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Gods and goddesses of the Greek and Roman

pantheon

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We're taking a closer look at who's Publication date: 7 May 2021

who in the ancient Greek and Roman

pantheon, using objects in the
collection to explore the symbols and
stories that can help us to identify
each god and goddess.

Derived from the Greek words ‘πᾶν’ pan – all, and ‘θεός’ theos – god, pantheon literally means
'of all gods'. Although any polytheistic religion (religion with multiple deities) can have a
pantheon – and they existed in Norse, Aztec and Sumerian cultures to name a few – we're
taking a look at the classical pantheon, and the 12 major deities included in it. You may also
know this group as the 'Twelve Olympians'.

According to Greek mythology, the world began when Gaia (the Earth) emerged from Chaos –
an empty nothingness. She then gave birth to Ouranos (the Sky) and other primordial deities The Niobid Painter (fl.460–450 BC), red-figured
calyx-krater showing the gods at the creation of
like Pontos (the Sea) and Ourea (the Mountains).
Pandora, with a chorus of women. Made in Attica
(Greece), 460–450 BC.
Together, Gaia and Ouranos had 12 children – known as the Titans – including Cronos and
Rhea, Zeus' parents. The Titans rebelled against their father Ouranos, overthrew him, and
Cronos became the ruler of the gods until Zeus deposed him to rule over the Olympic gods –
more on that shortly.

There is evidence for Greek religious practice involving 12 gods from the late 6th century BC.
In the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, from around 500 BC, Hermes stands at Olympia on the bank
of the river Alpheius and divides a sacrifice into 12 portions for the gods. According to
Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, the ruler Pisistratus established an altar of the
12 gods in Athens around 522 BC.

But how can you tell Ares from Apollo? Do you know the difference between Athena, Artemis
and Aphrodite?

1. Zeus or Jupiter
King of the gods is Zeus – or his Roman equivalent, Jupiter – who rules over Mount Olympus
and is the god of thunder and lightning, as well as law and order.

You can recognise Zeus by his symbols – the thunderbolt, the eagle and the oak tree – and as
a sky god he is often shown among clouds or sitting on top of Mount Olympus.

Zeus' parents were the Titans, Cronos and Rhea, and he is the youngest brother of Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon (who are also gods in the pantheon). According to Greek
mythology, Zeus' father Cronos learnt that one of his children was fated to dethrone him as
leader of the gods, so ate each one as soon as they were born.

When Zeus was born, his mother Rhea hid him in a cave on the island of Crete, and instead
fed Cronos a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. When Zeus grew up, he forced Cronos to
throw up his brothers and sisters, waged war on his father, and won.
Rafaello Guidi (fl.1585–1615), 'Jupiter' from the
series 'Gods in niches'. Italy, 1613.

2. Hera or Juno
Hera – or Juno in Roman religion – is the wife and sister of Zeus, and is queen of the gods.

Her symbols are the peacock, the cuckoo and the cow – animals she considered sacred – and
her chariot is pulled by peacocks instead of horses.

In this gold hat jewel, made in the 16th century, she is shown at the Judgement of Paris (read
more on that in our Myth of the Trojan War and Women and goddess of the Trojan War
blogs) accompanied by a blue peacock.
Gold hat jewel showing the Judgement of Paris in
relief. Italian or French, 1525–1575.
She is the goddess of marriage, childbirth and fertility. Although she is often depicted as
reserved and calm, she repeatedly sought revenge for Zeus’ many affairs with mortal and
immortal women, punishing them and their offspring.

3. Poseidon or Neptune
God of the sea, horses and earthquakes, Poseidon – or Neptune – is often shown driving a
chariot of horses or sea creatures and wielding the trident he used to control the waves.

Poseidon's symbols include his trident – a three-pronged spear – as well as the horses and
dolphins that pull his chariot. On this ewer, Poseidon or Neptune is shown at the stem, riding a
sea monster and holding his trident.

As his brothers Zeus and Hades rule the skies and the underworld, Poseidon was given
control of the sea and protected sailors and seafarers.

His many children include both the winged horse Pegasus – whom he fathered with the Standing cup made from a nautilus shell mounted
Gorgon Medusa – and the Cyclops Polyphemus, who was blinded by Odysseus and his crew in silver gilt and chased. Utrecht, Netherlands,
in Homer's Odyssey, which you can read more about in our Who was Homer blog. 1594.

