The twelve great gods and goddesses, considered by most mythographers to be the ruling pantheon, are (gods) Zeus, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Hermes, Ares, and Apollo and (goddesses) Hera, Athena, Artemis, Hestia, Aphrodite, and Demeter. Hades, although a brother to Zeus, did not frequent Olympus and, with Persephone and Hecate, remained mostly in his underworld empire and, therefore, was not considered one of the ruling deities.
 
 

His name means bright sky. He was god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. He was considered the father of the gods, and of mortals, although he did not create either; he was their father in the sense of being the ruler both of the Olympian gods and of the human race. He was the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak.

Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of the Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, having heard the prophecy that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born.

Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs.

When Zeus grew to maturity, he forced Cronus to disgorge the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the Titans were banished to Tartarus.

Zeus henceforth ruled over the sky, and his brothers Poseidon and Hades were given power over the sea and the underworld, respectively. The earth was to be ruled in common by all three. He is represented as the god of justice and mercy, the protectoof the weak, and the punisher of the wicked.

As husband to his sister Hera, he is the father of Ares, the god of war; Hebe, the goddess of youth; Hephaestus, the god of fire; and Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth. At the same time, Zeus is noted for falling in love with one woman after another and resorting to all kinds of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife. Stories of his escapades were numerous in ancient mythology, and many of his offspring were a result of his love affairs with both goddesses and mortal women.
 
 
 
 
 

The Loves of Zeus:

After dethroning Cronus, Zeus ended up gaining mastery of the sky as "top god", which suited his lustful nature very well since it
allowed him free access to any beauty he could see from that vantage point.

His first wife was Metis (Wisdom), whom Zeus swallowed just before she gave birth to Athena because he had been told
Metis' second child would dethrone him. In order to allow Athena to live he had Hephaestus take an axe and cleave his
forehead open, and from his head Athena sprang, fully armed.

His second wife, Themis (Divine Justice), gave birth to the Seasons, to Wise Laws, to Human Justice, to Peace, and to the
Fates.

His third wife, Eurynome, an ocean nymph, bore the three Graces.

He then took a shot at his sister Demeter, who resisted his advances, so he violated her in the form of a bull, and from their
union came Persephone.

His next wife was the Titaness Mnemosyne (Memory), who produced the Nine Muses.

His last wife was Hera, who also initially resisted his advances. So he changed himself into a bedraggled cuckoo bird, and when
Hera took pity on this bird and clutched it to her bosom, Zeus assumed his true form and ravished her. Hera then decided to
marry him to cover her shame, and that was the start of a truly quarrelsome and unhappy marriage! Their union brought forth
Hebe (cupbearer to the gods), Ares (god of war), Ilithyia (goddess of childbearing), and Hephaestus (craftsman of the gods).
On the side he consorted with Leto, who gave birth to Artemis and Apollo.
 
 

Also, through many other affairs, Zeus fathered:

 1. Hermes, by Maia (one of the Pleiades)
 2. Aphrodite, by Dione (a Titaness)
 3. Dionysus, by Semele (a Theban princess)
 4. Perseus, by Danaë (princess of Argos);
 5. Castor, by Leda
     (NOTE: Leda's husband Tyndarus made love to her shortly after Zeus did, so the paternity of thesefour is not conclusive.)
 6. Polydeuces, by Leda
 7. Helen of Troy, by Leda
 8. Clytemnestra, by Leda
 9. Heracles, by Alcmene
 10.Epaphus, by Io (founder of Memphis)
 11.Arcas (king of Arcadia)
 12.Lacedaemon (founder of Sparta)
 13.Minos, by Europa
 14.Rhadamanthus, by Europa
 15.Sarpedon, by Europa
 16.Aeacus, by Aegina
 17.ETC.

Her name means protectress or lady. She was sister, and wife, of Zeus. Hera is the supreme goddess of the Greeks and goddess of marriage and childbirth. There are a number of myths about Zeus' courtship of Hera. The one that is accepted most readily: Zeus disguised himself as a cuckoo, and bedraggled and buffeted during a rainstorm, took shelter against her bosom where she snuggled him inside her clothes. Here Zeus took his normal form and seduced her. She was not particularly enamored of him, but to cover her shame at this incident she made him promise to marry her. Her children are Ares, Hebe (goddess of youth and cupbearer to the gods), Hephaestus and Eris
or, some myths, Eileithyia (goddess of childbirth). Sacred to her are the peacock,  pomegranate, lily and cuckoo (even after her seduction!). Since she was the goddess of  marital fidelity, it was natural for her to feel rage, jealousy and vindictiveness because of Zeus' s many affairs, especially with mortal women, and she often tried to bring about their harm, even death, or pursued their children.
She caused the death of Semele (mother of Dionysus), the torment of Io, and forced others to do appalling deeds. She was
particularly vindictive towards Heracles, sending two snakes to destroy him when he was about eight months old. (He easily
strangled them.) She later drove him mad (temporarily) and caused him to kill his family in his madness. She is also credited with
bringing about the Twelve Labors of Heracles as a punishment for this crime. At times she went too far and Zeus intervened, as
when she tried to shipwreck Heracles upon his return from Troy. Zeus had her hung from her wrists from Olympus with an anvil
tied to each foot until the other gods talked him out of it.
 

