It arouses genuine interest, intrigues and excites. It combines fictional and modern world. Quite a few books have been written about him and many films have been made. Pantheon greek gods- a real treasure trove for studying the history, customs and life of Ancient Greece. What function did the celestials perform on the sacred Mount Olympus? What unimaginable power and authority were they endowed with? This and much more will be discussed in our new divine article!

The pantheon, or simply a group of gods belonging to the same religion, consisted of large number celestials, each of whom performed a designated role and carried out its own function. In their appearance and behavior, the gods and goddesses were similar to ordinary people. They experienced the same emotions and feelings, fell in love and quarreled, were angry and had mercy, deceived and spread gossip. But their main difference was immortality! Over time, the history of relations between the gods became increasingly overgrown with myths. And this only increased interest and admiration for the ancient religion...

Representatives of the younger generation of celestials in Ancient Hellas were considered the main gods. Once upon a time, they took away the right to rule the world from the older generation (titans), who personified the natural elements and universal forces. Having defeated the Titans, the younger gods, under the leadership of Zeus, settled on Mount Olympus. We will tell you about the 12 main Olympian gods and goddesses, their assistants and companions, who were worshiped by the Greeks!

King of the gods and main deity. Representative of the endless sky, lord of lightning and thunder. Zeus had unlimited power over both people and gods. The ancient Greeks honored and feared the Thunderer, appeasing him in every possible way with the best donations. Babies learned about Zeus even in the womb, and attributed all misfortunes to the wrath of the greatest and omnipotent.

Brother of Zeus, ruler of the sea, rivers, lakes and oceans. He personified courage, violent temper, hot temper and unearthly strength. As the patron saint of seafarers, he could cause famine, capsize and sink ships, and decide the fate of fishermen in open waters. Poseidon is closely associated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Brother of Poseidon and Zeus, to whom the entire underworld, the kingdom of the dead, was subordinate. The only one who did not live on Olympus, but was rightfully considered an Olympian god. All the dead went to Hades. Although people were afraid to even pronounce the name of Hades, ancient mythology he is represented as a cold, unwavering and indifferent god, whose decision must be carried out unquestioningly. Into his dark kingdom with demons and shadows of the dead, where they cannot penetrate sun rays, you can only enter. There is no turning back.

Aristocratic and refined, the god of healing, sunlight, spiritual purity and artistic beauty. Having become the patron of creativity, he is considered the head of the 9 muses, as well as the father of the god of doctors, Asclepius.

The most ancient god of roads and travel, patron of trade and merchants. This celestial being with wings on his heels was associated with a subtle mind, resourcefulness, cunning and excellent knowledge of foreign languages.

The insidious god of war and fierce battles. The mighty warrior preferred bloody reprisals and waged war for the sake of war itself.

Patron of blacksmithing, pottery and other crafts associated with fire. Even in ancient times, Hephaestus was associated with volcanic activity, roar and flame.

Wife of Zeus, patroness of marriage and conjugal love. The goddess was distinguished by jealousy, anger, cruelty and excessive severity. In a state of rage, she could bring terrible troubles to people.

The daughter of Zeus, the beautiful goddess of love, who easily fell in love with herself and fell in love herself. In her hands was concentrated the great power of love, pure and sincere, which she bestowed on the gods and people.

Goddess of just war, wisdom, patroness of spiritual pursuits, art, agriculture and crafts. Pallas Athena was born from the head of Zeus in full armor. Thanks to her, public life flows and cities are built. For her knowledge and intelligence, she was the most respected and authoritative celestial among the pantheon of Greek gods.

Patroness of agriculture and goddess of fertility. She is the guardian of life, who taught man peasant labor. She fills the barns and replenishes supplies. Demeter is the embodiment of the primitive energy of creativity, the great mother who gives birth to all living things.

Artemis

Goddess of forests and hunting, sister of Apollo. Patroness of vegetation and fertility. The virginity of the goddess is closely connected with the idea of ​​birth and sexual relations.

In addition to the 12 main Olympian gods, among the Greek celestials there were many equally significant and authoritative names.

God of winemaking and all natural forces that make a person happy.

Morpheus. Everyone was in his arms. Greek god of dreams, son of Hypnos - god of sleep. Morpheus could take any form, accurately copy his voice, and appear to people in their dreams.

Son of Aphrodite and part-time god of love. A cute boy with a quiver and a bow accurately throws arrows at people, which ignite unbreakable love in the hearts of gods and people. In Rome, Cupid corresponded to it.

Persephone. Daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by Hades, who dragged her to his underworld and made her his wife. She spends part of the year upstairs with her mother, the rest of the time she lives underground. Persephone personified the grain that is sown in the ground and comes to life when it comes out into the light.

Patron of the hearth, family and sacrificial fire.

Pan. Greek god of forests, patron of shepherds and flocks. Represented with goat legs, horns and a beard with a pipe in his hands.

Goddess of victory and constant companion of Zeus. The divine symbol of success and a happy outcome is always depicted in a pose of rapid movement or with wings. Nika takes part in all musical competitions, military enterprises and religious celebrations.

And that's not all greek names gods:

• Asclepius is the Greek god of healing.
• Proteus is the son of Poseidon, a sea deity. He had the gift of predicting the future and changing his appearance.
• Triton, the son of Poseidon, brought news from the depths of the sea by blowing a conch shell. Depicted as a mixture of horse, fish and man.
• Eirene - the goddess of peace, stands at the Olympian throne of Zeus.
• Dike is the patroness of truth, a goddess who does not tolerate deception.
• Tyukhe is the goddess of luck and successful chance.
• Plutos is the ancient Greek god of wealth.
• Enyo is the goddess of furious war, causing fury in the fighters, bringing confusion to the battle.
• Phobos and Deimos are the sons and companions of Ares, the god of war.

