Greek mythology



Greek mythology is the body of stories used by the Ancient Greeks as a way of explaining the world around them. It is one of the most influential of world mythologies, along with Egyptian and Roman.

Gods
The twelve major gods in Greek mythology were known as the Olympians. They took on human form but were different from humans in the respect they would live forever.

When Greek influence reached Egypt, many of the Greek gods were combined with those of the Egyptians, and later on when the Romans took control of Greece, many of the Greek gods were identified with those in the Roman pantheon.

The twelve Olympians were:

Zeus-King of the gods, god of lightning and law

Hera-Queen of the gods, goddess of marriage, families and women

Aphrodite-Goddess of love and feminine beauty

Athena-Goddess of wisdom, battle strategy and crafts

Poseidon-God of the sea

Hermes-Messenger of the gods, god of travel, trickery and commerce

Apollo-God of music, the sun, foresight and healing

Ares-God of war

Dionysus-God of wine, revelry, theatre and dancing

Artemis-Goddess of hunting, moonlight and animals

Demeter-Goddess of crop growth

Hephaestus-God of blacksmiths, fire and volcanoes