God of the sea, protector of all waters. Powerful, violent, and vengeful, he carried the trident, with which he caused earthquakes. The son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades, Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite, one of the Nereids (sea nymphs), by whom he had a son, Triton. Poseidon had numerous other love affairs, however, especially with nymphs of springs and fountains, and was the father of several children famed for their wildness and cruelty, among them the giant Orion and the Cyclops Polyphemus. Poseidon and the Gorgon, Medusa, were the parents of Pegasus, the famous winged horse. (Poseidon was particularly associated with  horses and bulls.) Although it was agreed that Zeus was the ruling god, Poseidon often asserted his  independence; once going so far as to chain Zeus (with the help of Hera and Athena). Because his realm, the sea, was so tempestuous, Poseidon was thought of as an unruly god. Earthquakes were attributed to his anger, when with his trident (his symbol of power) he would shatter rocks, call forth storms, and shake the earth. He was pictured as riding the seas in a chariot pulled by golden seahorses. Because the Athenians chose Athena as the main deity for their city, Poseidon flooded the country until Zeus intervened. He gave a white bull to King Minos of Crete as a sign of his friendship, but when Minos neglected to sacrifice the animal as he was suppose to, Poseidon caused Minos' wife Pasiphae to become the bull's lover. Their union resulted in the birth of the Minotaur (who was later killed by Theseus). The Romans identified Poseidon with their god of the sea, Neptune.
 

One of the most important (to both Greeks and Romans) Olympian gods; son of Zeus and the Titaness Leto, twin brother of Artemis (the first-born of the two; she helped at his birth). He was the god of prophecy, archery, medicine (he was the father of Asclepius), music and poetry (he was also associated with Orpheus and was the patron of the Muses). The origin of his name is uncertain but it s probably non-European. He was associated with law, philosophy, and the arts. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he loved, such as the Trojan princess Cassandra (unhappily in this case). He was a master archer and a fleet-footed athlete, credited with having been the first victorin the Olympic games. He and his sister Artemis slew with their arrows the children of Niobe after she had insulted their mother Leto. A fight with the gigantic earth-serpent Python at Delphi gave Apollo the seat of his most famous oracle.

Twin sister to Apollo, she was goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and the natural environment. She was chief hunter to the gods and goddesses, especially of bears. She is the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Leto. Even though she is a virgin goddess, she also presides over childbirth. She spent most of her time roaming the mountains with her ever-present band of nymphs. Sacred to her are the laurel, fir tree, fish, stag, boar, bear, dog, goat, and bee. Although traditionally the friend and
protector of youth, especially young women, Artemis prevented the Greeks from sailing to Troy during the Trojan war until they sacrificed a maiden to her. According to some accounts, just before the sacrifice, she rescued the victim, Iphigenia. She sometimes had a rather vindictive nature and the deaths of a number of people were attributed to her, e.g. Actaeon, the hunter (who came upon her as she was bathing, was turned into a stag by her and was ripped apart by his own hunting dogs), Callisto, Meleager ( indirectly, through instigating the Calydonian Boar hunt), Orion (Artemis' brother Apollo, noticing that
she was spending a great deal of time hunting with the giant Orion, decided to put an end to the relationship. So he challenged
Artemis to prove her skill at archery by shooting at an object floating far out at sea. Her shot was perfect. The target turned out
to be the head of Orion who was swimming), and the children of Niobe. Her temple (at Ephesus) was listed as one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
 

 the goddess of love and beauty, was born from the foam of the sea that arose when Uranus' severed penis fell into the ocean (according to some myths). Mother of Beroe, as well as many others she bore by a half-dozen different mates; none by her husband [Many of these unions are allegorical, as when Aphrodite (sexuality) mates with Dionysus (wine) to produce Priapus (permanent erection)]. She was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithy to the gods. Sacred to her are the myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, dove, swan, swallow, tortoise, ram, the planet Venus, and the month of April.
Eros was produced from a liason with Zeus. Her favorite lover is the god of war, Ares; she also was completely enchanted by Adonis. She represented sex, lust, affection, and the attraction that binds people together.
 

