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II. Principal Gods
The Greeks believed that the gods chose Mount Olympus, in a region of
Greece called Thessaly (Thessalia), as their home. On Olympus, the gods
formed a society that ranked them in terms of authority and powers. However,
the gods could roam freely, and individual gods became associated with
three main domains¡ªthe sky or heaven, the sea, and earth. The 12 chief
gods, usually called the Olympians, were Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus, Athena,
Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, and Poseidon.
Zeus was the head of the gods, and the spiritual father of gods and people.
His wife, Hera, was the queen of heaven and the guardian of marriage.
Other gods associated with heaven were Hephaestus, god of fire and metalworkers;
Athena, goddess of wisdom and war; and Apollo, god of light, poetry, and
music. Artemis, goddess of wildlife and the moon; Ares, god of war; and
Aphrodite, goddess of love, were other gods of heaven. They were joined
by Hestia, goddess of the hearth; and Hermes, messenger of the gods and
ruler of science and invention.
Poseidon was the ruler of the sea who, with his wife Amphitrite, led a
group of less important sea gods, such as the Nereids and Tritons. Demeter,
the goddess of agriculture, was associated with the earth. Hades, an important
god but not generally considered an Olympian, ruled the underworld, where
he lived with his wife, Persephone. The underworld was a dark and mournful
place located at the center of the earth. It was populated by the souls
of people who had died.
Dionysus, god of wine and pleasure, was among the most popular gods. The
Greeks devoted many festivals to this earthly god, and in some regions
he became as important as Zeus. He often was accompanied by a host of
fanciful gods, including satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs. Satyrs were creatures
with the legs of a goat and the upper body of a monkey or human. Centaurs
had the head and torso of a man and the body of a horse. The beautiful
and charming nymphs haunted woods and forests.
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