Hera

Hera is the Greek Goddess of Love and Marriage, and also known as the Queen of Heaven, wife of Zeus, King of Olympus. Hera was an extremely powerful Goddess in her own right even without Zeus. In honor of her great capacity to be a nurturing mother to the very world her very name translates as the Great Lady. The world galaxy derives from gala meaning mothers milk. Legend says that the Milky Way was created by milk spurting from Heras breasts causing the Milky Way to form, and on Earth wherever drops fell, large beautiful fields of lilies sprung forth. In Roman mythology Hera was worshipped as Juno, and they named the lovely month of June after her (June which just happens to be the most popular month for weddings). For her sacred animals Hera chose first the cow, both because of how much the cow nurtured people and its young but also to set a good example for the other Gods and Goddesses (Queens got to show her subjects how its done). However she also wanted not be too plain so she also chose the Peacock and the Lion to symbolize her luxury, beauty, and immortality (Girls got to look good too right?). The Goddess Hera was depicted as supporting women all through their life, and was one of the most important goddesses to women. Hera blessed and protected womens marriage, brought her fertility, and protected her children (which is kind of ironic considering how she attempted to slay all of Zeuss illegitimate children), and helped her financial security. Hera was the complete all encompassing goddess for women. Hera was considered amazingly beautiful, one of the most beautiful goddesses. It was this divine and ravishing beauty that attracted the eye of her future husband and brother, the playboy Zeus. Zeus was able to trick her into taking him and embracing him to her breast by changing himself into a very small pitiful, wounded and frightened bird (kind of a like a more skillful and convincing puppy dog eyes approach to picking up women). When Hera saw the bird she took pity on it and gave it a great big hug. It was during this hug that Zeus found his moment of opportunity. He went from bird to man in nothing flat, and attempted to have his way with her. However Hera was able to avoid him and resisted his advances until they were both married. This delay however may have increased Zeuss attraction and lust, for Zeus and Hera had the longest honeymoon ever known. It lasted 300 years! Suffice to say Zeus had help from the Greek God of virility Viagra. Throughout their marriage they would give birth to Ares, Hebe, Eris and Eileithyia. All of whom became very prominent Gods and Goddesses. Unfortunately after that honeymoon Zeus had gotten his fill and wanted something else on the menu. A notorious philandered; Zeus had numerous affairs, all of which infuriated Hera greatly. Hera felt betrayed and humiliated that Zeus would cheat on her (and so many times no less). Her pride as queen certainly did not help. To make matters even worse, Zeus doted on his illegitimate children more than his legitimate ones! At first Hera didnt notice. When Zeus went out on his adulterous affairs, he sent a nymph named Echo that would flatter Hera and say great things about her to distract her (now Zeus is a man who has a great comprehension of the female psyche). It worked for awhile, however Hera eventually found out, and first cursed Echo so she could only repeat the words of others said to her, and thats the etymology of the word echo. Despite Zeuss inability to keep it in his own toga, Hera did remain faithful and steadfast to Zeus. She also rarely punished Zeus for his affairs, rather she vented her fury and went psycho on the women that Zeus had the affairs with. In fact Hera is most famous for the ways in which she sought vengeance upon Zeuss many mistresses and their children. Some of these even include the famous Gods, Artemis and Apollo, and Dionysus. In one story Hera found out about an affair with the Queen of Libya, Lamia. As soon as she found out Hera

slew all of her children, which drove Lamia insane. Hera cursed her then with the inability to close her eyes so the image of her dead children would be forever engraved in her memory, Zeus took pity and gave her the abilities to remove and replace her eyes from her head at will. Eventually Lamia became a monster roaming the countryside. She envied mothers and their children and so she began eating children out of envy. It is unfortunate that none really remember Hera for her nurturing character and her steadfastness in adversity. Instead she is remembered for her vindictiveness and her vengeful episodes. Some say that this is a result of Homer, who casted a more negative portrayal of Hera, since he himself was a victim of a shrewish wife. Among the Greek Goddesses it is Hera shows us that there is good and bad, dark and light within all of us. That we experience joy and pain, happiness and anger, love and hate, all emotions that are inexorable in life.

Aphrodite
Never had there been such sensual beauty and impeccable taste, born of the sea foam created by the mutilation of Uranus by his son Kronos adorned in birth with pearls scallop shells and clams. A new era of love had been introduced! Henceforth there would be candlelit dinners, heart-rending arias in operas, high-heeled shoes and bright red lipstick (not to mention soap operas). Romance was here and planning to stay. A goddess so beautiful and divine, flowers sprang upon her every footstep. Goddess of Love and Beauty indeed. Every Greek god and goddess was dying to meet her. The Horae (Hours) welcomed her to step ashore and adorned her with the finest gold ornaments and cloth, then brought Aphrodite to Mount Olympus to present her to Zeus and the other gods and goddesses.

Zeus, in his infinite wisdom, instantly recognized the threat this beautiful goddess to the welfare of all of Olympus, with her extreme beauty that captivated any eye that saw it, she caused many fights in order to gain her much wanted attention. Zeus mandated she must be married at once (in an attempt to quell any conflicts over her) and awarded the goddess to his son, Hephaestus, god of the forge. It was pretty good for Hephaestus, who got hooked up with one of the most beautiful goddesses ever known, but not so much for Aphrodite who was stuck with. Hephaestus, the lame blacksmith, who wasnt the most attractive of men. However Hephaestus was a reliable and hardworking, and worked tediously to make his wife beautiful jewelry, including Aphrodites famous girdle, which made her even more beautiful and irresistible, which wasnt the greatest of ideas on Hephaestuss part. The Greek goddess Aphrodite however did not want to be stuck with plain Hephaestus all her life. Aphrodite was well renowned for her numerous love affairs shes had which resulted in many offspring by her various lovers. Her most notable lovers were the gods Ares, Dionysius, Hermes, Poseidon, and the mortal, Adonis. Except for a few occasions when he was overwhelmed with jealousy or resentment, Hephaestus seemed to accept this arrangement, happy to just have and hold her when he could. Indeed, their marriage seemed companionable, with little passion perhaps, but little conflict as well.

Aphrodite was seen as a Goddess who had but one purpose and her purpose was to make love. Her purpose was also her gift and was so special that no one seemed to resent it. While many other gods and goddesses were busy with their numerous divine duties, the goddess Aphrodites only duty was to bring love into the world! Its evident that many women were very envious of Aphrodites abounding beauty and her easy-going life, but none were resentful. She was seen as friendly, kind and even generous. She helped bring both deities and mortals to find true love, and even lent her beautiful girdle to the goddess Hera to try and prevent Zeus from cheating on Hera, lot of good that did, but its the thought that counts. Although Aphrodites various and numerous love affairs were accepted to a certain degree they still caused much trouble for her. One of Aphrodites closest lovers was Ares, and it was known to almost all of Olympia their

adulterous affair. Though usually very even-headed, Hephaestus was furious. Thus using his wit and his crafting skills he fashioned an unbreakable net and trapped the two lovers while they were in bed and dragged them to Olympia. Hephaestus demanded punishment but the Gods laughed and thought him foolish. In the end nothing was done and things went back to as they were before, and Hephaestus learned to accept Aphrodites adultery. Although Aphrodite was detached to many of her love affairs, one serious affair with the mortal Adonis caused great suffering on her part (mortality and immortality never mix well). When Adonis was killed by a wild boar (Adonis was a big hunting enthusiast), his cries were heard by Aphrodite and joined him at this side at his dying moments. She grieved deeply and cursed the Fates ordained his demise. In memorial to his love Aphrodite turned Adonis dripping blood into wildflowers.

Aphrodite's most famous son was Eros (also known as Cupid), the god of love, who helped her with her work. An archer, his job was to shoot arrows dipped in Aphrodite's love potion, hitting her unwitting victims, causing them to fall madly in love with the next person they saw, which in many cases created some of the greatest love stories in Greek mythology, however more often than not it caused great mischief and had broken up many respectable homes. The influence of the Greek goddess Aphrodite can be seen as generative, far beyond that of romance, love, or desire alone. She is associated with the life-giving sea. Just as the waves lapping on the shore refresh and renew the beach, Aphrodite brings us hope and the awareness of the transforming power of love and beauty.

Artemis
In Greek mythology Artemis (also known as the Roman goddess Diana) was the daughter of Zeus, the mighty ruler of the Olympian gods. After an affair and secretly impregnating Leto, Leto had to give birth to Artemis while being chased by the Python sent by Hera. Fortunately for Leto her first child, Artemis, was birthed without any pain. However Leto had twins so her labor continued, and as weak as she was the newborn Artemis quickly took the roll as midwife and helped birth her twin brother Apollo. You could say that, of all the Greek goddesses, the goddess Artemis was literally born to serve as a nurturer and protector! It looks like though both twins had young knacks for things. On her birthday Artemis asked for six wishes from Zeus, his father. These wishes were. 1. To be able to live life chaste. 2. To be able to be a lifelong bachelorette and never marry. 3. A bow and arrow like that of Artemiss 4. Hunting dogs to assist her hunting. 5. Stags to lead her chariot. 6. And 80 virgin nymphs to be her hunting companions. Zeus was amused by wishes and being the good father granted her each wish she asked for. Artemis would never marry, and would be chaste for all eternity. She roamed with her hunting dogs, nymphs, and her stags, hunting all throughout the mountains where she resided. Artemis was very protective of the chastity of her nymphs and was angered when they didnt keep their purity. In the case of Callisto, Zeus had disguised himself as Artemis and took advantage and impregnated Callisto, Artemis was furious that she was no longer chaste and blamed her loss of purity on her. Artemis then immediately irrevocably turned her into a bear. However before Artemis killed Callisto in bear form Zeus intervened turning Callisto into constellation in the stars, as Callisto the Bear, also known as Ursa Major. The Greek goddess Artemis was frequently called upon to nurture her needy and somewhat ineffectual mother. Many times she came to the aid of her mother healing her from sickness. Artemis very naturally became the patron saint of childbirth, the protector of children, and the goddess who especially heard the appeals of women. Helping women in childbirth by relieving them of the pain they suffer on several occasions. . Artemis is unsurprisingly associated with the wilderness and the natural world. She symbolizes the untamed spirit, never being tied down by things such as love, being the eternal huntress of the forests. The Greek goddess Artemis was famous for her hunting skills, especially with her bow and

