The 20 Most Important Greek Goddesses

The Greek goddesses Resided in the kingdom of heaven, on Mount Olympus, had special powers and could also control specific aspects of human life.

These goddesses of Greek mythology were highly revered and had great symbolic meaning.

You may also like This list of Roman goddesses .

Hestia

Also known as the ancient Greek goddess of the home, Hestia was the greatest among the first Olympians, her brothers were Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. It is believed that there were three virgin goddesses in ancient Greek mythology and Hestia was one of them (the other two were Athena and Artemis).

Poseidon and Apollo pursued her relentlessly, since they both wanted to marry her. But she kept the oath she had made to Zeus that she would always remain pure and spotless and therefore never entered into a marriage union. Hestia symbolized the warmth of the house, the burning fire in the hearth.

Most of the ancient Greeks believed that she was the divine representation of the tranquility of a normal domestic life. Despite this, historical and archaeological evidence shows that his pilgrimage never took off. In fact, it is even said that it was removed from the gods of Olympus, and its place given to Dionysius.

Hebe

The youngest daughter of Zeus and Hera, Hebe, was considered the pious personification of youth and eternal beauty. Hebe is labeled as the goddess of youth in Greek mythology. Its name in itself means"youth"in the Greek dialect and many believed that it could even restore youth back into old people.

His role on Mount Olympus was to serve the nectar that made the gods of Olympus immortal. Despite being worshiped as a deity who could bless with youth, she was more involved in the daily tasks of Olympus, was the maid of Queen Hera and even prepared the royal chariot. Later married to the very popular demigods Hercules and had two children with him: Alexiares and Aniceto.

Nemesis

Necessary was the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance, who showed her anger to any human being who displayed arrogance before the gods. She was considered a goddess who had no remorse in her decisions.

Nemesis was a goddess widely represented in the Greek tragedies and several other literary works, being the deity that would give what was due to the protagonist. She was often called"Goddess of Rhamnous,"an isolated place in Attica, where she was credited with a temple. It was believed that she was the daughter of the primordial god Oceanus. However, according to Hesiod, she was the daughter of Erebus and Nyx.

As its name suggests, Nemesis was the Goddess of retribution. He made judgments to inflict punishment on those who perpetrated evil acts against others or amassed fortunes in an undeserved manner. Also known as the Goddess of Vengeance, she represented the consequences that the Greeks had to face for each of their crimes.

A myth about the goddess Nemesis is the mita of Narcissus, a young man who was very arrogant and despised those who loved him. Nemesis took him to a pool, where he saw her reflection and fell in love with her.

Unable to abandon the reflection of his beloved, he died there. According to another myth, Nemesis created an egg, from which two sets of twins were born; One set was Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, and the other were the Dioscuros Castor and Pollux. Nemesis is also called Rhamnousia or Adrasteia.

Sagebrush

The twin sister of Apollo and the love daughter of Zeus and Leto, Artemis is popularly known as the goddess of hunting, woods and hills, moon and archery. It is one of the most respected deities of all the deities of ancient Greece.

It is believed that her name, and even the goddess herself, may even be pre-Greek. Artemis was not only the goddess of the hunt, she was also known as the goddess of wild animals, desert, birth and virginity. In addition, she was the protector of small children and was believed to bring relief to women's diseases.

In literature and art she was depicted as a jacket with a bow and arrow. Artemis was a virgin and attracted the attention and interest of many gods and men. However, only his hunting partner, Orion, won his heart. It is believed that Orion was accidentally killed by Artemis herself or by Gaia, the primordial goddess of the earth.

According to one source, Artemis was born the day before Apollo, who served as guardian, which gave rise to his protective instinct. The bear was sacred to her. She kept her virginity carefully. Actaeon and Orion tried to dishonor or rape her, but anyone who threatened her purity found a violent ending in her life.

She was an important goddess in the lives of women, especially when it came to marriage and young children.

Athena

Athena, was a very important goddess, was the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, arts, crafts and the ability.

