What is Greek Mythology
Chapter one of Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Berens audiobook version.
Greek mythology refers to the ancient greek stories,figures, and belief of those in ancient Greece. Greece and greek mythology are interesting since we still take inspiration from it to this day. That includes stories but also architecture and democracy. The stories in this mythology can also teach someone a lesson which can be applied even today. One of the main appeals of Greek mythology are the gods that the mythology focuses about. There are twelve main gods known as the Olympians as well as many minor gods. This website is designed to help introduce those who know little to none about the gods, stories and modern day inspiration of greek mythology
The Olympians
To start understanding Greek mythology I believe it’s best to explain Olympians. The Olympians are deities that are essentially a big dysfunctional family. They will start wars with each other. Kill the mortals they love for petty reasons. They will even marry and have children with each their own siblings, cousins etc. The root of the Olympians starts with Zeus who is the youngest of his siblings. His parents were Kronos and Rhea. Kronos would swallow his kids, was slain by Zeus who escaped thanks to Rhea. Each of the twelve gods control and have a domain of different aspects of the world. The following table will explain what the Olympians control and a brief description of their relationships to each other.
| God | Description |
|---|---|
| Zeus | King of the gods. God of the sky and heavens. |
| Hera | Queen of the gods. Sister of Zeus goddess of marriage,women,family, and childbirth. |
| Poseidon | Son of Kronos. Zeus brother and god of the sea and earthquakes. |
| Demeter | Daughter of Kronos and Sister to Zeus. Goddess of the harvest and seasons. |
| Ares | Son to Zeus and Hera. God of War. |
| Athena | Daughter of Zeus and born from his head. Goddess of wisdom and war. |
| Apollo | Son of Zeus and twin to Artemis. God of the sun, music and archery. |
| Artemis | Daughter to Zeus and twin to Apollo. Goddess of the moon and the hunt. |
| Hephaestus | Born directly by Hera and came out disfigured. Married to Aphrodite. God of the forge and fire. |
| Aphrodite | Born from the genitals of the god Uranus and the ocean. Married to Hephaestus. Goddess of love and beauty. |
| Hermes | Son of Zeus. Messanger of the gods and god of travelers, merchants and theives. |
| Dionysus | Son of Zeus. God of wine and parties. |
| Depending on the source a god can control other aspects not listed. Hestia who is also a daughter of Kronus can sometimes be an Olympian. | |