The religion of Ancient Greece belongs to pagan polytheism. The gods played important roles in the structure of the world, each performing its own function. The immortal deities were similar to people and behaved quite humanly: they were sad and happy, quarreled and reconciled, betrayed and sacrificed their interests, were cunning and were sincere, loved and hated, forgave and took revenge, punished and had mercy.

The ancient Greeks explained the behavior, as well as the commands of gods and goddesses. natural phenomena, human origins, moral principles, public relations. Mythology reflected the Greeks' ideas about the world around them. Myths originated in different regions of Hellas and over time merged into an orderly system of beliefs.

Ancient Greek gods and goddesses

The gods and goddesses belonging to the younger generation were considered the main ones. The older generation, who embodied the forces of the universe and natural elements, lost dominance over the world, unable to withstand the onslaught of the younger ones. Having won, the young gods chose Mount Olympus as their home. The ancient Greeks identified 12 main Olympian gods among all the deities. So, the gods of Ancient Greece, list and description:

Zeus - god of Ancient Greece- in mythology called the father of the gods, Zeus the Thunderer, lord of lightning and clouds. It is he who has the powerful power to create life, resist chaos, establish order and fair justice on earth. Legends tell about the deity as a noble and kind creature. The Lord of Lightning gave birth to the goddesses Or and the Muses. The Or govern time and the seasons of the year. Muses bring inspiration and joy to people.

The wife of the Thunderer was Hera. The Greeks considered her the quarrelsome goddess of the atmosphere. Hera is the keeper of the home, the patroness of wives who remain faithful to their husbands. With her daughter Ilithia, Hera eased the pain of childbirth. Zeus was famous for his passion. After three hundred years of marriage, the lord of lightning began to visit ordinary women, who gave birth to heroes - demigods. Zeus appeared to his chosen ones in different guises. Before the beautiful Europa, the father of the gods appeared like a bull with golden horns. Zeus visited Danae like a shower of gold.

Poseidon

Sea god - ruler of the oceans and seas, patron saint of sailors and fishermen. The Greeks considered Poseidon a just god, all of whose punishments were deservedly sent to people. Preparing for the voyage, the sailors offered prayers not to Zeus, but to the ruler of the seas. Before going to sea, incense was offered on altars to please the sea deity.

The Greeks believed that Poseidon could be seen during a strong storm on the open sea. His magnificent golden chariot emerged from the sea foam, drawn by fleet-footed horses. The ruler of the ocean received dashing horses as a gift from his brother Hades. Poseidon's wife is the goddess of the roaring sea, Amphthrita. The trident is a symbol of power, giving the deity absolute power over the depths of the sea. Poseidon had a gentle character and tried to avoid quarrels. His loyalty to Zeus was not questioned - unlike Hades, the ruler of the seas did not challenge the primacy of the Thunderer.

Hades

Master of the Underworld. Hades and his wife Persephone ruled the kingdom of the dead. The inhabitants of Hellas feared Hades more than Zeus himself. It is impossible to get into the underworld - and even more so, to return - without the will of the gloomy deity. Hades traveled across the surface of the earth in a chariot drawn by horses. The horses' eyes glowed with hellish fire. People prayed in fear that the gloomy god would not take them to his abodes. Hades' favorite three-headed dog Cerberus guarded the entrance to the kingdom of the dead.

According to legends, when the gods divided power and Hades gained dominion over the kingdom of the dead, the celestial being was dissatisfied. He considered himself humiliated and harbored a grudge against Zeus. Hades never openly opposed the power of the Thunderer, but constantly tried to harm the father of the gods as much as possible.

Hades kidnapped the beautiful Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and the fertility goddess Demeter, by force making her his wife and ruler of the underworld. Zeus did not have power over the kingdom of the dead, so he refused Demeter’s request to return her daughter to Olympus. The distressed goddess of fertility stopped caring for the earth, there was a drought, then famine came. The Lord of Thunder and Lightning had to enter into an agreement with Hades, according to which Persephone would spend two thirds of the year in heaven and a third of the year in the underworld.

Pallas Athena and Ares

Athena is probably the most beloved goddess of the ancient Greeks. Daughter of Zeus, born from his head, she embodied three virtues:

• wisdom;
• calm;
• insight.

The goddess of victorious energy, Athena was depicted as a powerful warrior with a spear and shield. She was also the deity of clear skies and had the power to disperse dark clouds with her weapons. The daughter of Zeus traveled with the goddess of victory Nike. Athena was called upon as the protector of cities and fortresses. It was she who sent down fair state laws to Ancient Greece.

Ares - deity of stormy skies, Athena's eternal rival. The son of Hera and Zeus, he was revered as the god of war. A warrior filled with rage, with a sword or spear - this is how the ancient Greeks imagined Ares. The God of War enjoyed the noise of battle and bloodshed. Unlike Athena, who fought battles judiciously and honestly, Ares preferred fierce fights. The God of War approved a tribunal - a special trial of especially cruel murderers. The hill where the courts took place was named after the warlike deity Areopagus.

Hephaestus

God of blacksmithing and fire. According to legend, Hephaestus was cruel to people, frightening and destroying them with volcanic eruptions. People lived without fire on the surface of the earth, suffering and dying in the eternal cold. Hephaestus, like Zeus, did not want to help mortals and give them fire. Prometheus - Titan, the last of the older generation of gods, was an assistant to Zeus and lived on Olympus. Filled with compassion, he brought fire to earth. For stealing fire, the Thunderer doomed the titan to eternal torment.

Prometheus managed to escape punishment. Possessing prophetic abilities, the titan knew that Zeus was in danger of death at the hands of his own son in the future. Thanks to Prometheus's hint, the lord of lightning did not unite in marriage with the one who would give birth to a patricidal son, and strengthened his rule forever. For the secret of maintaining power, Zeus granted the titan freedom.

