About the Olympian gods

Walking through the history of Greece, we cannot escape the ever presence of the gods – in this case, the Olympian gods. Besides the written history, they all came to us in many shapes and forms, such as statues, reliefs, mosaics, and even paintings which are widely lost. Some of those earthly creations are true masterpieces, which I'd like to share at present.

The Greek pantheon counted twelve gods: Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Ares, Demeter, Aphrodite, Dionysos, Hermes, and Hephaistos. This number, however, was flexible, and at times one of the lesser gods was replaced by another one.

We will remember how King Philip, Alexander's father, proclaimed himself the 13th god when he made his triumphal entry into the Theater of Aegae, where he was murdered that same day.

The Greek gods were very human and constituted one big family.

Zeus was the father of the gods, and as such, he ruled over heaven and earth. He was the god of thunder, so he is generally depicted holding a thunderbolt in his hand. The most magnificent rendition, in my opinion, is the bronze Zeus from the Sea of Artemisia, c. 450 BC, that dominates the room at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Hera was Zeus' wife and Queen of Mount Olympus. She was the goddess of marriage and the family. Although she was a very jealous spouse, she remained faithful to Zeus despite his many escapades. Her temple in Olympia left us with many unusual artifacts, among which there is this (restored) terracotta Acroterium, which is now displayed in the local museum.

Athena was born from the head of Zeus and was the goddess of war and wisdom. Her name is closely tied to Athens after she donated the olive tree to symbolize peace and plenty. A sacred olive tree stood on the Acropolis, where a more recent specimen had replaced its ancestor. In her honor, the famous Temple of the Parthenon was built in the 5^th century BC. The New Museum of the Acropolis exhibits a relatively uncommon marble statue of a striding Athena that was part of the pediment of the archaic temple from c. 520 BC.

Apollo is the most loved of the gods and is generally associated with music. He also stands for youth, beauty, and the source of life and healing. Delphi was one of his favorite places of worship. Still, I was very impressed by the larger-than-life statue of Apollo playing the Lyre exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Tripoli in Libya. It was retrieved from the Bath of Hadrian in Leptis Magna, Libya.

Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo, and often her temple stood right next to her brother's – as we know from Didyma and Letoon (Turkey), for instance. She was best known as the protector of women in childbirth, although she was also famous as the goddess of hunting. We'll remember that Artemis was so occupied in assisting the birth of Alexander that she neglected her tasks in Ephesos and let her temple burn down that same night. She is represented in the archaic eastern form with many breasts in this city, but that is not my favorite picture. There is, of course, the nearly intact Diana, the Roman version, at the Louvre in Paris, but I'd prefer this cute little hairnet from the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Poseidon, the later Roman Neptune, is best known as the god of the sea. He was famous for bringing floods and storms but was also responsible for earthquakes. Yet, he had a good side also since he protected the seafarers. My favorite is this relief from the 1^st or 2^nd century AD on display at the Museum of Burdur (famous for the artifacts retrieved in Sagalassos) in Turkey.

Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera and a very bellicose god with a quick temper. His beauty and courage made him the perfect seducer of women, the most famous of which was Aphrodite. This scene is beautifully depicted in a fresco from the House of Lucretius Fromto in Pompeii, exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy.   

Demeter was Zeus' sister and the mother of Persephone, who was raped by the god of the underworld, Hades. She was one of the oldest gods in the Greek pantheon, and as such, she provided the earth's fertility and protected the harvest. The votive relief from Eleusis is probably the most famous picture, but I have a special connection with this remarkable relief tucked away in the Museum of Dion in Greece.

Aphrodite was born on the island of Cyprus near the city of Paphos – where her memory is still alive. According to some sources, she is said to be the daughter of Zeus. Aphrodite, who later became the Roman Venus, is widely known as the goddess of love, beauty, and sex. She not only protected the courtesans and prostitutes but also the seafarers. Quite uniquely, she was a favorite among men and women alike and played an essential role in commerce, politics, and warfare. There are very many statues of Aphrodite and Venus to entice us. After in-depth comparisons, however, I chose this one from the Louvre in Paris.

Dionysos was another son of Zeus but from his liaison with Semele. Hera was very jealous of that relationship and killed Semele. However, Zeus took the unborn child and reared him in his thigh. Dionysus turned out to be the bad boy of Olympus and is best known as the god of wine – always playful and good-natured. He is often represented in the presence of a Satyr, and the example from Sagalassos exhibited at the Museum of Burdur is one of the finest Hellenistic statues.

Hermes. In the crowded family on Mount Olympus, Hermes was another son of Zeus but this time by the nymph Maia. He is often seen in the company of Pan, his son, and is the patron of the shepherds. He was engaged in many fields and was the god of commerce and thieves, clearly illustrating his colorful personage. He also was active as the god of travel, wealth, luck, and language. His later Roman name Mercury highlights his versatility. The most perfect rendition is the splendid Hermes with the child Dionysus Praxiteles created for the Temple of Hera in Olympia.

Hephaistos was the brilliant blacksmith on Mount Olympus. He was the god of fire and metallurgy. Since he was born to Hera without a father, he appeared as an ugly figure – the only one among the overall near-perfect gods and goddesses. That may be why I didn't find (or photograph) a statue of Hephaistos, who has left us his well-preserved temple in Athens.