The 12 Titans were born from Gaia (mother earth) and Uranus (sky) and they included the pairs: Cronus and Rhea, Iapetus and Themis, Oceanus and Tethys, Hyperion and Theia, Crius and Mnemosyne, and Coeus and Phoebe. 240-264) And of Nereus and rich-haired Doris, daughter of Ocean the perfect river, were born children, passing lovely amongst goddesses, Ploto, Eucrante, Sao, and Amphitrite, and Eudora, and Thetis, Galene and Glauce, Cymothoe, Speo, Thoe and lovely Halie, and Pasithea, and Erato, and rosy-armed Eunice, and gracious Melite, and Eulimene, and Agaue, Doto, Proto, Pherusa, and Dynamene, and Nisaea, and Actaea, and Protomedea, Doris, Panopea, and comely Galatea, and lovely Hippothoe, and rosy-armed Hipponoe, and Cymodoce who with Cymatolege and Amphitrite easily calms the waves upon the misty sea and the blasts of raging winds, and Cymo, and Eione, and rich-crowned Alimede, and Glauconome, fond of laughter, and Pontoporea, Leagore, Euagore, and Laomedea, and Polynoe, and Autonoe, and Lysianassa, and Euarne, lovely of shape and without blemish of form, and Psamathe of charming figure and divine Menippe, Neso, Eupompe, Themisto, Pronoe, and Nemertes who has the nature of her deathless father. 173-175) So he said: and vast Earth rejoiced greatly in spirit, and set and hid him in an ambush, and put in his hands a jagged sickle, and revealed to him the whole plot. The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece See also Greek mythology Twelve Olympians | The 12 Olympian Gods of Mount Olympus Hestia and Demeter, entitled to spots on Olympus, sometimes surrender their seats. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. And one day they taught Hesiod glorious song while he was shepherding his lambs under holy Helicon, and this word first the goddesses said to me the Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who holds the aegis: (ll. They are named after their dwelling place Mount Olympus. There are all the essentials of good plot lines. This is the offspring of Ceto and Phoreys. 1. (ll. [21] As with the twelve Olympians, although the number of gods was fixed at twelve, the membership varied. There are their bright dancing-places and beautiful homes, and beside them the Graces and Himerus (Desire) live in delight. Him mighty Heracles slew in sea-girt Erythea by his shambling oxen on that day when he drove the wide-browed oxen to holy Tiryns, and had crossed the ford of Ocean and killed Orthus and Eurytion the herdsman in the dim stead out beyond glorious Ocean. Titan war! From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus. Zeus Character Analysis. It is a massive tree andthere are a lot of interwoven branches, to say the least. Hades had a cap or helmet that made its wearer invisible.His wife was Persephone, Demeters only daughter, whom he kidnapped and made his queen. Cite This Work 2. All 12 Olympians had a home on Mount Olympus and that was where they were most commonly found. 176-206) And Heaven came, bringing on night and longing for love, and he lay about Earth spreading himself full upon her. The name of this powerful group of gods comes from Mount Olympus, where the council of 12 met to discuss matters. And again she bore a third, the evil-minded Hydra of Lerna, whom the goddess, white-armed Hera nourished, being angry beyond measure with the mighty Heracles. [15] The Homeric Hymn to Hermes (c.500 BC) has the god Hermes divide a sacrifice of two cows he has stolen from Apollo, into twelve parts, on the banks of the river Alpheus (presumably at Olympia): Next glad-hearted Hermes dragged the rich meats he had prepared and put them on a smooth, flat stone, and divided them into twelve portions distributed by lot, making each portion wholly honorable. Gadbery, Laura M., "The Sanctuary of the Twelve Gods in the Athenian Agora: A Revised View", Rutherford, Ian, "Canonizing the Pantheon: the Dodekatheon in Greek Religion and its Origins" in, Shapiro, H. A., "Chapter 20: Olympian Gods at Home and Abroad" in, Thomas, Edmund, "From the pantheon of the gods to the Pantheon of Rome" in, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 13:33. Did life then emerge from some sort of almost living form? [16], Pindar, in an ode written to be sung at Olympia c.480BC, has Heracles sacrificing, alongside the Alpheus, to the "twelve ruling gods":[17], [Heracles] enclosed the Altis all around and marked it off in the open, and he made the encircling area a resting-place for feasting, honoring the stream of the Alpheus along with the twelve ruling gods. He and his twin sister Artemis, also an Olympian, shared an aptitude for archery.The nine Muses were companions of his; they were goddesses known for