In Hellas there was a running festival. Participants competed with lit torches in their hands. Athena, Hephaestus and Prometheus were symbols of the celebration that served as the birth of the Olympic Games.

Hermes

The deities of Olympus were not only characterized by noble impulses, lies and deceit often guided their actions. God Hermes is a rogue and thief, the patron of trade and banking, magic, alchemy, and astrology. Born by Zeus from the Mayan galaxy. His mission was to convey the will of the gods to people through dreams. From the name of Hermes comes the name of the science of hermeneutics - the art and theory of interpretation of texts, including ancient ones.

Hermes invented writing, was young, handsome, energetic. Ancient images depict him as a handsome young man in a winged hat and sandals. According to legend, Aphrodite rejected the advances of the god of trade. Gremes is not married, although he has many children, as well as many lovers.

The first theft of Hermes was 50 cows of Apollo, he committed it at a very young age. Zeus gave the kid a good beating and he returned the stolen goods. Subsequently, the Thunderer more than once turned to his resourceful son to solve sensitive problems. For example, at the request of Zeus, Hermes stole a cow from Hera, into which the beloved of the lord of lightning turned.

Apollo and Artemis

Apollo is the sun god of the Greeks. Being the son of Zeus, Apollo spent the winter in the lands of the Hyperboreans. God returned to Greece in the spring, bringing awakening to nature, immersed in winter hibernation. Apollo patronized the arts and was also the deity of music and singing. After all, along with spring, the desire to create returned to people. Apollo was credited with the ability to heal. Just as the sun drives out darkness, so the celestial being drove out illnesses. The sun god was depicted as an extremely handsome young man holding a harp.

Artemis is the goddess of hunting and the moon, patroness of animals. The Greeks believed that Artemis took night walks with the naiads - the patroness of water - and shed dew on the grass. At a certain period in history, Artemis was considered a cruel goddess who destroys sailors. Human sacrifices were made to the deity to gain favor.

At one time, girls worshiped Artemis as the organizer of a strong marriage. Artemis of Ephesus began to be considered the goddess of fertility. Sculptures and pictures of Artemis depicted a woman with many breasts on her chest to emphasize the goddess's generosity.

Soon the sun god Helios and the moon goddess Selene appeared in legends. Apollo remained the deity of music and art, Artemis - goddess of the hunt.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite the Beautiful was worshiped as the patroness of lovers. The Phoenician goddess Aphrodite combined two principles:

• femininity, when the goddess enjoyed the love of the young man Adonis and the singing of birds, the sounds of nature;
• militancy, when the goddess was portrayed as a cruel warrior who obliged her followers to take a vow of chastity, and was also a zealous guardian of fidelity in marriage.

The ancient Greeks managed to harmoniously combine femininity and belligerence, creating the perfect image of female beauty. The embodiment of the ideal was Aphrodite, bringing pure, immaculate love. The goddess was depicted as a beautiful naked woman emerging from the foam of the sea. Aphrodite is the most revered muse of poets, sculptors, and artists of that time.

The son of the beautiful goddess Eros (Eros) was her faithful messenger and assistant. The main task the god of love was to connect the life lines of lovers. According to legend, Eros looked like a well-fed baby with wings.

Demeter

Demeter is the patron goddess of farmers and winemakers. Mother Earth, that’s what they called her. Demeter was the embodiment of nature, which gives people fruits and grains, absorbing sunlight and rains. They depicted the goddess of fertility with light brown, wheat-colored hair. Demeter gave people the science of arable farming and crops grown with hard work. The daughter of the goddess of wine, Persephone, becoming the queen of the underworld, connected the world of the living with the kingdom of the dead.

Along with Demeter, Dionysus, the deity of winemaking, was revered. Dionysus was portrayed as a cheerful young man. Usually his body was entwined with a vine, and in his hands the god held a jug filled with wine. Dionysus taught people to care for vines and sing wild songs, which later formed the basis of ancient Greek drama.

Hestia

Goddess of family well-being, unity and peace. The altar of Hestia stood in every house near the family hearth. The inhabitants of Hellas perceived urban communities as large families, therefore, in the prytanae (administrative buildings in Greek cities) there were necessarily sanctuaries of Hestia. They were a symbol of civil unity and peace. There was a sign that if you take coals from the prytanean altar on a long journey, the goddess will provide her protection along the way. The goddess also protected foreigners and the afflicted.

Temples to Hestia were not built, because she was worshiped in every home. Fire was considered a pure, purifying natural phenomenon, so Hestia was perceived as the patroness of chastity. The goddess asked Zeus for permission not to marry, although Poseidon and Apollo sought her favor.

Myths and legends have evolved over decades. With each retelling, the stories acquired new details, and previously unknown characters emerged. The list of gods grew, making it possible to explain natural phenomena the essence of which ancient people could not understand. Myths passed on the wisdom of older generations to young ones, explained government structure, affirmed the moral principles of society.

The mythology of Ancient Greece gave humanity many stories and images that were reflected in the masterpieces of world art. For centuries, artists, sculptors, poets and architects have drawn inspiration from the legends of Hellas.

In ancient times, according to the beliefs of the ancient Greeks, 12 Olympian gods lived on Olympus, 6 men and 6 women. The genealogies of all the Olympian gods, demigods and heroes of Greek myths began with them.
These Olympian gods made a strange journey from even more ancient times into the future. The Greek gods turned into Roman gods to remain gods... but with different names. The gods of ancient Greece and Rome, having different names, perform the same functions and come from the same more ancient gods.

Greece, sea, foot of Olympus. Olympus beautiful mountain visible from afar. This is the home of the Olympian gods, shrouded in clouds. If you climb the mountain, to its very peak, you will find there only enough space for a few people.

Greek goddesses are bearers of eternal feminine qualities and today these goddesses live among us in the form normal women. The question of our choice is what we want to choose for ourselves. What kind of goddess or god do we want to look like and how will we accept this image of our destiny.