She is most specifically known for her strategic skill in warfare and is often portrayed as a companion to heroes as she is also the patron goddess of heroic endeavor. Athena was born of Zeus after he experienced a headache.

She had no mother, but one of the most quoted stories is that Zeus lay with the titanide Metis, the goddess of shrewd thinking and wisdom, and fearing that Metis would have a son of him who would replace him, swallow it and Then it acquired the attribute of the childbirth and gave birth to Athena by its head.

Athena was the female counterpart to Ares. She came out of Zeus's head, fully grown and dressed in armor and was Zeus' favorite daughter. According to Homer's account of the Iliad, Athena was a fierce and ruthless warrior. In the Odyssey, she was a goddess full of anger and relentless.

Known for protecting civilized life, she was also the Goddess of the City. According to some sources, Athena was praised for her compassion and generosity. Athena was a patron of the arts and crafts, especially when it came to spinning and weaving. Athena embodied wisdom and rational thought.

She was the guardian of the city of Athens and the Parthenon served as a temple. She is one of three virgin goddesses; The other two were Hestia and Artemis. Athena invented the flute, but never touched it. Zeus trusted her to handle the aegis and its lightning. Its most important festival was the Panathenaea, which was celebrated annually in Athens.

Hera

Also known as the goddess of marriage and birth, Hera was the wife of Zeus and that bond made her the queen of all gods. Being the divine representation of marriage, it has always shown special interest in protecting married women and preserving the sacred bond that is lit when two souls are tied in a marriage relationship.

She ruled over the heavens and the mortal world long before her marriage to Zeus. Even the mighty Zeus feared him. In her utter anger and anguish over the endless affairs of Zeus, she would blindly punish others in the name of justice.

The queen of the gods was destined to remain eternally jealous and planned to take revenge on all the loves of Zeus. She was the wife and sister of Zeus. Hera was a jealous wife, and she fought with Zeus frequently for her extramarital infidelities and illegitimate children, for this reason, Hera was also known for punishing unfaithful husbands.

She was the protector of women, presiding over marriages and births. While Hera was worshiped throughout Greece, the temples were erected in her honor at Argos and Psalms. The peacock was sacred to her.

Aphrodite

Greek goddess of love, beauty and eternal youth. Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love and Beauty and, according to the Theogony of Hesiod, was born from the foam in the waters of Paphos, on the island of Cyprus. Supposedly he rose from the foam when Titan Cronos killed his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea.

However, according to Homer, in the Iliad, Aphrodite may be the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Many gods believed that her beauty was such that her rivalry led to wars between the gods and because of this, Zeus married Aphrodite like Hephaestus, who was no greater threat because of his ugliness and deformity. Despite this marriage, Aphrodite had many lovers. His lovers include gods and men.

She and Ares conceived of Harmonia, who eventually married Herodotus. He also conceived of Eros and Anteros, Deimo and Fobo. Aphrodite and her son Eros (Cupid) came together to make Zeus fall in love with a human called Europe. Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena were the three main contenders who bore a golden apple that was destined for the most beautiful.

Zeus was asked to judge the contest, but he refused. Paris, son of the king of Troy, judged the contest and each of the goddesses promised him something in return. Paria chose Aphrodite as the winner of the golden apple. It is said that this story was the real reason behind the Trojan War. During the Trojan War, Aphrodite fought alongside Paris, rescued Paris from Menelaus by wrapping him in a cloud and taking him back to Troy.

Asteria

She was a goddess of the second generation of the gods of Titan, daughter of Ceo and Phoebe, the goddess of the night, was revered as the dark goddess of necromancy, night oracles and prophecies and was also the goddess of falling stars .

After the fall of the Titans, Zeus pursued Asteria across the sky, but she escaped from him by becoming a quail and jumping into the sea to become the island of Delos. Her sister Leto later gave birth to Apollon on the island.

Asteria appears in the myth of the Creation of the ancient Greeks who are based on the idea that these supernatural beings resembled mortals but possessed great magical and mystical powers. From the union between Asteria and the Titan Perses, his only daughter, Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, ghost, night and"Queen of the Ghosts"was born. The dominions of Hecate extend over the earth, the sky and hell.

