Aeolus A son of Poseidon,
and Lord of the Winds. He figures in the Odyssey, where Odysseus encounters
him and is given a bag containing all the winds (except the one which blows
toward Ithaka); Odysseus' sailors open it however, and raise a storm.
Aether (derived
from Aethein: to kindle, burn)
A primal being, the child of Erebus and Nyx;
He represents the realm of Upper Air.
Aglaia (bright)
One
of the three Graces. See also Euphrosyne and
Thalia.
Alekto (nameless)One
of the three Erinyes (Furies). See also Megaera
and Tisiphone.
Algos (Pain)
Child of Eris, Ruler of suffering and pain.
Amphitrite
(third encircler)Daughter
of Nereus, by Doris, and wife
of Poseidon.
Aphrodite
(foam-born)Daughter,
after a fashion, of Kronos (she is said to have emerged
from the sea following his dismemberment by Zeus: his
genitalia being cast into the waters off Cyprus), Goddess of sexual passion
and physical beauty. Her cult was widespread, and She was often invoked
for help in matters of the heart. Patroness of (among other things) prostitution,
her rites were nevertheless austere and highly formalized.
Apollo (destroyer)Child
of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis.
A solar God with many attributes and realms of function, His Presence was
unendurable to all save Zeus and his mother, Leto.
He was before all a purifier, a bringer of justice and Divine Will. He
shares with Artemis the attribute of archery, and is often imaged bearing
a bow. Another common image has him bearing a lyre, refering to his patronage
of music, especially that which proclaims joyous communion with the Gods.
He communicates to mankind more directly than any other, through the medium
of Oracles; his most famous oracular temple was at Delphi.
Ares (warrior)Son
of Zeus, and God of warfare and battle. His was an
unsavoury repute among the Hellenes; he represented to them the savagery
and chaos of battle. His cult was most common among northerners; Epirotes,
Makedonians, and Thessalians; and in the south among Spartans.
Ariadne An early agrarian
Deity from the Aegean and Cyprus whose story has become inextricably mixed
with that of the hero Theseus. In that tale, she is a mortal carried off
by Theseus after he defeats the Minotaur, but inadvertantly abandoned to
die before he reaches Athens. On Naxos, though, a cult to an Ariadne as
a seasonal or vegetation Goddess was preserved, in which the later Thesean
tale was introduced into her rites as a sad counterpoint to a joyful rite
of springtime renewal, thus completing a seasonal cycle.
Aristaeus (best)
An
obscure deity whose story has become aomewhat confused. He was apparently
a son of Apollo, and was considered a healer and
oracle. He had a number of agricultural functions, including protection
of shepherds, as well as a special connection to beekeeping, olive production,
and viniculture.
Artemis Twin sister of Apollo, Goddess of wild animals, the
wilderness in general, the hunt, and a protectress of womankind in all
its aspects. A bucolic Divinity, she is not much seen among the dwellers
of Olympus, but she was one of the most popular Divinities among humans.
Ruler of the Nymphs (who are notorious for their sexual dalliance), she
remains a symbol of chastity and indifference to men; She is a patroness
of childbirth, in the role of nurse and midwife. Her temper is legendary
(reflecting the Hellenic view of the hostility of Nature towards the Human
world), but her images invariable display her in a calm and benificent
mood.
Astraia (derived
from Astraios: Starry) Daughter
of Themis, and Goddess of holy innocence and purity.
She is often imaged bearing a scale, in which to weigh the merits of contending
issues.
Athene A
daughter, after a fashion, of Zeus (she is said to
have sprung whole from his forehead) and Metis.A warrior
Goddess, and a patroness of Kings, rulers, the palace, government, and
the City (poulis) in general. She has become inextricably associated
with her best-known cult site, Athens, the city to which her name has been
given. Her special gift is the tempered wisdom associated with justice
and law.
Atlas (derived
from an Aryan root meaning To lift up, To carry)
One
of the Titans, son of Iapetus. Taking part in the
war against Zeus, He was condemned to bear eternally
aloft the pillars separating Heaven from Earth. In later times, this became
imaged as a giant bearing up the globe of the Earth.
Atropos
(inflexible)
The third of the three Fates, daughter of Zeus out
of Themis. She is sometimes pictured as an aged crone
bearing a pair of shears. Her office it is to cut the thread of life, and
thus finish the span of a person's life. See also Klotho
and Lachesis.