The idea of ​​​​representing the ancient Greek and Roman goddesses passed through love and stretches a laurel branch from the valley of the Pene River where the legend of Daphne was born.

Nymph Daphne was the most beautiful daughter of Peneus - the god of Rivers and the goddess of the Earth - Gaia. The god of love, Eros, struck the heart of the sun god Apollo with one shot of his arrow, and he fell madly in love with Daphne.

Eros either forgot to shoot his second arrow into Daphne’s heart, or regretted it, and as a result, Daphne rejected the advances of Apollo, who was in love with her, and ran as far as possible from the persistent suitor, who didn’t want to know anything about Daphne’s feelings for him, but only and thought about how to take possession of the object of my love.

But it was impossible for Daphne to escape from the all-seeing Sun God and, desperate to hide from Apollo, she asked her mother to turn her into a laurel bush growing on the banks of the Pene River and thus escape forever from the annoying love of the Sun God Apollo. Having found her in the form of a bush, the lover Apollo wove a laurel wreath and put it on his head as a sign eternal love and vowed to make the laurel an evergreen tree. Among the ancient Greeks, the laurel wreath became a prize given to winners in the Olympic Games.

The legend is very beautiful and tragic... Is this a punishment for unrequited love?

Artemis(V Ancient Rome- goddess Diana) daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto (Latona, according to another version - Demeter), sister of Apollo. When Leto became pregnant, she hid on the island of Delos. The wife of Zeus, Hera, who was also the goddess of marriage, having learned about this blasphemy, sent the Delphic Python in pursuit of her. Zeus saved his daughter and, under a palm tree on the island of Delos, Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo.

Artemis loved her brother Apollo very much and often came to the top of Parnassus, where he lived, to rest and listen to him play the golden cithara and the songs of the muses. At dawn, having slept, she again rushed into the forests to hunt.

The ancient Roman goddess Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the patroness of wild animals and the Moon. Diana is depicted as a hunter with a bow, the arrows of which never miss the target, surrounded by deer and dogs. Artemis's kingdom is wilderness.

Diana of the ancient Romans is also the chaste goddess of femininity, fertility, hunting, the moon and the night. She is depicted accompanied by wild animals with a bow and quiver of arrows, wandering with mountain nymphs through forests and mountains. Diana guards young single women and is the Virgin of purity. Diana in late Roman antiquity was considered the personification of the night and the moon, just as her brother Apollo was identified with the day and the sun.

Diana among the Romans had triple power - on earth, underground and in heaven, and therefore she was given the epithet "goddess of three roads." Her images were often placed at crossroads of major roads. Diana was also known as the patroness of prisoners, plebeians and slaves. Later she began to be considered the patroness of the Latin Union.

Athena(in Ancient Rome - Minerva) was the goddess of wisdom, just war and crafts. Athena is the protector of cities, patroness of the arts, sciences, creativity, crafts and agriculture. She is a stronghold of well-being. Athena is the patroness of the Greek city of Athens, named after her. Athena is the patroness of many heroes. She was often depicted in armor, as she was also known as an excellent strategist.

Being the goddess of war, Athena did not enjoy battles; she preferred to establish the law and resolve disputes peacefully. She was famous for her kindness. The only exception happened in the Trojan War, when, enraged that the apple of discord was not rightfully given to her, Athena, together with Hera, poured out all her rage in battle.

Athena was the daughter of Zeus and the Titanide Metis. Zeus was predicted a terrible future - his future son from Metis was supposed to overthrow him from the throne and then Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife. With the help of the god Hephaestus, he brought the already adult Athena, who was in full battle garb, out of his head. Since then, Athena has been, as it were, a part of Zeus himself, she fulfills his will and carries out the plans of Zeus.

Athena is the desires of Zeus, fulfilled by her in reality. Athena's attributes are the owl, the snake and the aegis. Athena's one touch on a person is enough to give him wisdom and knowledge and make him a wonderful and successful hero. According to mythology, the goddess Athena patronized only ambitious people, making their endeavors successful. Reading the Iliad, we see that Athena patronizes her heroes.

Minerva is the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom, arts and crafts. She is the beloved daughter of Jupiter. According to Roman legend, Minerva was also born without a mother, emerging fully armed from Jupiter, sparkling with her beauty, after Vulcan split his head and removed Minerva from there.

Hestia(in Ancient Rome - Vesta) is the goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire in Ancient Greece, which burns in its temples and houses. She is the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Her sisters are Hera, Demeter and Aida, and her brothers are Poseidon and Zeus. Hestia founded the city of Knossos.

Poseidon and Apollo intended to marry her, but she decided to live with her brother Zeus as a virgin. The image of Hestia “owning the Pythian laurel” was in the Athenian Prytaneum, and the altar of Hestia was located in the grove of Zeus Gomoria.

A sacrifice was made to her before the start of any sacred ceremony, no matter whether it was private or public. Thanks to this, the saying “start with Hestia” was preserved in Greece, which served as a synonym for a successful and correct start to a business. As a reward for this, she was given high honors. In the cities, an altar was dedicated to her, on which fire was always maintained, and new colonists took fire from this altar with them to their new homeland.

In ancient Rome, Vesta was the daughter of Saturn and the goddess Rhea. Vesta was also the goddess of the hearth and purity family life. The Romans maintained a sacred fire in her temple. This fire was a symbol of the prosperity of the Roman state. The Vestal priestesses watched over him, since his disappearance was the worst omen. From this sacred fire the fire was lit in new Roman settlements and colonies.

Temple of Vesta on the Palatine Hill of Rome

Vesta's frame was located in Rome on the slope of the Palatine Hill, in a grove opposite the forum. An eternal fire burned in her temple, supported by the priestesses of the goddess - the Vestals. They could be ten-year-old girls who completely devoted their lives to serving Vesta. They were forbidden to marry, and if a Vestal Virgin became pregnant, she was buried alive in the ground.

