From the god of sleep to the goddess of fortune, be careful, because here are 10 Greek gods
you’ve never heard of, but might just explain everything!
10.
Hephaestus
Hephaestus, the son of Zeus and Hera, was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry,
forges, and the art of sculpture.
He was responsible for making all of the weapons for the gods of Olympus and had his own palace
on the mountain where he forged all of his creations.
Also known as the god of fire, Hephaestus was the only ugly god among the otherwise
perfectly beautiful immortals.
Initially, having been born with deformities, he was cast out of heaven for his imperfections…
only later being readmitted to work for the others (Probably because he was so talented).
He was mainly worshipped by the people of Athens, and is often depicted bending over
an anvil, or walking with a cane.
It was he that made Athena's shield, Eros' arrows, and even the armor worn by Achilles
during the Trojan war.
Despite his treatment by the other gods, things worked out well for Hephaestus in the end.
In order to prevent a war breaking out between the gods, Zeus married him to Aphrodite so
the others would stop arguing over her!
9.
Atë
Atë was, according to differing accounts, either the daughter of Eris or, perhaps, one
of the daughters of Zeus himself.
She was known as the goddess of mischief and ruin in Greek mythology and was closely linked
with the other gods and goddesses of negative situations.
Legend says that she was asked by Hera to help trick Zeus.
She got him to swear an oath that the mortal that was born on that day, whose father was
Zeus, would go on to become a great leader.
Hera ensured that Heracles was the one born, instead of Eurystheus, which infuriated the
king of the gods.
This sort of Godly prank backfired.
As punishment for her treachery, Atë was banished from Mount Olympus, never able to
return.
She spent the rest of her time walking the earth amongst the mortals, causing mischief
and ruin wherever she went.
Her name became used to describe the action performed by a hero in Greek legend, often
as a demonstration of hubris, which would lead to their death or shame.
8.
Aristaeus
Aristaeus was seen as a minor god in Greek mythology and was the protector and creator
of a number of arts such as beekeeping and cheesemaking.
Nice and peaceful, right?
His parents were Apollo and nymph Cyrene, and he was born in Libya; later traveling
and living in Thebes, and is said to have married the city’s founder.
Aristaeus is often depicted as a young shepherd, sometimes holding a sheep.
He was a revered god in past times, but he doesn’t feature very much in mythology.
His name is derived from the Greek word, aristos, which means ‘best’, and he was known for
passing on the knowledge he had learned from the nymphs to humanity.
One story that does mention Aristaeus comes from one of Virgil’s books.
The problem with Aristaeus is that he always got what he wanted, and he became infatuated
with the wife of Orpheus, Eurydice.
As he lustfully chased after her, she ran from him and accidentally stepped on a venomous
snake that bit her and she died.
Orpheus was so sad that he journeyed to the underworld to bring back his wife from the
dead.
As a punishment for his involvement in this, all of his bees died, and he was only able
to practice apiculture after he had made a worthy sacrifice in her honor.
7.
Antheia
Antheia, often linked with Aphrodite, was one of the Graces of Greek mythology, and
was the goddess of flowers and flowery wreaths, as well as vegetation, blossoms, gardens,
and individual love.
Symbols related to her are usually gold in color, and the center of worship for her was
on the island of Crete.
In early Greece, Antheia was an essential part of a yearly ritual.
At some point between June and July, two chosen maidens were put on a diet of only honey,
clothed in golden robes, and entrusted with the responsibility of delivering an untouched
bundle into a secret place in the local temple.
They would remain there, in public service, for a year- never able to look at the bundle’s
contents, and during this time Antheia was said to energize the contents and bless those
who visited the temple.
6.
Pheme
If any of the Greek gods or goddesses were around today, then Pheme would undoubtedly
have been the busiest and most revered- because she was the personification of fame and renown.
Those who she favored rose to prominence in society, while those who angered her would
be scorned and plagued by rumors wherever they went.
Seems very applicable today, right??
Pheme, who was also known as ‘Ossa’ was usually depicted with wings, and holding a
trumpet through which she spoke.
It was said that she would make it her business to learn about the affairs of both mortals
and immortals, and then whisper these secrets to people.
Like a gossip magazine!!
As she told more and more, her voice would gradually become louder until everyone had
heard what she was saying.
She was the daughter of either Gaia or Elpis, depending on which source text you listen
to, and she had a glorious altar in the heart of Athens.
In the city that was such a place of power in Greek civilization, it's perhaps no surprise
she was so important there- being worshipped by those who rose to positions of importance
and blamed by those who were caught out for their secrets.
5.
Hypnos
Hypnos was one of the primordial gods of Greek mythology and was known as the personification
of sleep.
He lived in a cave in the underworld with his brother, Thanatos, where there was no
light being cast by the sun or the moon.
In front of their cave were a number of sleep-inducing plants, such as poppies, and the river of
forgetfulness flowed through.