Bia (Violence)
Daughter of Styx, She is the personification of destructive
force.
Boreas (North
Wind) Spirit of
the North Wind.
Cedalion Servant and/or
Mentor to Hephaestus. He is a dwarf, highly skilled in metalcraft, but
some tales imply certain healing attributes as well - He rode upon the
blinded Orion's shoulder and directed him to Apollo for a cure.
Chaos (void)
According to Hesiod, the very first entity to assume definite existence;
the primal being out of which all else emerged.
Cratus (Strength)
Son
of Styx, the presiding Spirit of physical power.
Damia Goddess of feminine
health, and protectress of women.
Daphne (Laurel)
A
daughter of Peneus. She was nymph who, uncharacteristic
of the breed, abhorred the embrace of men, and preferred to dance in solitude
among the mountain meadows. Pursued by Apollo, she
emplored her father to keep her chaste. He transformed her into a tree,
the mountain laurel. Apollo then blessed the laurel and made its wreath
a symbol of Divine accolade and victory of spirit.
Deimos (terror)
Child (by Aphrodite) and companion
of Ares.
Demeter (Earth-Mother)
Daughter of Kronos and Rhea,
andGoddess of the harvest, and of cultivated vegetation (as opposed to
the wildwood, realm of Artemis).
Dike (justice)
Daughter
of Zeus and Themis, one of the
Horae. Goddess of Divine Justice, She purified disputes and arbitrated
controversies by application of Divine Will.
Dione
A Daughter of Okeanos, at times associated as a
partner with Zeus.
Dionysios
A son of Zeus, and God of wine, fruition,
and ecstatic celebration. Like Apollo, he was an
oracular Deity, and was widely recognized and worshipped with frantic orgiastic
rites, especially by women.
Doris
A
sea-Goddess, wife of Nereus, mother of Amphitrite,
among many others.
Elektra (amber)
A
sea Divinity, the provider of amber.
Enyalius Companion
and squire to Ares.
Enyo Companion and
squire to Ares, the female counterpart to Enyalius.
Eos (dawn)
Daughter of Hyperion and Theia,
Goddess of the dawn, and of beginnings in general.
Epimetheus
(afterthought)
One of the Titans, twin brother to Prometheus.
Consort of the first mortal woman, Pandora, he gave into her keeping the
famous box she opened against his wish, thus releasing all of humanities
ills, but leaving Hope.
Erato (lovely)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Love Poetry. The Muses are
daughters of Zeus by Mnemosyne,
and between them inspire creative workings. See also Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Erebus (darkness)
A
Primal being, child of Chaos, by Nyx
father of the Hesperides and of Aether. He was the
utter Shadow surrounding Hades.
Eris (strife)A
Child of Nyx and companion of Ares,
she has some resemblence to the Celtic Morrigan
in her exaltation of discord and unrational frenzy.
Eros (desire)Child
of Aphrodite and bringer of passion and love to
humanity. It is worth noting that he could perform a reverse function,
and cause a person to abhor contact with others; one instance of this was
his irritation with Apollo for boasting of his archer's
skill; Eros therefore did this to Daphne, while causing
Apollo to desire her.
Eunome
Daughter
of Zeus and Themis, one of the
Horae.
Euphrosyne(cheerful,
joyous)One of
the three Graces. See also Aglaia and Thalia.
Eurus (derived
from a root meaning burning, to burn)
Spirit
of the East Wind.
Euterpe (delight)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Lyric Poetry. The Muses are
daughters of Zeus by Mnemosyne,
and between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Gaea (Earth)
The
Earth-Mother herself, A primal being, emergent from of
Chaos,
and representative of the Earth itself.
Hades
Son
of Kronos and Rhea, Lord of Under-Earth,
and ruler of the dead. Wed to Persephone, daughter
of Demeter, an occasion which brought about the
seasons to Earth.
Hebe (youthful
vigour)
Daughter
of Zeus and Hera,
Cupbearer of the Gods, and Patroness of domestic virtues and work. Hebe
presents the traditional valuation of femininity within the Mediterranean
Classic world, that of helpmate, household worker, and compliant servant.
She was wed to Herakles
upon his Apotheosis.