In June, the Vestalia was celebrated in Rome - a holiday in honor of Vesta. During this holiday, barefoot Roman women made sacrifices to Vesta in her temple. On this day, it was forbidden to use donkeys for any work, since it was the braying of a donkey that once saved Vesta from the dishonor of Priapus, awakening her from sleep. Her sculptures are very rare and depict Vesta as a girl with a veil thrown over her head.

These virgin goddesses are a symbol of female independence. Unlike other inhabitants of Olympus, they, as a rule, are not intended for permanent family life and love. Emotional attachment cannot distract them from what they consider more important to them. They do not grieve from unrequited love. These goddesses are an expression of women's need for emancipation - to be independent and go towards achieving their goals.

Artemis and Athena represent determination, logical thinking and movement towards achieving the goal. Hestia is the prototype of introversion, her attention is directed to inner world, she is the spiritual center of the female personality. These three goddesses expand our understanding of the qualities of women such as competence and independence. These qualities are characteristic of women who actively strive to achieve their own goals.

The second group of goddesses is a group of vulnerable goddesses - Hera, Demeter and Persephone.

Hera(in Ancient Rome - Juno) was the goddess of marriage. She was the wife of Zeus, who was the supreme god of Olympus.

Hera is originally an Etruscan deity who later became a Roman goddess, identified with the Greek goddess Hera. Juno was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea, sister of Ceres, Pluto, Vesta, Neptune and Jupiter, who was also her husband. Juno was the Roman goddess of marriage, conjugal love, patroness married women, helping pregnant wives, patroness of Rome and the Roman state. The Romans were the first (as far as is known from history) to officially introduce monogamy (monogamy). Juno became the patroness of monogamy and was the goddess of protest against polygamy among the Romans.

Traditionally, Juno is depicted wearing a helmet and armor. Together with Jupiter and Minerva, she is part of the Capitoline Triad, in whose honor a temple was erected on Capitol Hill in Rome. In Rome, sacred geese warned the townspeople with their cries about the attack of the Gauls and thereby saved the city.

On March 1, in Ancient Rome, the festival of matronalia was celebrated in her honor. The month of June is named in her honor. Juno consulted with the goddess of wisdom Minerva and the goddess of dark forces Ceres.

Demeter(in Ancient Rome - Ceres) is the goddess of fertility and agriculture. In myths special attention given to mother Demeter.

The cult of the goddess who protects all life on earth and protects farmers has its roots in the pre-Indo-European era. In ancient times she bore the name Mother Earth. " Great Mother", and later Demeter, gave birth to all living things on Earth and received the dead into herself. Demeter was therefore considered the patroness of sorcerers. It was she who taught humanity agriculture and gave people wheat seeds.

Demeter is the second daughter of Kronos and Rhea and the mother of Persephone, wife of Hades. She is the sister of Zeus, Hera, Hestia, Hades and Poseidon. According to legend, Demeter was devoured by her father Kronos and then taken from his womb. In honor of Hercules, Demeter established the Lesser Mysteries for his purification after his murder of the centaurs.

According to one legend, Demeter was married to the Cretan god of agriculture Iasion. From their union, concluded on a thrice-plowed field, Plutos and Philomel were born. According to Diodorus, Demeter was the mother of Eubouleus.

The ancient Roman goddess Ceres was the daughter of Saturn and Rhea, the sister of Jupiter, the mother of Proserpina, goddess of fruits and agricultural land, lawgiver and patroness of peace and marriage. Her sacred flower was the poppy - a symbol of sleep and death, mourning for her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Pluto and taken to the world of the dead. In Roman mythology, Ceres is also the goddess of fertility. Demeter later became associated with Kybella.

Persephone, daughter of Jupiter and Ceres, wife of Pluto (in Ancient Rome - Proserpina). The ancient Greeks called her "Kora" - girl. Proserpina was the goddess of nature and fertility, but after she was kidnapped by Pluto, she became the queen of the underworld.

The cult of the goddess of the underworld can be traced back to the Mycenaean era. Persephone may have been taken from one of the ancient goddesses who were worshiped by local tribes before the Greek invasion of the Balkan Peninsula. Among the Greeks who conquered these peoples, the cult of Persephone was identified with the cult of the goddess of fertility - Kore. Persephone was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, or the daughter of Zeus and Styx. She was nursed in a cave by Demeter and the nymphs. Ares and Apollo unsuccessfully wooed her. Cora's flower is the narcissus.

She is the wife of the ruler of the underworld Hades (Pluto), who kidnapped her and took her underground. Demeter searched for her daughter all over the world, being in inconsolable grief. The land was barren all this time. To return her daughter, Demeter turned to Zeus for help. Hades had to let Persephone go. But he gave her pomegranate seeds, which arose from drops of the blood of Dionysus. Persephone swallowed pomegranate seeds and found herself doomed to return to the kingdom of the dead.

To calm the inconsolable Demeter, Zeus decided that Persephone would spend only part of the year in the kingdom of Hades, and live the rest of the time on Olympus.

While she was on Olympus, Persephone rose into the sky early in the morning and became the constellation Virgo there so that her awakened mother Demeter could immediately see her. The myth of Persephone has been associated with the change of seasons since ancient times.

These Greco-Roman goddesses personify the traditional role of women - wife, mother and daughter. They express women's needs for family life and affection for the home. These goddesses do not live only for themselves and are therefore vulnerable. They suffer, are abused, are kidnapped, oppressed and humiliated by the male gods.
Their stories help women understand their own emotional reactions, in order to cope with their own suffering and move on with their lives.

