Greek mythology is all the hype lately, but it’s really hard to keep track of all the gods with all those myths and famous stories around them, isn’t it?
Here I’ll help you with an overview of the most important and powerful Greek gods, so you can impress your friends & family the next time the topic comes up!
15. Dionysus
Dionysus surrounded by wine lovers
Commonly known as the (demi-)god of wine, vegetation and ecstasy – that's religious ecstasy we’re talking about here – my, what were YOU thinking again? In pictures he is often shown lying on a daybed, eating grapes or drinking a glass of wine. While his father was Zeus, his mother was the mortal woman Semele.
He has an effeminate way about him and is sometimes called Bacchus even by Greeks. Dionysus is the true natural power of nature, which wakes people from their day-to-day living and makes them live in the moment. Nothing better than wine to remind you to celebrate being alive, right? Dionysus is, therefore, giving joy and making sorrow vanish. Now if that isn’t a superpower. Or just the power of wine. But as we all know drunk people fight less (hah) and so the image of this god also promotes civilization, law and peace.
To sum up what makes Dionysus powerful:
- God of wine, so everyone loves him
- The power of wine washes people’s worries away and they thank Dionysus for it
- He is one of Zeus’ favorite bastard sons
14. Demeter
Demeter welcomes her daughter back
Leaving aside that the name of this goddess sounds more like the Dutch word for a metric unit, Demeter was known as the goddess of agriculture – she protected plants and grains that gave the Greeks life through food. Needless to say, Greeks worshipped her and asked for fertile land.
She is known to be a very “old” goddess in the sense that ancient gods in many cultures were almost always worshipped for giving quality fields, grains and other sources of food.
The very famous daughter she had with Zeus (who is actually her brother!) is called Persephone. Zeus promised said daughter first to Hades who in turn abducted and raped her (but she also became his wife). Demeter is said to have searched for her abducted daughter for 9 days in which she followed her cries. Once she found out Zeus had allowed Hades to treat their daughter this way, she was so angry that she left Olympus and decided to dwell on earth, wreaking havoc (until Zeus allowed Persephone to sometimes escape Hades to visit her mother – long live parental custody rights).
To sum up what makes Demeter powerful:
- She is the goddess who decides whether people will get food on the table
- She defied Zeus and made him give her Persephoneback
- Lover of Zeus, so in favor of the most powerful god
13. Apollo
Apollo holding the lyre he was given by Hermes
Also commonly called Apollon, the Greek god of music and poetry, but also of archery, healing, plague and disease – and what’s more powerful than controlling plagues and diseases, or even more importantly, healing?
According to Homer, he was the son of Zeus and Leto (a Titaness, who belonged to the mighty pre-Olympian gods), and his twin sister was Artemis. It is often said that Apollo, as the probably sensitive kind of “boy” he was, was dependent on his father who mostly lent him his strength. Apollo himself owned a softer kind of power. He is said to shoot his arrows from a distance and never miss his aim, which gained him the reputation to be the culprit in all sudden deaths, whether these served as a punishment or reward from the gods.
What’s most important is that he had the biggest influence on the Ancient Greeks in regard to festivals and music (as bards took their gift in singing and music from him), and he established the Oracle of Delphi, so he was highly worshipped.
To sum up what makes Apollo powerful:
- God of music and poetry, so he gives people an essential reason to live
- God of healing, but also responsible for sudden deaths among people
- Son of Zeus’ and a Titaness
12. Artemis
Artemis in the forest
Sister to Apollo and Goddess of hunting, animals and moonlight. But she is also known as the goddess of childbirth and protector of young girls (while Apollo is the counterpart protecting young boys).
She is known to have crossed Agamemnon’s plans to sail from Boeotia to Troy by ceasing the winds and stopping his ships, hence she is powerful enough to halt a war (at least for a while). Needless to say, she sided with the Trojans.
A handsome giant named Orion was said to be her lover, but apparently, Apollo was jealous (do I sense some incest history here?) and tricked his sister into killing Orion by a bow-shot from a distance. Doesn’t murder always bring siblings closer together after all?
