{buybutton id=8216/}Zeus
The King of the Gods, powerhouse of the Pantheon, Zeus is the ultimate rags to riches story. Sixth child of Cronos, the First One, Zeus found his life in danger before it even began. Acting in accordance to a prophecy that his children would rise up against him, Cronos had consumed each of his previous offspring, much to the dismay of his wife, Rhea. Zeus narrowly escaped the fate dealt to his older siblings when his mother spirited him away from the heights of Mount Olympus and placed him in the safekeeping of a common shepherding family. When he came of age, the pariah prince returned to his rightful home, and conspired with Rhea to free his siblings and overthrow his father. Disguised as a service boy, an unrecognizable Zeus presented his father with a concoction noxious enough to overcome the strongest constitutions with sickness. Upon drinking the devilish elixir, Cronos erupted, spilling out Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. The emancipated siblings rallied around their youngest brother and overthrew their father, just as prophecy predicted. As the instigator of the uprising, Zeus assumed his place as the ruler of the Pantheon, and oversees most happenings from his heighty throne. Though occasionally quick-tempered, and seemingly never satiated, Zeus is a main player in the majority of Greek mythological iterations.
{buybutton id=8214/}Hera
Hera and Zeus married shortly after her liberation and his ascension to the throne (old habits die hard among the Gods). Their quarrelsome relationship is the stuff of legends—Zeus continually enraging her with his infidelities, Hera incessantly irritating him with her suspicions. The Queen of Intriguers, she often outwitted her busy husband and exacted some form of retribution for his adultery. She birthed three children: Ares, the God of War; Hephaestus, the Blacksmith God; and Eris, the Goddess of Chaos. Always jealous of Zeus’s extramarital affairs, Hera went to great lengths to blot out all symbols of his infidelity, most notably Hercules!
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Athena
Athena is the first of Zeus’s children, born from her father’s skull. Because of the nature of her birth, she became masterful in the intellectual domain, teaching man how to provide for himself, strategize before battle, exact fair and honest judgment, and pursue higher knowledge. She preached that compassion was the highest form of wisdom, a sentiment misunderstood by the Gods but appreciated by mankind. Sovereign over owls, crows, and other birds, the goddess would use her avian comrades to monitor the comings and goings of Poseidon, her sea-faring uncle. Perhaps the most beloved in the Pantheon, it is to her that man dedicated their grand city of Athens, a mecca of human innovation.
{buybutton id=8152/}Poseidon
When Zeus ascended to the seat of power atop Mount Olympus, he divvied up the remaining realms of the Earth amongst his siblings. Zeus himself would rule the air, while his sisters would share dominion over all land. Unlucky Hades would rule the Underworld, which left the sea to Poseidon. With a disposition as unpredictable as the tides, the sea god was quarrelsome and difficult to please (you don’t have to tell Ulysses twice). But if won over, his favors flowed freely and the beneficiary would receive most generous gifts. Ever the creator, Poseidon was once challenged to craft the most beautiful creature on land—out of his realm—in order to win the affections of another goddess. From this trial came the camel, the hippopotamus, the giraffe, and the zebra, until he finally molded the most divine creature the goddess had ever seen: the horse.
{buybutton id=8184/}Hades
Cruel and unrelenting, Hades was well-suited to rule the Underworld and right to be feared. For those who had offended the Gods, he fashioned cunning punishments. One unfortunate soul was made to push a boulder up a hill until he reached the very top. But each time he made it halfway, the rock would split in two, rumbling to the bottom and condemning the laborer to an eternal uphill battle. Another soul was cursed with eternal thirst and placed next to an ever-shrinking stream that prevented him from drinking. In his devilish domain, Hades erected a terrifyingly magnificent citadel made of onyx and pewter—his own deviant throne to preside over the dark kingdom. He was prone to violence and possessiveness, at one point kidnapping his sister’s daughter in order to make the lively young woman his Queen.
Artemis
Also known by her Roman name Diana, Artemis quickly earned passage into the Pantheon, despite her illegitimate birth. A clever child who put no stock in her prescribed gender role, Artemis would ask for bows, arrows, and dogs in her childhood and developed such an affinity for the hunt that she and her assembled troupe of scavenging maidens would travel throughout the forest, striking fear in the hearts of boars, stags, and indecent men . . . all suitable prey. Famous for her vows of chastity, Artemis took her modesty, and the modesty of her nymphs, quite seriously. Which was unfortunate for a young man named Actaeon, who met his untimely demise after stumbling upon the maidens while they were bathing after a hunt.
Apollo
Twin brother of Artemis, the handsome Apollo was god of the sun, patron of music and poetry, and eventually promoter of prudence. But it seems more than anything that Apollo was the saint of smooth-talking, seamlessly navigating around the repercussions for the erratic and trademark savage behavior of his youth. It was only after his sophomoric tempers evened out that Apollo was able to gain an appreciation for and love of the arts, a development that has repeated itself countless times over the course of history.
Aphrodite
The Goddess of Love, Aphrodite might be one of the most professed of the Pantheon, besides Zeus himself. A product of primal cruelty, the goddess emerged out of the gore of war and betrayal, inciting life and joy with her every step. Fields bloomed with brightly colored flowers wherever she walked, and dried sands turned lush and green. When she first entered the Pantheon, Hera insisted that Zeus orchestrate a marriage match for her, posthaste. The beautiful divinity had many handsome and charismatic suitors, but selected the humble and homely smithing god, Hephaestus, to be her husband. But passion being her all-consuming hobby, the convincing offers of her other suitors did not go to waste—she was fortunate that her husband worked late.
Want to learn even more about the classics and mythology? Our Bernard Evslin titles are great for young, inquisitive readers and parents alike! We recommend Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Mythsand Gods, Demigods and Demons to get started.