INFORMATION ON THE GREEK GODS
Added on: 6th Feb 2016
POSEIDON AND ATHENA WERE RIVALS AND
COMPETED HARD FOR POSSESSION OF ATHENS.
TO SWAY THE PEOPLE IN HIS FAVOUR, POSEIDON
MADE A BEAUTIFUL FOUNTAIN OF WATER AT THE
ACROPOLIS. ATHENA, ON THE OTHER HAND, GAVE
THEM THE OLIVE TREE, WHICH ENABLED HER
TO WIN THE CONTEST
DIONYSUS, KNOWN AS THE GOD OF THE VINE, WAS THE
LAST GOD TO ENTER OLYMPUS. HE WAS ALSO THE
ONLY OLYMPIAN WHO HAD A MORTAL PARENT, SINCE
ZEUS HAD HIM WITH ONE OF HIS MANY MORTAL
GIRLFRIENDS, THE THEBAN PRINCESS SEMELE.
MOST PEOPLE KNOW HADES AS THE RULER OF THE
UNDERWORLD, WHICH HE WAS, BUT ANCIENT GREEKS
ALSO REFERRED TO HIM AS THE GOD OF WEALTH
BECAUSE IT WAS BELIEVED THAT HE POSSESSED
THE PRECIOUS METALS OF THE EARTH.
HERMES IS KNOWN FOR BEING THE WINGED GOD WHO
MAINLY SERVED AS MESSENGER OF THE OLYMPIANS,
BUT THERE’S A DARKER SIDE TO HIM THAT NOT MANY
PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF. IN HIS ROLE AS HERALD,
IT ALSO FELL TO HIM TO CONDUCT SOULS TO HADES.
HESTIA IS ONE OF THE LESSER-KNOWN OLYMPIANS TODAY
BUT SHE WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE RELIGION AND
CULTURE OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS SINCE SHE WAS
GODDESS OF THE HEARTH, HOME, ARCHITECTURE,
DOMESTICITY, FAMILY, AND THE STATE. BOTH POSEIDON
AND APOLLO PROPOSED TO HER, BUT HESTIA MADE AN
OATH TO ZEUS THAT SHE WOULD REMAIN FOREVER
PURE AND UNDEFILED, NEVER ENTERING INTO A
UNION WITH A MAN.
FOR THE RECORD ONLY THREE GODDESSES WERE
BELIEVED TO BE VIRGINS: ATHENA, HESTIA, AND ARTEMIS.
METIS, THE GODDESS OF PRUDENCE, WAS ZEUS’S FIRST
LOVE AND PROBABLY THE ONLY FEMALE THE MIGHTY
ZEUS WAS FAITHFUL TO. ONCE HE GOT OVER HER,
HOWEVER, HE BECAME ONE OF THE BIGGEST PLAYERS
THE WORLD OF MEN AND GODS HAS EVER KNOWN.
EVEN THOUGH MOST GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES
ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR LACK OF MORALS, ESPECIALLY
WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE AFFAIRS, ARTEMIS WAS
NOT AND SHE GUARDED HER VIRGINITY CAREFULLY.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN ORION TRIED TO RAPE HER, HE
MET A VIOLENT END. BECAUSE OF THIS SHE WAS
CONSIDERED AN IMPORTANT GODDESS FOR WOMEN,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO THE HONOUR AND
INTEGRITY OF YOUNG GREEK FEMALES.
Comment on this