arrow. She had unerring aim that never missed her target. She was a very able hunter taking down some of the most terrifying beasts with ease and grace. Artemis was also very protective of the animals in her domain. Once the King Agamemnon slaughtered one of Artemiss sacred stags and boasted that he was a superior hunter to Artemis. In vengeance while Agamemnon and his forces were sailing to Troy for the Trojan War Artemis becalmed the ships so they were stuck in the middle of the sea with no wind. Artemis then demanded Agamemnon sacrifice his daughter and then Artemis would restore the wind. In the end Artemis herself swaps the sacrifice of Artemis was a goddess very comfortable with her female companions and rarely ever had male companions excepting her twin brother. She often bathed and danced with her nymphs and womanly companions. Once the hunter Actaeon saw Artemis bathing with her nymphs and was paralyzed in wonderment staring at all the women bathing in the river. Artemis was none too pleased at the peeping tom and so she turned him into a stag and made his own dogs attack and kill him. Artemis never had any love affairs, but one. That was with the mortal Orion. Artemis was in love with Orion. However, upset that his sister's time and attentions had been diverted away from him, the God Apollo, her twin, became very jealous. So when Orion was swimming far into the ocean Apollo made a wager with Artemis that she couldnt hit the floating object on the horizon. Artemis being the prideful archer she was took the wager gladly and proudly drew her bow and shot the object on the horizon winning the wager. However once she won she realized that the floating object was actually her only lover Orion. In her great grief the Goddess Artemis turned Orion into various stars and shot him into the night sky, making him a constellation in the night sky forevermore. The Greek goddess Artemis was often associated with the moon, especially the crescent or "new" moon. Phoebe was one of the many names she was called. The name Phoebe means the "light one" or "bright one". Artemis "Goddess of Light" had the divine duty of illuminating the darkness. Artemis was often depicted carrying a candle or torch, lighting the way for others, leading them through territories yet uncharted. In Greek mythology Artemis, despite her "wildness" (her refusal to conform to conventional ways or tradition) and her fierce independence, was depicted as one of the compassionate, healing goddesses. Of all the Greek goddesses, she was the most self-sufficient, living life on her own terms, comfortable both in solitude and in holding the reins of leadership. The Greek goddess Artemis gives us courage. Like her counterpart, the Roman goddess Diana, she illuminates those places that terrify us and lends us her strength to bring us safely through our fears.

Apollo
Apollo, Greek god of the Sun, was the original overachiever. No wonder he became his father's favorite son! At the tender age of 4 days, showing an incredible talent for archery, Apollo killed the gigantic serpent named Python (in some myths she was a dragon) who had been harassing his mother. The Greek god Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born to Leto (a Titan goddess who was impregnated by Zeus during one of his numerous affairs. The birth of the twins was not an easy one, for their poor mother Leto had been pursued throughout her pregnancy by a gigantic serpent named Python and had never been allowed a moments rest. Going into labor, she finally found a safe, secluded spot where she could deliver. But after the birth of the first twin, Artemis, was born, Leto was too exhausted to continue. Artemis, born just minutes earlier, had to take control of the situation and become Letos midwife, helping her mother safely deliver the infant Apollo. Zeus welcomed the twins by giving them both silver bows and arrows, promising Artemis she would never have to marry unless she wanted to, and giving Apollo a magnificent golden chariot that was pulled by swans. Apollo was destined to make his father proud of him. Following his dramatic debut with the Python, he went on to become, not only an unerring archer, but the best musician (playing a lyre given to him by his half-brother Hermes), poet, philosopher, law maker and creator of legal institutions, a masterful physician, the god of prophecy, and a great scholar who always spoke the truth. Apollos skill and determination were evident at a very early age. When he was only 4 days old, he took his bow and arrow and went out in search of the snake that had tormented his mother during her pregnancy. Finding the snake named Python, who was said to measure several acres in length; he wounded her with his first shot. The serpent crawled back to her cave in the city of Delphi, but the infant Apollo followed her and this time succeeded in killing the snake with his second shot. The citizens of Delphi were glad to be rid of her and were grateful to Apollo - later Delphi was established as the center of Apollos worship. As it happened this was not just a regular snake that Apollo had killed - it turns out that it happened to be the famed Oracle of Delphi, the greatest prophet of all time. The Python lived in the cave and could answer any question since she could see anything in the present or the future. When she answered a question, her hiss would be interpreted by the Pythian priestess and the answer relayed to the questioner. The killing of the Python was no small matter. Though very proud of his sons courage and prowess, Zeus was not pleased that Apollo had killed the serpent. Where could he go now when he needed advice based on her remarkable foresight? Not a problem, Apollo assured him, and returned to Delphi where he took over the Temple and persuaded the priestess to teach him the art of prophecy.

Zeus, even though he favored this child, felt Apollo should still be punished for killing the Python, just to teach him a lesson. So he exiled him to live and work on earth as a mortal for one year. His assignment was to assist King Admetus, a kind and pious man who treated Apollo well. At the end of his year of servitude, to repay the kings kindness, he looked into the future and told the king his fate, warning him that he could reverse it if he could find someone willing to die in his place. Only his wife was willing, and the king regretted allowing her to sacrifice her life for him. Later the hero Heracles (Hercules) was able, however, to restore her life. It was said that Apollo could only speak the truth, telling the future with an accuracy that was as unerring as his marksmanship with his arrows. Arrows featured largely in the story of Apollos first love. He caught the somewhat bratty young Eros (Cupid) playing with his silver bow and arrows. He chastised Eros, telling him to put them down that they were not toys. Offended, Eros cheerfully responded OK, you can have some of mine then theyre not toys either! and shot Apollo with one of his golden arrows that had been dipped in an aphrodisiac that made the victim fall madly in love with the first person they saw. At that very moment, Daphne, the lovely daughter of a river god, came walking by. Apollo was instantly smitten. With a wicked smile on his lips, the mischievous Eros drew a second arrow from his quiver. This one was made of lead and tipped with a potion that would make love seem repulsive. He took aim and shot Daphne with it. Daphne ran home and begged her father to swear an oath that she would never have to marry, so repugnant was the very idea of love. Apollo, his heart inflamed with love, pursued Daphne, calling out his pledges of undying love - but she continued to run from him. Horrified when he finally caught up with her, Daphne cried for Mother Earth to strike her dead or change her form so that she would not be appealing and would not have to endure his love. Instantly she turned into laurel tree. Apollo, heartbroken, tore off a branch of leaves and wove them in his hair, promising Daphne that she would be forever remembered, living on in the wreaths of laurel leaves that would be used to crown kings and victors from that day forward. And so it would be. Like several of the Greek gods of his generation, Apollo never married, but seduced many young goddesses and mortal women. In the hopes of winning her love, Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy. She proved an able student and, like him, learned to see the future and always told the truth. Shocked when he suddenly turned amorous, ready to be repaid for his favor, Cassandra rejected him. Angered by this, Apollo gave her another gift - this one a curse that even though she always told the truth no one would ever believe her. Among his many lovers, several were males; the most famous, perhaps, being Hyacinthus, whom he accidentally killed in a game of discus. To express his sorrow, Apollo immortalized the dying youth by turning him in the beautiful flower, the hyacinth that greets us each spring. For all his bright and shining qualities, Apollo could also be quite vindictive. Always close to his twin sister, both were known for their skill as archers, their energetic pursuit of their goals, and their swift and merciless punishment of those whose behavior they found insulting or offensive. When Niobe boasted that she was a better mother than Leto since she had produced six sons and six daughters instead of just a measly set of twins, Apollo and Artemis took offense. Taking their bows and arrows with them, they found Niobes children and Apollo killed the sons while Artemis dispatched the daughters. Niobes grief was so great that her tears caused the rivers to overflow their banks.

Apollo also had a jealous streak. When Artemis fell in love with the hunter Orion, Apollo missed her company and affection. Aware that Orion was swimming in the ocean, Apollo ran to find Artemis and gathering up their bows and arrows, rushed down to the beach with her. Pointing to Orions head, barely visible on the horizon, Apollo said, See that shiny thing bobbing in the waves? Bet you cant hit that! Artemis, a fierce competitor and exceptional archer accepted the wager. With her unerring aim, she unknowingly killed the man she loved. She never loved again. For the most part Apollo was rather calm and dispassionate, but there seemed to be three things that could set him off. One, as we have seen already, was any offense or insult to his beloved mother. Another was any violation of the boundaries between the gods and mortal men. Alone among the Olympian deities, Apollo never sponsored or helped any of the Greek heroes because he felt that they should know their place and stay out of the gods affairs. And Apollo did not take kindly to any challenges to his position as the very best at everything he did. He was, by the way, the champion in many fields - music, science, and prophecy. According to mythology, he was even able to defeat Ares and boxing and Hermes in racing to win those events at the first Olympic games! It is a good thing that Apollo usually won, for he was far from being a good loser. His opponents were often punished for winning. He literally took the skin off a satyr named Marsyus who had the audacity to beat him in a music competition. But usually his punishments were moderate, and sometimes they even revealed a sense of humor. When King Midas voted for his competitor in a musical competition, Apollo gave him the ears of a jackass. The embarrassed king had to wear a cap over his ears for the rest of his life! Apollo is usually depicted as a handsome, beardless youth wearing a wreath of laurel leaves and holding his bow, or a lyre, his favorite musical instrument. You can read the intriguing story of how Apollo came to play the lyre in the stories of Hermes. Although most of the myths of Apollo feature him in action, he was actually known more for his achievements than his acts and was seldom embroiled in the continuous quarrels and unfolding dramas that constituted life on Mount Olympus. Somewhat detached from the others, Apollo was often away when things were happening, of simply uninvolved. Perhaps he did learn his lesson as Zeus had hoped, although it took a second exile before he got the message. After he returned from his first exile, Apollo took part in a plot by the Olympians, led by Poseidon, to overthrow Zeus reign as their ruler. All the gods and goddesses agreed that something had to change, that Zeus was proving to be too arrogant and heavy-handed. The attempted coup failed, but Zeus did try to do better from then on and was quite lenient in punishing all of them. Poseidon and Apollo were both sentenced to one year of manual labor, to be served on earth helping build the walls around Troy while disguised as ordinary mortals. They served their sentences without complaint, but when the King of Troy refused to honor his contract and pay them for their work, the angry Poseidon sent a horrible sea monster and Apollo caused a plague to rain down on the city of Troy. Soon the bodies of the dead and dying were stacked as high as the great wall around the city. The king relented and paid his debt. Just as he could summon a plague, Apollo was also called upon to prevent and cure all manner of illness for he was a healer of great knowledge and skill.

