Chart of the Greek/Roman gods PDF

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Summary

The chart itself contains the Greek and Roman Names of the gods along with their spheres of dominance and symbols related to them....

Description

THE MAJOR GREEK GODS NAME SPHERES (Roman in parentheses)

ATTRIBUTES

EPITHETS

ZEUS (Jupiter, Jove)

sky & weather king of gods protection of hosts, guests & suppliants

thunderbolt throne, scepter eagle, oak tree mature, bearded*

Cloud-Gatherer Father of gods & men Son of Cronus

HERA (Juno)

women in their roles as wives & mothers

crown, throne peacock mature woman*

Argive Ox-eyed

ATHENA (Minerva)

cunning (metis) battle weaving, crafts fertility of olive tree

helmet, armor, spear, aegis, + woman’s dress snake, owl

Pallas Parthenos Grey-eyed goddess

POSEIDON (Neptune)

the sea, rivers, & springs earthquakes horses

fish, sea creatures trident horses mature, bearded*

Earth-Shaker

APHRODITE (Venus)

sexual desire human & animal fertility

often shown naked doves chariot drawn by birds Graces

Cyprian (Cypris) Cytherea Uranian Laughter-loving goddess

HEPHAESTUS (Vulcan)

metalworking & other crafts fire as basis of technology

hammer & anvil shrunken legs

Smith Lame God

ARES (Mars)

war

armor, helmet young, handsome*

Man-slaughtering Brazen

EROS (Cupid)

sexual desire

wings bow & arrows young man or baby*

[no major epithets]

APOLLO (no Roman name)

purification interpretation of religious law prophecy healing & plague music & poetry [later: sun]

tripod dolphins

Pythian Delphian

bow & arrows laurel, lyre

Loxias Far-Shooter Paean (= healer) Phoebus (= bright)

NAME

SPHERES

ATTRIBUTES

EPITHETS

ARTEMIS (Diana)

hunting & fertility of wild animals childbirth women’s transition from virginity to sexual maturity [later: moon]

bow & arrows short dress wild animals (usually deer)

Goddess of the golden bow Chaste

crescent moon

HERMES (Mercury)

stone heaps & pillars [herms] travel traveler’s hat (messenger, herald) sandals, wings boundaries, theft caduceus fertility, luck sometimes beardless*

The Guide Psychopompus Slayer of Argus

HESTIA (Vesta)

the hearth fire

[seldom portrayed]

[no major epithets]

DIONYSUS, BACCHUS (Liber)

fertility of vine, vegetation life-giving fluids release from social constraints drama

vine-leaves, grapes ivy wine cups fawn skin thyrsus maenads, satyrs

Bromios (Roarer) Lusios (Releaser)

DEMETER (Ceres)

fertility of grain Eleusinian Mysteries (hope of happy afterlife)

stalks of wheat torches often shown with Persephone mature woman*

Deo Dread goddess[es] The two goddesses [with Persephone]

PERSEPHONE, KORE (Proserpina)

fertility of grain queen of the underworld

stalks of wheat pomegranate often shown with Demeter or Hades young woman*

[see above]

HADES, PLUTO (Dis)

king of the underworld

throne rooster often shown with Persephone

Receiver of many

*The attributes marked with an asterisk are not by themselves sufficient to identify a god, but are usually part of the god’s portrayal. Note that when there are two names in capital letters, the god(dess) has two GREEK names....