List of Greek deities

In ancient Greece, deities were regarded as anthropomorphic, immortal, and powerful. They were conceived of as persons rather than abstract concepts, and were described as similar to humans in appearance, albeit larger and more beautiful. The emotions and actions of deities were largely the same as those of humans; they frequently engaged in sexual activity, and were jealous and amoral. Deities were considered far more knowledgeable than humans, and it was believed that they conversed in a language of their own. Their immortality, the defining marker of their godhood, meant that they ceased aging after growing to a certain point. In place of blood, their veins flowed with ichor, a substance which was a product of their diet, and conferred upon them their immortality. Divine power allowed the gods to intervene in mortal affairs in various ways: they could cause natural events such as rain, wind, the growing of crops, or epidemics, and were able to dictate the outcomes of complex human events, such as battles or political situations.
As ancient Greek religion was polytheistic, a multiplicity of gods were venerated by the same groups and individuals. The identity of a deity was demarcated primarily by their name, which could be accompanied by an epithet. Religious epithets could refer to specific functions of a god, to connections with other deities, or to a divinity's local forms. The Greeks honoured the gods by means of worship, as they believed deities were capable of bringing to their lives positive outcomes outside their own control. Greek cult, or religious practice, consisted of activities such as sacrifices, prayers, libations, festivals, and the building of temples. By the 8th century BC, most deities were honoured in sanctuaries, sacred areas which could include altars, temples, and dining rooms, and were typically dedicated to a single deity. Aspects of a god's cult such as the kinds of sacrifices made to them and the placement of their sanctuaries contributed to the distinct conception worshippers had of them.
In addition to a god's name and cult, their character was determined by their mythology and their iconography. A deity's mythology told of their deeds, which played a role in establishing their functions, and genealogically linked them to gods with similar functions. The most important works of mythology were the Homeric epics, including the Iliad, an account of a period of the Trojan War, and Hesiod's Theogony, which presented a genealogy of the pantheon. Myths known throughout Greece had different regional versions, which sometimes presented a distinct view of a god according to local concerns. Some myths attempted to explain the origins of certain cult practices, and some may have arisen from rituals. Artistic representations allow us to understand how deities were depicted over time, and works such as vase paintings sometimes substantially predate literary sources. Art contributed to how the Greeks conceived of the gods, and depictions would often assign deities certain symbols, such as the thunderbolt of Zeus or the trident of Poseidon.
The principal figures of the pantheon were the twelve Olympians, thought to live on Mount Olympus and to be connected as part of a family. Zeus was considered the chief god of the pantheon, though Athena and Apollo were honoured in a greater number of sanctuaries in major cities, and Dionysus is the deity who has received the most attention in modern scholarship. Beyond the central divinities of the pantheon, the Greek gods were numerous. Some parts of the natural world, such as the earth, sea, or Sun, were held as divine throughout Greece, while other natural deities, such as the various nymphs and river gods, were primarily of local significance. Personifications of abstract concepts appeared frequently in Greek art and poetry, though many were also venerated in cult, some as early as the 6th century BC. Groups or societies of deities could be purely mythological in importance, such as the Titans, or they could be the subject of substantial worship, such as the Muses or Charites.

Major deities in Greek religion

The following section is based upon Walter Burkert's Greek Religion, particularly his chapter "III: The Gods".

Twelve Olympians

The main deities of the Greek pantheon were the twelve Olympians. They were believed to reside on Mount Olympus, from which they derived their name, and were connected as part of a familial group which had Zeus at its head. This family included two generations: the first consisted of children of Cronus and Rhea - Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia - and the second consisted of children of Zeus - Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus. In myth, the Olympians were preceded by another group of gods, the Titans, who were supplanted by Zeus and the Olympian gods in a war known as the Titanomachy, after which Zeus became ruler of the gods.
In cult, the notion of the twelve gods is first attested in the latter half of the 6th century BC, when the Altar of the Twelve Gods was constructed in Athens. Around the same time, the Homeric Hymn to Hermes referred to the division of a sacrifice into twelve pieces, and in 484 BC the poet Pindar mentioned the honouring of twelve gods at Olympia. By the Classical period, this idea of twelve gods had become established. Although the Olympians were consistently considered twelve in number, the individual gods which comprised this group of twelve could differ by region; in particular, Hestia and Dionysus were sometimes excluded. Although Hades is the brother of the first-generation Olympians, he was not included among the twelve Olympians owing to his residency in the underworld. In addition to the canonical twelve Olympians, there were numerous other gods generally believed to live on Olympus.