Hekate (one
hundred)
Daughter of Perses and Asteria, She was a Goddess of travels by night,
especially a patroness of crossroads, and by extension, any choice made
in darkness or incomplete knowledge. She is often portrayed bearing two
torches, and she has close associations with the Moon (ie. Selene
and Artemis). She is
a patroness of witchcraft, and her cult was extensive in ancient Thessaly.
Helios (sun)
The solar disc itself, sometimes an aspect of Apollo
(or more accurately Phoebus), and sometimes a distinct
being in and of itself.
Hemera (day)
A primal being, representing the force and Presence of Day and Light, sibling
to Aether.
Hephaestus
Child
of Zeus and Hera, craftsman and
smith of the Gods and, as is so often the case among Aryan smithy Deities,
lame. Among the Hellenes, he was something of a hapless fool, a figure
of jest and contempt. This stems from the very strong Classic Mediterranean
attitude which held manual labor to be an unworthy thing, fit only for
slaves and others of little importance. His lameness is said by some to
be from a birth defect which caused Him to be cast down into the Sea (Okeanos)
- others aver it to be a result of Zeus casting him off Olympus in a fit
of rage, owing to Hephaestos' siding with Hera in an argument. In that
both versions involve a catastrophic fall from the heavens, a reference
to meteoric iron and/or volcanic ejecta may be implied. He was wed to Aphrodite,
a union which caused much cruel jest among the Olympians. In Egypt, He
became conflated to a degree with Ptah.
Hesperus (evening)
Evening, specifically the Evening Star.
Hera (protectress.
cf. "Hero"=defender) Daughter
of Kronos and Rhea, wife of Zeus
and Queen of the Universe. Her jealousies and vengeances are legendary;
not, perhaps, surprising in light of Zeus' proclivities. She is a patroness
of the matronly virtues, and a protectress of Womankind.
Herakles (glorious
protector) Son
of Zeus and a mortal, he has a very rich and complex
mythology associated with him. As a mortal, his travels and adventures
are legendary, and he has become known as the quintessential Hero. His
journeys and labors can be seen as an initiatory sequence, in which his
Earthly dross is gradually purged from him. His demise is the final act
of this process, and on his funeral pyre his Spirit is liberated, and ascends
to Olympus where he is admitted to the company of the Gods. He was a popular
cult figure throughout the Classic world, and his tale still holds attention
today. His favored weapons were the club or maul, and the bow.
Hermes (cairn)
Son of Zeus, and a Deity of many functions
and attributes. He is best known as the Messenger and Herald of the Gods,
but he is also a fertility God, a Lord of fortune and fate, and a patron
of both merchants and thieves. As Herald he combines patronage of Music
and Eloquence, and as Divine Messenger he controls dreams and omens. Quite
expectedly, he is also a Protector of travelers. His name refers to boundary
stones and landmarks.
Hestia Daughter of
Kronos
and Rhea, Goddess of family life and the hearth. Like
Artemis,
Hestia has no consort and remains a maiden. Her primary functions are patronage
of hospitality to guests in an outward sense, and family unity in an inward
sense. Her cult was widespread in private homes, but also recieved some
attention from states at large.
Horcus (Oath)
Child
of Eris, and the divine spirit of oaths and solemn
promises; by the Hellenes a bitter and grievous obligation, since they
regarded the binding to an oath as a surrender to the dubious mercy of
the Gods.
Hyperion
One of the Titans, son of Uranus and
Gaea (Heaven and Earth), and father of Helios
(the Sun).
Iacchus An obscure
Deity, perhaps a son of Zeus, Associated with
Demeter
in some ways (one tradition holds Him to be Her son), His chief function
was an involvement in the Eleusinian Mysteries, where His name was invoked
at the beginning of the rites, and his image is invariably shown bearing
a torch and leading worshippers into the Sanctum.
Iapetus
One
of the Titans, son of Uranus and
Gaea
(Heaven and Earth), and father of Atlas,
Prometheus,
Epimetheus,
and Menoetius.
Irene (peace)
Daughter of Zeus and Themis,
one of the Horae. Goddess of concord and unity, Her spirit was invoked
in works of pacification and diplomacy.
Iris (rainbow)
Daughter
of Thaumas, and Goddess of the rainbow. Like Hermes,
she was a messenger and herald, and she served as an oath-taker on solemn
occasions among the Gods, bearing a jar containing water from the River
Styx,
which would render a Divinity comatose for a year should they foreswear
themselves.