To sum up what makes Artemis powerful:
- God of hunting and animals, so she provides food and means of labor to the people
- Can influence the winds for ships, so sailors need to watch out to not make her angry
- Shoots arrows from a distance with accuracy while looking seemingly innocent
11. Hermes
Hermes on a visit to the Underworld
God Hermes is known as the god of wealth, trade, thieves and travelers. He is often depicted as Messenger with winged sandals, like a fancy modern-day postman, carrying messages between the Olympian gods.
He is known to be a sly and tricky one: once he stole an ox guarded by Apollo and did not even admit his fault until the very last minute. Then, to avoid punishment, he gifted him the lyre, an instrument he invented.
So while he is an intelligent and resourceful god, his slyness would probably make him an amazing politician these days.
To sum up what makes Hermes powerful:
- God of wealth, and everyone wants wealth so they worship him
- He can influence other gods due to being a trusted messenger
- He is sly and knows how to turn things around to benefit him
10. Hestia
Hestia in a demure, domestic position
Not to be confused with Hera, Hestia was Zeus’ oldest sister and known as the goddess of domestic life, home and hearth. Her worship was connected to the worship of Zeus as they both were the protectors of travelers.
As the goddess of the flame she received a share of the sacrifice for every god because, as you might know, fire and flames were a really big thing to the Greeks. So big that ancient Greek houses had an altar and the women of the house usually were responsible for keeping the flame of the altar (Hestia’s flame) burning. Meanwhile, Hestia herself always stayed at Mount Olympus and had the very meaningful task of always keeping the sacred flame there burning. And that, folks, is how you tie a woman to the four walls of her home.
To sum up what makes Hestia powerful:
- Goddess of the flame, so she keeps the home warm and is worshipped
- She receives a part of the sacrifices made for all other gods
- Zeus’ oldest sister, so technically Zeus has to listen to what she says
9. Athena
Athea being born out of Zeus' head
Beloved daughter of Zeus and Titaness Metis, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, war and defense of towns, pottery and craft. She is also the protector of heroes.
According to the ancient myths, one day when Metis was pregnant with Athena, Zeus heard of the prophecy that Metis would give birth to the child who would overthrow him. To prevent that from happening, poor Zeus swallowed Metis while she was still pregnant – you may laugh but swallowing other gods was a very popular activity back in the day. According to Greek mythology anyway.
Later when Zeus began to suffer from headaches (you know how your parents always tell you to chew before swallowing? That's why), Hephaestus helped him by hitting his head with his hammer and Athena was born that way, in full armor. And that, folks, is how babies are made. Yes, they also come fully dressed at birth.
As the poster child, Athena is depicted wise and armed, never as a child, always as a full-grown woman and always said to be a virgin. Yeah, the ancient Greeks had those outdated concepts too, and poor Athena just had to serve that image. With that flawless image of her, she is considered one of the most important Olympian gods.
To sum up what makes Athena powerful:
- Goddess of wisdom and defense, so very important when there are wars
- Zeus’ only child who was born from his cracked-open head
- Was meant to overthrow Zeus
8. Aphrodite
The famous Aphrodite
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty doesn’t seem powerful to you? This goddess indirectly caused the Trojan war by being chosen the prettiest among her and two other goddesses, namely Hera and Athena. Poor Paris didn’t know what he was doing when he chose Aphrodite because that brought on the wrath of the other two.
The mortal young man wasn’t the only one to fall prey to Aphrodite. Even though she was married to Hephaestus (as described in the Odyssey). But this beautiful lady favored other gods, most famously Ares, whom she betrayed Hephaestus and had 5 children with: Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, and Eros and Anteros. She also had 2 children with Poseidon: Rhodos and Herophilus.
Altogether she had 17(!) children with numerous men. Now that’s what we call an interesting baby mama drama today.
With so many gods tightly wrapped around her finger, she surely knew how to make herself powerful.
