War Deities - Ares

war deities - ares

ares: greek god of war, bloodshed, & courage

"not ares, who is a god immortal, not even athene could take the edge of such masses of men and fight a way through them." - homer's illiad.

out of all the gods, ares was the most unpopular on mt. olympus due to his aggressiveness, bad temper, and constant need for conflict. additionally, ares is often featured being humiliated in some sort of way in most of his myths.

while ares is depicted as being a very selfish, bloodthirsty god, he was protective and very loyal to hera.

ares & heracles

cycnus, the son of ares & pelopia, was favored by ares due to his violent nature. he was said to slaughter any unlucky traveler he came across to use their skulls to build a temple dedicated to his father.

heracles was either ordered to kill cycnus by apollo or fought him after being challenged by cycnus himself.

upon his son's death, ares flew into a rage. he fought heracles, nearly winning until athena stepped in to protect heracles. heracles was under athena's protection for quite a while out of fear he would be killed. athena warned ares about his temper, but he refused to hear it. deimos and phobos had to help ares, leading him away from the brutal scene with nothing but a bruised ego, countless injuries, and one less child.

another version of this tale states that cycnus fought heracles with help from ares. the battle ended in a stalemate, as zeus broke up the fight with one of his thunderbolts. later on, ares confronted heracles in a later altercation over in the greek city of pylos. ares, in common theme with a lot of his myths, was gravely wounded and defeated.

the areopagus

alcippe, a daughter of ares and aglaulus, was either assaulted by or nearly assaulted by halirrhothius, a son of poseidon. ares killed halirrhothius to avenge alcippe. poseidon, angered that ares slaughtered his son, took ares and had him tried for halirrhothius' death in athens.

ares was acquitted from the murder charge (slay king). the hill he was tried on, was referred to as areopagus - meaning the hill of ares. athenians tried numerous cases on this hill due to this myth.

sacred plants

paprika, ginseng, basil, mint, hawthorn, ginger, peppers

helm trees, yew trees

buttercups, violets, poppies, cactuses, yarrows, wolfsbane

sacred colors

red

purple

sacred animals

dogs, horses, serpents

ants

barn owls, vultures, woodpeckers, eagle owls

incense

sandalwood

frankincense

dragon's blood

symbols

burning/flaming torch

chariots

armor, helmet

swords, spears

crystals for him

red beryl, tiger's eye, picasso jasper, crocidolite, mugglestone, tektite, crocoite, ruby fushite

tarot cards associated with him

the tower

king of wands

death

the emperor

the lovers

the chariot

epithets of ares

indestructable

valiant, brave

he who bears arms

slayer of men

rejoicing in arms

of the golden helm

he who rallies men

the warlike

beastly

abundant

father of tears

the swift

he who hears

of the horses

the stormer of cities

feasted by women

armed with bronze

spear-brandishing

the mighty

links!

alcippe, history cooperative, greekmythologytours, theoi, mythopedia, theoi shield of heracles, ares and heracles myth 1, cycnus, hellenicgods, cult of ares theoi, ares epithets

Ultimate Greek Mythology guide

TITANS - precursors of the Gods

Children of Uranus (The Sky) and Gaia (The Earth)

Oceanus

Titan of Sea & Water

God of the River

Husband of Thetis

Hyperion

Titan of Light, Wisdom, & Vigilance

God of Heavenly Light/ Sunlight personified

Father of Helios, Selene, and Eos

Husband of Thea

Conus/Kronos - Saturn

Castrated his father, Uranus

Titan, Ruler of the universe

God of destructive time

The youngest child of Uranus and Gaia

Father to Hestia, Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus

Husband of Rhea

Rhea

Titan Goddess of Healing and Childbirth

Tricked Cronus into swallowing a rock, saving her son Zeus 

Wife of Cronus

Themis

The personification of Justice, Divine Order, Law, and Custom

Fondly known as Lady Justice

Mother of the Fates and the Seasons

Associated with oracles and prophecies

Iapetus/Japetus

Father of Atlas, Prometheus Epimetheus, and Menoetius

Not much else is said about him

Coeus

Titan of the North, Resolve, and Intelligence

Also known as the Polus/ personification of the celestial axis

No active part in Greek Mythology

Mnemosyne

Titan Goddess of Memory

Mother to the Nine Muses

Tethys/Thetis

Wife of Oceanus

Mother to many powerful deities

Atlas

Titan of Astronomy and Heavenly Constellations

Condemned to Hold up the sky for eternity (so Uranus and Gaia couldn’t meet again)

Punishment bestowed by Zeus

Epimetheus

The Stupid Titan

Known as Afterthought or Hindsight

Helped in the creation of mankind

Brother of Prometheus

Eos

Titan Goddess of the Dawn

Mother of the Wandering Stars

Leto

Titan Goddess of Motherhood

Mother to Apollo and Artemis

Daughter of Coeus and Pheobe

Menoetius

Name means “Doomed Might”

