The Olympian Gods of Greek Mythology
Meet the Olympian gods of Greek mythology, from Zeus and Hera to Athena and Apollo, the rulers of Mount Olympus and the stories behind each one.
Browse Olympian Gods
King of the Olympian gods who rules the sky and hurls thunderbolts at his enemies.
Queen of Olympus and fierce guardian of marriage, famous for punishing Zeus's lovers.
Moody lord of the oceans whose trident could shake the earth and summon storms.
Grain goddess whose grief for Persephone brought winter to the mortal world.
Born fully armored from Zeus's head, she guided heroes with wisdom and strategy.
Radiant god of music and prophecy who spoke through his famous oracle at Delphi.
Twin sister of Apollo who roamed wild forests hunting with her band of nymphs.
Born from sea foam near Cyprus, she inspired love in gods and mortals alike.
Lame blacksmith god who forged thunderbolts, armor, and wonders for the other Olympians.
Quick-witted messenger of the gods who stole Apollo's cattle on his first day.
Twice-born god of wine whose wild festivals gave rise to Greek theater.
Stern ruler of the dead who kidnapped Persephone to be his queen below.
Gentle eldest Olympian who tended the sacred fire burning at the heart of every home.
The Story of the Olympians
The Olympians take their name from Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, which rises between Thessaly and Macedonia. The ancient Greeks imagined the gods living on its cloudy summit in palaces built by Hephaestus, feasting on nectar and ambrosia while they watched over the mortal world. Unlike the vast forces of creation that came before them, the Olympians had personalities, families and quarrels much like human ones. That closeness is a big part of why their stories still feel so alive today.
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the first generation of Olympians were the children of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Fearing a prophecy that one of his children would overthrow him, Cronus swallowed Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon as soon as they were born. Rhea saved her youngest son, Zeus, by hiding him on Crete and giving Cronus a stone wrapped in cloth instead. When Zeus grew up, he forced his father to bring his brothers and sisters back into the world.
What followed was the Titanomachy, a long war between the young gods and the older Titans for control of the cosmos. Zeus released the Cyclopes and the hundred handed giants from their prison beneath the earth, and the Cyclopes armed him with the thunderbolt, while in some tellings they also gave Poseidon his trident and Hades a helmet of invisibility. With the help of these allies the Olympians won, and most of the defeated Titans were locked away in Tartarus. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades then drew lots, and the sky went to Zeus, the sea to Poseidon and the underworld to Hades.
The next generation soon joined their parents on the mountain. Athena was born fully armed from the head of Zeus, while Apollo and Artemis were the twin children of Zeus and the Titaness Leto, born on the island of Delos. Hermes, Ares and Hephaestus completed the family, and Aphrodite either rose from the sea foam, as Hesiod tells it, or was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, as she is in Homer. Dionysus, the son of Zeus and the mortal princess Semele, was the last to arrive, and he is often counted among the twelve in place of Hestia.
Homer's Iliad shows the Olympians at their most human. They took sides in the Trojan War, with Hera, Athena and Poseidon supporting the Greeks while Apollo, Aphrodite and Ares helped the Trojans. They argued, schemed and even fought one another on the battlefield, and Zeus had to struggle to keep order among them. In the Odyssey, Athena guides Odysseus home while Poseidon, angry over the blinding of his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, does all he can to delay him.
The Olympians also had to defend their rule. In the Gigantomachy, the Giants born from Gaia rose up against them, and an oracle declared that the gods could only win with the help of a mortal, a role filled by Heracles. Gaia then sent the monster Typhon, whom Zeus defeated after a fierce struggle and buried, in many tellings, beneath Mount Etna in Sicily. These victories were a favorite subject for Greek artists, and the battle against the Giants was carved on temples such as the Parthenon in Athens.
Worship of the Olympians filled the Greek year. Each city had its patron, such as Athena in Athens and Hera at Argos and on Samos, and great gatherings like the Panathenaia, the Olympic Games for Zeus and the Pythian Games for Apollo at Delphi drew visitors from across the Greek world. People offered sacrifices, prayers and gifts at temples and household altars, hoping for the favor of the gods in harvests, voyages and war. Today the Olympians live on in art, literature, astronomy and language, and their sanctuaries at Athens, Delphi and Olympia remain among the most visited places in Greece.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Olympians
How many Olympian gods were there?
Tradition speaks of twelve Olympian gods, but ancient sources did not always agree on who belonged. The usual list is Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes and either Hestia or Dionysus. Hades is often left out because he lived in the underworld rather than on Olympus.
Who was the king of the Olympian gods?
Zeus was the king of the Olympians and ruled from the summit of Mount Olympus. He won the throne after leading his brothers and sisters to victory over the Titans, and his wife Hera reigned beside him as queen.
What is the difference between the Titans and the Olympians?
The Titans were the older generation of gods, born to Gaia and Uranus, who ruled the world first under Cronus. The Olympians were mostly their children and grandchildren, led by Zeus, who defeated them in the Titanomachy and took power.
Where did the Olympian gods live?
The Greeks believed the Olympians lived on the summit of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Today the mountain is a national park popular with hikers, and its highest peak is called Mytikas.
What are the Roman names of the Olympian gods?
The Romans identified most Olympians with their own gods: Zeus became Jupiter, Hera Juno, Poseidon Neptune, Athena Minerva, Ares Mars, Aphrodite Venus, Hermes Mercury, Hephaestus Vulcan, Artemis Diana, Demeter Ceres, Hestia Vesta and Dionysus Bacchus. Apollo kept the same name in Rome.
Where can you see temples of the Olympian gods in Greece today?
Some of the best known are the Parthenon of Athena on the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. The Temple of Hephaestus in the Ancient Agora of Athens is one of the best preserved Greek temples anywhere.
