The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον < δώδεκα, dōdeka, "twelve" + θεοί, theoi, "gods"), in Greek mythology, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. The first ancient reference of religious ceremonies for them is found in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes. The classical scheme of the Twelve Olympians (the Canonical Twelve of art and poetry) comprises the following gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus. The respective Roman scheme comprises the following gods: Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, Ceres, Mars, Minerva, Apollo, Diana, Vulcan, Venus, Mercury, and Bacchus.[1] Hades (Roman: Pluto) was not generally included in this list. He did not have a seat in the pantheon because he spent almost all of his time in the underworld. Also commonly seen among the twelve is Hestia (Roman: Vesta.) When Dionysus was offered a seat, the total number of Olympians became thirteen. Believing thirteen to be an unlucky number and wishing to avoid a fight, Hestia stepped down.
There was, however, a great deal of fluidity when it came to who was counted among their number in antiquity.[2] Around 400 BC Herodorus included in his Dodekatheon the following deities: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hermes, Athena, Apollo, Alpheus, Cronus, Rhea and the Charites.[3] Wilamowitz agrees with Herodorus' version of the Twelve.[4]
Herodotus includes Heracles as one of the Twelve.[5] Lucian also includes Heracles and Asclepius as members of the Twelve, without explaining which two had to give way for them. At Kos, Heracles and Dionysus are added to the Twelve, and Ares and Hephaestus are left behind.[6] However, Pindar, Apollodorus,[7] and Herodorus disagree with this. For them Heracles is not one of the Twelve Gods, but the one who established their cult.[3]
Plato connected the Twelve Olympians with the twelve months, and proposed that the final month be devoted to rites in honor of Pluto and the spirits of the dead, implying that he considered Hades to be one of the Twelve.[8] Hades is phased out in later groupings due to his chthonic associations.[9] In Phaedrus Plato aligns the Twelve with the Zodiac and would exclude Hestia from their rank.[10]
Hebe, Helios and Persephone are other important gods, goddesses, which are sometimes included in a group of twelve. Eros is often depicted alongside the other twelve, especially his mother Aphrodite, but is rarely considered one of the Olympians.
The Twelve Olympians gained their supremacy in the world of gods after Zeus led his siblings to victory in war with the Titans. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, the Charites, Heracles, Dionysus, Hebe, and Persephone were children of Zeus. Although some versions of the myths state that Hephaestus was born of Hera alone, and that Aphrodite was born of Ouranos.
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Contents
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Detail
Classical Olympians
| Greek Deities Series | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primordial deities | ||||||||||||
| Titans (predecessor deities) | ||||||||||||
| Greek sea gods | ||||||||||||
| Chthonic deities | ||||||||||||
| Muses (personified concepts) | ||||||||||||
| Other deities | ||||||||||||
| The Twelve Olympians | ||||||||||||
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| Greek Name | Roman Name | Statue | God(dess) Of... | Generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeus | Jupiter |  |
King of the Gods and ruler of Mount Olympus; god of the sky, and thunder. Son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Symbols are the lightning bolt, and a bull. When Kronos ate his kids, Zeus fed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine. Which made him throw up Zeus' siblings, and together they fought Kronos and threw him into tarturus. | First |
| Hera | Juno |  |
Queen of the Gods and of the heavens; goddess of marriage, and motherhood. Symbols are the peacock. Daughter of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Wife and sister of Zeus. | First |
| Poseidon | Neptune |  |
Lord of the Sea; god of the seas, earthquakes, created horses. Also called "Earth Shaker" and "Storm Bringer." Symbols include horses, a trident, and waves. Son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Brother of Zeus. | First |
| Demeter | Ceres |  |
Goddess of fertility, agriculture, nature, and the seasons. Daughter of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Sister of Zeus. Symbols include the apple tree. | First |
| Hades | Pluto | Lord of the dead, and god of the underworld and earthly light and wealth. Consort to Persephone. Symbols include the helm of darkness, a bident, and a skull. Son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea. Brother of Zeus. | First | |
| Aphrodite | Venus |  |
Goddess of love, beauty, and desire. Daughter of Zeus and Dione or, in other traditions, of Uranus. Symbols include the heart, and the kiss. | Second (or Pre-First) [A] |
| Apollo | Phoebus[B]/Apollo |  |
The Sun God; god of light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, archery and truth. Symbols include the bow, and the lyre. Artemis is his younger twin sister. Son of Zeus and Leto. | Second |
| Ares | Mars |  |
God of war, frenzy, hatred, and bloodshed.Symbols include the boar and the spear. Brother of Athena. Son of Zeus and Hera. | Second |
| Artemis | Diana |  |
Goddess of the hunt, of maidens, and the moon. Symbols include deer, and a crescent moon. Younger sister of Apollo, daughter of Zeus and Leto. | Second |
| Athena | Minerva |  |
Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and strategic battle. Symbols are an olive tree, and an owl. Daughter of Zeus (Said to have come out of his head in full body.) | Second |
| Hephaestus | Vulcan |  |
Blacksmith to the Gods; god of fire and the forges. Son of Zeus and Hera or, according to some traditions, of Hera alone. Hera threw him off of Olympus because he was crippled. | Second |
| Hermes | Mercury |  |
Messenger of the Gods; god of commerce, speed, thieves, and trade. Symbols include a caduceus. Son of Zeus and Maia. | Second |
- Notes
- A ^ According to an alternate version of her birth, Aphrodite was born of Ouranos, Zeus' grandfather, — after Cronus threw his castrated genitals into the sea. This supports the etymology of her name, "foam-born". As such, Aphrodite would belong to the same generation as Cronus, Zeus' father, and would technically be Zeus' great aunt. See the birth of Aphrodite
- B ^ Romans used to associate Phoebus to Helios and sun itself.[11][12] However, they also used the name legaced by the Greeks, Apollo.[13]
Other definitions
These are not included in the classical list of the Twelve Olympians, but they are sometimes included in other lists of the Twelve Olympians, as noted above.