Aphrodite (in Ancient Rome - Venus) goddess of love and beauty. She is the most beautiful and sexy goddess. Aphrodite belongs to the third category of goddesses - the alchemical goddess. Aphrodite enters into many relationships with men and has many heirs. She is the embodiment of primitive voluptuousness and erotic attraction. Her love affairs are only by her choice and Aphrodite is never a victim. She allows fleeting sensual relationships, she has no constancy, and she is open to a new life.

Among the ancient Romans, the role of Aphrodite passed to Venus. She is considered the ancestress of the Romans thanks to her son Aeneas. He was the founder of the Julius family, to which Julius Caesar belonged.

Venus was the goddess of spring among the ancient Romans, and later of beauty, love and life. Born from sea foam, Venus became the wife of the god Vulcan and the mother of Cupid (Cupid).

According to one version, the goddess was conceived with the blood (in Greek - afros) of Uranus, castrated by the titan Kronos. The blood of Uranus that fell into the sea formed foam from which the patroness of love and the goddess of fertility, eternal spring and life, Aphrodite, appeared. Aphrodite is surrounded by nymphs, oras and charites. Aphrodite is the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Its roots lie in the sexy and licentious Phoenician fertility goddess Astarte, the Assyrian Ishtar and the Egyptian Isis. Over time, the beautiful Aphrodite was reborn from them, taking her place of honor on Olympus.

Seeing Aphrodite on Olympus, the gods fell in love with her, but Aphrodite chose Hephaestus for herself - the ugliest of all the gods, but also the most skillful. This did not stop her from giving birth to children from other gods (Dionysus, Ares). She gave birth to Eros (or Eros), Anteros - the god of hatred), Harmony, Phobos - the god of fear, Deimos - the god of horror.

Aphrodite was in love with the beautiful Adonis, who was killed by a wild boar while hunting. From his drops of blood appeared scarlet roses, and beautiful anemones grew from Aphrodite’s tears. Another legend attributes the death of Adonis to the anger of Ares, who was jealous of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite was one of three goddesses who won the argument about who was the most beautiful. She promised the son of the Trojan king Paris the most beautiful of earthly women - the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. Elena. The Trojan War began with the abduction of Helen. Aphrodite's belt contained the desire to possess, love and words of seduction.

The pantheon of Greek gods is represented not only by strong and powerful gods, but also by goddesses.

Titanides- goddesses of the second generation, six sisters:
Mnemosyne - the goddess who personified memory; Rhea - goddess, mother of the Olympian gods; Theia is the first lunar goddess; Tethys is the goddess who gives life to everything that exists; Phoebe - goddess, nurse of Apollo, Themis - goddess of justice.

Olympians - third generation goddesses:
Hera is the goddess of marriage and family, Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, crafts and art, Artemis is the goddess of hunting, fertility and female chastity, Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire, Demeter is the goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Minor Greek goddesses:
Selene - goddess of the moon; Persephone - goddess of the kingdom of the dead and fertility; Nike - goddess of victory; Hebe - goddess of eternal youth; Eos - goddess of the dawn; Tyche - goddess of happiness, chance and luck; Enyo - goddess of furious war; Chloris - goddess of flowers and gardens; Dike (Themis) - goddess of justice, justice; Nemesis is the winged goddess of revenge and retribution; Iris - goddess of the rainbow; Gaia is the goddess of the earth.

Detailed description of Greek goddesses
Aurora is the goddess of the dawn. The ancient Greeks called Aurora the ruddy dawn, the rose-fingered goddess Eos. Aurora was the daughter of the titan Hipperion and Theia. According to another version of the Sun - Helios and the Moon - Selene).
Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Lethe, the sister of Apollo, among female deities the same as her brother among male ones. She gives light and life, she is the goddess of childbirth and the goddess-nurse; accompanied by forest nymphs, hunts through forests and mountains, protects herds and game. She has never submitted to the power of love, and, like Apollo, she does not know the bonds of marriage. In Roman mythology - Diana.
Athena is the daughter of Zeus who had no mother. Hephaestus cut the head of Zeus with an ax, and Athena jumped out of his head in full armor. She is the personification of the prudence of Zeus. Athena is the goddess of intelligence, war, sciences and arts. In Roman mythology - Minerva
Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Diana, so called because she allegedly came from sea foam. She is the goddess of beauty happy love and marriage, surpassing all goddesses in charm and grace. In Roman mythology - Venus.
Venus - in Roman mythology, the goddess of gardens, beauty and love, was identified with Aeneas' mother Aphrodite. Venus was not only the goddess of beauty and love, but also the patroness of the descendants of Aeneas and all Romans.
Hecate is the goddess of the night, ruler of darkness. Hecate ruled over all ghosts and monsters, night visions and sorcery. She was born as a result of the marriage of the titan Persus and Asteria.
Graces - in Roman mythology, beneficent goddesses, personifying the joyful, kind and eternally youthful beginning of life, daughters of Jupiter, nymphs and goddesses. In ancient Greek mythology - Charites.
Diana - in Roman mythology, the goddess of nature and hunting, was considered the personification of the moon. Diana was also accompanied by the epithet “goddess of the three roads,” interpreted as a sign of Diana’s triple power: in heaven, on earth and under the earth.
Iris is the personification of the rainbow connecting heaven and earth, a messenger of the gods, a mediator in their relations with each other and with people. This is the messenger of Zeus and Hera and the servant of the latter.
Cybele, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, the wife of Kronos, was considered the great mother of the gods. She is the personification of the principle that organizes the elemental natural forces.
Minerva - in Roman mythology, the goddess of wisdom, art, war and cities, the patroness of artisans.
Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory in Greek mythology, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, a Titanide. Mother of the Muses, whom she gave birth to from Zeus. According to the number of nine nights that Mnemosyne gave to Zeus, there were nine muses.
The Moirai are Lachesis (“the giver of lots”), Clotho (“the spinner”) and Atropos (“the inevitable one”), daughters of Nyx. The Moiras are the goddesses of fate, natural necessity, eternal and immutable world laws.
Muses are goddesses and patrons of the arts and sciences. The Muses were considered the daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne.
Nemesis is the goddess of vengeance. The duties of the goddess included punishment for crimes, overseeing the fair and equal distribution of goods among mortals. Nemesis was born by Nikto as punishment for Kronos.
Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, or Caecera, the wife of Pluto, or Hades, a formidable mistress of shadows, ruling over the souls of the dead and over the monsters of the underworld, listening, together with Hades, to the curses of people and fulfilling them. In Roman mythology - Proserpina.
Rhea is a Greek goddess in ancient mythology, one of the Titanides, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, wife of Kronos. The cult of Rhea was considered one of the most ancient, but was not widespread in Greece itself.
Tethys is one of the most ancient deities, a Titanide, the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, the sister and wife of the Ocean, the mother of streams, rivers and three thousand oceanids, was considered the goddess who gives life to everything that exists.
Themis is the goddess of justice. The Greeks also called the goddess Themis, Themis. Themis was the daughter of the sky god Uranus and Gaia. Her daughters were the goddesses of fate - the Moiras.
The Charites, the daughters of Zeus and the oceanid Eurynome, embodied a joyful, kind and eternally young beginning. The names of these beautiful goddesses were Aglaya (“shining”), Euphrosyne (“well-meaning”), Thalia (“blooming”), Cleta (“desired”) and Peyto (“persuasion”).
Eumenides - merciful, benevolent goddesses - one of the names of female deities, most known under the name Erinyes, among the Romans the Furies, which means angry, furious, avenging goddesses.
Erinyes are the daughters of Earth and Darkness, terrible goddesses of curse, revenge and punishment, who rebelled against criminals and punished them only for the sake of restoring moral order in the world; they mainly acted as avengers for the violation of family rights sanctified by nature. In Roman mythology - Furies