                    Athena is the virgin goddess of reason in war and peace, intelligent activity, arts and literature. There
                    are differing versions of her birth. Some myths have her springing full grown from Zeus' head (after he
                    had swallowed her pregnant mother Metis). Other myths say she was the daughter of Pallas, a winged
                    giant, who tried to rape his virginal daughter, so she killed him. Another myth about a threat to her
                    virginity has Hephaestus attempting to rape her but only succeeding in ejaculating on her leg, said seed
                    falling to the ground when she cleaned herself, thereby resulting in the birth of a half-serpent boy
                    named Erichthonius.She is Zeus' favorite and is allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt.
                    The goddess was usually shown wearing a helmet and carrying a spear and shield. Like her father, she
                    also wore the magic aegis, a goatskin breastplate, fringed with snakes, that produced thunderbolts
                    when shaken. Athena was very different from the war god Ares. She represented the intellectual and
                    civilized side of war; she was not so much a fighter as a wise and prudent adviser. Sacred to her are
                    the olive, serpent, owl, and crow. She invented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the rake, the plow,
                    the yoke, and (in some myths) the chariot.
 

She was the virgin goddess of the hearth, family, and peace, and the inventor of domestic architecture. She was the guardian of
the family and the community. She was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and Zeus's sister. Of all the Olympians, she is the
mildest, most upright and most charitable. She took no human form (therefore no statues, etc.) but was seen only in the fire of
the hearth. Hestia was the first-born of the Olympian goddesses. Vesta is her Roman counterpart, and as such she was honored
in ceremonies by the Vestal Virgins, four young girls from noble families who took vows of chastity for the thirty years during
which they served her (they were buried alive if they violated the vows). There are few myths regarding this goddess; one
explains why the ass was her symbolic animal; supposedly one saved her from being ravaged by Priapus. Hestia grew tired of
the petty intrigues and wrangling that went on amongst the Olympians, so she gave up her position on Olympus to Dionysus, the
god of wine.
 
 
 
 

His name means male warrior. Son of Zeus and Hera, Ares was the bullying god of war. He was considered to be overly fond of looting and slaughter, and cowardly besides. Always represented as armed, he was prone to launch himself into a cause without thought as to its validity. The Greeks looked on Ares as a quarrelsome god who sent war and pestilence and delighted in destruction. Aggressive and bloodthirsty, Ares personified the brutal nature of war.
He was unpopular with both gods and humans. Among the deities associated with Ares were his consort Aphrodite and such minor gods as his sons Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Rout), Eris (his sister) and her son, Strife, and Enyo, goddess of war. He had a daughter, Harmonia, and two sons, Eros, god of love, and Anteros, god of slighted love, as a result of his affair with Aphrodite.
Most of his children by mortal women were of a violent nature.
Although fierce and warlike, Ares was not invincible, even against mortals. Ares was not widely worshiped by the Greeks; there
were no cities dedicated to his worship as was with the rest of the gods. His bird, appropriately, was the vulture.
He was identified with the Roman god of war Mars, who was looked on with great respect by the Romans.
 

      Hephaestus (Hephaistos)

             Hermes

                  Demeter

 His name means "lame god" He was the god of vegetation, fertility, ecstasy, and wine, later considered a patron of the arts.
 Dionysus was one of the most important Greek gods. He was thought to be the son of either Zeus and Persephone or of Zeus and the Theban princess Semele (and born from Zeus' thigh after Semele's death in this version). He was known as the "bull-horned god" because he often assumed the form of this powerful beast. Dionysus was attended by a carousing band of satyrs, maenads, and nymphs. His worship was characteristically drunken and orgiastic. He was good and gentle to those
who honored him, but he brought madness and destruction upon those who spurned him or the orgiastic rituals of his cult. He taught humans viticulture but was capable of dreadful revenge upon those (e.g., Orpheus and Pentheus) who denied his divinity. He married Ariadne after he became one of the Olympians (he took Hestia's place as one of the twelve Olympians). According to tradition, Dionysus died each winter and was reborn in the spring. To his followers, this cyclical revival,
accompanied by the seasonal renewal of the fruits of the earth, embodied the promise of the resurrection of the dead. His
sacred plant was ivy and one of the creatures sacred to him was the lynx. Music, dancing, and revelry were his hallmarks, his
instruments the cymbals and pipes and his emblem the thyrsus, a wine wand entwined in ivy.The Romans identified him with
Liber and Bacchus, who was more properly the wine god.