inspiring art and music. Ares had a shameless love affair with the goddess Aphrodite, another one of the twelve great gods of Mt. In Greek mythology, Tartarus was the lowest point of the universe Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Alongside her brother Apollo she was a leader of the Theoi Mousikoi or gods of music, presiding over maiden song and dance. During the Trojan War, Aphrodite fought on the side of Paris.Aphrodite and her son Eros (Cupid) teamed up to cause Zeus to fall in love with a human named Europa. World History Encyclopedia. The Olympic gods have generally been credited with the first Olympics. The Greek God Zeus: The Insatiable Womanizer of Mount Olympus Athena was the Goddess of War, the female counterpart of Ares. Her gods and men call Aphrodite, and the foam-born goddess and rich-crowned Cytherea, because she grew amid the foam, and Cytherea because she reached Cythera, and Cyprogenes because she was born in billowy Cyprus, and Philommedes because sprang from the members. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses. The Olympians The Olympians are a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthow of the Titans. Cronus and Rhea had 6 children together, Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Hades and . World History Encyclopedia. Whereas Athena was a wise leader and tactful warrior, Ares represented a more reckless and animalistic approach to warfare. The Olympians were a race of deities, primarily consisting of a third and fourth generation of immortal beings, worshipped as the principal gods of the Greek pantheon and so named because of their residency atop Mount Olympus. At his initial conception, Dionysus was said to be born from the union of Zeus and Persephone on the island of Crete, and he was ripped to pieces during a conflict with the antagonizing Titans. The twelve Olympians ruled from Heaven on high, looking down on the mortal realm from Mount Olympus. Also she bare the Destinies and ruthless avenging Fates, Clotho and Lachesis and Atropos, who give men at their birth both evil and good to have, and they pursue the transgressions of men and of gods: and these goddesses never cease from their dread anger until they punish the sinner with a sore penalty. For some added clarification, note that all the Olympians referenced in Greek mythology resided on Mount Olympus, but not all of the gods in the pantheon are believed to have been Olympians. 104-115) Hail, children of Zeus! The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses. What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? (ll. (ll. then disgorged after being fed a potion or alternatively, Zeus cut [19] Herodorus of Heraclea (c.400BC) also has Heracles founding a shrine at Olympia, with six pairs of gods, each pair sharing a single altar.[20]. For nine nights did wise Zeus lie with her, entering her holy bed remote from the immortals. These were the Olympic gods and goddesses: Hestia Hera Demeter Poseidon Hades Zeus Cursed by his father (Uranus), the Titan Cronus was afraid of his own children. (ll. READ MORE: Aphrodite: Ancient Greek Goddess of Love. Special interests include art, architecture, and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. Hera is the Queen of the Gods and is the wife and sister of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon. The thirteen Greek gods and goddesses, along with their Roman counterparts, most commonly considered to be one of the twelve Olympians are listed below. [23] Thus, while this list includes the eight Olympians: Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Athena, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, and Dionysus, it also contains three clear non-Olympians: the Titan parents of the first generation of Olympians, Cronus and Rhea, and the river god Alpheus, with the status of the Graces (here apparently counted as one god) being unclear. Parents: Zeus and Demeter; or Zeus and Semele; sometimes Zeus and Persephone. (ll. Dione, Phorcys, Anytus, and Demeter are sometimes added to the list of 12 titans: Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Cronus, Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys. In Greek mythology, Hera's jealousy is a frequent topic for writers. (ll. From the Titan pair Kronos and his sister, Rhea, came the first Olympian gods ( Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hestia). The Olympians of Greek mythology arent like the Olympians people know and love today. READ MORE: Hera: Greek Goddess of Marriage, Women, and Childbirth. Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, and was considered most loyal to Zeus of all Olympians. [2] They were called Olympians because, according to tradition, they resided on Mount Olympus. Uranus (Sky) to provide covering and father half-siblings. cronus; rhea; ocean; iapetus . In this tale, he made her a throne of precious metals, and when she sat on it, he trapped her there. Unfortunately, thanks to Zeus serial infidelity and Heras destructive jealousy, the couple didnt have a harmonious marriage. The wars aftermath saw Zeus officially become the King of the Heavens and marry to his eldest sister, Hera. This honour she has from the beginning, and this is the portion allotted to her amongst men and undying gods, the whisperings of maidens and smiles and deceits with sweet delight and love and graciousness. chaos to order Flashcards | Quizlet Is there any indicated birth order to Zeus's kids, the divine ones specially. Zeus generally dispensed justice, guaranteeing order amongst both the gods and humanity from his seat high on Mt. And when a year was passed and the seasons came round as the months waned, and many days were accomplished, she bare nine daughters, all of one mind, whose hearts are set upon song and their spirit free from care, a little way from the topmost peak of snowy Olympus. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. The standard 12 Olympian gods are: Zeus Hera Athena Apollo Poseidon Ares Artemis Demeter Aphrodite Dionysos Hermes Hephaistos The Greeks did not always agree on the 12 and some lists include Hestia, Hercules or Leto, with Dionysos often the one replaced. uranus. But Chrysaor was joined in love to Callirrhoe, the daughter of glorious Ocean, and begot three-headed Geryones. Demeter, Artemis, Hades, Hephaestus, Hermes, Aphrodite and Their names are Poseidon, Demeter, Zeus, Hera, Artemis, Apollo Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, Dionysus, and Ares. Do Eric benet and Lisa bonet have a child together? Poseidon is the god of the sea and water and earthquakes in ancient Greek mythology. As the middle daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, Demeter has been thrown into the center of numerous family dramas over the course of time. Unwearying flows the sweet sound from their lips, and the house of their father Zeus the loud-thunderer is glad at the lily-like voice of the goddesses as it spread abroad, and the peaks of snowy Olympus resound, and the homes of the immortals. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/150/hesiod-on-the-birth-of-the-gods/. And he was reigning in heaven, himself holding the lightning and glowing thunderbolt, when he had overcome by might his father Cronos; and he distributed fairly to the immortals their portions and declared their privileges. What is wrong with reporter Susan Raff's arm on WFSB news? 3. Lacking the proper feminine apparatus, he gave birth through his head. In this passage from Theogony, Hesiod relates the birth of the gods from cosmic Chaos and follows the lineage through the great Zeus, King of the Olympian gods, worshipped by Hesiod's contemporaries: (ll. Goddess of the hearth, fire and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family; she was born into the first Olympian generation and was one of the original twelve Olympians. Then, next, the goddesses sing of Zeus, the father of gods and men, as they begin and end their strain, how much he is the most excellent among the gods and supreme in power. This Greek god is known to control the power of storms and lightning, which he fashions into a javelin-like weapon to smite his challengers. Mark is a full-time author, researcher, historian, and editor. READ MORE: Athena: Goddess of War and the Home. Instead,he didnt attract any expansive cults as seen with some of the other major Roman gods and goddesses. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Help us and translate this article into another language! World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. 167-169) So she said; but fear seized them all, and none of them uttered a word. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. So, because of the way Greek myths were told and retold in different ways, there are actually 14 gods and goddesses who can be considered as an Olympian god. He was also called the God of Wealth or the rich one because he possessed the precious metals of the earth. During the Trojan War, Aphrodite fought on the side of Paris.Aphrodite and her son Eros (Cupid) teamed up to cause Zeus to fall in love with a human named Europa. She refused to listen to the prayers of humans to alleviate their suffering, resulting in more gods and goddesses getting their inboxes swamped. Gill, N.S. In one of his (many) famous myths, a young Zeus frees his siblings from the belly of the tyrant Titan, his father Cronus. She is known for being the Goddess of Marriage & Birth. uranus. Zeus is often referred to as the Father, as the god of thunder, and the 'cloud-gatherer'. During the Titanomachy, Zeus castrated his father, and threw his fathers genitals into the sea; foam mingled with the blood, which created the goddess of love herself. In one myth, the couple was caught getting hot and heavy by Hephaestus, who ensnared them in an unbreakable net. 14. He was born on the island of Delos. In this collection, we examine each of the 12 in detail. Olympus and the goddess of love and beauty. 