The favorite son of Zeus, Apollo had a favorite son himself. He was once in love with Coronis. She was pregnant with his child, but Apollo was fearful that she might take another lover during one of his frequent absences. So Apollo dispatched a white raven to spy on her for him. When the raven reported that she had betrayed his trust, he was displeased and turned the ravens feathers black. Then he killed Coronis, but suddenly regretting it, he saved the unborn child. Naming him Asclepius, he reared the child himself and trained him in the healing arts. Asclepius became a famous physician and is generally considered to be the Father of Modern Medicine. Indeed, his skill was so great that, after he restored life to one of his patients who had died, Zeus had to kill him since only the Fates were allowed to determine whether someone lived or died. Apollo was a god who had a clear idea of what was right and what was wrong. He believed strongly in law and order. He interpreted the law for mortals and gave the cities their legal institutions, including civic courts so that disputes could be settled without bloodshed. Uncomfortable as Apollo was with chaos and tumult, or even passionate intensity, he was an idealist with a vision of a society that could live peacefully under the rule of fairness and of law. It is from the Greek god Apollo that we get the sayings "Know thyself" and the call to moderation in all things, the Golden Mean, reminding us to do "nothing in excess". Driving his golden chariot to pull the sun across the sky each day, Apollos most important role was that of Helios, Greek god of the sun, his golden light brightening the lives of all it touched. Apollo was a favorite of the people of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is an immense statue of the Greek god Apollo (as Helios Apollo). In ancient times, the citizens of Rhodes would cast a chariot and four horses into the sea each year as a tribute or gift to him, presumably to allow him to replace last year's model and continue to make his grand journey across the sky each day in style. The Symbols of the Greek God Apollo * Silver bow and arrow * Swans * Wolves * Raven * Laurel * Snakes * Gold * Flute * Grasshoppers

Ares
Ares was the child of Hera and Zeus, born of an immaculate conception. You see Hera was rather jealous of Zeus who was able to conceive a child, Dionysus, by putting the child into his thigh after the mother died. Hera took a magical herb that allowed her to have a child immaculately, this child was Ares.

Zeus because he was not actually the father of Ares (no one was really) was not one to excessively dote upon infant Ares. He was rather negligent. Once during infancy Ares had been abducted by two giants, known as the Aloadai, and they had trapped him in a gigantic bronze jar, to never release him. Zeus however paid little attention. It was in the end the Aloadai mother who discovered the truth and told Hermes who assisted releasing Ares from the bronze jar.

Seeing the unsafe environment for Ares (being trapped in bronze jars for several years is not the best toddler care), Hera decided to move Ares somewhere else safer, thus she chose Priapus, who trained and raised Ares until he was a fully grown man.

Ares the God of War had one main adversary, his sister Athena, who was also a deity of warfare. Though they were both deities of warfare they represented different aspects of war itself. Ares was the God of war and bloodlust; he represented the primal nature of war, its brutality, and its violence. He fought just on instinct and his own rage and personal fury he had, and fought primarily for the sake of fighting. However on the opposite spectrum was Athena the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare. Her warfare was the tactical warfare that calculated each move carefully with strategic strikes in order to get the job done. As can be seen brother and sister were very different, and from this vast difference many conflicts arose.

Ares among the Greek peoples was least favored because of his brutal nature. He was seen as a mercenary of sorts, filled with rage and lust for blood. He was seen as unappeasable and fickle, supporting one side at one time, but changing sides at another time, just so he could shed blood and cause war.

Ares also had quite the interesting love life. Though he was never married, he had several relationships. Plus all of these relationships were never one night stands, as many of these were somewhat committed relationships, relationships that bore him several children. Also much unlike numerous other gods, Ares did not use deceit or trickery in order to attain his love affairs. He never abducted, raped, or tricked a woman for his love.

Ares most famous and most long-term love affair was with the goddess of beauty Aphrodite. Even though Aphrodite was already married to Hepheastus, she saw much of the handsome Ares (a big improvement from the blacksmith Hepheastus who is considered very ugly). From their relationship

they had several children, including Harmonia who would grow up to become the fearless leader and mother of a tribe of fearsome warrior women, the Amazonians.

Not surprisingly Ares was very well known for the many conflicts he was embroiled in. During the Trojan War Ares joined the war on the side of the Trojans against the Greeks as a show of support for Aphrodite. Although this may have gotten him brownie points with Aphrodite the other Olympians were none too pleased, as most supported the Greeks. In battle he charged Athena who had been taunting him during the battle. During his advance Athena picked a large stone and flung it at Ares stopping his advance and knocking him unconscious. During the same Trojan War, Athena was able to convince a Greek soldier to wound Aries. With the help of Athena he did and wounded Ares. In pain and rage Ares bellowed loudly, so loudly that the earth itself shook at his voice. He tried to complain to Zeus (yes he went crying to daddy), but Zeus refused to acknowledge his complaints.

In another conflict Ares went to the aid of one of his fellow Olympians surprisingly enough. This was the case of King Sisyphus. He found out that King Sisyphus was holding Hades the God of the underworld, and Ares decided to come to his rescue. Ares went and administered heavy threats to Sisyphus including decapitation if he didnt relent Hadess captivity. Sisyphus in fear did release Hades. Hey you would be afraid too if the God of bloodlust and war was threatening you.

Although Ares was disliked by many peoples, and there were many other Olympians favored more than him, he still had plenty of followers. However many of these followers were, unfortunately, not so morally upright (and in some cases just crazy) minor deities and mortals, several of which included his own sons.

In battle he rode with two of his sons, who were minor deities themselves. One was Phobos who represented fear, and Daemons who represented Panic.

Also Ares was viciously protective of many of his numerous children, propelling him into various conflicts to defend them; however many of these instances led Ares to join into battles that he could not win.

When one of his sons was killed during the Trojan War, Ares, leapt onto the battlefield, defying Zeus' orders that the gods and goddesses not take part in the battle. In another case, Ares son Cygnus was a thief who attacked travelers on certain roads, killed them and took their bones from the bodies. What was he using the bones for? He wanted to create a gigantic temple in honor of his father made completely of human bones, thats a little gruesome. However Cygnus had the great misfortune of messing with one traveler that he really should not have, Heracles. When he tried to attack Heracles, obviously Heracles fought back, and when Ares saw this he jumped to the defense of his son Cygnus. However Heracles was far stronger than both of them, he easily killed Cygnus and he deeply wounded Ares. And Ares wasnt sexist; he was equally defensive with his daughters as well. Once one of Poseidons also numerous sons attempted to rape Ares daughter Alcippe. When Ares saw this he promptly

stopped him and brutally killed him. Poseidon was furious and demanded he be put on trials with the twelve Olympians presiding over the case. This lead to the first murder trial in recorded history. The hill, which was in Athens, was appropriately named Aeropagus (Ares Hill). At the end of the trial Ares was acquitted of all his charges.

Athena
Athena, goddess of wisdom, was one of the only three Goddesses who would remain a virgin goddess, never marrying, nor falling to prey to love or the spells of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Romance is never featured in Athenas mythology and one could she say shes the archetypal business woman.

Now the way it all started for Athena, the manner in which she was born, was truly amazing. Zeus once lay with the woman Metis. However there was a prophecy that any child born from Metis would surpass Zeus and even usurp him. Zeus fearful of the prophecy swallowed Metis (perhaps not the greatest way to solve his problems, though probably the most expedient at the time) whole trying to prevent the birth of a child, however Metis was already pregnant at the time, and while she was inside the stomach of Zeus her child grew. Eventually Zeus was hit with an enormous headache. Eventually his headache became extremely unbearable and he could no longer take the pain he was in. He asked for the help of Hermes, messenger of the Gods, who struck his forehead the Labrys, a double-headed Minoan axe. When Hermes split open Zeuss head Athena sprung forth from his forehead fully grown and fully clothed and armed. An unconventional birth indeed! Zeus loved Athena dearly. Not only was he glad that Athena was not the prophesized son that would lead to his demise, but Athena was also the Goddess of Wisdom. Subsequently Zeus shared with Athena many of his secrets and even sought her advice frequently. She served as Zeuss prime advisor. Zeus even let her use his lightning bolt and the Aegis, a magical sheepskin that endowed the wearer with invincibility! Thats a big deal; he probably loved those bolts and that Aegis more than he did his wife.

As said before Athena was a virgin goddess. She never married, and she never had a lover, and subsequently she had no blood children. However she did have a child she treated as her own. Once Hephaestus, God of smithing, attempted to rape Athena, however he was unsuccessful as she was able to evade him. Instead his seed fell upon the Earth and impregnated Gaia. From the impregnation was born Erichthonius. Athena found Erichthonius and treated him as her own child nurturing him. She first entrusted him to the daughters Kekprops, concealing him inside a box and forbid the daughters from opening the chest that contained her son. However the white-feathered crow came and convinced the daughters to open the chest. Athena punished the daughters for their defying a divine order, driving them mad, leading them to their death by jumping off a cliff, and for the crow Athena turned its beautiful white feathers into the black feathers it has today. Subsequently Athena took Erichthonius back into her own hands eventually he would grow to become king of Athens, a rule where he was frequently advised and protected by Athena. One of Athenas many roles was Goddess of War. She was opposite her brother, Ares who was also a deity of war. Her war was the war of strategy and cool logic, must different from Ares war of bloodlust and violence.

In fact Athena did what she could to prevent war. Such as in the case of the Trojan War. When the war broke out Athena descended upon the battle site, and made each side swear an oath to keep peace and not attack the other side. Despite her efforts Pandaros, in great cowardice, let loose an

arrow, which sparked the battle and the war. Athena was angry and so joined the Greeks, which in the end allowed the Greeks to claim victory in the war. One of her many great ideas were the use of the Trojan horse, which was a decisive maneuver that helped consolidate victory.

Athena stratagem in battles was so impeccable and effective that Nike, Goddess of Winged Victory, would follow Athena into battle regardless, since Athena, Goddess of wisdom, never lost a battle.. ever. Athena also had extraordinary courage. She was a goddess who refused to back down from even the most frightening of situations. When Gaia had created the monster Typhon, and it started its rampage towards Olympus, all of the Gods and Goddesses cowered in fear and fled. That is all but Athena, she stayed behind. She was also disgusted by the actions of the other Gods Generally Athena is depicted holding a spear adorning a golden helmet upon her forehead, so basically in attack position. However despite her very warrior-like appearance, Athena was much better known for her role as judge, diplomat, mediator, and advisor than a warrior. She was considered extremely fair and compassionate in all her judgments and her advice.

As a wise advisory many gods, goddesses and heroes sought her amazing advice, and many times she even sought and helped others with her advice, giving them not only advice but also protection, and the ability to win seemingly impossible tasks.

In one case she helped Odysseus the hero of the Trojan War. Odysseus won favor with Athena with his intelligence and shrewd nature. She, throughout the epic, implants thoughts and ideas in his head that help his adventure, even descending to Earth when he washes ashore on Nausicaa and instructed the princess to aide him. Even later she appeared to him before he entered the capital where his wife Penelope resided. She tries to convince him that Penelope thinks him dead and has remarried, however Odysseus is able to see through her guise. Athena impressed, disguises Odysseus as a beggar so he might enter undetected and gives him the help and advice he needed to kill his wifes suitors and become king again.

Similarly Athena also championed the causes of Heracles, the demigod and hero of Greece. She helped him repeatedly throughout his labors, giving him the insight to know to kill the Nemean Lion by using its own claws to pierce its unbreakable hide. She also assisted in his killing of the Stymphalian Birds and helped him navigate the underworld so he could finally capture Cerberus and complete his twelve labors.