Demeter

Greek goddess of agriculture, fertility, sacred law and harvest. Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and presides over the grains and fertility of the earth. Although she was primarily referred to as the Harvest Goddess, she was also the goddess of the sacred law and the cycle of life and death. Demeter was the daughter of Cronos and Rea.

He had a daughter with God Zeus, his name was Persephone. After Hades kidnapped Persephone, Demeter was afflicted. The earth was barren because of its abandonment; Therefore, the winter season and its manifestations were a reflection of the emotional state of Demeter during the absence of Persephone.

She revealed to man the art of cultivating and how to use corn. Only the women attended the Thesmophoria, a fertility festival celebrated in honor of Demeter. Demeter was older than Dionysius, and the two of them were the two great gods of the Earth.

The country

It is the spirit and the personification of hope. She and the other daimons were trapped in a box by Zeus and entrusted to the care of the first woman, Pandora.

When Epimetus opened the box, all the spirits escaped except for Elpis (the hope) who stayed to comfort mankind. Elpis was depicted as a young woman carrying flowers in her arms. His opposite was Moors, the spirit of hopelessness and doom.

Gaia

The Greek goddess of the Earth. Known as the great mother of all and is often called"Mother Earth." She created herself out of the primordial chaos.

From her fertile belly all life sprung forth, and for Mother Earth all living beings must return to her after their appointed period of life ends.

Nike

The goddess Nike was the winged goddess of victory, both in war and in peaceful competition. When Zeus was gathering allies at the start of the Titan War, Styx brought his four sons Nike (Victory), Celos (Rivalry), Kratos (Force) and Bia (Force).

The four became sentinels of the throne of Zeus. At first she was inseparably connected and confused with Pallas Athena. Nike appears wearing a palm, branch, crown, or a caduceus of Hermes in the works of art.

She is also seen erecting a trophy or registering a victory over a shield. Often she is seen floating with her wings spread over the winner in a competition. Nike gradually came to be recognized as a kind of mediator of success between gods and men not only in war, but in all kinds of human endeavors.

Chest

Greek goddess of persuasion and seduction and had a charming voice. She was a close companion to the goddess Aphrodite. Chest is usually depicted as a woman fleeing the scene of a rape.

This goddess is still a mysterious figure, like a distant mirage. Hesiod cites Chest and identifies her as one of the three thousand daughters of Oceans and Thetis. Although this goddess did not exercise much power beyond her small sphere of influence, she is nevertheless a figure of importance in myth, legend and religion.

It was intimately connected with the great Greek goddess of love for beauty Aphrodite, and the ancient artists and poets used the natural connection between love and persuasion in their works.

Rea

Goddess of nature. Daughter of the Earth goddess Gaia and Uranus God of heaven, and was known as"the mother of the gods". Rea was one of the Titans. She was the sister and wife of Cronos, also a Titan.

He was responsible for how things flow in the kingdom of Kronos (his name means"what flows"). Rea and Cronos had six children; Hestia, Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera and Zeus. Cronos, fearful of being overthrown by his children, decided to swallow them all. However, he was cheated by Rea, who managed to save Zeus from his father. When Zeus grew up, he forced his father to return his brothers and finally overthrew him.

Although Rea was considered the"mother of gods", she did not have a strong cult or many followers. He had a temple in Crete, the place where he hid Zeus to save him from his father.

In art, she began to appear in the fourth century BC. However, she was often depicted with features similar to those of the goddess Cibeles, thus making the two goddesses indistinguishable.

Selene

Selene was a titan in Greek mythology, daughter of the titans Hyperion and Web. He had two brothers, Helios and Eos. She was the goddess of the moon, which she drove through the heavens every night. Selene was linked to Artemis, as well as to Hecate; The three were considered lunar goddesses.

He had an affair with a mortal named Endymion, whom Zeus had given the choice to know when he was going to die. Endymion chose to fall into an eternal dream to remain eternal and immortal. Selene was driving a chariot carrying two snow-white horses.