75-103) These things, then, the Muses sang who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleio and Euterpe, Thaleia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and Erato and Polyhymnia and Urania and Calliope, who is the chiefest of them all, for she attends on worshipful princes: whomsoever of heaven-nourished princes the daughters of great Zeus honour, and behold him at his birth, they pour sweet dew upon his tongue, and from his lips flow gracious words. Much earlier, before the Titans had paired off, their father, Uranus, who was hateful and rightly fearful that one of his sons might overthrow him, shut all his children inside his wife, their Mother Earth (Gaia). There are three different ways you can cite this article. The Two Types of Titans in Greek Mythology - ThoughtCo [12] According to Thucydides, an altar of the twelve gods was established in the agora of Athens by the archon Pisistratus (son of Hippias and the grandson of the tyrant Pisistratus), around 522BC. Family tree of the Greek gods - Wikipedia Okay, so Semele burnt to a crisp. The ancient Olympians are children of the Titans, who are the Zeus was not swallowed by Cronus, he was the one to free his 5 siblings from his father. Birth of the Olympian Gods and Goddesses - ThoughtCo Do you have pictures of Gracie Thompson from the movie Gracie's choice. Of the twelve gods, he was closest with Artemis and Hermes, with most Greek myths having him be found in their company. (ll. The Greek poet Hesiod (c. 700 BCE) is most famous for his works Theogony and Works and Days. The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses | History Cooperative This daughter of Zeus was stern and wise. Hestia used to be one of the Olympians, but the constant fighting and bickering between the gods annoyed her and she eventually gave up her seat to the god of wine, Dionysus. Demeter Aphrodite was the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, desire, and Dionysos (Roman name: Bacchus, also known as Dionysus) was the ancient Hermes was the ancient Greek god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility Hephaistos (Hephaestus) was the ancient Greek god of fire, metallurgy Greek Gods and Religious Practices | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. She is one of the oldest After all, he knew how violent he had been towards his father. (ll. At the famous Parthenon temple in Greece, there is a statue of each of the 12 Olympian gods. (ll 270-294) And again, Ceto bare to Phoreys the fair-cheeked Graiae, sisters grey from their birth: and both deathless gods and men who walk on earth call them Graiae, Pemphredo well-clad, and saffron-robed Enyo, and the Gorgons who dwell beyond glorious Ocean in the frontier land towards Night where are the clear- voiced Hesperides, Sthenno, and Euryale, and Medusa who suffered a woeful fate: she was mortal, but the two were undying and grew not old. Cronus knew she was due and asked for the new baby to swallow. In Generation 3, the Olympic gods and goddesses have learned from the examples of their ancestors, so there is more parental treachery: "Generation" implies a coming into being, so that which was there from the beginning is not and cannot be generated. Chaos was all alone [Hesiod Theog. N.S. Instead of feeding him Zeus, Rhea substituted a stone. A cosmic egg? READ MORE: Hephaestus: The Greek God of Fire. At any rate, Gaia was angry with her husband for imprisoning their children either within her or in Tartarus, and she wanted her children released. Kirk points out in The Nature of Greek Myths, with the oral rebirth of his brothers and sisters, Zeus, once the youngest, became the oldest. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. He was the workman of the immortals: he made their dwellings, furnishings, and weapons.Hephaestus was known as the God of Fire. Apollo Apollo was the son of Leto and Zeus. In one myth surrounding the circumstances of Hephaestus birth, as it is referenced in Hesiods Theogony, Hera was very angry and quarreled with her mate (Theogony, 901), which provoked her to bear Hephaestus on her own in retaliation against Zeus bearing Athena from his head. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. So, Aphrodite has quite an interesting origin story. What order were the original Olympians born? Hera was Queen of the Olympian gods. The Twelve Olympian gods and goddesses of Greece, including Artemis, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Athena, Poseidon, Hestia, Hephaestus, Zeus, Demeter, Hermes, and Hera. Olympian Gods and Goddesses Aphrodite Aphrodite was the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty. The 12 Olympian gods of Greek mythology were actually the third generation of gods, six of them having been born of the powerful Titans who had overthrown their father, Uranus, the sky. The remaining Olympians play a lesser role, otherwise, heeding the orders of the divine power couple and confronting them with their own concerns. And so soon as he had cut off the members with flint and cast them from the land into the surging sea, they were swept away over the main a long time: and a white foam spread around them from the immortal flesh, and in it there grew a maiden. Hesiod on the Birth of the Gods - World History Encyclopedia Greek Mythology Gods Olympians - DESY You'll also find love and loyalty. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Dionysus quickly became one of the major deities in the Greek world as the god of wine and fertility. According to the ancient Greek religion, there are twelve ruling gods that oversee the affairs of Mount Olympus and the fate of humanity on Earth. of the hearth) the youngest, and the youngest child Zeus the [8] In the Iliad, the goddess Themis, who is listed among the twelve Titans, dwells on Olympus alongside the other gods,[9] making her a Titan and an Olympian at the same time. And when he passes through a gathering, they greet him as a god with gentle reverence, and he is conspicuous amongst the assembled: such is the holy gift of the Muses to men. Theogony. With her lay the Dark-haired One in a soft meadow amid spring flowers. The earliest evidence of Greek religious practice involving twelve gods (Greek: , ddektheon, from ddeka, "twelve", and theoi, "gods") comes no earlier than the late sixth century BC. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Artemis was daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. He is usually depicted as a bearded gentleman that wields the signature Poseidons trident, and some mosaics show him to be riding in a chariot that is pulled by seahorses. Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, nature and the seasons. their father, Kronos (sometimes spelt Cronos or Cronus), and were In Greek myths about the early world, themes of parental treachery alternate with tales of filial betrayal. And she brought forth long Hills, graceful haunts of the goddess-Nymphs who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. On top of this, he was bold enough to seek revenge on Hera literally one of the most vindictive goddesses in the pantheon for casting him out of Olympus when he was born. Below is a list of all of the gods who have been considered an Olympian in one story or another. Additionally, they are hierarchically higher than the other gods and goddesses in the pantheon, with other deities and supernatural beings looking to the Olympian gods for guidance and direction. So with all that in mind, here are the oldest Greek Gods. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. https://www.thoughtco.com/birth-of-olympian-gods-and-goddesses-118580 (accessed May 1, 2023). she had 3 powerful brothers and helped Zuez with the READ MORE: Ares: Ancient Greek God of War. Thence they arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice, praising Zeus the aegis- holder and queenly Hera of Argos who walks on golden sandals and the daughter of Zeus the aegis-holder bright-eyed Athene, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon the earth-holder who shakes the earth, and reverend Themis and quick-glancing Aphrodite, and Hebe with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Iapetus, and Cronos the crafty counsellor, Eos and great Helius and bright Selene, Earth too, and great Oceanus, and dark Night, and the holy race of all the other deathless ones that are for ever. In the ancient Greek world, the Twelve great gods and goddesses of the Greeks were referred to as the Olympian Gods, or the Twelve Olympians. We care about our planet! And they were surnamed Cyclopes (Orb-eyed) because one orbed eye was set in their foreheads. He was born on the island of Delos. In Greek mythology, Athena was frequently in opposition to the god Poseidon. Even the first generation here gets a bit tricky if examined too closely since it could be said to cover 3 generations, but that's not terribly relevant for this look at parents (particularly, fathers) and their treacherous relations with their children. Apollo was the son of Leto and Zeus. (ll. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. But he himself mightily reigns and rules. Mark, Joshua J.. "Hesiod on the Birth of the Gods." Hades does not have a statue, but Hephaestus does. She never forgot an injury. Books Mark, J. J. Not one to dawdle, Hermes left his cradle as soon as he could to start getting into trouble. gaea gave birth to and married. Although Hestia appeared in a few stories, she was not overly significant in Greek mythology. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/birth-of-olympian-gods-and-goddesses-118580. Additionally, as one of the many gods with a penchant for adultery, Zeus is the father of a veritable number of mortal heroes and great gods. His position as the god of the dead in ancient Greece kept him largely away from the airy slopes of Mount Olympus, where the other gods resided, and instead down in the gloom of the Underworld. (No one said the Titans were intellectual giants.). Unfortunately, infatuated Semele didnt know that seeing a god in their natural state would mean death, and Zeus, bound by oath, could not deny his partner what she wanted. Saying that this god of war wasnt all blood and clashing armor. There he preyed upon the tribes of her own people and had power over Tretus of Nemea and Apesas: yet the strength of stout Heracles overcame him. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. oldest. What has always been there, whether it be a god or a primeval force (here, Chaos), is not the first "generation." Just who might be called an Olympian is not entirely clear. And he used to hide them all away in a secret place of Earth so soon as each was born, and would not suffer them to come up into the light: and Heaven rejoiced in his evil doing. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! Hermes - Messenger God. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. "Birth of the Olympian Gods and Goddesses." He is the god of archery, prophecy, dance, music, sunlight, and healing. Greek Gods of Mount Olympus: Family Tree - ThoughtCo 53-74) Them in Pieria did Mnemosyne (Memory), who reigns over the hills of Eleuther, bear of union with the father, the son of Cronos, a forgetting of ills and a rest from sorrow. Then the eldest born of Kronus and Rhea was Hestia, goddess of the Hearth and Flames, then Hera, goddess of Family and . (ll. [10] Some others who might be considered Olympians include the Horae, the Graces, the Muses, Eileithyia, Iris, Dione, and Ganymede. Aphrodite predated Zeus, having come into existence when Uranus was castrated. (ll. 375-377) And Eurybia, bright goddess, was joined in love to Crius and bare great Astraeus, and Pallas, and Perses who also was eminent among all men in wisdom. All the Olympians were disgorged out in the reverse order of which they had been swallowed, making the oldest, Hestia (goddess of the hearth) the youngest, and the youngest child Zeus the. All of the Greek gods were descendants of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth). And not vainly did they fall from his hand; for all the bloody drops that gushed forth Earth received, and as the seasons moved round she bare the strong Erinyes and the great Giants with gleaming armour, holding long spears in their hands and the Nymphs whom they call Meliae all over the boundless earth. They were a family of gods, the most important consisting of the first generation of Olympians, offspring of the Titans Cronus and Rhea: Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter and Hestia, along with the principal offspring of Zeus: Aphrodite,[3]Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes and Dionysus. (ll. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Gill, N.S. [7] Heracles became a resident of Olympus after his apotheosis and married another Olympian resident Hebe. Under disguise, Hera convinced the expecting mortal mother to request her very immortal partner to reveal his true form to her. Zeus was the father of the famous Greek hero Hercules.The name Zeus means "bright" or "sky. (ll. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. At any rate, even if the regurgitation-reversal doesn't persuade you that Zeus could claim to be the oldest, he became the leader of the gods on snow-capped Mt. The Olympian gods led by Zeus twice defeated the sources of chaos represented by the Titans and the Giants. Strength and might and craft were in their works.