Goddesses of ancient Greece

Artemis– Goddess of the moon and hunting, forests, animals, fertility and childbirth. She was never married, diligently guarded her chastity, and if she took revenge, she knew no pity. Her silver arrows spread plague and death, but she also had the ability to heal. She protected young girls and pregnant women. Her symbols are cypress, deer and bears.

Atropos- one of the three moiras, cutting the thread of fate and ending human life.

Athena(Pallada, Parthenos) - daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full military armor. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Athena. Statue. Hermitage. Athena Hall.

Description:

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, just war and patroness of crafts.

Statue of Athena made by Roman craftsmen of the 2nd century. Based on a Greek original from the late 5th century. BC e. Entered the Hermitage in 1862. Previously it was in the collection of the Marquis Campana in Rome. It is one of the most interesting exhibits in the Athena Hall.

Everything about Athena, starting from her birth, was amazing. Other goddesses had divine mothers, Athena - one father, Zeus, who met with the daughter of Ocean Metis. Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife because she predicted that after her daughter she would give birth to a son who would become the ruler of heaven and deprive him of power. Soon Zeus had an unbearable headache. He became gloomy, and seeing this, the gods hastened to leave, for they knew from experience what Zeus was like when he was in a bad mood. The pain did not go away. The Lord of Olympus could not find a place for himself. Zeus asked Hephaestus to hit him on the head with a blacksmith's hammer. From the split head of Zeus, announcing Olympus with a war cry, an adult maiden jumped out in full warrior clothes and with a spear in her hand and stood next to her parent. The eyes of the young, beautiful and majestic goddess shone with wisdom.

Aphrodite(Kytherea, Urania) - goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Aphrodite (Venus Tauride)

Description:

According to Hesiod’s “Theogony,” Aphrodite was born near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (hence the nickname “foam-born”). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she sailed there herself, since she did not like Cythera), where she, emerging from the sea waves, was met by the Ora.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus of Tauride) dates back to the 3rd century BC. e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered his most famous statue. The sculpture became the first antique statue of a naked woman in Russia. Life-size marble statue of bathing Venus (height 167 cm), modeled after the Aphrodite of Cnidus or the Capitoline Venus. The hands of the statue and a fragment of the nose are lost. Before entering the State Hermitage, she decorated the garden of the Tauride Palace, hence the name. In the past, “Venus Tauride” was intended to decorate the park. However, the statue was delivered to Russia much earlier, even under Peter I and thanks to his efforts. The inscription made on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was given by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid, sent to the Pope by Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC depicted the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth lines of the silhouette, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception of female beauty. Along with calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fractionality and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (V - IV centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the 3rd century BC. e. (graceful proportions - high waist, somewhat elongated legs, thin neck, small head - tilt of the figure, rotation of the body and head).

Aphrodite (Venus). Statue. Hermitage

Description:

Statue of Aphrodite - goddess of beauty and love

Roman copy based on a Greek original from the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC

In 1851, through the Venetian antiquarian A. Sanquirico, the Hermitage received a beautiful statue of Aphrodite, which had previously been part of the collection of the Venetian Nani family. In a rare publication from the era of the Napoleonic Wars - "Collection of all antiquities stored in the Venetian Museum of Nani" - we read about this sculpture: "It lay prostrate for a long time in neglect ... but was recalled from oblivion when Mr. Jacopo Nani saw it and placed it in his famous museum, presenting it to the judgment of the famous Canova, who strongly praised the new acquisition." The statue of Aphrodite is distinguished by the complexity of body movement and exquisite harmony of proportions. It reflects the trends of Hellenistic art, characteristic of the art of the Antonine dynasty (96-193).

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid

Description:

Aphrodite (Venus) and Cupid.

The sculpture perhaps talks about a tragic moment. The rose, a flower sacred to Venus, was originally white, but according to one traditional view, at the moment when Venus was hurrying to her lover, a thorn dug into her leg and drops of blood fell on the white petals, staining them. While they were pulling out the splinter, a wild boar killed her beloved Adonis - the young beautiful god of spring, personifying the annual dying and revival of nature.. Venus is usually depicted sitting, she is trying to remove the splinter from her leg, Cupid helps her.

