Greek Gods

Greek mythology is becoming more and more popular today as the Greek religion is reviving more. It seems that there are more people beginning to believe in the Greek religions and the Greek myths. Greek Mythology has been translated by several different people over the years so there are several versions of some of the myths and also of the names of the gods and goddesses. Some of the gods and goddesses are seen with some of the same symbols so some of the statues, vases, urns are sometimes confusing. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish which one the painting or statue depicts. There were many gods and goddesses that the Greeks and also the Romans worshiped and often made sacrifices to.

According to Greek mythology, in the beginning the Greeks believed there was only Chaos. Chaos was like a dark abyss with no form, sound, or and sign of life. Chaos created the Earth (also known as Mother Earth, Gaea, Gaia, or Ge), and Eros (Desire). Gaea then gave birth to Uranus (also known as the Sky, the Heavens, Father Heaven, or Ouranos), Ourea (the Mountains), and Pontus (the Sea). Gaea then married Uranus and these two gave birth to the first 12 original Titans, the 3 Cyclopes, and the 3 Hecatonchires. The Cyclopes names were Brontes, Steropes, and Arges. They were very mean but they were also very talented in that they were very skilled metal workers. The Cyclopes were giants with one eye in the middle of their forehead. The Hecatonchires were Cottus, Briareus, and Gyges. They were giant creatures with 50 heads and 100 arms.

The 12 Titans were a combination of 6 males and 6 females. They were, Coeus who married Phoebe, Themis did not marry but was loved by her nephew Zeus, Mnemosyne married Crius (but was seduced by Zeus), Oceanus married Tethys, Hyperion married Thea. Lapetus married the nymph, Clymene, and Rhea married Chronus. The children of these Titans gave birth to the first generation of Olympians.

The Titan Cronus overthrew Uranus by castrating him at his mother’s (Gaea) request, then he took over the ruling of the gods and goddesses. Cronus heard that one of his children would overthrow him and become the ruler of the gods so when each of his children were born, he swallowed them whole. Rhea was very upset about this so when it was time for Zeus to be born she went to the island of Crete and gave birth to him there and hid him in a cave. She then went back to Cronus and fooled him into swallowing a rock dressed in baby clothes. Later she offered him an herb to drink and told him it would make him invincible if he drank it so he did. As soon as he drank the herb, he regurgitated and up came the rock first, then the children in the reverse order in which they were swallowed. When the children were grown, led by Zeus, they conquered their father and cast him into Tartar, the deep, dark pit in the Underworld. Zeus then became the ruler of the gods.