Not only was Athena wise beyond any other god or goddess known. Her decisions were also considered highly fair, and she was known for her great compassion in her decision making. In the case of the man called Tiresias, Tiresias accidentally fell upon a lake where he saw a woman bathing. In most cases he wouldve been thanking the gods and goddesses for his bountiful luck, however in this case he found extremely bad luck, because the woman he found bathing was the Goddess Athena! Most goddesses would have instinctively cast death upon the individual, for such an offense the punishment was death. However Athena was compassionate and spared him from death. Rather she blinded him and simultaneously gave him the power of prophecy. Tiresias, because of Athenas help, became one of the most renowned prophets in all of Greece.

Being as she was calm cool and collected Athena almost never got furious, and was renowned for her almost constant calm. However there is one case where Athena became enraged and did things

really not like her. In the story of Arachne, Arachne, the mortal woman, challenged Athena to weaving contest, to see if her weaving was better than the goddess herself. Once the challenge was over Athena very calmly assessed her weaving as well as that of Arachne and deemed them equal in skill as well as beauty. However it wasnt with the tie that Athena became enraged about. However what did enrage Athena were the depictions in Arachnes weavings. In her weavings, Arachne depicted the various adulterous affairs of Zeus, Athenas father. Angry and livid that Arachne would be so arrogant to mock the God Zeus himself, Athena chased her down after tearing her tapestry into shreds, and when she finally caught up she forced Arachne to hang herself. After Arachne hung herself Athena realized she shouldnt have lost her cool, and took pity on her. She turned Arachne into a spider and let her live on, allowing her to weave her beautiful webs for eternity.

She also punished those properly who committed acts of Hubris towards the Gods. She found their vanity displeasing and wrought divine judgment upon any mortal who decided that they were better than the immortal Gods and Goddesses, a judgment fitting to their sacrilegious boast. Such was the fate of Medusa. Medusa was once a nymph whose beauty was of grand renown. Men flocked simply to gaze upon her amazing beauty. Of course all this attention eventually got to her head; she began to become a little arrogant. In her arrogance she even claimed that she was even more beautiful than the Goddess Athena. Now Athena didnt take this claim very well, not to mention the fact that Medusa just committed sacrilege. It was said that Medusa was most proud of her beautiful hair more than anything else. Thus Athena turned Medusa into a monstrous gorgon, also turning her beautiful hair into a nest of deadly snakes. Medusas curse made it so that any man who gazed at her face would be turned into stone (I guess she had stone cold good looks now). This petrifying gaze prevented any man from ever admiring her beauty ever again. Warcraft and advisory were not Athenas only talents. Athena was also a renowned artisan and subsequently was known as Goddess of Crafts. People celebrated Athena as the patron goddess of weavers, potters, goldsmiths, sculptors, musicians, and horsemen.

It was said that Athena had invented the musical instrument the flute. Made out of deer bones, Athena constructed and crafted this fine musical instrument with great precision and skill. When she finished she played her instrument, and was proud of herself for having created such an amazing instrument. She immediately went to one of the banquets for the Gods and Goddesses, where she played the flute for the guests. However when she played Hera and Aphrodite simply laughed at her, specifically they laughed at the way her cheeks puffed up when she played the flute. Disappointed Athena went to a nearby fountain and gazed into the fountain and played the flute and saw what they were talking about. She found that her performance of the flute indeed made her look ugly, and so she threw away the flute in disgust, so much for her amazing invention. She also put a curse on the flute saying that whoever picked up the flute would have misfortune befall up on them. Marsyas would be the one to find the flute, and he would eventually challenge Apollo to a musical challenge which Apollo won, and upon victory he flayed Marsyas alive (now not only do his cheeks look puffy but he doesnt have any skin, thats two strikes for the flute). People credit Athena with the invention of the yoke, the bridle, the first sailing ship, and the trumpet.

More than any other of the Greek goddesses, Athena is the embodiment of modernism and civilization, with her reasoning, logic, applicable knowledge, and bountiful wisdom. Athena is the reminder to people that wit, intellect, and creativity can be used to solve and problem and achieve any goal.

Demeter
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. Her cult titles include Sito (wheat) as the giver of food or corn/grain and Thesmophoros (thesmos: divine order, unwritten law) as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society. Though Demeter is often described simply as the goddess of the harvest, she presided also over the sanctity of marriage, the sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon. In the Linear B Mycenean Greek tablets of circa 1400-1200 BC found at Pylos, the "two mistresses and the king" are identified with Demeter, Persephone and Poseidon. Her Roman equivalent is Ceres. She taught nomadic mankind how to plough the fields and settle down, thus making civilization possible. Very popular with the rural folk. The daughter of Cronus and Rhea, she was rather beautiful and the object of many Gods' affections. But she had a liaison with a mortal prince called Iasion by whom she had two children; Plutus, who went on to do well from a financial point of view, and Philomenus who either went on the wagon or invented it. Zeus, who'd admired Demeter from afar, was not happy. When Demeter sloped off at a Godly Wedding to begin the fling thing, he flung a furious thunderbolt where Iasion happened to be standing. But before Zeus could take advantage, the equally horny Poseidon leapt in. To escape, Demeter changed into a mare and hid in the herd of King Oncus. But Poseidon changed into a stallion and she didn't resist. The result was Arion, a little horse who could speak and had feet. There was also a daughter named Sedpoena, who became something of an Eleusinian mystery. Jealous Zeus could stand it no longer and managed to pin Demeter down for a liason of his own. A daughter was duly born, the beautiful Persephone. Now it was the turn of Hades to be jealous. One day while Persephone was playing, the Earth swallowed her up. When Demeter found her daughter missing she became demented. Tearing her hair, she ran round in the dark with flaming torches, but could shed no light on what had happened. Then Helios, the Sun God and right old nosy parker, had a quick word in Demeter's ear. He'd seen everything and told her that Persephone was now the consort of Hades in the Underworld. Weeping and wailing, Demeter wandered far and wide. She refused to send as much as a postcard to the Gods and in her absence crops became crestfallen, wheat withered and livestock limped to a breeding halt. The Gods gnawed their fingers and beseeched her to return. But she refused to capitulate unless she could see her daughter. One day she stopped for a breather on the palace steps of kindly King Celeus of Eleusis, who, not realising who she was, employed the poor miserable creature as a nurse and didn't ask for references. Now who should be serving in the palace as a skivvy but Iambe, the saucy daughter of Pan and Echo. Her unflagging sense of humor managed to make Demeter laugh at last.

Demeter tended to Demophon, the son of King Celeus and Metaneira, who were amazed at how bonny the child became and were even more amazed when they found Demeter about to wrap him in flames. She tried to explain this was only to make the child immortal but they were not convinced until she turned on a bit of radiance and revealed her Godliness. Thereupon she was held in great esteem and installed in her own temple at Eleusis. Here she started her very own Secret Society and Mystery Club. It's no good asking about it. Nobody knows. Not even Helios managed to peep through the keyhole. She taught Triptolemus, the eldest son of Celeus, to plough and sow and harvest, and gave him air miles vouchers for dragon-powered chariots to spread the news. Meanwhile, the starving Zeus sent Hermes to the Underworld for negotiations with Hades and Persephone. A mother and daughter meeting was agreed, but Hades had a trick in hand. Because Persephone had eaten the mystic Underworld pomegranates, she was tied to the realm of death. But a deal was struck and she was allowed out for half the year. Demeter was so pleased to see her that flowers bloomed and summer was born. But when Persephone was summoned back to Hades six months later, Demeter became very depressed. Leaves fell off the trees and along came the first winter. And it's been that way each year ever since.

Hades
Hades, like his brothers and sisters, was swallowed at birth by his father, the Titan ruler Cronus, to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy that one of his offspring would grow up to replace him on the throne. Years later his younger brother Zeus (who had been hidden away by their mother to prevent him from also being swallowed) made Cronus vomit up his siblings, and then led them in a battle to overthrow the Titans. Knowing they would need armor, weapons, and troops to win the war, the three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, traveled to the Underworld to release the Cyclopes from their captivity. The Cyclopes were a tribe of one-eyed giants who were fine metal smiths. Cronus had imprisoned them in Tartarus, a region in the Underworld that functioned both as a prison and as a place of exile and punishment, rather like our modern vision of hell. The Cyclopes, grateful for their release, crafted gifts for the brothers - thunderbolts for Zeus, a trident (three pronged spear) for Poseidon, and a magic helmet that rendered the wearer invisible for Hades. The war was long and bloody, and Hades fought ferociously on the battlefront and proved himself a valiant warrior. The younger generation finally won when Hades, wearing his helmet of invisibility crept up on Cronus, Poseidon pinned him down with his trident, and Zeus rendered him unconscious by striking him with a thunderbolt. Once the battle with the Titans was over, the brothers drew lots to determine which regions each of them would rule. Poseidon won the oceans, Zeus the sky (which made him the supreme ruler over all the gods and goddesses as well), and Hades drew the Underworld. This seemed to suit Hades just fine. The Greek god Hades, ruler of the Underworld, spent little time with his Olympian siblings, preferring instead to withdraw to his own space and to mind his own business, so to speak. And surely his divine responsibility was large -- the management of the Underworld, an underground kingdom wherein lived the spirits of those who had died, those who slept and dreamed, and others who, for whatever reason, had been banished from the earth. With his dark, somewhat morbid nature, the Greek god Hades was undoubtedly well-suited to his career. Nonetheless, at times he was bound to be lonely. And so he decided that he needed a wife, and the adolescent goddess Persephone unwittingly attracted his eye. One can hardly blame Hades because the Underworld probably needed some brightening up, and the young Persephone's radiance would certainly liven up the place. Hades, however, did not bother to woo the young Persephone. After asking for (and receiving) the approval of her father Zeus for Persephone's hand in marriage, Hades simply abducted her one bright sunny day when she stooped to pluck a narcissus from a field of wildflowers growing near her home. The meadow was suddenly rent open, and Hades simply reached out and snatched Persephone away, taking her to his underworld kingdom and making her his Queen.