Hypnos’ parents were Nyx and Erebus, and he married one of the graces, called Pasithea.
According to legend, Hypnos was able to put the mighty Zeus to sleep two times.
The first was as a part of a plan by Hera, who wanted revenge for the ransacking of Troy
by Heracles.
Hypnos put Zeus to sleep, and this gave Hera the chance to unleash angry winds on Heracles’
ship as he returned from Troy.
When he awoke, Zeus was angry, but Hypnos sought refuge and was able to hide with his
mother.
The second time was also at the behest of Hera, despite Hypnos’ reluctance.
She offered Pasithea to him as a wife if he helped her, though, so he agreed.
Hera pretended to ask Zeus for permission to prevent her parents from quarreling and,
in that moment of vulnerability, Hypnos put him to sleep.
This allowed a message to be sent to Poseidon that he could help the Greeks with the Trojan
war and is, according to legend, how they were able to win- with Zeus never finding
out that he had been tricked once more.
4.
Tyche
Tyche was, unlike many other goddesses, one that represented both the good and bad aspects
of her important characteristics- those of chance, fate, and fortune.
Those who lived in ancient Greece believed her to be the reason behind all unexpected
events in their lives.
If, for example, someone did very well, despite having put in no effort, then they were said
to be blessed by Tyche at birth… while someone who had bad luck throughout their life, despite
working incredibly hard, was said to have been cursed by her.
Tyche was particularly popular in Athens and was believed to be the daughter of Oceanus
and Tethys.
She was often depicted with wings, a staff, and a crown, but would also be seen with other
objects relating to various traits.
When holding rudders or a wheel, for example, it was a reference to her directing world
events, while occasionally she was shown balancing on a ball, which symbolized the way that fortune
can come and go in any direction.
Later depictions of Tyche showed her wearing a blindfold, which showed her taking on unknown
risks and uncertainty.
3.
Ploutus
Ploutus was a god that every ancient Greek wanted on their side- because he was the god
of wealth.
He was said to have been born on the island of Crete to a local hero called Iasion, and
Demeter, the goddess of the harvest and fertility.
He was usually depicted as a young boy carrying a horn-shaped container of wheat, which was
known as a cornucopia.
At first, and the reason why he was shown carrying wheat, Ploutus was the god of agricultural
wealth.
As time went by, though, and as agriculture became so integral to the Greek economy, his
role expanded to all wealth.
In an effort to prevent Ploutus from only blessing deserving people with wealth, Zeus
blinded him when he was very young, which was the explanation why seemingly undesirable
people are able to become rich while others remain poor.
He wasn’t just blind, either.
He had other disabilities which explained why wealth can, so often, take a long time
to arrive… and he had wings to depict how wealth can leave a lot faster than it appeared.
You have been warned!!!
Often, images and sculptures showed a young Ploutus in the arms of Tyche, the goddess
of fortune, or Eirene, the goddess of peace… in order to show that wealth rarely comes
on its own, and requires an element of good luck.
Not to be confused with Pluto, the god of the underworld, Ploutus’ name has become
a part of words that we use today- such as plutocracy, which is a system of government
run by the wealthiest in society, and plutolatry, which is the act of idolizing wealth.
2.
Zelus
One of the minor gods from Greek mythology, Zelus was, as his name might suggest, the
god of dedication, envy, rivalry, jealousy, and zeal.
His parents were Pallas and Styx, and he had three siblings- Nike, Kratos, and Bia.
He, along with his brothers, was a winged enforcer who stood by Zeus’ throne and was
one of his loyal followers.
It’s possible that Zelus was either the same as Agon or at least very associated with
the god of contests… and had an altar at the site of the original Olympic games.
He was also strongly linked with Pnthonos, the spirit of romantic jealousy, and Eris,
the goddess of discord and strife.
1.
Dionysus
Dionysus was, arguably, the most important Greek god that not many people have heard
of, but m you should know, -because he was the god of wine, winemaking, fertility, madness,
and theatre.
It’s believed that he was worshipped by the Mycenaean Greeks as early as 1500 BC and,
as a result of wine being such an important part of culture at the time, Dionysus was
highly revered.
He was the son of Zeus and a mortal called Semele, which technically made him a hero
and not a full-fledged god.
Older images and depictions of him show an old, bearded man, wearing robes and holding
a fennel staff with a pine cone, while more recent images showed him as a beardless, sensuous,
semi-naked androgynous figure.
He's often described in literature as womanly in appearance and was an outsider on Mount
Olympus.
This was mainly because he was the only one with a mortal mother, but also because he
had been raised elsewhere, and spent a lot of time in Asia.
This exclusion was a major part of his story, though, and he was referred to as ‘Eleutherios',
which means ‘ the liberator' because his wine and music helped his followers to free
themselves from self-consciousness and societal constraints.
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