Father of Patroclus

Asteria

Name suggests Titan Goddes of Nocturnal Prophecy, Night, and Stars

Mother of Hecate

Eurybia

Titan Goddess of the Mastery of the Seas

Lelantos

Titan of Air

Minor mythological figure

Pheobe

Titan Goddess of Prophecy

Mother of Leto

Wife of Coeus

Theia

Titan Goddess of Sight and Vision

Mother of the Sun(Helios), Moon(Selene), and Dawn(Eos)

Selene/Mene - the Moon

Titan Goddess and Personification of the Moon

Drives her Moon Chariot across the Heavens

Helios/Helius - the Sun

Titan and Personification of the Sun

Drives his Horse-drawn Chariot through the sky

Prometheus

Titan of Fire

Known as Forethought” - Able to Foretell the future

Helped in the creation of mankind

Stole fire from the Gods of Olympus and gave it to humanity to form technology, knowledge, and civilization

Brother of Epimetheus

GODS

The 12 Olympians

Zeus - Jupiter

God of the Thunder, Skies, and King of the Gods

Son of Cronus and Rhea

Notorious for Throwing lightning bolts when angry

All roads lead to Zeus

“Husband” of Hera (among many others)

Poseidon - Neptune

God of Seas, Storms, Earthquakes and Horses (???)

Son of Cronus and Rhea

Carries a Trident as a symbol of power

Posedions temper controls the seas

Protector of seafarers and guardian of cities and colonies

Husband of Amphitrite

Hera

Goddess of Women, Marriage, and Queen of the Gods

Vengeful and Jealous (take it out on humans and other goddesses)

Only bares children to Zeus

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea

Wife of Zeus

Demeter

Goddess of the Harvest and Agriculture

Controlled Seasons and Growth of crops

Mother of Persephone

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea

The Barrenness of winter is caused by Demeter’s sadness about Persephone being with Hades.

Aphrodite - Venus

Goddess of Love, Fertility, and Beauty

Daughter of Zeus OR Risen from the Sea

Wife of Hephestus - Cheated on him with Ares

Athena

Goddess of War, Wisdom, and Battle Strategy

Born from Zeus’s Head in full armor

Female counterpart to Ares

Artemis

Goddess of the Hunt, the Wild, Animals, Nature, Vegetation, Care for Children, and Chastity

Twin sister of Apollo

Daughter of Zeus and Leto

One of the Virgin Goddesses

Apollo

God of Light, Music, Poetry, Art, Healing, Archery, Dance and Prophecy

Known as The Healer - Can both Heal and Spread disease

Taught Humans the art of Medicine

Twin brother of Artemis

Son of Zeus and Leto

Unlucky in Love

Ares - Mars

God of War and the Spirit of Battle

Son of Zeus and Hera

Carries a blood-soaked Spear

Was with Aphrodite

Hermes - Mercury

The Messenger God of Thieves, Wealth, Luck, Language, and Travel

Clever and mischievous

Credited with the invention of Boxing and Gymnastics

Youngest Son of Zeus

Depicted wearing Winged Shoes

Hephaestus

God of fire, metalworking, and sculpture

Associated with craftsmen and blacksmiths

Physically Flawed

Known as The Lame One due to being thrown off Mount Olympus by Hera

Son of Zeus and Hera

Husband of Aphrodite

Hestia (Unclear)

Goddess of Hearth, Family, and Home

Daughter of Cronus and Rhea

Interchanged with Dionyusus as an Olympian

Dionysus(Unclear)

God of Wine, Theature, Festivities, and Fertility

Cultivated Grapes and taught Humans how to make Wine

Son of Zeus 

Interchanged with Hestia as an Olympian

Other Gods and Goddesses

Hades - Pluto

God of the Underworld

Son of Cronus and Rhea

Not one of the 12 Olympians, contrary to popular belief

One of the more peaceful Gods

Rules the underworld along with Nyx

Husband of Persephone - And he’s loyal to her

Eros

God of Love

Promotional Deity

Companion of Aphrodite

Born of Chaos and witnessed the creation of the Cosmos

Blessed the Union of Gaia and Uranus

Psyche

Goddess of the Soul

Lover of Eros

Nyx

Primordial Goddes of the Night

Feared by Zeus

Mother of Hypnos(Sleep) and Thanatos(Death)

Hypnos

God and Personification of Sleep

Son of Nyx and Erebus

Brother of Thanatos

Thantos

Personification of Death

Son of Nyx

Brother of Hypnos

Appears to Humans to carry them to the underworld

Ordered by the Fates

Iris

Goddess of Rainbows and Messanger between Humans and Gods

Personal Messenger of Hera

Hecate

Goddess of Magic, Crossroads, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Ghosts, and Necromancy

Daughter of Perses and Asteria

Hebe

Goddess and Personification of Eternal Youth

Daughter of Zeus and Hera

Wife of Hercules (one of three)

Power to Restore Youth to Mortals

The Fates

divinities that presided over human life

1. Clotho, The Spinner - Birth

2. Lachesis, the Alloter - Life

3. Atropos, The Inevitable - Death

The Nine Muses

Protecters of Arts and Creativity

1. Urania - Astronomy

2. Polyhymnia - Hymns

3. Melpomene - Tragic Theater

4. Thaila - Comedic Theater

5. Clio - History

6. Calliope - Epic Poetry

7. Euterpe - Song and Elegiac Poetry

8. Terpsichore - Dance

9. Erato - Lyrical Poetry

Nemesis

Goddess of Revenge

Embodiment of Jealousy, Envy, and Anger

Believed to punish Gluttony

Tyche

Goddess of Success, Fortune, Luck, and Prosperity

Determined the fortune of people and Cities

So, I really like Bacchus/Dionysus. I don't work with him or anything, I just like his queerness and feminist agenda. But there is something that has been annoying me... His staff is not a pine cone.