To sum up what makes Hestia powerful:
- Goddess of love and beauty, so many women and men ask her for help in love
- She indirectly caused the Trojan war
- Has a strong influence on many other gods due to being their lover
7. Hephaestus
Hephaestus offering a cut-off arm
This god of fire, craftsmanship and blacksmiths was said to be born so ugly, his mother Hera (who conceived him without the help of a man) did not want to feed him, so she abandoned him.
It is also said that he had a limp, although it is unclear whether that was due to being fatherless. It’s believed he had fallen into the sea, where he was raised by Nereids, ancient sea nymphs.
Once he grew up, he became a famous craftsman, set up workshops and made all the fancy palaces and weapons of the Olympian gods. Without him, all the gods would be less powerful.
It is also from him that the Titan Prometheus took the fire and gave it to the people, so they could carelessly play with it.
To sum up what makes Hephaestus powerful:
- God of fire and blacksmiths, so he can forge any weapon
- Even though his mother abandoned him, he prevailed and was raised by the sea (and himself)
- Responsible for making all the powerful weapons of the gods
6. Poseidon
Poseidon against Athena
Brother to Zeus, he was given reign over the sea, but he was also considered the god of horses and, weirdly enough, earthquakes. But if you consider tectonic plates, tsunamis and all that connected with it, it makes a whole lot of sense. So this powerful god could bring a literal wave of destruction with him if the mood was striking him.
The “earth-shaker”, as he was known, rarely lived on Olympus, but preferred hiding in the depths of the sea. His famous trident was plunged into the sea when he was angered. Sometimes he is depicted riding a hippocamp, a mythical creature that is half horse and half fish.
Poseidon is said to be close to Zeus in levels of strength, but weaker. This led to envy and anger against his brother. It went so far that he conspired against him once with the help of Zeus’ wife Hera and his daughter Athena (who had their own reasons for being angry at Zeus).
To sum up what makes Poseidon powerful:
- God of the powerful sea, so he could swallow the earth with it if he wanted to
- Lurks hidden in the sea, so you never know when he will hit with a powerful strike
- Helped Zeus’ fight against the Titans
5. Ares
Ares fights against Athena
Ares, the god of war and rage, was often said to have had a short fuse, which is probably because waging war is a tiring matter. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and always followed by his faithful sons Deimos and Phobos. This god was young, good-looking and strong – and always dressed to impress in powerful armor.
As powerful as he was, people also resented him for always pushing war and battles, so he was not worshipped as much as the many other gods. You know what they say, right – do you want to be loved or do you want to be feared? Choose wisely.
His tendency to rage became clear when, in a fit of jealousy, he killed the young handsome Adonis, who his mistress Aphrodite had fallen in love with, by morphing himself into a boar and attacking him. But he also avenged the rape of his daughter Alkippe by killing her rapist Halirrhothius (son of Poseidon). So it’s not like he was all bad, just always controlled by his strong feelings.
To sum up what makes Ares powerful:
- God of war, so people feared him and wanted to keep him happy
- His powerful rage and jealousy could destroy (other gods’) lives
- Zeus’ legitimate son with his wife Hera
4. Hades
The famous rape of Persephone scene
The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, called Hades or Pluto, was the famous god of the Underworld. Although he is one of the most important gods, he is sometimes not counted as one of the 12 most famous Olympian gods, as he mostly preferred to lurk in the shadows. Call him an introvert if you want, but maybe he just wanted to stay out of all the drama.
His main duties were defending the rights of the dead and keeping the burial rights in order. Therefore, he was an important figure for people who feared death and the afterlife. As the treasures of the earth were considered to be taken from beneath (from the under-world so to say), he was also the god of the earth and all its treasures such as gold, silver and other metals.
Desiring a wife, he asked his brother Zeus for help, who bound Persephone to him by giving her a Pomegranate seed to eat, which made her return to the underworld periodically, even after she had been severely mistreated by her husband.
He was also said to have been infertile “by design”, as a god of the dead should be. His offspring with Persephone is said to have come from Zeus, who impregnated her mostly disguised, sometimes as Hades himself.