Persephone remained lonely for her mother and the life she'd known on earth. Meanwhile her mother, the goddess Demeter, began an intensive search for Persephone. After learning how Zeus had betrayed their daughter, and consumed by grief and sorrow, Demeter refused to allow the crops to grow until Persephone was returned to her. Mankind was facing a dreadful famine. Zeus finally relented and sent the god Hermes to bring Persephone back to her mother. Part of Persephone missed her mother horribly, but another part had grown rather fond of the god Hades. And Persephone was rather enjoying her role as Queen, even if it was in the Underworld. While preparing to return to the earth with Hermes, Persephone accepted a pomegranate offered to her by Hades. She knew full well that anyone who had eaten while in the underworld would not be allowed to return, even a goddess -- but Persephone went ahead and ate seven of the seeds. Her choice prevented her from ever being fully restored to Demeter, but did open up the possibility of a compromise. Hermes was able to negotiate an agreement between Hades and Demeter. Persephone would be allowed to stay with Hades in the underworld for four months each year (winter) and would return to the earth and her mother the remaining months. Each year as Persephone left to join her husband in the Underworld, Greek mythology tells us that the goddess Demeter would begin to grieve, bringing on the cold, barren winters. But a few months later Persephone would return, bringing spring with her. Like most of the other gods, Hades wasnt especially monogamous. And like the other gods wives, Persephone wasnt usually very sympathetic and tended to vent her anger on his lovers instead of her husband. When Persephone discovered Hades affair with the beautiful wood nymph Mintha, she simply trod her underfoot, turning her into the plant that we now call Mint. More than any of the Greek gods, Hades seemed to respect women and was willing to participate in a marriage of equals, sharing his decision-making powers with his wife. The two of them functioned well as a team. Given his lengthy absences from world affairs and his famous helmet of invisibility, it is understandable that Hades was called the Unseen One and the Invisible One. Hades is often depicted wearing the helmet, holding a cornucopia (horn of plenty) full of precious metals and jewels . . . not surprising since they are to be found underground, that is, in the realm of Hades. Before proceeding with the myths of Hades, it would be a good idea to paint a clearer picture of his kingdom . . . it wasnt all bad! Of course there was the aforementioned Tartarus, a place of profound misery where political prisoners and the most outrageous criminals were sent to endure unending punishments. By some accounts the Underworld also contained the Elysian Fields, where those who were notably heroic or noble would go for their reward after death. But, for the most part, the Underworld was a place where anyones shade, or soul, could go after death. The price of admission was one coin (of any denomination) to pay Charon, the ferryman, to take the shade across the River Styx that separated the earth from the Underworld. This led to the practice of placing a coin under the tongue or on the eyelids of the recently deceased . . . a way to be sure that the departed could pay the ferryman. Otherwise, without the coin, the spirit would have to restlessly wander the earth for more than a hundred years. Those whose shades entered the Underworld could

rest there forever, or choose to be reborn, hopefully perfecting their lives so they could qualify for admission to the Elysian Fields after their next death. Everyone got three lives. Hades appears to have had three major responsibilities in running the day-to-day operation of the Underworld. The first was to prevent escapes, or returns to the earth, by the dead. In this he was assisted by a ferocious three-headed dog named Cerberus, who actually belonged to the goddesssorcerer Hecate who had her home in the Underworld. Since the rule was that once you entered the Underworld you were not allowed to leave, very few ever visited the kingdom (or cared to). Two notable exceptions to that rule were Zeus messenger Hermes and the goddess Hecate, who lived in the Underworld, but often left to walk around on the earth visiting the shades who had to wander the earth, bringing them comfort. She was often accompanied by her dog Cerberus on these visits. The other permanent guests who had responsibilities both in the Underworld and on earth, and therefore could come and go freely, were: Thanatos (Death), Hypnos( Sleep), and Morpheus (Dreams). Others visited only by special invitation. Psyche was allowed to enter the Underworld to pick up a jar of beauty ointment from Persephone for her mother-in-law Aphrodite. Another visitor, Orpheus, who was grieving the death of his wife Eurydice, played and sang so movingly for Hades and Persephone that, touched by his performance, Hades agreed to let Orpheus take his wife back with him to the land of the living. He set only one condition - that Orpheus could not look at her until they reached the sunlight of the earth. Unfortunately Orpheus couldnt resist the impulse, and the shade of Eurydice returned instantly to live with the dead. Hades refused to allow Orpheus a second chance. The only visitor who ever entered without Hades permission was the great hero Heracles (Hercules) who had been sent to rescue Theseus as a test, the Twelfth Labor of Heracles. Theseus best friend had become infatuated with Hades wife and had persuaded Theseus to him kidnap her and bring her back to earth so he could marry her. Hades became suspicious and invited them to dinner. The two, naturally, agreed thinking this would be the perfect opportunity to whisk Persephone away. But Hades was prepared for them and had the forge god Hephaestus make him some magical Chairs of Forgetfulness. The two set down to dine and promptly forgot what they had come to do. At any rate, Heracles, managed to rescues Theseus away from Hades, dragging Cerberus to the surface and wounding Hades as they struggled. Another responsibility of Hades was meting out punishment. While Hades was naturally fearsome to behold because of his association with death, and was not a particularly merciful god, he was perceived as being just and fair. Finding just the right punishment to fit the crime was not a job that most would have envied, but Hades did it well, coming up with countless creative sentences that enliven Greek mythology. Perhaps the most famous was the punishment of Sisyphus. Zeus was enamored with the daughter of a river god and was romancing her in a wooded valley when he father started looking for her and ran into King Sisyphus who told him that Zeus had fallen in love with his daughter and was in the process of abducting her. The enraged father found them walking in the woods and, brandishing a large club, raced toward the unarmed Zeus (who had hung his thunderbolts in a nearby tree while he courted). The startled Zeus quickly turned himself into a rock, confusing the father, and this allowed Zeus time to retrieve his weapons and shoot him in the leg with a thunderbolt.

Even though hed escaped, Zeus felt humiliated and was furious with the king and his big mouth! Zeus ordered Hades to capture and imprison the king and to administer the severest of punishments possible. So Hades went to fetch Sisyphus. The king not only refused to go quietly but also tricked Hades into handcuffing himself, then kept Hades in captivity for over a month, walking him around the palace on a leash and making fun of him. Needless to say, the somber and dignified Hades was not at all amused! Ares, the god of war, currently bored with the endless petty wars of the Greeks decided to rescue Hades and came to his assistance, threatening to decapitate Sisyphus if he didnt release him and turn himself in as Hades prisoner. The rescue was successful, but the wily Sisyphus had another trick up his sleeve. Once they had arrived in the Underworld, Sisyphus pleaded his case in front of the Queen, arguing that he could not be retain in the Underworld because he was not yet dead, nor had he ever paid the ferryman. Persephone allowed him to leave, but with instructions to return the next day, suitably dead and with a coin under his tongue to start his sentence. Sisyphus laughed all the way home, thinking that there was no way that he would go back . . . but the next day Hermes showed up on his doorstep announcing that Fates had decreed that it was his time to die.and Hermes escorted him into the Underworld to face his fate. Once they reached the Underworld, Hades Judges of the Dead pronounced his sentence -to push a heavy rock over the top of the mountain in Tartarus and each time the rocks rolls back (which it always did, of course) to start all over again. Hades added an extra touch and had the rock shaped just like the one Zeus had transformed himself into, just in case Sisyphus missed the point! Like most of the other gods, Hades wasnt especially monogamous. And like the other gods wives, Persephone wasnt usually very understanding and tended to vent her anger on his lovers instead of her husband. When Persephone discovered Hades affair with the beautiful wood nymph Mintha, she simply trod her underfoot, turning her into the plant that we now call Mint. More than any of the gods, Hades seemed to respect women and was willing to participate in a marriage of equals, sharing his decision-making powers with his wife. The two of them functioned well as a team. In his role as Good Counselor, Hades was responsible for helping those who had died to make a successful transition into the afterlife, introducing them to the riches of a life lived subjectively and internally, away from the distractions of the external world. Hades teaches us to be quiet at times, listening carefully to the inner voices that direct us to the hidden riches buried deeply within the soul. The Symbols of the Greek God Hades

the planet Pluto Jewels, gems three-headed dog)

Treasure Chest Mint Black horses Shadows Underground water

Hephaestus
The Greek god Hephaestus was the only on of the Greek gods of Mount Olympus who had a "regular" job and actually worked with his hands. Hephaestus was also the only one of the Olympians who was born with a physical defect. It is unclear exactly how Hephaestus came to be lame. Several different explanations are given in different versions of his myths. In one version, he was born with a clubfoot and then thrown out of Mount Olympus because his parents could not accept his imperfection. In another version, the infant Hephaestus was injured in the fall after he was thrown out by Zeus, who was angry at his mother for having the nerve to conceive the baby without his help. Hera, with the help of a magical herb, had managed to "get herself pregnant" with the help of Zeus or any man, a process called parthenogenesis. (Note: Many myths name Hephaestus as the son who was born as a result of this immaculate conception, but in some versions the son was Ares.) Hera had done this to even the score with her husband for having given birth to Dionysus by himself. Here is short version of that story: Semele, one of Zeus' many lovers, lay dying while pregnant with Zeus' son Dionysus. With the help of Hermes, Zeus removed the unborn child and implanted him under the skin of his thigh where he remained until he was ready to be born. In an account written by Hesiod, Zeus cast Hephaestus out because he had attempted to rescue his mother from Zeus anger. Zeus had strung Hera from the starts for having caused the wreck of a sailing ship under Zeus protection during the Trojan war. Hephaestus had tried to free her from her bonds, was caught, and punished with expulsion from the heavens. Some versions of the myths name Zeus as the one who cast him out, others say it was Hera, and still others tell that both parents rejected him. The bottom line . . . Hephaestus got off to a rocky start in life, unwanted son of rejecting parents who saw no beauty in their little son. Not to mention ending up with a physical defect that left him lame. Whatever the reason, Hephaestus fell to earth, landing in the sea near the Island of Lemnos. He had the good fortune to be rescued and nursed back to health by a group of sea nymphs and Titan goddesses. They went to great lengths to keep him hidden from his parents, hiding him in their underwater cave. Living there, Hephaestus began his career of craftsmanship. Collecting coral, pearls, and precious metals from the ocean floor, he began to fashion exquisite jewelry. He even built little robots made of gold to help him get around. With the help of the one-eyed Cyclopes who were master metal smiths themselves, Hephaestus built a set of golden thrones for the Olympian gods and goddesses.

Soon his creations were all the rage. Hera, wanting some of the marvelous jewelry that all the goddesses were wearing forced the goddess Thetis, who was one of the goddesses who had cared for Hephaestus while he was in hiding, to tell her who had made her gorgeous jewelry. Thetis told her that it was made by her own talented son.