Name	Image	Description
Aphrodite		The goddess of sexual love and beauty. In the Iliad she is the child of Zeus and Dione, while in Hesiod's Theogony she is born from the castrated genitals of Uranus. She was worshipped throughout the Hellenic world, and her most renowned cults were located on the island of Cyprus. Many scholars believe she was Near-Eastern in origin, and others argue she was derived from a Cypriot goddess who contained indigenous elements. In the Odyssey she is the wife of Hephaestus, though she fornicates with Ares, and the two are caught in sexual embrace by an invisible net crafted by her husband. Elsewhere in myth, she has affairs with mortals such as Adonis and Anchises, and provides help to mortal lovers while punishing those who spurn love. In art, she is portrayed from the 7th century BC as a robed figure, with various nude and semi-nude depictions being produced in the Hellenistic period. Her symbols include various birds, especially doves. Her Roman counterpart is Venus.
Apollo		The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. His various functions and associations include healing, music, archery and prophecy, and he has often been characterised as the "most Greek" of the gods. Apollo's cult existed across the Greek world, and was already dispersed by the beginning of the 7th century BC; it seems to have arrived during the Greek Dark Ages. In the 5th century BC, his worship was introduced to Rome, where he was revered primarily as a god of healing. In mythology, he slays the dragon Python, who guards an oracle of Themis at Delphi, before taking over the shrine for himself. He has numerous love affairs with nymphs and women such as Daphne and Cyrene, and with men such as Hyacinth, though he was often unsuccessful in his amorous pursuits. In art, he is depicted as a youth, usually without a beard, and is commonly portrayed as a lyre player or archer. From the 5th century BC, he was often equated with the Sun.
Ares		The god of war. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, and the lover of Aphrodite, by whom, in the Theogony, he is the father of Deimos, Phobos and Harmonia. His cult was fairly limited, with his temples located mostly on Crete and in the Peloponnese, and he often appeared alongside Aphrodite in cult. In the Iliad, he is depicted in a largely negative manner, as a brash and wild warrior; he supports the Trojan side of the war, and is frequently presented in opposition to Athena. In ancient art, he is depicted early on as a warrior, bearded and generally holding a spear and shield, though in the Classical period he can be found as a beardless and more youthful figure. His Roman counterpart is Mars.
Artemis		The daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. She presided over transitions, and was associated with hunting and the wild. Her cult was the most far-reaching of any goddess, and she governed female and male initiation rites. She was among the oldest of the Greek gods, and was closely linked with Anatolia. In Homeric epic, she is described as a talented hunter who traverses the Arcadian mountains, accompanied by a retinue of nymphs. She remains a young maiden and virgin indefinitely, and men who attempt to violate her chastity generally face severe consequences. She swiftly punishes mortals who display arrogance towards her or fail to honour her properly, and she is said to unexpectedly and suddenly kill mortal women. In art, she is often depicted as a hunter carrying a bow and arrow and wearing a dress, though from the 7th century BC there exist depictions of her as . Her Roman counterpart is Diana.
Athena		A daughter of Zeus, who is born from his head after he swallows her mother, Metis. She originated from a Minoan or Mycenaean goddess, and it is likely her name derives from that of Athens. Throughout Greece she was the foremost polis deity, and in poleis her temple was typically located on the citadel; the nexus of her worship was the Athenian Acropolis, upon which she had a temple by the 8th or 7th century BC. She is both a virgin goddess and a warrior, and is the patroness of all forms of craftsmanship. In mythology, she competes with Poseidon for the patronage of Athens, besting him by offering its inhabitants the olive tree. She provides aid to male heroes, helping figures such as Heracles, Perseus, and Bellerophon in their quests. In her earliest known artistic depictions, she wears a helmet and carries a spear and lance, and from around 600 BC can be found holding a shield adorned with a gorgoneion. Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.
Demeter		The goddess of agriculture. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the mother of Persephone by Zeus. She and her daughter were intimately connected in cult, and the two were honoured in the Thesmophoria festival, which included only women. Demeter presided over the growing of grain, and was responsible for the lives of married women. Her most important myth is that of her daughter's abduction, in which Persephone is stolen by Hades and taken into the underworld. Hearing her daughter's screams as she is taken, Demeter traverses the earth to look for her; local versions of the story tell of her interactions with mortals during the search. This myth, which first survives in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, was central to the Eleusinian Mysteries, the most ancient Greek mystery religion. In art, Demeter is typically depicted as a clothed figure, and her iconographic features include the polos, sheaf, and torch. Her Roman counterpart is Ceres.
