If you’re thinking about travelling to Greece, there’s no doubt you’ll come across some historical remains of Ancient Greece, a time where mythology was prevalent. The tales of the gods and goddesses that we still know today inspired more than just belief and worship at the time – contemporary art and literature still sometimes echo these ancient influences.
If you want a breakdown of some important aspects of Greek mythology, check out this interesting infographic.
Olympia
Mount Olympus is the famed residence of the twelve most predominant gods and goddesses. Though there were hundreds, only a select few have been remembered to this day.
Here are four of the most powerful Greek gods – you will probably recognise a few of these names!
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Zeus
As the god of the sky, Zeus was known as the most powerful of all. He was said to be the son of Cronus and Rhea, and overthrew his father to become king. He was also known as the patron of rulers and judges.
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Poseidon
Brother to Zeus and god of the sea, Poseidon was also known as the lord of earthquakes and water. Stories are told of his hot-headedness – he once sent a monster to attack Athens after he lost his patronage to Athena.
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Apollo
Apollo was mainly associated with the arts, music and knowledge. He was the Greek lord of the sun, and twin brother to Artemis, goddess of the noon.
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Hades
Hades is recognised in modern culture as an evil god, but was in fact not wicked at all – the guy was only doing his job! He was lord of the dead, patron of the dying and ruler of the underworld.
Roles and Stereotypes
Most male Greek gods represented nature, war and violence, whereas the goddesses had roles based around domesticity, love and marriage. Although we would consider this an unfair stereotype today, the Ancient Greeks relied largely on these ideals as something to look up to, so this was an important aspect of their culture.
There’s so much more to explore when it comes to mythology, so if you’re travelling to Greece anytime soon, be sure to look out for any relics or monuments telling the ancient stories of this fascinating era.