4. Ares or Mars
This Romano-British statuette shows Mars, the god of war, fully decked out in his
characteristic armour, missing the original spear and shield he would once have held.

You can recognise Mars or Ares by his armour and weapons – usually a spear and a shield –
and the god is sometimes accompanied by a boar or a vulture.

The son of Zeus and Hera, Ares – Mars' Greek counterpart – was the god of bloodlust and
violent warfare. His half-sister Athena represented the more 'noble' aspects of civil conduct
during war.

Although he was unpopular with the other gods of the classical pantheon, with the exception
of his lover Aphrodite, Ares was particularly admired in Sparta as the ideal soldier.

By contrast, his Roman equivalent Mars was far more popular, seen as second only to Jupiter,
Copper alloy figure of Mars. Romano-British,
and was considered to be the protector of Rome. Earith, Cambridgeshire, 2nd century AD.

5. Athena or Minerva
Ares' half-sister is the Greek goddess Athena. Goddess of reason, handicraft, wisdom, and
war, she is the daughter of Zeus and according to legend, sprang fully grown from his
forehead, dressed in armour. She also gives her name to the city of Athens.

Athena – and Minerva, her Roman equivalent – is often shown wearing a helmet to
demonstrate her prowess in war, and her symbols include the owl and the olive tree. In the
founding myth of Athens, Athena beat Poseidon in a competition over patronage of the city by
growing the first olive tree, hence its association with her. By contrast, Poseidon gave Athens Silver tetradrachm with the head of Athena on the
obverse, and an owl on the reverse. Athens, 450–
a spring of salted water which was far less useful to the city.
406 BC.

This tetradrachm coin from 5th century BC Athens shows Athena wearing a crested helmet
decorated with olive leaves, and an owl with an olive spray features on the reverse side.

6. Demeter or Ceres
Demeter – and her Roman counterpart Ceres – was the goddess of agriculture and the harvest
and is often depicted with crops such as barley and wheat, or a cornucopia of produce.
Demeter also presided over the fertility of the earth and the natural cycle of life and death.

She was the mother of Persephone who was abducted by Hades and forced to live in the
underworld for six months of the year. According to Greek mythology, when her daughter was
abducted, Demeter searched for her continuously, preoccupied with grief, and as a result, her
attention was diverted from the harvest and plants began to die. When Persephone returned,
Demeter cared for the earth again and things began to grow and this cycle was said to create
the seasons.
Parian marble figure of Demeter with a torch.
This 2nd-century AD statue shows Demeter bearing a torch, which is associated with her Roman, 2nd century AD.
endless search for her daughter. You can visit this object on display in the Enlightenment
gallery.

7. Apollo
Apollo is the only god in the classical pantheon to share the same name in both Greek and
Roman traditions. The twin brother of Artemis – or Diana – Apollo has many associations
including the sun, music, archery, prophecy and healing.

His symbols include (naturally enough) the sun, a bow and arrow, a lyre, and a swan. He is
shown on this 4th-century BC Paestan bell-krater, or large wine-mixing bowl, with a white sun
shining brightly above his head.

Apollo and Artemis were the children of Zeus and Leto. On hearing of Leto's pregnancy, Hera
– Zeus' wife – banned Leto from giving birth on land. Leto found the island of Delos (in the
Cyclades archipelago of Greece), which was a 'floating' island and wasn't anchored to the Python (fl.360 BC–320 BC), red-figured bell-krater
mainland, and gave birth to Apollo and Artemis safely there. showing Orestes kneeling at Delphi, and Athena
and Apollo intervening on his behalf. Paestum,
Italy, 360–320 BC.
When the twins were born, swans are said to have circled the island seven times – hence their
association with Apollo – and the island later became sacred to him. Zeus also gave his son a
golden chariot pulled by swans as a gift.

8. Artemis or Diana
Apollo's twin sister Artemis – or Diana – was the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, chastity
and childbirth.

She is often shown with a stag or hunting dog, and you can recognise her as the only goddess
who wears a shorter dress, with the hem lifted and tied with a belt so she could run with ease.