Hera saw that they had been wrong to reject Hephaestus, that in spite of his imperfections, he had the talent (not to mention good taste) of a god. She persuaded Zeus to welcome him back. And so, Hephaestus was invited to return to Mount Olympus and to take his place among the gods. Hephaestus politely declined, saying he was quite happy where he was. He set to work and fashioned a beautiful golden throne and sent it to Hera as a thank you for the invitation. The instant she sat on it, golden ropes flew out and entwined her, locking her into the chair. (We can safely assume that Hephaestus was still rather miffed with Hera over his earlier rejection.) Though everyone tried to free Hera from the fetters, Hephaestus design was so clever that none could master the trick. So Zeus sent his son Ares, god of war, to bring Hephaestus back to let Hera loose. Instead Hephaestus ran him off by hurling firebrands at him, and Ares made a hasty retreat. Zeus resorted to trickery next, sending Dionysus, the god of wine, to get Hephaestus drunk. Never much of a drinker, it didnt take much wine for Hephaestus to get intoxicated. Soon he was making his triumphant return to Mount Olympus, passed out and slung over the back of a donkey. Not one to enjoy the pomp or the hustle and bustle of the royal palace, Hephaestus built an underground workshop and spent much of this time there working undisturbed. He initially refused to forgive Hera, saying only that he had no mother. Feeling very guilty about having abandoned him, Hera showered him with tools, materials, and helpers for his workshop. There he continued to invent and craft beautiful furniture, jewelry, armor, and weaponry of the highest quality. Eventually he and his mother were reconciled. Not all of Hephaestus powers were invested in the tools he created. As god of fire, he had immense powers like the other gods. When the river god Scamander attempted to drown Achilles, Hephaestus used his fire to dry up the river, saving the heros life. Although he was a recluse, happy to spend long hours in his workshop alone, Hephaestus was sometimes lonely and missed having a woman in his life. Attracted to the golden Athena, the goddess of wisdom, he sought to impregnate and marry her. Though Athena was fond of the gentle and talented Hephaestus, she had no interest in romance or marriage and turned him down. When she cast him aside, his semen fell to the ground and fertilized the earth, producing a son, who later became the first ruler of the city of Athens. Athena graciously reared the child. When the drop-dead-gorgeous Aphrodite arrived in their midst, Zeus, fearful that all the gods would be warring over her, arranged for her to marry Hephaestus. Zeus felt that the solid, dependable Hephaestus would make a good mate for Aphrodite, and perhaps even "settle her down" a bit. Aphrodite didn't refuse the ceremony but felt she was married "in name only" and had several love affairs, often leaving the miserable Hephaestus the unfortunate butt of everyone's jokes. Faithful, loving, and generous, Hephaestus showered his wife with his best creations. . . the finest furnishings, stunning jewelry, and even a magic girdle (bodice) that would make her irresistible to men (as if she needed any help in that department!) Aphrodite treasured all these gifts, but they did nothing to halt her amorous escapades. But at some point, Hephaestus could bear her affairs no longer and decided to shame her into putting a stop to them . . . or so he hoped. He fashioned an invisible, unbreakable net made of the finest silver threads. Pretending that he was going to his workshop for the day, he loudly called out his good-byes, and hid in the bushes near the front of the house. Soon he saw her current lover, Ares, the god of war, sneaking into the house. A few minutes later, Hephaestus burst into the bedroom and dropped the net over the lovers.

While they lay trapped, nude and shivering, beneath the net, Hephaestus summoned all the gods and goddesses to come and see what he had caught in his net. It was quite a show, and they all were immensely amused. Hephaestus insisted the pair be called into court, charged with adultery, and ordered to stop their affair. He literally got laughed out of court when Ares pointed out that it was Hephaestus himself who had fashioned the magic girdle that made Aphrodite irresistible - whatever could he have been thinking? After the court fined Hephaestus for bringing such a frivolous suit. Poseidon paid the fines, saying that having the chance to look at Aphrodite in the nude was worth every penny of the cost! Talented, kind, and generous, Hephaestus was well-liked by all the Olympians even though he was not very involved in their plots. Simply put, he was, by nature, not very gregarious and generally preferred to spend his time being creative in his workshop. As the patron of all crafts, Hephaestus was beloved by the citizens of Greece who depended largely upon agriculture and handicrafts for their livelihood. More importantly, the average Greek held the Greek god Hephaestus in high regard because he was a "working man", proof that those who labor are also noble. Hephaestus reminds us of the value, and dangers, of losing ourselves in our work. Focusing intently on production, creativity, he was able to garner respect from others and build a genuine self-respect, and (almost) keep all his problems at bay. The Symbols of the Greek God Hephaestus

Fire Forge Salamanders Bellows Precious metals Iron

Hermes
The Greek God Hermes was favored with many divine responsibilities, chief of which was to serve as a personal assistant and messenger for his father Zeus, ruler of the Olympian deities. Known for his swiftness and athleticism, for Hermes this seemed an ideal assignment. Soon another great talent of Hermes was to be discovered -- he was an excellent communicator, both articulate and persuasive. A skillful negotiator, the Greek god Hermes was quickly promoted to become Zeus' "roving ambassador". The Greek god Hermes revealed his true nature at a tender age. The son of Zeus and Maia, a timid star-goddess who lived in a mountain cave, Hermes was a precocious child. During his first day of life, Hermes snuck out of his cradle, found a tortoise just outside the cave, and invented the lyre by fastening strings across the turtle's back. Of course he spent a few minutes teaching himself to play it sweetly, but, soon bored he took off to explore the world, Whereupon he encountered a herd of cattle belonging to his half brother Apollo. Hermes decided to take a few for himself, culling the finest of the herd to take with him. The little thief was so clever he taught the cattle to walk backwards to foil anyone trying to follow them! But there was a witness to the crime, an elderly shepherd named Brattus. Hermes bribed him to be silent and sacrificed a couple of the cattle, dedicating a portion to each of the twelve Olympian deities. It is believed that Hermes thus invented the practice of animal sacrifice, and he became known as the protector of sacrificial animals and shepherds. At any rate it was foolish to think he could deceive Apollo who had the gift of prophecy (foresight). Indeed, Apollo soon realized what had happened and who was responsible. Confronting Hermes in his cradle, the angry Apollo hauled the infant into court. Their father, the great Zeus himself, was to try the case. Zeus found Hermes guilty and ordered him to return the cattle, but just then Hermes pulled out his lyre and started playing. Apollo, the god of music, was intrigued with the musical instrument that Hermes had invented. As a way of apology for all the trouble he had caused, Hermes gave the lyre to Apollo, and the grateful Apollo in return told Hermes to keep the cattle he had stolen. Soon the two were best of friends. The skill and trustworthiness of the Greek god Hermes was so highly valued that Zeus appointed him to be the Psychopomp, the guide who escorted the souls of the dead to their new home in the Underworld. Hades, ruler of the Underworld, gave Hermes the freedom to come and go as he pleased --a privilege granted to very few, for the rule was that once you entered the Underworld you were never allowed to leave. Always "on the go" carrying messages for Zeus and the other gods and goddesses, Hermes was worshipped as the god of the roads, the god who protected travelers. Citizens of Greece erected

posts or pillars of stone on the roads and at gates to honor him -- those were called "herms". The name "Hermes" actually means "pillars" When Zeus appointed Hermes the Divine Herald, he awarded him a cap with two small wings and a pair of winged sandals that could carry him across water as well as land. Zeus ordered everyone to give Hermes their full respect. (Note: Now his image is recognized as the logo for florists' delivery service...not quite the type of respect that Zeus imagined!) Zeus also gave him a herald's staff, encircled with two white ribbons. Later these ribbons were replaced by two snakes, entwined around the staff. Legend has it that Hermes encountered two snakes who were engaged in mortal combat with each other. Driving his staff between the two to separate them, he persuaded them to reach a peaceful solution and, in appreciation, they coiled around his staff and remained in perfect harmony, accompanying him on his travels. Today we recognize this image as the caduceus, a symbol adopted by modern medicine. (Note: the earlier symbol of the physician was the staff of Asclepius having only one snake.) Later, serving as the messenger of Zeus, Hermes quickly became known as the "God of the Roads", offering his protection to travelers. As a traveling man himself, Hermes wasn't inclined to settle down and never married. He did, however, seems to have a girlfriend in every town and fathered numerous children, many of whom became well known, e.g. the god Pan, Priapus, and Hermaphroditus. In his role as messenger of the gods, Hermes had the opportunity to make quite a name for himself -and to be featured in countless myths as a supporting actor....making arrangements for many of Zeus's love affairs (and "cleaning up the messes after his jealous wife took her revenge), helping his favorite mortals perform their heroic deeds, and performing a few acts of heroism himself. Just a few of the fascinating exploits of Hermes: Hermes rescued the unborn Dionysus from certain death, loaned Hades helmet of invisibility to Perseus so he could slay the Medusa, protected Odysseus from enchantment by witchcraft, rescued Zeus' lover Io whom Hera had turned into a cow, freed Ares from captivity in the bronze jar, and ever restored Zeus to good health when his tendons had been frayed in his battle with the fearsome Typhon. The myths of Hermes reveal his ingenuity, creativity, mental and physical quickness, and his friendly nature. According to Greek mythology, western civilization owes much to Hermes -- the invention of stringed musical instruments, astronomy, our system of weights and measures, the alphabet, boxing and the gymnasium are all attributed to the Greek god Hermes. The Symbols of the Greek God Hermes

Lyre Sheep Cattle Pillars Tortoise Roosters

Poseidon
Poseidon was powerful, decisive, competitive, and dignified. It was very important to stay on his "good side", for he was also moody and irascible, quick to take offense, and made a hobby out of taking his revenge out on those who angered him. Punishing Odysseus for blinding his gigantic one-eyed son Cyclops (never mind that Cyclops and his gang had shipwrecked Odysseus and his crew, looted the ship, and were planning to eat them all!), Poseidon spend eight years getting even with him, causing earthquakes, storms at sea, and throwing horrendous sea monsters in his path. Poseidon was powerful, decisive, competitive, and dignified. It was very important to stay on his "good side", for he was also moody and irascible, quick to take offense, and made a hobby out of taking his revenge out on those who angered him. Punishing Odysseus for blinding his gigantic one-eyed son Cyclops (never mind that Cyclops and his gang had shipwrecked Odysseus and his crew, looted the ship, and were planning to eat them all!), Poseidon spend eight years getting even with him, causing earthquakes, storms at sea, and throwing horrendous sea monsters in his path. Understandably miffed with their father, his offspring immediately made plans to get even for the way they had been treated and began a battle to remove Cronus from his throne. They were helped in battle by their allies, the one-eyed Cyclopes, who gave Zeus his thunderbolts, Hades his cloak of invisibility, and Poseidon the trident (a three-pronged spear) that is his most renowned symbol. After Poseidon and his brothers and sisters defeated the Titans and dethroned their father Cronus (Kronos), the Greek gods held a lottery to determine which of the realms each would rule. Hades drew the Underworld, Poseidon won the oceans, and Zeus got the heavens, making him the supreme ruler. They agree to all share the power over the earth, though the greatest responsibility for it went to Poseidon. As dignified as the powerful Zeus, Poseidon at once began building a magnificent underwater palace and outfitted its stables with golden-maned white horses that would draw his golden chariot across the seas. In the first years of his rule, the young Zeus proved to be an impetuous and arrogant ruler, and everyone was rather displeased with his performance. Poseidon, never quite satisfied with playing "second fiddle" to his brother, recruited the others to overthrow the government. They did manage to capture and immobilize Zeus, but he quickly managed to escape and foil their plot. For punishment Poseidon was banished from his home. He and Apollo were sentenced to a year of manual labor building the great wall around Troy while working disguised as a mortals. The king of Troy had promised to pay the gods with vines of gold when the wall was finished but failed to keep his end of the bargain. Poseidon was infuriated and sent a sea monster to punish the city, but the monster was killed by Heracles (Hercules). But Poseidon could hold a grudge for a long time. During the Trojan war Poseidon was delighted to fight on the side of the Greeks. In an act of kindness (or perhaps he just had a keen eye for talent), he