- Alpheus – A river-god.
- Asclepius – God of medicine and healing.
- the Charites – Goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility.
- Kronos – Titan; father of Zeus.
- Dionysus – God of wine, parties, and merriment (became an Olympian when Hestia gave up her seat).
- Eros – God of lust and desire.
- Hebe – Goddess of youth, and cupbearer.
- Helios – Titan; Personification of the Sun.
- Heracles – Greatest hero of the Greek myths.
- Pan – God of the wild, shepherds, nature, and animals.
- Persephone – Goddess of the spring and death, daughter of Demeter.
- Rhea – Titaness; mother of Zeus.
Close to the Olympians
- Anemoi – Wind gods: Boreas (north wind), Notus (south), Zephyrus (west), Eurus (east).
- Bia – Personification of violence.
- Cratos – Personification of power.
- Dione – Mother of Aphrodite by Zeus.
- Eileithyia – Goddess of childbirth; daughter of Hera and Zeus.
- Eos – Personification of dawn.
- Eris – Goddess of discord.
- Ganymede – Cupbearer of the god's palace at Olympus.
- Hecate - Goddess of Magic and Witches
- Horae – Wardens of Olympus.
- Iris – Personification of the Rainbow, also the messenger of Olympus along with Hermes.
- Leto – Titaness; the mother of Apollo and Artemis.
- Morpheus – God of Dreams.
- Muses – Nine ladies of science and arts.
- Nemesis – Greek goddess of retribution and revenge.
- Nike – Goddess of victory.
- Paean – Universal healer.
- Perseus – Zeus' son, one of the greatest heroes in all of Greek mythology.
- Selene – Titaness; Personification of the Moon.
- Zelus – Emulation.
See also
- Ancient Greek religion
- Family tree of the Greek gods
- Greek mythology
- List of Greek mythological characters
- Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes
- Dii Consentes (its equivalent on the pantheon of Ancient Rome)
References
- ^ "Greek mythology". Encyclopedia Americana. 13. 1993. p. 431.
* "Dodekatheon" (in Greek). Papyros-Larousse-Britanicca. 2007. - ^ According to Stoll, Heinrich Wilhelm (translated by R. B. Paul) (1852). Handbook of the religion and mythology of the Greeks. Francis and John Rivington. pp. 8. "The limitation of their number [of the Olympians] to twelve seems to have been a comparatively modern idea"
- ^ a b "Dodekatheon" (in Greek). Papyros-Larousse-Britanicca. 2007.
- ^ Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, Ulrich von (1931–1932) (in Deutch). Der Glaube der Hellenen (Volume 1). Berlin: Weidmansche Buchhandlung. pp. 329.
- ^ Herodotus, The Histories, 2.43–44
- ^ Berger-Doer, Gratia (1986). "Dodekatheoi". Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae. 3. pp. 646–658.
- ^ Pindar, Olympian Odes, 10.49
- ^ Plato, The Laws, 828d-e
- ^ "Greek mythology". Encyclopedia Americana. 13. 1993. p. 431.
- ^
, Plato: Phaedrus, 246e-f - ^ North John A., Beard Mary, Price Simon R.F. "The Religions of Imperial Rome". Classical Mythology in English Literature: A Critical Anthology. (Cambridge University Press, 1998), p.259. ISBN 0-521-31682-0.
- ^ Hacklin, Joseph. "The Mythology of Persia". Asiatic Mythology (Asian Educational Services, 1994), p.38. ISBN 81-206-0920-4.
- ^ See, for example, Ovid's Met. I 441, 473, II 454, 543, 598, 612, 641, XII 585, XVIII 174, 715, 631, and others.
External links
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