Together with his brothers Poseidon and Zeus, Hades was said to have raged the epic war against the Titan gods, their predecessors.
To sum up what makes Hades powerful:
- God of the underworld, so important to every mortal
- Helped Zeus’ fight against the Titans
- Has a strong relationship to his brother Zeus and can easily ask favors from him
3. Hera
Hera together with Aphrodite and Athena, just before Paris has to pick the fairest among them
As Zeus’ sister and wife, Hera is the queen of heavens and known as the protector of the sacred institution of marriage and of women in labor. She is presented as modest and faithful, queenly and with a lot of dignity, but at the same time as very jealous. Can you really call her jealous as the Olympian goddess who was cheated on the most?
Although all the myths about her are mostly in reference to Zeus, she was not submissive to her husband and was the only one who openly objected to him. Well, she probably had every right to it, too. In that way, she had a direct influence on the extremely powerful god and made herself a strong goddess as well.
The most famous stories surrounding her are about her persecutions of Zeus’ lovers Leto, Semele and Alkmene (although not limited to just those) and Zeus’ favorite bastard sons Herakles and Dionysus.
To sum up what makes Hera powerful:
- Queen of the heavens, and protector of marriage, so she is worshipped a lot for family matters
- Most powerful goddess as wife (and sister) of Zeus
- She is the only one who can openly disagree with Zeus and get away with it
2. Uranus & Cronus
Cronus devouring his child
The ancient and primordial gods – who preceded the Olympian gods – Uranus (ruler of the sky) and his mother Gaia (goddess of the earth and ancestral mother of all life), once gave birth to twelve Titans.
Two of these were Cronus and Rhea, who later gave birth to Zeus. But before that there was a whole lot of drama between Cronus and his father Uranus, and Gaia and Uranus, because she grew sick of how poorly he treated her children.
Gaia told Cronus to castrate Uranus, and Cronus obliged, so that he and his wife-sister Rhea took over the throne as Titan king and queen. The Golden Age lasted until Cronus learned from prophecy that his children would overthrow him, so he made Rhea swallow all of her children.
His wife in turn grew sick of swallowing them and asked Gaia for help, which lead to Rhea giving birth to Zeus on the island of Crete in secret. The Titan War followed, but alas, as predicted by prophecy, Zeus finally defeated Cronus and the Olympian gods overthrew the Titans.
Respectively, the father and grandfather of Zeus were extremely powerful gods, ruling over the world and sky for a very long time, but were consumed by the fear of being overthrown by their children. Which happened anyway, so as you see: in Greek mythology, worrying gets you nowhere.
To sum up what makes Uranus & Cronus powerful:
- Ruled heaven and earth before the Olympian gods
- The grandfather & father of Zeus, the most powerful god
- Uranus was the god it all started with, while Cronus managed to bring a Golden Age of peace
1. Zeus
Zeus, king of the Olymp
Zeus was the man. Overthrew the Titans and made himself the ruler of the world. Kept his brothers Poseidon and Hades, who helped him with the war, from rising against him by making them happy, and seduced his sister Hera in the form of a cuckoo, then married her.
But one woman was of course not enough for this extremely powerful god of the sky. He had 54 children with different women and goddesses. Only roughly 10 of those children were with Hera.
He seduced many mortal women, among them: Leda in the guise of a swan, Europa as a bull, Danae as a shower of gold (insert inappropriate joke here), Alkmene as her own husband, Kallisto as the goddess Artemis (!), and Antiope as a satyr.
Being considered the god of destiny and kingship and the father of gods and humans, he made his own rules and, ironically, was known as the “Lord of Justice”. People feared and loved him. Or they feared that if they did not love him, something bad would happen. After all he was the protector of families, travelers, strangers, and of every mortal being – so being in his favor meant no harm would fall upon you.
To sum up what makes Zeus powerful:
- God of the sky and earth, overthrew all previous rulers
- Keeps the peace between the gods
- Has 54 powerful children, but manages to not be overthrown by any of them