Aphrodite on a dolphin. Sculpture. Hermitage

Description:

Aphrodite, as the goddess of love, was dedicated to myrtle, rose, poppy and apple; as the goddess of fertility - a sparrow and a dove; as a sea goddess - a dolphin; The swallow and the linden tree were dedicated to her. According to legend, the secret of her charm was hidden in a magic belt.

Venus in the shell. Sculpture. Hermitage.

Description:

Venus in the shell.

Sculpture by Carlo Finelli (Finelli, 1782-1853) - Italian sculptor, one of the most gifted followers of the classical movement.

Aphrodite (Greek) - Venus (Roman)

Classical Aphrodite emerged naked from the airy sea foam. The breeze on the shell brought it to the shores of Cyprus.

Hebe- daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of youth. Sister of Ares and Ilithyia. She served the Olympian gods at feasts.

Hecate- goddess of darkness, night visions and sorcery, patroness of sorcerers.

Gemera- goddess of daylight, personification of the day, born of Nikta and Erebus. Often identified with Eos.

Hera- supreme olympic goddess, sister and third wife of Zeus, daughter of Rhea and Kronos, sister of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon. Hera was considered the patroness of marriage.

Hestia- goddess of the hearth and fire.

Gaia- mother earth, foremother of all gods and people.

Demeter- goddess of fertility and agriculture.

Dryads- lower deities, nymphs who lived in trees.

Ilithia- patron goddess of women in labor.

Iris- winged goddess, assistant of Hera, messenger of the gods.

Calliope- muse of epic poetry and science.

Kera- demonic creatures, children of the goddess Nikta, bringing troubles and death to people.

Clio- one of the nine muses, the muse of history.

Clio. Muse of History

Description:

Clio is the muse of history in ancient Greek mythology. Depicted with a papyrus scroll or a case for scrolls. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne - goddess of memory. According to Diodorus, it received its name from the fact that chanting in poetry gives great glory to those praised (kleos).

Clotho(“spinner”) - one of the moiras that spins the thread of human life.

Lachesis- one of the three Moira sisters, who determine the fate of every person even before birth.

Summer- Titanide, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

Mayan- a mountain nymph, the eldest of the seven Pleiades - the daughters of Atlas, the beloved of Zeus, from whom Hermes was born to her.

Melpomene- muse of tragedy.

Melpomene (Muse of Tragedy)

Description:

Statue of Melpomene. Roman copy according to the Greek model of the 2nd century. BC e.

In ancient Greek mythology, the muse of tragedy (Greek: “singing”). At first, Melpomene was considered the muse of song, then of sad song, and later she became the patroness of theater in general, the personification of tragic stage art. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, mother of the terrible sirens.

She was depicted as a woman with a bandage on her head and a wreath of grape or ivy leaves, in a theatrical robe, with a tragic mask in one hand and a sword or club in the other (a symbol of the inevitability of punishment for a person who violates the will of the gods).

Metis- goddess of wisdom, the first of the three wives of Zeus, who conceived Athena from him.

Mnemosyne- mother of nine muses, goddess of memory.

Moira- goddess of fate, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Muses- patron goddess of the arts and sciences.

Naiads- nymphs-guardians of waters.

Nemesis- daughter of Nikta, a goddess who personified fate and retribution, punishing people in accordance with their sins.

Nereids- fifty daughters of Nereus and the oceanids Doris, sea deities.

Nika- personification of victory. She was often depicted wearing a wreath, a common symbol of triumph in Greece.

Nymphs- lower deities in the hierarchy of Greek gods. They personified the forces of nature.

Nikta- one of the first Greek deities, the goddess is the personification of the primordial Night.

Orestiades- mountain nymphs.

Ory- goddess of the seasons, peace and order, daughter of Zeus and Themis.

Peyto- goddess of persuasion, companion of Aphrodite, often identified with her patroness.

Persephone- daughter of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of fertility. The wife of Hades and the queen of the underworld, who knew the secrets of life and death.

Polyhymnia- the muse of serious hymn poetry.

Tethys- daughter of Gaia and Uranus, wife of Ocean and mother of the Nereids and Oceanids.

Rhea- mother of the Olympian gods.

Sirens- female demons, half-woman, half-bird, capable of changing the weather at sea.

Waist- the muse of comedy.

Terpsichore- muse of dance art.

Terpsichore. Muse of dancing

Description:

The statue of "Terpsichore" is a Roman copy of a Greek original from the 3rd - 2nd centuries. BC

Terpsichore was considered the muse of choral singing and dance, and was depicted as a young woman in the pose of a dancer, with a smile on her face. She had a wreath on her head, in one hand she held a lyre, and in the other a plectrum. She is “enjoying round dances.”

Tisiphone- one of the Erinyes.

Quiet- goddess of fate and chance among the Greeks, companion of Persephone. She was depicted as a winged woman standing on a wheel and holding a cornucopia and a ship's rudder in her hands.

Urania- one of the nine muses, patroness of astronomy.

Themis- Titanide, goddess of justice and law, second wife of Zeus, mother of mountains and moira.

Charites- goddess of female beauty, the embodiment of a kind, joyful and eternally young beginning of life.

Eumenides- another hypostasis of the Erinyes, revered as goddesses of benevolence, who prevented misfortunes.

Eris- daughter of Nyx, sister of Ares, goddess of discord.

Erinyes- goddesses of vengeance, creatures of the underworld, who punished injustice and crimes.

Erato- Muse of lyrical and erotic poetry.

Eos- goddess of the dawn, sister of Helios and Selene. The Greeks called it “rose-fingered.”

Euterpe- muse of lyrical chant. Depicted with a double flute in her hand.