Here are some examples of said staff(held by him, some maenads, and his wife):

The staff is described as a pine cone with oak leaves around it, he is also said to be wearing an oak leaf crown.

Here's the thing, why would the god of wine and drunken parties have a pine cone with oak leaves?

The answer is that he wouldn't.

So what is this plant? You may ask, well as a gardener and plant enthusiast as well as a study of Greek art and myth, I give you:

HOPS!!!!!!!!!

This is literally what they make beer with, wheat and hops.... And Dionysus is the god of alcohol. So the reasonable assumption should be that this is the plant that he is holding!!!

But I can't find a single article about this! Not even any speculation!! Why!! It's driving me crazy so I thought I'd share it with you all.

(Now I can understand a little why no one has ever realized this, hops are like two inches long a piece so it is a giant hop, but he's a god!!! He could totally create giant hops!!)

Happy pride month 🏳️‍🌈🦭🏳️‍⚧️

On Zeus and Hera: divine conflict

When one consults the lore about Zeus and Hera, they may notice a pretty consistent pattern in their relationship: that is, the terrifying and constructive nature of their conflicts and disputes with each other, where a frustrated Zeus matches his brains with an equally frustrated Hera. This may lead some people to think that they don’t love each other, while this is simply not the case, which is why I’m writing this rant about the nature of the two head gods of the Olympian pantheon’s conflict with each other, and the ways in which it is significant in maintaining the balance of the universe.

First of all, Zeus and Hera are siblings. Siblings bicker and fight all the time, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. In fact, the love of Zeus and Hera is recounted in multiple bits of poetry, and their wedding famously lasted 300 years. The myth of the founding of the Daidala festival reinforces this notion of deep love and respect that the two gods have for each other, especially the one that Zeus has for Hera, his wedded wife and definitive partner.

Next up, the conflict between the two of them is a reminder of the equal nature of their marriage, as Zeus never argues with any other deity than Hera, nor does she argue with anyone other than her husband, with both allowing their points and desires to be heard and understood by the other. In the Iliad for example, Hera is the only goddess with whom Zeus shares his plans for the fate of Troy, to which she responds with her own plans to bring glory to the Acheans before all of it comes to pass, making the divine couple agree on the following course of events that will lead to the fall of Troy. This shows that this divine conflict, so often misinterpreted as divisive, serves as a means of determining the way in which the fate of the universe will be carried out.

Like Eve in the bible who was cursed with a mind contrary to her husband, Hera has a will opposed to that of Zeus, which serves as a challenge to him and a reinforcement of his diplomatic power, a good quality for a king to have, which ultimately leads to the solidification of his reign as supreme, since he is able to not only marry his way back into Olympus through Hera (she is a symbol of legitimacy after all), but also reconcile his will with that of a contrary goddess such as Hera, thereby making him seem wiser and peaceful in the eyes of the gods, to whom he is a father and a sibling.

Moreover, Zeus even appreciates, or at least accepts the fact that Hera is constantly bickering with him, as seen in the Iliad, when he sends Iris to scold Athena for being against his will while letting Hera walk away without consequence, even specifying that her character opposes his. Another example is in one version of the story of Tiresias, where the divine couple argued about who gets the most pleasure during sex and call Tiresias to give his opinion on the matter, having been man and woman at multiple points of his life.

Hera and Zeus argue all the time, but the Eris (discord/strife) omnipresent in their relationship is not the destructive, war-creating Eris that we all know and love (Hesiod identified two Erises), but the one that makes rivals compete, the one that makes opponents fight, and the one that makes siblings quarrel. As such, it is no coincidence that she is sometimes the daughter of the divine couple, and that her presence leads to constructive forms of conflict that facilitate the reconciliation of two opposing sides, making her a force of peace instead of lasting hatred that one thinks of when they hear the word “discord”.

Sure, everyone talks about Hera resenting and persecuting other women Zeus has children with, but let's also talk about Themis and Dione, both consorts of Zeus, coming to support Leto on Delos during her labour (Homeric Hymn 3), Maia raising Kallisto's son by Zeus (Apollodoros, Library 3.101), Leto raising a son of Zeus and Europa (Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.13.5), and Artemis and Athena being reared together with Persephone (Diodoros of Sicily, Library of History 5.2.3), which leads me to believe that (at least in this tradition) Demeter and Leto are on good terms and raised their daughters (and Athena) in common.