Deity
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Actor
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Description
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Carolina Dieckmann
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Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη, Aphroditē)
Goddess of love, beauty, desire, and pleasure. Although married to
Hephaestus she had many lovers, most notably
Ares,
Adonis, and
Anchises. She was depicted as a beautiful woman and of all the goddesses most likely to appear nude or seminude. Poets praise the radiance of her smile and her laughter. Her symbols include roses and other flowers, the
scallop shell, and
myrtle wreath. Her sacred animals are doves and sparrows. Her Roman counterpart was
Venus.
Cnidian Aphrodite, a Roman work modeled after an original by
Praxiteles
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File:Rodrigo Santoro 2, 2013.jpg
Rodrigo Santoro
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Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apóllōn)
God of light, music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague and darkness, prophecy, poetry, purity, athletism, manly beauty, and enlightenment. He is the son of
Zeus and
Leto, and the twin brother of
Artemis. As brother and sister, they were identified with the sun and moon; both use a bow and arrow. In the earliest myths, Apollo contends with his half-brother
Hermes. In sculpture, Apollo was depicted as a very handsome, beardless young man with long hair and an ideal physique. As the embodiment of perfectionism, he could be cruel and destructive, and his love affairs were rarely happy. His attributes include the
laurel wreath and
lyre. He often appears in the company of the Muses. Animals sacred to Apollo include
roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice, and snakes.
Apollo holding a tortoise-shell lyre and pouring a
libation, on a
kylix from a tomb at
Delphi
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Vasco Soccer
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Ares (Ἄρης, Árēs)
God of war, bloodshed, and violence. The son of
Zeus and
Hera, he was depicted as a beardless youth, either nude with a helmet and spear or sword, or as an armed warrior.
Homer portrays him as moody and unreliable, and he generally represents the chaos of war in contrast to Athena, a goddess of military strategy and skill. Ares' sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, dogs, and boars. His Roman counterpart
Mars by contrast was regarded as the dignified ancestor of the Roman people.
Roman marble head of the war god modeled after a Greek bronze original
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Regina Casé
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Artemis (Ἄρτεμις, Ártemis)
Virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, childbirth and plague. In later times she became associated with the moon. She is the daughter of
Zeus and
Leto, and twin sister of
Apollo. In art she was often depicted as a young woman dressed in a short knee-length
chiton and equipped with a hunting bow and a quiver of arrows. Her attributes include hunting spears, animal pelts,
deer and other wild animals. Her sacred animals are deer, bears, and wild boars.
Diana was her Roman counterpart.
Artemis reaching for arrow (missing) from her quiver, with hound
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Nélida Piñon
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Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ, Athēnâ)
Goddess of intelligence and skill, warfare, battle strategy, handicrafts, and wisdom. According to most traditions, she was born from Zeus's head fully formed and armored. She was depicted crowned with a crested helm, armed with shield and a spear, and wearing the
aegis over a long dress. Poets describe her as "grey-eyed" or having especially bright, keen eyes. She was a special patron of
heroes such as
Odysseus. Her symbol is the
olive tree. She is commonly shown accompanied by her sacred animal, the owl. The Romans identified her with
Minerva.
Athena on a
red-figure cup dating 500–490 BC
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Ernesto Neto
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Dionysus (Διόνυσος, Diónysos)
God of wine, parties and festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, drugs, and ecstasy. He was depicted in art as either an older bearded god or a pretty
effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes include the
thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), drinking cup, grape vine, and a crown of
ivy. He is often in the company of his
thiasos, a
posse of attendants including
satyrs,
maenads, and his old tutor
Silenus. The consort of Dionysus was
Ariadne. Animals sacred to him include dolphins, serpents, tigers, and donkeys. A later addition to the Olympians, in some accounts he replaced Hestia. Bacchus was another name for him in Greek, and came into common usage among the Romans.
Dionysus reclining on a leopard
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Flamengo Soccer with
Adílio
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Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos)
Crippled god of fire, metalworking, and crafts. The son of
Hera by
parthenogenesis, he is the smith of the gods and the husband of the adulterous
Aphrodite. He was usually depicted as a bearded man with hammer, tongs and anvil—the tools of a smith—and sometimes riding a donkey. His sacred animals are the donkey, the guard dog and the crane. Among his creations was the armor of
Achilles. Hephaestus used the fire of the forge as a creative force, but his Roman counterpart
Volcanus (Vulcan) was feared for his destructive potential and associated with the
volcanic power of the earth.
Thetis receives the armor made for her son Achilles by Hephaestus
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Fernanda Montenegro
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Hera (Ἥρα, Hḗra)
Queen of the heavens and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires. She is the wife of Zeus and daughter of Cronus and Rhea. She was usually depicted as a regal woman in the prime of her life, wearing a diadem and veil and holding a lotus-tipped staff. Although she was the goddess of marriage, Zeus's many infidelities drive her to jealousy and vengefulness. Her sacred animals are the heifer, the peacock, and the cuckoo. At Rome she was known as
Juno.
Bust of Hera wearing a diadem
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Hercules
Hercules is the Roman name for the Greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of Zeus (Roman equivalent Jupiter) and the mortal Alcmene. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
Hercules
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File:Rene Silva (complexo do alemão).jpg
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Hermes (Ἑρμῆς, Hērmēs)
God of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, thievery, trickery, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics, and animal husbandry. The son of
Zeus and
Maia, Hermes is the messenger of the gods, and a
psychopomp who leads the souls of the dead into the afterlife. He was depicted either as a handsome and athletic beardless youth, or as an older bearded man. His attributes include the herald's wand or
caduceus, winged sandals, and a traveler's cap. His sacred animals are the tortoise, the ram, and the hawk. The Roman
Mercury was more closely identified with trade and commerce.
Hermes holding his caduceus and wearing a cloak (
chlamys) and hat (
petasus) for travel
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Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν, Poseidōn)
God of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and the creator of horses; known as the "Earth Shaker". He is a son of
Cronus and
Rhea and brother to
Zeus and
Hades. He rules one of the three realms of the universe as king of the sea and the waters. In classical artwork, he was depicted as a mature man of sturdy build with an often luxuriant beard, and holding a
trident. The horse and the dolphin are sacred to him. His wedding with
Amphitrite is often presented as a
triumphal procession. His Roman counterpart was
Neptune.
Poseidon, hand uplifted to wield his trident (missing), from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens
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Martinho da Vila
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Zeus (Ζεύς, Zeus)
King of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and fate. He is the youngest son of
Cronus and
Rhea. He overthrew Cronus and gained the sovereignty of heaven for himself. In artwork, he was depicted as a regal, mature man with a sturdy figure and dark beard. His usual attributes are the royal scepter and the lightning bolt, and his sacred animals are the eagle and the bull. His counterpart
Jupiter, also known as Jove, was the supreme deity of the Romans.
Coin issued under
Alexander the Great showing Zeus on his throne holding a scepter and eagle.
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