spared the life of the young warrior Aenas by hiding him away so that he would live to rule the Trojans in the future. Poseidon was an honorable god -- you knew exactly where he stood of things, and when he gave his word he kept it. He had no time for those whose word could no be relied upon. When the king of Crete requested a gift from Poseidon, a fine bull to sacrifice, Poseidon generously sent him the very finest from his herd, so fine in fact that King Minos decided to keep it himself instead of sacrificing it. Poseidon was angry and caused the king's wife to fall in love with the bull. The eventual outcome of their love affair was the birth of a child, half-bull and half-human called the Minotaur. The monster had to be kept in the center of the labyrinth below the king's palace. Never quite satisfied with what he already had, Poseidon was always looking to expand his domain. Consequently he was often quarrelling and competing with the other Olympians. He rarely won these disputes. One of the most notorious episodes was his quarrel with the goddess Athena over who would "rule" the city of Athens. It was decided that there would be a competition and the one who gave the finest present to the people of the city would win. Poseidon stuck his trident (spear) into a rock, which split open and began to spew out water. Athena gave them an olive tree. Unfortunately for Poseidon the spring water was brackish and not much use, so Athena won. Angry with the citizens decision, Poseidon flooded the plains surrounding the city. Another dispute over land, this one with the goddess Hera, was to prove to be both lengthy and acrimonious, hastening the establishment of the patriarchal system of government in Greece. Poseidon challenged Hera's claim to the city of Argos, Hera's hometown and the center of her worship. The dispute eventually had to be settled by a tribunal of the Olympian deities. On the subject of Poseidon and his relationships with women . . . not a pretty picture. It is understandable that, as a fertility god, Poseidon would be every bit as lusty and sexually insatiable as his brother Zeus, if not more so. They both had numerous affairs and a great number of children resulted from their liaisons. But there was a difference. When Zeus desired a woman he usually made an effort to seduce her, either by courting her affection or by trickery. Poseidon, however, always used outright physical force to get his way. As a fertility god, Poseidon's spear symbolized his instinctual, primal, sexual energy and ability to impregnate. Poseidon was unsuccessful in his attempt to subjugate the virgin goddess Athena, the Greek goddess of war, who was able to physically repel him. In his attempt, however he spilt his semen on the ground and a child grew from it. Athena graciously agreed to provide a home for the child. Still smarting from Athena's rejection, Poseidon found solace in the willing arms of the hauntingly beautiful Medusa. They made love in the temple of Athena (no doubt to spite her for having scorned him). Athena, furious over the defilement of her temple, turned Medusa into a hideous monster with writhing snakes in place of her hair. Perhaps the most infamous of Poseidon's rapes was when he pursued the goddess Demeter when she was distraught and full of grief, searching for her daughter who had just been abducted. Discovering that she had turned herself into a mare and hidden inside a herd of horses to escape his unwanted advances, Poseidon simply transformed himself into a stallion and mounted her.

Poseidon eventually did manage to fall in love. As he watched the sea goddess dancing something stirred in him . . . yes, the usual sexual urges, but something else as well, something sensitive and tender. Never having learned any other way to approach a woman he desired, he used his usual methods. The devastated Amphitrite fled and hid herself from him at the bottom of the sea. Suddenly Poseidon realized that he had lost something truly special, the opportunity for union with a woman that was more than just physical. Even though he searched everywhere, he could not find her, and he was filled with sadness and a great sense of loss. His friend, Delphinus (Dolphin), volunteered to find her and plead Poseidon's case. And he succeeded, convincing Amphitrite of Poseidon's love and wish to make her his wife and the Queen of the Seas. Amphitrite was touched and returned with the Dolphin to marry Poseidon. She eventually bore two of his children. His son Triton rode with Poseidon in his chariot across the seas, trumpeting a sea shell to announce Poseidon's arrival wherever they went. Unfortunately, Poseidon soon returned to his womanizing, and there are many legends of the vengeance Amphitrite wreaked upon Poseidon's girlfriends. Jealous of Poseidon's attraction to the lovely Scylla, Amphitrite threw magical herbs into the water while Scylla was bathing, turning her into a hideous sea-monster with six heads, three rows of teeth, and 12 feet. Scylla was consigned to snatch sailors off their ships for her meals, and was greatly feared by all sea-going men. Although most of the stories of Poseidon recount his amorous activities or his acts of revenge, he obviously had a peaceful side as well. He offered protection to sailors, dried up lakes and rivers when needed to reclaim land for the building of cities, and continued to bless the land with fertile soil so that crops could grow. Before setting out to sea, ancient mariners would pray and make offerings to the Greek god Poseidon, hoping to insure a safe and profitable journey. With the approach of Poseidon in his chariot, raging storms would calm, and the sea-monsters would rise to the surface swimming playfully around his chariot. However difficult and tumultuous Poseidon might have been, he reminds us to stay connected to the deep emotional and instinctual parts of our selves, however uncomfortable, or even painful it might be. The Symbols of the Greek God Poseidon

Trident (three-pronged spear) Horse (stallion) White pine tree Earthquakes Bull Oceans Springs(underground water) Dolphin Sea monsters Tidal waves

Zeus
Zeus, Greek god of the sky was also the supreme ruler of Mount Olympus and all the other Greek gods and goddesses of the Olympian pantheon. Not an easy job for they were quite an unruly bunch! When the Olympians won the war against the ruling Titans, Zeus and his siblings wrested the throne from his father Cronos (Kronos) and the Olympic age began. As ruler of the sky, the Greek god Zeus was responsible for bringing (or not, if he so chose) rain, drought, and thunderstorms. No one dared challenge the authority of the mighty Zeus since he was prone to release his fearsome thunderbolts to express his displeasure . . . an awesome way to keep the peace and maintain order, but it worked for several centuries! The birth of Zeus was to be a fateful event . . . and it certainly was an unusual one! Sixth child of the ruling Titan god Cronos and the goddess Rhea, Zeus was the first to escape the fate of being swallowed by his father. Cronus, made fearful by a prophecy that one of his children would overthrow him, had eaten each of his children shortly after their births to prevent this from happening. Rhea, understandably, was not happy about this, and after the birth of Zeus, tricked Zeus into swallowing a rock that she had wrapped in a blanket, leading him to believe it was his newborn son. With the help of Gaia (the great Titan goddess we call Mother Earth, Rhea placed the care of her infant Zeus in the hands of the ash nymphs who hid him in their cave. Sometimes they hid him in the boughs of an ash tree where he could not be found on earth, in the sea or in the sky. The nymphs were helped by the divine goat Amalthei who allowed Zeus to nurse on her milk. Later when she died Zeus turned the goat's skin into his royal shield, Aegis, to honor her. Zeus grew nicely under the nymphs' care, and, as a young boy, came to be an attendant to his father. Cronus had no reason to suspect that his new cup-bearer was actually his son. His mother and the goddess Metis (a Titan goddess of wisdom) prepared a special potion for Zeus to slip into his father's cup. When Cronus drank from the cup he grew nauseous and vomited u[ Zeus' five siblings that he had swallowed -- Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Understandably outraged at having been imprisoned all these years, the siblings decided to wrest the throne away from Cronus. The wise Zeus realized that they would need both weaponry and powerful allies to accomplish this feat so, with his brothers; he freed the Cyclopes (one-eyed giants) from their imprisonment in Tartarus (the unpleasant part of the Underworld that we would describe as Hell). Grateful for their release and willing to help battle Cronus, the Cyclopes presented the brothers with gifts to show their appreciation. To Zeus they gave his thunderbolts, to Poseidon his trident, and to Hades a helmet that, when worn, made the wearer invisible. Now well armored, the siblings began the battle against their father and his troops. The war was long and bloody, but eventually won when the invisible Hades crept up behind Cronus, Poseidon

immobilized him with his trident, and Zeus knocked him unconscious with his thunderbolts. The reign of the Olympians had just begun! Since he was a god and couldn't die, Cronus was imprisoned in Tartarus. Later he managed to escape, changed his name to Saturn, and made his way to Italy where he lived quietly among the mortals. Meanwhile the three brothers drew lots to divide up their new kingdom. Zeus drew the heavens (which made him the supreme ruler), Poseidon got the sea, and Hades won the Underworld. They agreed to share the rulership of the earth, with all having power over the mortals and the earth's other creatures. Unfortunately Zeus let his newly acquired power go to his head. Consequently his first few years of rule were marred by his tendency to abuse his powers. He built an enormous palace that sat far above the clouds on the top of Mount Olympus and, ensconced there, used his thunderbolts rather liberally, hurling them at anyone who had the misfortune to displease him. Zeus decided he needed a queen and picked Metis, the goddess who had helped him trick Cronos into disgorging his brothers and sisters. Only one problem . . . Metis declined and changed forms to hide herself from the persistent Zeus. But Zeus wasn't about to take no for an answer and pursued her relentlessly until she finally fell from exhaustion and consented. When Metis became pregnant, the great goddess Gaia, irritated with his high-handed ways issued a prophecy that any son of Zeus and Metis would grow to eventually usurp the throne of his father. So, in a variation of his father's routine, Zeus swallowed the pregnant Metis to prevent her from giving birth to a son. He need not have bothered for Metis was carrying a daughter, not a son. As the unborn daughter grew for years inside his head, Zeus developed the headache to end all headaches! Hephaestus, the god of the forge, could see how miserable Zeus felt, and fashioning a golden axe especially for the occasion, split Zeus' head open to relieve the pain. When he did, out stepped Athena, full-grown daughter of Zeus who was fully-clothed and ready to assume her divine responsibilities as the goddess of war. She was to become her father's most trusted ally and advisor. Now with Metis out of the way, Zeus went on to have several other consorts (and children by them) before actually marrying. Eventually Zeus decided that it was time for him to marry, and he picked the goddess Hera. But Hera was not at all interested in this arrogant young god and wouldn't let him near her. Realizing what it was that was "putting her off", Zeus transformed himself into a cuckoo and created a thunderstorm that drenched him thoroughly. Finding the little bird wet, bedraggled, and shivering, the kindly Hera picked him up and cradled him next to her heart. Changing back into his usual form, Zeus convinced her that she should take pity on him too, that, like the bird, he was also vulnerable and madly in love with her. Hera realized she loved him too and agreed to marry him and become the Queen of Heaven (she wasn't about to settle for just being another of his consorts!) Everyone was jubilant for Hera was greatly loved, and they thought that she would manage to settle Zeus down a bit. Their marriage got off to a good start, with the honeymoon lasting over 300 years!

