How to Know the Twelve Olympians of Greek Mythology
Learn their names., Associate them with what they are in charge of., Learn their symbols., Find out what they are supposed to look like., Watch a Greek mythology-themed movie., Read fiction books which are related to Greek mythology.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn their names.
One of the simplest ways to make sure you know the Olympians is to just learn their names.
Chant them, write them down, make up a rhyme, whatever works for you.
The names of the gods and goddesses are:
Zeus Poseidon Hades Hermes Athena Ares Hephaestus Aphrodite Demeter Hera Apollo Artemis -
Step 2: Associate them with what they are in charge of.
Each god or goddess had a whole list of things that they were in charge of, from wine to thieves.
Learn some of the more interesting things that the gods were in charge of, and the names will come along with it.
For example:
Zeus:
King of all the Gods, ruler of Mount Olympus.
He is the ruler of clouds, air, the atmosphere, thunder and lightning.
He is known to be unfaithful to his wife, Hera, and have offspring with mortals disguised as a mortal himself.
Poseidon:
God of the sea and creator of horses; he is known to cause earthquakes with his mighty symbol, which is the trident.
He has a rivalry with his niece, Athena, which is elaborated in the Greek myth of how Athens got its name.
Hades:
God of the Underworld.
The Underworld is where the dead reside, and where most punishments from the gods and goddesses are located.
Hermes:
God of thieves and messenger of the gods Athena:
Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy.
Ares:
God of war and bloodshed.
Hephaestus:
God of craftsmanship and fire.
Aphrodite:
Goddess of love and beauty.
Demeter:
Goddess of agriculture.
Hera:
Queen of the gods and the goddess of weddings, family and motherhood.
Apollo:
God of the sun, poetry, music, healing and prophecies.
Artemis:
Goddess of the moon, hunting, and animals , All of the gods had symbols that they used to represent themselves.Zeus:
The eagle, thunderbolt, and royal scepter Poseidon:
The trident, dolphins, and horses Hades:
Black helm, skulls or ghosts Hermes:
Winged sandals and caduceus Athena:
Owl and the olive tree Ares:
Vultures, venomous snakes, crossed spears or the boar.
Hephaestus:
The hammer, tongs, and an anvil Aphrodite:
Dove, apple, scallop shell and myrtle wreath Demeter:
The cornucopia Hera:
The peacock Artemis:
The bow and arrow and moon, the color silver Apollo:
The laurel wreath , Study the remaining ancient sculptures or paintings inspired by the Olympians.
Do your research on the internet and in libraries to figure out how they are portrayed and what they look like.
For example, Aphrodite is always portrayed as a young, beautiful girl.Demeter has long blonde hair and tanned skin, whilst her younger sister Hera has pale skin and liquorice black hair. , Many movies focus on Greek mythology, and watching one or two may help you to easily learn the "who's who" of the Olympians and also be a lot more fun than written learning! Some simple ones to get into include Percy Jackson & the Olympians:
The Lightning Thief or Disney's Hercules. , Examples include Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus, both written by Rick Riordan.
Rick Riordan also released a book on the Twelve Olympians and a sum up of main events in mythology called Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which myths are discussed in a modern setting with sarcasm and humour, which would make it easier for it to be learned. -
Step 3: Learn their symbols.
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Step 4: Find out what they are supposed to look like.
-
Step 5: Watch a Greek mythology-themed movie.
-
Step 6: Read fiction books which are related to Greek mythology.
Detailed Guide
One of the simplest ways to make sure you know the Olympians is to just learn their names.
Chant them, write them down, make up a rhyme, whatever works for you.
The names of the gods and goddesses are:
Zeus Poseidon Hades Hermes Athena Ares Hephaestus Aphrodite Demeter Hera Apollo Artemis
Each god or goddess had a whole list of things that they were in charge of, from wine to thieves.
Learn some of the more interesting things that the gods were in charge of, and the names will come along with it.
For example:
Zeus:
King of all the Gods, ruler of Mount Olympus.
He is the ruler of clouds, air, the atmosphere, thunder and lightning.
He is known to be unfaithful to his wife, Hera, and have offspring with mortals disguised as a mortal himself.
Poseidon:
God of the sea and creator of horses; he is known to cause earthquakes with his mighty symbol, which is the trident.
He has a rivalry with his niece, Athena, which is elaborated in the Greek myth of how Athens got its name.
Hades:
God of the Underworld.
The Underworld is where the dead reside, and where most punishments from the gods and goddesses are located.
Hermes:
God of thieves and messenger of the gods Athena:
Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy.
Ares:
God of war and bloodshed.
Hephaestus:
God of craftsmanship and fire.
Aphrodite:
Goddess of love and beauty.
Demeter:
Goddess of agriculture.
Hera:
Queen of the gods and the goddess of weddings, family and motherhood.
Apollo:
God of the sun, poetry, music, healing and prophecies.
Artemis:
Goddess of the moon, hunting, and animals , All of the gods had symbols that they used to represent themselves.Zeus:
The eagle, thunderbolt, and royal scepter Poseidon:
The trident, dolphins, and horses Hades:
Black helm, skulls or ghosts Hermes:
Winged sandals and caduceus Athena:
Owl and the olive tree Ares:
Vultures, venomous snakes, crossed spears or the boar.
Hephaestus:
The hammer, tongs, and an anvil Aphrodite:
Dove, apple, scallop shell and myrtle wreath Demeter:
The cornucopia Hera:
The peacock Artemis:
The bow and arrow and moon, the color silver Apollo:
The laurel wreath , Study the remaining ancient sculptures or paintings inspired by the Olympians.
Do your research on the internet and in libraries to figure out how they are portrayed and what they look like.
For example, Aphrodite is always portrayed as a young, beautiful girl.Demeter has long blonde hair and tanned skin, whilst her younger sister Hera has pale skin and liquorice black hair. , Many movies focus on Greek mythology, and watching one or two may help you to easily learn the "who's who" of the Olympians and also be a lot more fun than written learning! Some simple ones to get into include Percy Jackson & the Olympians:
The Lightning Thief or Disney's Hercules. , Examples include Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus, both written by Rick Riordan.
Rick Riordan also released a book on the Twelve Olympians and a sum up of main events in mythology called Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which myths are discussed in a modern setting with sarcasm and humour, which would make it easier for it to be learned.
About the Author
Amber Russell
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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