Kalliope
(beautiful voice)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Epic Poetry. The Muses are
daughters of Zeus by Mnemosyne,
and between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Kalypso
One of the Okeanids, She is a death Goddess, and divine protector of Alder
trees. She guards a fountain of immortality upon Her island of Ogygia.
She induced the shipwrecked Odysseus to bide with Her for seven years,
and offered him a draught of immortality, but was instructed by Zeus to
release him.
Karpo
The personification of Autumn, and worshipped as the spirit of that season.
Often associated with Thallo.
Kastor
& Polydeukes A pair of twins, one (Polydeukes) immortal,
the other mortal. Polydeukes is a Patron of Horses, and despite Kastor's
mortality, the two are inseperable. They were seen as rescuers of those
in dire need, especially at sea, and the electrical phenomenon known as
St. Elmo's fire was considered a sign of their presence.
Klio (celebrate)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of History. The Muses are daughters
of Zeus by Mnemosyne, and
between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Klotho (spinner)
The
first of the three Fates, daughter of Zeus out of Themis.
She is sometimes pictured as a young maiden bearing a spindle. Her office
it is to take the stuff of life and spin it into thread. See also Atropos
and Lachesis.
KoeusOne
of the Titans, child of Uranus and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). The father of Leto.
Krius One
of the Titans, child of Uranus and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth).
Kronos
A
son of Uranus and Gaea (Heaven
and Earth), Lord of the Titans, and Ruler of the Universe
in beginning times. The father of many of the Olympian Divinities, He swallowed
them all as infants, rather than permit one to supplant him as he had supplanted
his father. One of his progeny, Zeus, was hidden from
him and did, in fact, overthrow his rule and force him to disgorge his
other offspring.
Lachesis
(allotter)
The second of the three Fates, daughter of Zeus out
of Themis. She is sometimes pictured as a matronly
woman holding a length of thread. Her office it is to measure out, either
long or short, the length of a person's life thread. See also Atropos
and Klotho.
Lethe (Forgetfullness)
A Daughter of Eris, She is the presiding Spirit of
Amnesia and mindlessness.
Leto One
of the Titans, daughter of Koeus and Phoebe.
By Zeus, she is the mother of Apollo
and Artemis. She also seems to have some function
as a fertility Deity, and an epithet of hers, "Kourotrophos", rearer of
youths, hints at further associations.
Limos Daughter of
Eris,
She is the Spirit of Hunger.
Mania (Madness)
The divine ruler and sender of insanity.
Megaera (grudge)
One of the three Erinyes (Furies). See also Alekto
and
Tisiphone.
Melpomene
(choir)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Tragedy. The Muses are daughters
of Zeus by Mnemosyne, and
between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,Thalia,
and
Urania.
Menoetius
(ruined strength)
One of the Titans, child of Iapetus.
He is slain in the war between the Titans and Zeus.
Metis (wisdom)
One of the Titans, child of Uranus
and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). Among them, she was considered
the most wise, and is said to have provided the young Zeus with good advice
when he began the battle against his father. By Zeus,
she is the mother of Athene, who may fairly be considered
her successor: Zeus was given a prophecy that any male child of Metis would
supplant him, as he had supplanted his sire, and he his. Zeus therefore
repeated after a fashion his forefather, and swallowed Metis whole, whereupon
Athene sprang forth from his forehead.
Mnemosyne
(memory)
One of the Titans, child of Uranus
and Gaea (Heaven and Earth). By Zeus,
she is the mother of the Muses. See Erato, Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Momus Daughter of
Nyx,
and the Spirit of Derision, Sarcasm, and Irony.
Nemesis (due
enactment) Child
of Nyx, Goddess of divine vengeance, and implacable
retribution. She is usually imaged bearing a scourge and a wheel. The latter
seems to hint at an association with earlier seasonal Divinities.
Nereus (wet
one) Eldest child
of Pontos, and a Divinity of the Waters who seems
not to be a Titan or Olympian, but of a different order. He is called "the
Old Man of the Sea", and is said to govern with gentle and secret wisdom.
By Doris, he is the father of many, including Amphitrite.
Nike (victory)
Daughter
of Styx, She is the personification of success, particularly
in a martial sense.
Notus Spirit of the
South Wind.
Nyx (night)
A primal being, emergent from Chaos in the beginning
times.