Dionysus		The son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele. He is the "most versatile and elusive" Greek deity, and is the god who has received the greatest attention in modern scholarship. He is the god of wine, intoxication, and ecstasy, and is associated with theatre, eroticism, masks, and madness. His name is attested in Mycenaean Greece, and on Keos there is evidence of him being worshipped continuously from the 15th century BC. His cult was more far-reaching than that of any other Greek god. His festivals, which existed across the Greek world, often featured drunkenness and revelry; they included the Anthesteria, the Agrionia, the Rural Dionysia, and the City Dionysia. In myth, his pregnant mother dies upon seeing Zeus in the form in which he appears to Hera, with Zeus stitching the infant into his thigh, from which he is later born. He is accompanied by a retinue of satyrs, maenads, and silenoi, and is said to travel with his followers to locations such as Egypt and India. His artistic depictions are more numerous than those of any other god. Prior to 430 BC, he is portrayed as a bearded and clothed adult, often adorned with an animal skin, while later representations depict him as a beardless, effeminate youth.
Hephaestus		The god of fire and metalworking. He is the son of Hera, either on her own or by Zeus. He is non-Greek in origin, and his cult was probably imported from Anatolia. He was worshipped on the island of Lemnos, and more famously at Athens, where he was linked with Athena. In Homeric epic he is the smith of the gods, who produces creations such as the shield of Achilles; he has crippled feet, and is an outcast among the Olympians. He is said to be hurled from Olympus as an infant, either by Zeus or by Hera. His wife is either the unfaithful Aphrodite or Aglaea, one of the Charites. In art, he is depicted as wearing a pilos from the 5th century BC, and can be found holding an axe or hammer. His Roman counterpart is Vulcan.
Hera		The wife of Zeus, and the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She is strongly associated with marriage, and is the queen of the gods. She probably descended from a goddess who was worshipped in Mycenaean Greece. She had some of the oldest sanctuaries, which often contained immense temples, and her two most important locations of worship were the Heraion of Argos and the island of Samos. She was venerated in her role as the wife of Zeus, and as a city goddess. By her husband she is the mother of Ares, Hebe, and Eileithyia, and in myth she is a jealous wife who torments Zeus's mistresses and other children. In artistic depictions featuring groups, she can sometimes be distinguished as a figure in bride's attire, accompanying Zeus, and in scenes of she is portrayed as a matronly figure. Features of her depictions include clothing drawn around her head, the , the sceptre, and the pomegranate. Her Roman counterpart is Juno.
Hermes		The son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He is the messenger and herald of the gods, the god of boundaries and their crossing, and a trickster deity. He probably derives from a god of Mycenaean Greece, and the most ancient location of his cult was the region of Arcadia, where his worship was especially prevalent. His cult was spread throughout the Peloponnese, and was very old in Athens. He was closely linked with herms, and was the patron of shepherds, especially young men whose job was to protect crops from cattle. In myth, he steals the cattle of Apollo as a new-born, eventually receiving the herd from the god by gifting him the lyre, which he creates from a tortoise's shell. In art, his symbols include the caduceus and winged sandals; he usually has a beard prior to the 4th century BC, with beardless depictions later becoming more common. His Roman counterpart is Mercury.
Hestia		The goddess of the hearth. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her role in mythology is minimal, and she is never fully anthropomorphic. In cultic activity, she is always the deity who receives the first offering or prayer, and she was venerated in each city's communal hearth, or. She is a virgin goddess who forever retains her chastity, and rejects the advances of male deities such as Apollo and Poseidon. Her Roman counterpart is Vesta.
Poseidon		The god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades. He was an important deity in Mycenaean Greece, but through the archaic period his position receded. He had sanctuaries in many coastal locations, though he was also worshipped in inland areas, where he was associated with bodies of water such as pools and streams. His epithets include Hippios, 'Earth-Shaker', and 'Embracer of Earth'. In the Iliad, he and his brothers split the cosmos between themselves, with Poseidon receiving the sea. His wife is Amphitrite, with whom he lives beneath the sea, though he has affairs with numerous women, producing sometimes dangerous or monstrous children. From the 7th century BC, Corinthian votive tablets depict him with his trident and a diadem. In art, it can be difficult to tell him apart from Zeus, and only from the Hellenistic period is he found accompanied by marine life, in a chariot pulled by hippocampi. His Roman counterpart is Neptune.
Zeus		The chief god of the Greek pantheon. He is the king of the gods, and the most powerful deity. He is the son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and the husband of Hera. He is the only Greek god who is unquestionably Indo-European in origin, and he is attested in Mycenaean Greece. His cult existed from the Bronze Age, and was spread across the Greek world, with major temples in Olympia, Athens, and Acragas. His functions and domains are more varied than those of any other Greek god, and over 1000 of his epithets survive. According to Hesiod's Theogony, he attains his power by overthrowing his father and the other Titans in a ten-year war known as the Titanomachy. Through his many amorous encounters with mortal women, he is the father of heroes and progenitors of well-known family lines. Among his symbols are the thunderbolt, the sceptre, and the eagle. In art, from the 6th century BC onwards he is often shown sitting on a throne, or as an upright figure wielding a lightning bolt. His lusting after women is also frequently found on vase paintings of the 5th century BC. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter, also referred to as Jove.