How many Olympians were there?

Answer 1

There are 12 official gods and they are:

Zeus: is the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera but, is famous for his many affairs. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths. He saved his siblings from Kronos(Cronos).

Hera: is Zeus' wife and sister. She was raised by the Titans Ocean and Tethys. She is the Queen of the Gods and of the heavens; goddess of women, marriage, and motherhood.

Poseidon: is the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of their Father Kronos(Cronus) he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. He is the Lord of the Sea; god of the seas, earthquakes, created horses.

Demeter:The central myth of Demeter, which is at the heart of the Eleusinian Mysteries, is her relationship with Persephone, her daughter. Goddess of fertility, agriculture, nature, and the seasons.

Aphrodite: Some say she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The other theory is that when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed gentiles into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus. She is the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree. The dove, the swan, and the sparrow her birds. She is the Goddess of love, beauty, desire, and fertility.

Apollo: is the son of Zeus and Leto. His twin sister is Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre. The Archer, far shooting with a silver bow. The god of healing who taught man medicine. He is the Sun God; god of light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, Archery and truth.

Ares: is the son of Zeus and Hera. He was disliked by both parents. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. When caught in an act of adultery with Aphrodite her husband Hephaestus is able publicly ridicule him. His bird is the vulture. His animal is the dog. He is the God of War, frenzy, hatred, and bloodshed.

Artemis:is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of the wild things. She is the huntsman of the gods. She is the protector of the young. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows. She became associated with the moon. She is a virgin goddess, and the goddess of chastity. She also presides over childbirth, which may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto no pain when she was born. She became associated with Hecate. The cypress is her tree. All wild animals are scared to her, especially the deer. .Goddess of the hunt, of maidens, and the moon.

Athena: is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full grown in armour from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle but, only wars to defined the state and home from outside enemies. Goddess of wisdom, crafts, and strategic battle.

Hephaestus: is the son of Zeus and Hera. Sometimes it is said that Hera alone produced him and that he has no father. He is the only god to be physically ugly. He is also lame. Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others that he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the smith and armorer of the gods. He uses a volcano as his forge. He is kind and peace loving. His wife is Aphrodite. Sometimes his wife is identified as Aglaia. He is the blacksmith to the Gods; god of fire and the forges.

Hermes: is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is Zeus messenger. He is the fastest of the gods. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a caduceus. He is the god of thieves and god of commerce. He is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy , weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees.

Hestia: the goddess of the hearth and home. She is not a very famous god but she gave up her throne to a new god named Dionysus, the god of wine. She sits by the fire and is rarely ever shown in any myths. She is the youngest and the oldest kid. She is the oldest because she was the first born child of Rhea and Kronos(Cronos) but when they were swallowed by Kronos(Cronos) their ages turned back. Zeus was not swallowed and made his father barf back up his kids and Hestia came out last so she was the youngest. She is also Zeus sister. She is a virgin goddess. Her symbol is a house around which a new born child is carried before it is received into the family.

If you are wondering why Kronos(Cronos) swallowed them in the first place was because he had a prophecy thatone of his kids would overthrow him. He got scared and swallowed his kids. Rhea saved Zeus by putting a rock wrapped up in a blanket. Zeus then defeated Kronos(Cronos) and put him in Tartarus!