Okeanus (outer
sea)
Eldest of
the Titans, child of Uranus and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). He is the personification of the Sea. By Tethys
he is the father of the race of Nymphs.
Pan (pasturer)
Goat-footed and horned God of field, grove, and wooded glen.
The son of Hermes, he was a shepherds Divinity, concerned
with fertility, the wildwood, and solitary pipe-music. He had a somewhat
disreputable image in the Classic world on account of his trenchent lustfulness,
but was very popular as an artistic theme on amphorae and wall decor.
Peitho (persuasion)
One
of the daughters of Okeanos, she is the chief attendent
of Aphrodite, and is the Spirit of the art of
persuasive discourse.
Peneus A
river spirit (male), Patron of the Pinios River, in Thessaly. He is the
father of the Nymph Daphne.
Persephone
Daughter of Demeter, beloved of Hades.
He kidnapped her and took her to his Under-Earth Realm, where she pined
for the sun and the sky. Her mother searched over all the land for her
and, not finding her, withdrew Her Attribute from the land, causing barreness
and destruction. Zeus intervened and it was dicovered
where Persephone had been taken. She could not be released, however, because
she had tasted some nourishment, a single pomagranate seed. Nevertheless
an arrangement was worked out whereby She might visit Upper-Earth for half
a year. Her movements henceforth herald the coming of Summer and Winter.
Phanes
A
primal Being, child of Kronos and perhaps the father
of Nyx; He is Radiance, the first light to emerge from
Chaos.
Phobos (fear)
Child (by Aphrodite) and companion
of Ares.
Phoebe (bright
one)
One of the
Titans, child of Uranus and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). By Koeus, she is the mother of
Leto.
Phoebus The
aspect of Apollo most closely associated with the
sun. Phoebus was the driver of the Solar Chariot, or in some versions the
Solar Disc itself, moving in regular step across the sky and thus regulating
the hours and the days
Phosphoros (light-bringer)
Morning,
or more specifically, the Morning Star.
Plutos (wealth)
A son of Demeter and God of material prosperity
and wealth. Said to have been blinded by Zeus, because
he distributed his Attribute unfairly.
Polyhymnia
(many songs)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Sacred Poetry.
The Muses are daughters of Zeus by Mnemosyne,
and between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Ponos (Sorrow)
Child of Eris, divine governor of sadness and grief.
Pontos (sea)
A primal entity, who emerged from Gaea in the beginning
times. He is the parent of Nereus.
Poseidon
Son of Kronos and Rhea,
principle God of the Sea, in concert with many other spirits, godlings
and Deities of that Realm. He also had patronage over horses, and in fact
was said to have created them.
Prometheus
(Forethought)
One of the Titans, child of Iapetus.
He is said to have created mankind and, when they appeared helpless to
cope with the world, he ascended to Olympus and stole fire from the Gods,
giving it to mankind. For this feat of lese-majeste, he was condemned to
be chained to a rock, a divine eagle to tear out and consume his liver
each day.
Proteus A Divinity
of the sea, the herder of the sea's "flocks" (seals and suchlike). Imaged
as an grumpy old man, he was a wisdom-master, and knows all things, past,
present, and future. He will not divulge his knowledge unless, catching
him unawares, one can bind him sufficient to keep him, even though he can
change his shape at will. Caught, he will answer one question, then escape
into the sea.
Rhea One
of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and
Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). Consort of Kronos and mother
of a number of Olympian Divinities, including Zeus,
whom she concealed from his father until he could overthrow him and assume
the Lordship of Creation.
Scamander Tutulary
God of the river of the same name, in Asia Minor. Child of Okeanos and
Tethys, He aided the Trojans during the Trojan War by flooding the Greeks.
Selene (derived
from a root meaning "light, gleam")
Goddess
of the Moon, the Lunar Disc. Closely associated with
Hekate,
and often conflated with her.
Styx (the
Hateful. derived from a root meaning "Icy cold")
A
cthonian river spirit, tutelary to the underground River Styx, the touch
of whose waters brought unconciousness (permanent in mortals, temporary
to the Gods).
Terpsichore
(delight of dancing)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Choral Dance. The Muses are
daughters of Zeus by Mnemosyne,
and between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
Tethys (disposer)
One
of the Titans, child of Uranus and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). She is the consort of
Okeanos,
and by him mother of the Nymphs. Also called Thetis.
