The Greek Gods |
The Roman Equivalent |
Zeus - God of Thunder
The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and fate. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, whom he overthrew after Cronus swallowed his brothers and sisters and he is brother-husband to Hera. In artwork, he was depicted as a regal, mature man with a sturdy figure and dark beard. His usual attributes are the royal scepter and the lightning bolt, and his sacred animals are the eagle and the bull.
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Jupiter |
Poseidon - Master of the SeasThe god of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and the creator of horses; known as the "Earth Shaker". He is a son of Cronus and Rhea and brother to Zeus and Hades. In classical artwork, he was depicted as a mature man of sturdy build with a dark beard, and holding a trident. The horse and the dolphin are sacred to him.
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Neptune |
Hestia - Goddess of the HearthHestia was the virgin goddess of the hearth and the home. As the goddess of the family hearth she also presided over the cooking of bread and the preparation of the family meal. Hestia was also the goddess of the sacrificial flame and received a share of every sacrifice to the gods. In myth Hestia was the first born child of Kronos and Rhea who was swallowed by her father at birth along with four brothers and sisters. When Zeus later forced their father to disgorge his five siblings, Hestia, being the first swallowed, was the last to be disgorged, and so was named as both the eldest and youngest of the Olympians.
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Vesta |
Hephaestus - God of the ForgeCrippled god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry sculpture and volcanism. The son of Hera by asexual reproduction, he is the smith of the gods and the husband of the adulterous Aphrodite. He was usually depicted as a bearded man holding hammer and tongs—the tools of a smith—and riding a donkey. His symbols are the hammer, tongs, and anvil. His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane.
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Vulcan |
Ares - God of WarThe god of war, blood lust violence, manly courage, and civil order. The son of Zeus and Hera, he was depicted as either a mature, bearded warrior dressed in battle arms, or a nude beardless youth with helm and spear. His attributes are golden armor and a bronze-tipped spear. His sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, alligators, dogs, and boars.
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Mars |
Hermes - Messenger of the Gods & God of TravelThe god of travel, messengers, trade, thievery, cunning wiles, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry. He is the messenger of the gods, a psychopomp who leads the souls of the dead into Hades' realm, and the son of Zeus and Maia. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the herald's wand or caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap. His sacred animals are the tortoise, the ram, and the hawk.
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Mercury |
Apollo - God of the Sun, Poetry, & ArcheryThe god of music, healing, plague, the sun, prophecies, and poetry, ; associated with light, truth and the sun. He is Artemis' twin brother and Hermes' elder (half)brother, and son of Zeus and Leto. He was depicted as a handsome, beardless youth with long hair and various attributes including a laurel wreath, bow and quiver, raven, and lyre. Animals sacred to Apollo include: roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, and snakes.
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Apollo |
Artemis - Goddess of the HuntVirgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, childbirth and plague. In later times she became associated with the moon. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. In art she was usually depicted as a young woman dressed in a short knee-length chiton and equipped with a hunting bow and a quiver of arrows. In addition to the bow, her attributes include hunting spears, animal pelts, deer and other wild animals. Her sacred animals are deer, bears, and wild boars.
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Diana |