According to other sources, Selene was one of the lovers of Zeus and they had several children; Pandea, which is all bright; Ersa, the dew; Nemea, a nymph; And Dionysus, though this may be a confusion due to the similarity between Selene and Semele.

Feme

The goddess of fame, gossip and rumor. His favor lies in notability, and his anger in scandalous rumors. Feme is daughter of Gaia, and it carried the good and the bad news since it was said that the rumors originated in the surroundings of the gods. Feme was called the messenger of Zeus.

Its name means"report." She is a winged creature who delights by waving her feathers, which are never motionless. She flies from one place to another at great speed, murmuring and shouting lies and half truths to anyone who hears it. Known by the Romans as Fame and was also known as Osa.

Terpsichore

Daughter of Zeus, the goddess Terpsichore was one of the nine Mousai (Muses), l goddess of music, singing and dancing. In the classical era, when the muses were assigned to specific literary and artistic spheres, Terpsichore was named muse of song and choral dance, and represented with a lyre and a plectrum.

Its name means"Delightful dance"of the Greek words terpsis"to delight"and khoros"dance". Each morning he woke his sisters with muses dancing gracefully to wake them from their sleep. Terpsichore gave each of his sisters the divine baptism of impetus, allowing each one to set in motion their desires and whims of heart.

And so it was, with the Gift of Terpsichore, each muse found his vocation. It is said that Terpsichore wept for joy at the beauty around him and his tears became a rain that reached the earth awakening Mother Nature and generating a dance of harmonic and fluid movement.

Tique

Goddess of prosperity and fortune. She was one of the goddesses of destiny and therefore was linked to the three destinations in ancient Greek mythology. Tique was often worshiped in cities as guardian of good luck and prosperity.

If at any time her behavior was considered arrogant, she was severely admonished by the goddess Nemesis. His powers of bestowing excessive favors on mortals who were then filled with arrogance were moderated by Nemesis, the goddess of revenge and the"debt dispenser."

Tique personified the combination of unexpected and random circumstances that we call luck, fortune, chance or chance, circumstances that can be good or bad. The element of bad fortune and bad luck is reflected in words like disaster, misfortune and bad luck, while good luck and fortune reflect success and prosperity.

While these are seen as two separate manifestations, they are always seen as manifestations inseparably joined to Tique. However, she is considered an irresponsible and inconsistent goddess in her prizes. She accumulates gifts of the horn of plenty, to others she deprives them of all they have.

If a person succeeded in everything he undertook without possessing any special merit of his own, it was said that the goddess Tique had smiled at birth. The symbols of Tique were the two rudders, which symbolize Tique's ability to drive or guide lives in two directions.

Also the wheel was a symbol of this goddess signifying the wheel of the fortune, the scepter symbolized its authority, the wings that symbolized its gifts of magic and the power of the flight, the horns of the abundance and a ball that symbolizes the juggling, the Uncertainty of chance, sometimes up, sometimes down.

Nix

Primal goddess of the night. Nix represents the night, the beauty and the power. She represents beauty because she was incredibly beautiful and portrayed as one of the most beautiful goddesses on the face of the earth. And power is one of its values ​​because both gods and men feared much.

It is said to be one of the first creatures to come into existence. According to some myths, she was a daughter of chaos, which means she is the sister of some of the older deities in Greek myths, including Erubus (darkness), Gaia (earth), and Tartarus (the underworld).

Metis

Greek goddess of wisdom. The goddess Metis was born of the pair of titans Ocean and Tethys. Metis was probably born at a time similar to Zeus and his brothers. This kinship would turn Metis into an Oceánida, one of the 3000 daughters of Ocean.

However, the oceans were normally classified as nymphs, minor figures in Greek mythology associated with lakes, springs and wells. Metis however, was a much more important figure, and would be named as the Greek goddess of Wisdom.

Metis was the first wife of Zeus, although it was said that Zeus had married with Themis, and later with Hera. Metis, however, would continue to advise Zeus, providing the supreme guide god when necessary.

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