Thalia
I
(festivity)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Comedy. The Muses are daughters
of Zeus by Mnemosyne, and
between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
and Urania.
Thalia
II
(festivity)
One of the three Graces. See also Aglaia
and
Euphrosyne.
Thallo
The personification of Spring, and worshipped as the spirit of that season.
Often associated with Karpo.
Thaumas (wonderful)
A sea Divinity, Son of Pontos, and
husband of Elektra.
Theia (goddess)
One
of the Titans, child of Uranus and Gaea
(Heaven and Earth). She is the mother, by
Hyperion,
of Eos.
Themis (order)
One of the Titans, child of Uranus
and Gaea (Heaven and Earth). By Zeus,
she is the mother of Dike,
Irene,
and others. She is the Goddess of wise counsel, and She governs law, ceremony,
and the translation of Divine Will. She was oracular, and a persistent
story has it that she was the original Source at Delphi, before being supplanted
by Apollo.
Tisiphone
(vengeful destruction)
One of the three Furies. See also Alekto
and
Megaera.
Tmolus The tutelary
God of the Mount Tmolus region of Phrygia, in Anatolia
Triton Child of Poseidon
and Amphitrite, He is lord of all the Mer-folk.
Tyche (luck)
Child of Okeanos, and Goddess of luck
and chance. The ancient Hellenes viewed Her with a certain uneasiness,
rightly seeing Her as distributing Her Attribute senselessly and without
rhyme or reason. They said that she was closely followed by Nemesis,
who would put some of her Effects to order by scourging those who boasted
of their good fortune or who did not share with others their wealth. Nevertheless,
her cult was widespread and quite persistent.
Urania (heavenly)
One of the nine Muses. Her realm was that of Astronomy. The Muses are daughters
of Zeus by Mnemosyne, and
between them inspire creative workings. See also Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
and Thalia.
Uranus (sky-dweller)
The Sky-Father, a primal being, emergent from Gaea.
He was Lord of the Titans, until his position was usurped by Kronos.
Zelus (Ardour)
Son
of Styx, the Spirit of passionate zeal.
Zephyr (west
wind) Spirit of
the West Wind.
Zeus (derived
from Aryan: "Dyaus"=God)Son
of Kronos and Rhea, King of the
Gods and Lord of the Universe. Threatened with death at an early age by
a jealous and paranoid father, his life was preserved by his mother, and
he supplanted his father in what amounts to a palace revolution among the
early mythic figures. His image and personality are familiar even today,
and it is enough to say that He has represented all that is brash, regal,
arrogant, lusty, decisive, willful, dynamic, and splendiferous to many
peoples over a very long time. Like many Aryan Sky-Gods, His chief weapon
is the thunderbolt.
Divine Associations Hellenic
religion is characterized to a high degree by sets of Divinities into families
or classes, more so than in many other mythologies. Here is a rough guide
to the major groups.
The Charites A trio
of Goddesses, the Graces, originally fertility Divinities but later becoming
urbanized and focused on social roles. In the latter role they are often
associated with Aphrodite: Aglaia, Euphrosyne,
Thalia.
The Dactyls (Fingers)
A
group of related smithy and metallurgy divinities. They are subjects of
various tales, many of which connect them to Rhea,
either as offspring or servants - a typical tale has them formed from the
castings dug out of the Earth by Rhea as She gave birth to Zeus. Various
authors number them from three to thirty-two: most usually, they are called
Acmon, Celmis, and Damnameneus - or Herakles (thumb), Aeonius (forefinger),
Epimedes (middle finger), Iasius (ring or healing finger), and Idas (little
finger).
The Erinyes A trio
of Goddesses, the Furies, assigned the task of delivering Divine retribution
to offending creatures: Alekto, Megaera,
Tisiphone.
The Harpiae The Harpys
were storm-goddesses - spirits of the whirlwind who snatched up hapless
victims and carried them off or dashed them to the ground. Often regarded
as deliverers of Divine Will (and known thereby as the Hounds of Zeus),
they were originally imaged as beautiful birdlike women, but later came
to be described as hideous, vulture-like creatures: Podarge (or Celaeno),
Aello, Okypetes.