But Zeus, married or not, wasn't quite ready to become the mature and benevolent ruler that he would later be. He was soon to resume his philandering ways, pursuing and capturing goddesses, nymphs, and mortals when they caught his wandering eye. Many of the myths of Zeus involve these seductions, with Zeus changing into various forms to seduce his unwilling prey, turning himself into a swan to rape Ledo, a golden rain to impregnate Danae. And it is no wonder that they were all unwilling, for the jealous Hera, unable to vent her rage on her powerful husband, turned her ire on the women he had seduced and their children. To his credit, Zeus was always a wonderful father, empowering all his children . . . acknowledging them all as his, protecting them from Hera if need be, giving them positions of power and responsibility. Zeus could be quite vengeful himself, especially in response to any affront to his power. Take his punishment of Prometheus, for example -- he had the poor Prometheus chained to a rock for eternity and sent his eagle daily to pick out and feast on pieces of his liver, punishment for stealing some fire from Mount Olympus to give to the mortals. Many years later the hero Heracles (Hercules) would kill the eagle and free the suffering Prometheus. At any rate, the other Olympians were growing tired of Zeus' antics and his arrogance; they decided to revolt. A conspiracy was organized by Poseidon (resentful of having gotten less power than Zeus) and went so far that the conspirators had disarmed and trapped Zeus. But while the brothers and sisters argued among themselves about how their new power would be divided, Zeus escaped and the plot was foiled. But apparently Zeus had gotten the message that it was time to grow up, and so he resolved to do better. And he did. (Well, maybe not totally, for the amorous escapades continued.) Superbly rational, Zeus became an outstanding administrator and a respected leader. He set high standards and was a very strict disciplinarian, even-handedly meting out punishments to those who broke the rules and settling all their disputes with great wisdom and impartiality. Seldom acting out of anger, the Greek god Zeus rarely held a grudge and was usually willing to let "bygones be bygones" once you'd served your time. He even let the conspirators off lightly, banishing the ringleaders, the bright Apollo and his brother Poseidon, to earth to work as manual laborers, but only for one year. And he forgave Athena for her role, saying that she'd been "duped" by the others. Hermes later became Zeus' messenger and trusted aide and extricated Zeus from many tricky situations. Athena, in addition to her responsibilities as the goddess of war, was made the goddess of wisdom and given the responsibility of serving as a judge. Zeus had two other special attendants . . . Nike (Winged Victory) and a cup-bearer named Hebe. When Hebe left to marry Heracles (Hercules), a beautiful boy named Ganymedes caught the eye of Zeus. Captivated by the youth, Zeus turned himself into an eagle and swept down from the sky to capture the boy. Returning with him to Mount Olympus, he installed him as his personal cup-bearer, a position of great trust. Zeus had reserved the greatest punishment for his wife Hera and had her strung from the stars with silver thread, heavy anvils tied to her ankles as punishment for her part in the conspiracy to unseat him.

Painful as it was, Hera moaned and groaned night and day. Zeus couldn't get any rest, so after a few sleepless nights he agreed to let her down if she would promise to honor and respect him forever more. She gladly did. It should be noted that, in spite of all his infidelities and her repeatedly taking her revenge out on his lovers, the two really loved each other. Eventually, by using her strong sense of humor, Hera convinced him that he didn't really need to keep "fooling around" and he quit. They lived happily ever after, of course. The great Titan goddess Gaia, furious that the Olympians had imprisoned her children the Titans, once decided to take Zeus to task for it. She sent an army of giants (who could not be killed by a god, only by a mortal) to lay siege to Mount Olympus. Gigantic as they were, they were about to scale the walls of the fortress when Heracles (Zeus' mortal son, also known as Hercules) came to Zeus' assistance and killed the giants. Gaia was furious! She created a gigantic monster by the name of Typhoon who had a human shape but, instead of legs had thousands of snakes measuring a hundred miles long when uncoiled. When stretched out to his full length, Typhon's head touched the stars. When the monster reared his ugly head over the walls of Mount Olympus, the gods and goddesses shivered in fear. Then changing themselves into various animals to escape unnoticed and ran away to escape. All but one did, that is . . . Athena remained behind. Disgusted with their departure, she began to taunt Zeus, asking him what kind of a king he was, "A coward king, I'd say!" Zeus was embarrassed and summoned his courage, turned around and fought Typhon. The earth shook for days from their mighty blows. Finally the beast turned to pick up a tall mountain to hurl at Zeus, and just when he was distracted Zeus unleashed a hundred perfectly aimed thunderbolts at the monster, blasting the mountain to bits and burying the Typhon beneath it. The Typhon didn't die, but still lays buried beneath Mount Aetna where it periodically shakes and hisses with volcanic fury! The Symbols of the Greek God Zeus

Thunderbolts Aegis (shield) Thunderstorms Gold Marble Eagles Oak trees Goats Ash trees Rainbows

Hestia
Hestia, Greek Goddess of the sacred fire, was once known as "Chief of the Goddesses" and "Hestia, First and Last". She was the most influential and widely revered of the Greek goddesses. Though the goddess Hestia was once the most important of the Greek goddesses, she (like her counterpart, the Roman goddess Vesta) is virtually unknown today. Her name means the essence, the true nature of things.

Scholars often refer to the goddess Hestia as "the forgotten goddess". Because of the her association with hospitality, the word Hestia can mostly be heard today used in the names of inns and restaurants, making some people wonder if Hestia is the name of a franchise.

Unlike the other Greek goddesses, Hestia does not have a "story" . . . there were few adventures to record about her. She simply "is". Few images of the goddess Hestia exist. A very "private person", her symbols, the sacred flame and the circle, are usually used to represent Hestia in works of art. Hestia's brief stories, retold here, are too scanty to instruct us. It is her traits, not her actions, that most define her. These virtues define the goddess Hestia: mild, gentle, forgiving, peaceful, serene, dignified, calm, secure, stable, welcoming, and, above all else, well-centered. Of all the Olympian gods and goddesses, Hestia was the first born. And also the last. This takes some explaining . . . Her parents were the Titans, Cronus & Rhea. She was their first child. But Cronus, made fearful by a prophecy that one of his children would grow up to usurp his throne, quickly swallowed the infant Hestia (as he did the brothers and sisters that followed) in order to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy. Later, following the birth of Zeus, the grieving goddess Rhea tricked her husband into swallowing a rock wrapped in swaddling instead of the infant, causing him to vomit up all the babies he had swallowed. First in, Hestia was the last to be disgorged. Hence, the goddess was often called "Hestia, First and Last". The goddess Hestia grew in grace and beauty and soon caught the attention of the gods Apollo and Poseidon who both sought her hand in marriage. But Hestia wasn't having any of it . . . saying that Aphrodite's ways (romance and marriage) were not her ways, she placed her hand on Zeus' brow and swore an oath that she would not marry. More than anything else, she wanted to follow a path that was true to her nature and was of her own choosing.She didn't require the trappings of power or adventure (like Athena and Artemis, the other virgin, i.e. unmarried, goddesses). She was perfectly content and fulfilled, being "Aunt Hestia", and enjoyed being of service to her family and community.Zeus, grateful that Hestias announcement had

averted the possibility of war between the rival suitors, not only supported Hestias wish to remain single but decreed that Hestias name should be mentioned first in any prayer and that she should receive the first portion of any sacrifice and be honored in the temples of each of the Olympian deities. So delighted was he with Hestia's decision, that Zeus handed her the keys to the family home (Mount Olympus) and offered her the position of manager, and with it the responsibility of running this vast estate while the rest of the gods and goddesses wandered about in the larger world having all sorts of adventures. True to her nature, Hestia stayed at home, never leaving Mount Olympus, always there to welcome the others and enjoy their homecomings. The goddess Hestia never involved herself in the fights and machinations of the other gods and goddesses, somehow managing to stay above the fray. Non-judgmental and forgiving, her unconditional love and calm acceptance inspired the love and trust of others in return. Dependable and caring, Hestia was always there for them and helped them to manage their lives which were certainly more exciting than her own. One of Hestias most important responsibilities as the estate-manager was as Keeper of the Reserves, seeing to it that all their clothing and equipment was in good repair and the the pantry always full so there would be ample food and wine on hand when any of the gods and goddesses returned from their adventures. As keeper of the key to all the supplies, Hestia efficiently managed the large household, pleasing all with her practical dependability. One of the few myths of Hestia tells how the lustful Priapus attempted to rape her as she slept. As he approached her bed, a donkey (long since a symbol of lust) began to bray loudly, awakening the slumbering Hestia. Her screams awoke all the other gods and goddesses and sent the embarrassed Priapus falling all over himself as he tried to flee. Hestia is also known as the originator of the concept of sanctuary. It was an offense to Hestia to refuse hospitality to a stranger. That those in need were to be sheltered and protected from illtreatment was recognized by Hestias followers as a sacred obligation. Special emphasis was placed on the requirement to not take advantage of a female guest, presumably as a result of Hestias experience with Priapus. The circle symbolized Hestia (and her counterpart, the Roman Goddess Vesta) as the "complete" goddess, the goddess who was whole, "one complete within herself". Hestia was seen as, not only psychologically "centered", but also as representing the center, the center of the home and family, the city, and even the world itself. The source of Hestias sacred fire was believed to be the molten lava that burns at the center of the earth, connected by an umbilical cord called the Oomphalos to the city of Delphi, a place of great wisdom and spiritual energy.

The town hall, a meeting place for citizens to discuss the community's affairs (a forerunner of western democracy), was built around a hearth that honored Hestia. The living flame of Hestia was tended constantly and never allowed to die out, for it represented the energy of all life and to let the flame extinguish was to invite a cold and barren existence. When new subdivisions were developed, fire was carried from the towns hearth to light the fire of the new community, assuring its prosperity. The Olympic Torch is just one example of the living flame that has survived to modern times, though it is seldom recalled that it originally honored the Greek goddess Hestia. The ritual of a bride and groom lighting a candle together from the flames of two candelabra to symbolize the creation of the new family from their two old families derived from the ancient practice of bringing Hestias flame from the brides mothers home in order to assure Hestias blessing on the union. Every home had a hearth that was dedicated to the goddess, and each day began and ended with a ritual requesting that she protect and nurture the family within.As the Goddess of Architecture, Hestia intended that homes should be built from the center out, with the center being a hearth that contained her sacred flame. As part of the naming ritual, all infants were carried in a circle around the altar of Hestia to secure her blessings. There was an altar to Hestia in the center of every home . . . it was the fireplace, the hearth, where the family gathered. Hestia's vision of a house was that it should truly be a home, a place where one's body, spirit, and relationships would be nurtured and replenished. . . a place to "come home to" after exposure to the cold and chaos of the external world. Hestia is associated with the warmth and comfort of the welcoming fireplace. Just as the flames glowing from the hearth soothe us with their warmth and glowing light, the goddess Hestia gives us security, peace, and comfort and helps us accept the truth of our lives with inner grace.
Goddess Symbols of Hestia hearth home keys pantry veils bowl

Pandora