One of her most famous myths is the story of the hunter Actaeon. According to Ovid's
Metamorphoses, Actaeon stumbled into Diana's grove as she bathed, catching a glimpse of
the goddess naked. In retribution, she splashed him with water, cursing him and transforming
him into a deer, and he was subsequently killed by his own hunting dogs.
Bronze figure of Artemis. Hellenistic, Ephesus,
This bronze figure of Artemis from Ephesus on the west coast of modern-day Turkey dates to 2nd–1st century BC.
the second or first centuries BC and shows the goddess with her skirt raised up, ready to run.
There was a major temple of Artemis at Ephesus which was one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.

9. Aphrodite or Venus
Goddess of love, sex, and beauty, Aphrodite – or Venus – is said to have emerged from the
white foam generated when the Titan Cronos threw the severed testicles of his father,
Ouranos, into the sea.

Aphrodite's symbols include doves, roses and myrtles. This marble relief shows the goddess
with a dove next to her right foot, holding a palm branch – symbolic of victory – in her left
hand.

Although Aphrodite was married to Hephaistos, the master blacksmith, she had multiple
affairs including with the god Ares. She is almost always accompanied by Eros, the god of
love or lust, or Cupid in the Roman tradition. Her name gives us the word 'aphrodisiac', while Marble relief from a tomb with a portrait of a
the word 'venereal' is derived from Venus. woman as Venus. Roman, 100–120 AD.

10. Hephaistos or Vulcan

Aphrodite's husband was Hephaistos – or Vulcan – the god of fire, a master blacksmith and
craftsman to the gods. Hephaistos made weapons and tools for the gods and select mortals –
like Hermes' helmet and winged sandals, Achilles' armour, and Aeneas' shield.

His symbols include the anvil, hammer and tongs, and this earthenware saucer shows him
forging an arrow, accompanied by his wife and three putti – winged infants.

Hephaistos became the patron of craftsmen, and volcanic fires were often considered to be
his workshops. Vulcan gives his name to 'volcano', and, less excitingly, vulcanised rubber.

Francesco Xanto Avelli (1527–1542), shallow

earthenware saucer-bowl. Urbino, Italy, 1539.

11. Hermes or Mercury

The messenger of the gods was Hermes, known as Mercury in ancient Roman religion, and he
was also a pastoral god, protecting livestock and travellers.

Hermes' symbols include the caduceus – a staff intertwined with two snakes – as well as his
winged sandals and cap, and a tortoise.

Hermes was the second youngest of the Olympian gods, older only than Dionysos, and was
the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He could travel quickly between divine and mortal
worlds with his winged sandals and was responsible for transporting souls to the underworld.
He was also the patron god of merchants and thieves.
The Farnese Hermes. Marble, Roman, 1st century
AD.
The Farnese Hermes shows the god wearing his winged sandals, holding the caduceus in his
left hand, and wearing a chlamys – a small Greek cloak which was often the sole item of
clothing for young soldiers and messengers, hence its association with Hermes.

12. Dionysos or Bacchus

Finally, we come to Dionysos, the youngest of the Olympian gods and son of Zeus and the
mortal woman Semele. In some versions, Hestia (one of the children of Cronos and Rhea) is
counted as the twelfth Olympian, instead of Dionysos.

Dionysos was the god of wine, vines, fertility, and festivity. He is most often shown with
grapes and vines, as well as big cats like panthers, leopards and tigers. For Romans he was
known as Bacchus, and the Bacchanalia – or Dionysia – were raucous festivals celebrating the
god.

This Pompeiian wall painting shows the god accompanied by a panther, holding a wine cup
with vines and grapes in his hair. Wall painting of Bacchus (Dionysos) pouring wine
for his panther, while his companion Silenus plays
Read more sensational stories of gods and goddesses, mortals and monsters in the the lyre. Painted circa 30 BC, from a villa in
Boscoreale destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius.
book Greek mythology.

You can find replicas of some of these objects, and other products inspired by the Greek
and Roman gods, in our online shop.

If ancient Rome is your thing, you can still view highlights from our special exhibition
Nero: the man behind the myth which ran from 27 May 2021 to 24 Oct 2021.

The show took a closer look at the infamous emperor and let you decide whether he
was a young, inexperienced ruler trying his best in a divided society, or the merciless,
matricidal megalomaniac history has painted him to be.

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