of Zeus' head and thus is regarded as his daughter. She had a famous love affair with a human being called Odysseus, King of Ithaca.

5. Dionysus Or Bacchus: The Greeks actually had a God who is responsible for wines and entertainment. And he was important enough to be an Olympian God as he was son of Zeus born out of Thebian Princess. Dionysus is a patron of arts and theatre and no Greek play begins without an invocation of Dionysus.

6. Aphrodite Or Venus: She is the Goddess of love and sensual desire. She was married to fellow Oplympian God, Hephaestus. But she was amorous as her father Zeus had a roaring affair with another Olympian, Mars. Their illicit affair gave birth to blind child Cupid.

7. Apollo: The God of light represented by the Sun. In fact, Apollo has become another name of for the Sun.

8. Atremis Or Diana: She is a virgin Goddess who is the protector of a maiden's virginity and the queen of a jungle hunt. Men evoked her for a successful hunt and women prayed to her for securing good husbands.

9. Hermis Or Mercury: Another son of Zeus born of a water nymph. He is the messenger of the Gods.

10. Hephaestus Or Vulcan: He is a Blacksmith of the Gods who was was a legitimate son of Hera or Zeus. He was married to Aphrodite but they never really enjoyed marital bliss.

11. Demeter Or Ceres: She is the Greek Goddess of fertility, both of land and womb. A sibling of the King & Queen of Gods, she is shown holding a torch in her hand.

12. Ares Or Mars: The most destructive of the Olympian Gods is Ares or Mars. He is the God of violence and bloodshed. Mars too is a son of Hera and Zeus like Hephaestus. His impulsive anger made him very unpopular among the other Olympians.

These were the 12 Olympian Gods. Can you draw parallels of them with Hindu Gods?