The Hesperides Another
trio of Goddesses, these maidens the guardians of the Golden Apples given
Hera by Gaea on her marraige to Zeus: Aegle, Erytheia, Hesperis
The Horae Originally
a trio Goddesses, the gatewardens of Olympus, they later evolved into representations
of the seasons, and finally as spirits of the twelve hours: Dike,
Eunome,
Irene,
Karpo,
and Thallo.
The Hyades
Daughters
of Atlas and Pleione, their number varies in the telling of the tale, usually
it is five or seven. They are said to have been transformed into a tightly-knit
group of stars upon their collective suicide in despair over the demise
of their brother Hyas. The most typical list of their names is: Aesyle,
Ambrosia, Coronis, Dione, Eudora, Polyxo, Phaeo. See also the Pleiades.
The Kyklopes A group
of fire deities, children of Uranus and Gaea.
Servants of Hephaestos, they made lightning-bolts for Zeus, as well as
Eros' arrows. They still retain easy identification in popular imagination
as giant, one-eyed creatures of vile temperment and evil disposition: Acamas,
Arges, Brontes, Polyphemus, Pyracmon, Steropes.
The Moirai A trio
of Goddesses assigned the task of measuring out the span of a person's
life. Atropos, Klotho, Lachesis.
The (Boeotian) Muses A
Trio of Goddesses, daughters of Uranus and Gaea,
associated with music. Aoide governs song, Melete rules practice, and Mneme
is Patroness of bardic memory.
The (Camenaean) Muses
Nine Goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne,
charged with overseeing intellectual and artistic inspiration: Erato,
Euterpe,
Kalliope,
Klio,
Melpomene,
Polyhymnia,
Terpsichore,
Thalia,
and
Urania.
The (Delphic) Muses A
trio of Goddesses, dwelling upon Mount Helicon, representing the divine
power of music in general, and the lyre in particular. Hypate is patroness
of the high string of the Lyre, Mese governs the middle string, and Nete
inspires the low string.
The Nereids A large
class of Divine and Semi-Divine children of Nereus
and Doris; most are closely associated with the Sea:
Agave, Aktaea, Amphitrite, Doris, Doto, Dynamene,
Eione, Erato, Euagora, Eudora, Eukrante, Eulime, Eunike, Eupompe, Galatea,
Galene, Glauke, Glaukonome, Halia, Halimede, Hipponoe, Hippothoe, Kymatolege,
Kymo, Kymodoce, Kymothoe, Laomedea, Leagora, Lysianassa, Melite, Menippe,
Nemertes, Nesaea, Neso, Panopea, Pasithea, Pherusa, Ploto, Polynoe, Pontoporea,
Pronoe, Proto, Protomedea, Psamathe, Sao, Speo, Themisto, Thetis, Thoe.
The Okeanids Another
class of Divinities often associated with the sea, the children of Okeanos,
Titan of the Waters: Amphiro, Dione,
Doris, Eudora,
Eurynome, Galaxaura, Hippo, Ianthe, Idea, Kallirrhoe, Kalypso,
Melia, Meliboea, Melobosis, Menestho, Metis, Ocyrhoe, Pasithoe,
Peitho,
Petraea, Plexaura, Pluto, Polydora, Styx, Telesto,
Thoe, Tyche.
The Pleiades
The
daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Transformed into a
tightly-knit group of stars to evade capture by the Huntsman Orion, or,
in a differing tradition, because of the despair they felt when their father
was condemned to bear eternally aloft the Earth: Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno,
Elektra, Maia, Merope, Taygete. See also the
Hyades.
The Primal Beings
Not arranged as a distinct class in and of itself, here is, even so, the
catalogue of the first entities to manifest in the Hellenic cosmology,
and the sources for all the rest: Aether, Chaos,
Erebus,
Gaea,
Hemera,
Nyx,
Phanes,
Pontos,
Uranus.
Titans A precursor
race of Divine entities, essentially composing a pantheon itself. The eldest
are said to have emerged from Primal matter (Gaea and
Uranus),
they were all eventually supplanted by their children, the Olympians, although
some retained their functions into the new regime: Asia, Asteria, Atlas,
Ceto,
Epimetheus, Eurybia, Eurymedon, Hyas, Hyperion,
Iapetus,
Klymene, Koeus, Krius,
Kronos,
Menoetius,
Metis,
Mnemosyne,
Okeanos,
Perses,
Phoebe, Pleione,
Hekate,
Prometheus,
Rhea,
Tethys,
Theia.