Ancient Greece was a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to c. 5th centuries BC to the end of antiquity (c. 600 AD).

 

Included in ancient Greece is the period of Classical Greece, which flourished during the 5th to 4th centuries BC. Classical Greece began with the era of the Persian Wars. Because of conquests by Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Hellenistic civilization flourished from Central Asia to the western end of the Mediterranean Sea.

 

The main Ancient Greek gods were:

• Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη, Aphroditē) - Goddess of beauty, love, desire, and pleasure. Her symbols include roses and other flowers, the scallop shell, and the myrtle wreath. Her sacred animals include doves and sparrows. Her Roman counterpart is Venus.

• Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apóllōn) - God of music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, prophecy, poetry, manly beauty, and archery. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Both Apollo and Artemis use a bow and arrow. His sacred animals include roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice, and snakes. His Roman counterpart is also named Apollo.

• Ares (Ἄρης, Árēs) - God of war, bloodshed, and violence. The son of Zeus and Hera. His sacred animals include vultures, venomous snakes, dogs, and boars. His Roman counterpart Mars by contrast was regarded as the dignified ancestor of the Roman people.

• Artemis (Ἄρτεμις, Ártemis) - Virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, childbirth, and plague. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. Her sacred animals include deer, bears, and wild boars. Her Roman counterpart is Diana.

• Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ, Athēnâ) - Goddess of reason, wisdom, intelligence, skill, peace, warfare, battle strategy, and handicrafts. She is the patron of the city Athens (which was named after her) and is attributed to various inventions in arts and literature. Her symbol is the olive tree. She is commonly shown as being accompanied by her sacred animal, the owl. Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.

• Demeter (Δημήτηρ, Dēmētēr) - Goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and nourishment. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and a sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone. Her symbols are the cornucopia, wheat-ears, the winged serpent, and the lotus staff. Her sacred animals include pigs and snakes. Her Roman counterpart is Ceres.

• Dionysus (Διόνυσος, Diónysos)/Bacchus (Βάκχος, Bákkhos) - God of wine, fruitfulness, parties, festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, vegetation, and ecstasy. His sacred animals include dolphins, serpents, tigers, and donkeys. 

• Hades (ᾍδης, Hádēs)/Pluto (Πλούτων, Ploutōn) - God of the underworld and the dead. His consort is Persephone. His sacred animals include the screech owl. He was one of three sons of Cronus and Rhea, and thus sovereign over one of the three realms of the universe, the underworld. 

• Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστος, Hḗphaistos) - God of fire, metalworking, and crafts. Either the son of Zeus and Hera or Hera alone. His sacred animals include the donkey, the guard dog, and the crane. 

• Hera (Ἥρα, Hḗra) - Queen of the gods, and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires. She is the wife and sister of Zeus, and the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her sacred animals include the heifer, the peacock, and the cuckoo. Her Roman counterpart is Juno.

• Hermes (Ἑρμῆς, Hērmēs) - God of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, language, and writing. 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. His sacred animals include the tortoise. His Roman counterpart is Mercury.

• Hestia (Ἑστία, Hestía) - Virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and chastity. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus, and a sister of Zeus. 

• Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν, Poseidōn) - God of the sea, rivers, floods, droughts, and earthquakes. He is a son of Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades. He rules one of the three realms of the universe, as king of the sea and the waters. His sacred animals include the horse and the dolphin. 

• Zeus (Ζεύς, Zeus) - King of the gods, ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice. He is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea. He overthrew Cronus and gained the sovereignty of heaven for himself. His sacred animals include the eagle and the bull. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter, also known as Jove.

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• Αἰών (Aiôn) - The god of eternity, personifying cyclical and unbounded time. Sometimes equated with Chronos.

• Αἰθήρ (Aithḗr) - The god of the upper atmosphere and light.

• Ἀνάγκη (Anánkē) - The goddess of inevitability, compulsion, and necessity.

• Χάος (Cháos) - The personification of nothingness from which all of existence sprang. Depicted as a void. Initially genderless, later on described as female.

• Χρόνος (Chrónos) - The god of empirical time, sometimes equated with Aion. Not to be confused with the Titan Cronus (Kronos), the father of Zeus.

• Ἔρεβος (Érebos) - The god of darkness and shadow.

• Ἔρως (Eros) - The god of love and attraction.

• Ὕπνος (Hypnos) - The personification of sleep.

• Nῆσοι (Nē̂soi) - The goddesses of the islands and sea.

• Οὐρανός (Ouranós) - The god of the heavens (Father Sky); father of the Titans.

• Γαῖα (Gaîa)Gaia (Gaea) - Personification of the Earth (Mother Earth); mother of the Titans.

• Οὔρεα (Oúrea) - The gods of mountains.

• Φάνης (Phánēs) - The god of procreation in the Orphic tradition.

• Πόντος (Póntos) - The god of the sea, father of the fish and other sea creatures.

• Τάρταρος (Tártaros) - The god of the deepest, darkest part of the underworld, the Tartarean pit (which is also referred to as Tartarus itself).

• Θάλασσα (Thálassa) - Personification of the sea and consort of Pontus.

• Θάνατος ("Thánatos") - God of Death. Brother to Hypnos (Sleep) and in some cases Moros (Doom)

• Ἡμέρα (Hēméra) - The goddess of day.

• Νύξ (Nýx) - The goddess of night.

• Νέμεσις (Némesis) - The goddess of retribution.

 

The Twelve Titans

• Κοῖος (Koîos) - Titan of intellect and the axis of heaven around which the constellations revolved.

• Κρεῖος (Kreîos) - The least individualized of the Twelve Titans, he is the father of Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses. Implied to be the Titan of constellations.

• Κρόνος (Crónos) - Titan of harvests and personification of destructive time. The leader of the Titans, who overthrew his father Uranus only to be overthrown in turn by his son, Zeus. Not to be confused with Chronos.

• Ὑπερίων (Hyperíōn) - Titan of light. With Theia, he is the father of Helios (the sun), Selene (the moon), and Eos (the dawn).

• Ἰαπετός (Iapetós) - Titan of mortality and father of Prometheus, Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Atlas.

• Mνημοσύνη (Mnēmosýnē) - Titaness of memory and remembrance, and mother of the Nine Muses.

• Ὠκεανός (Ōceanós) - Titan of the all-encircling river Oceans around the earth, the fount of all the Earth's fresh-water.

• Φοίβη (Phoíbē) - Titaness of the "bright" intellect and prophecy, and consort of Koios.

• Ῥέα (Rhéa) - Titaness of fertility, motherhood and the mountain wilds. She is the sister and consort of Cronus, and mother of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia.

• Τηθύς (Tēthýs) - Titaness of fresh-water, and the mother of the rivers, springs, streams, fountains, and clouds.

• Θεία (Theía) - Titaness of sight and the shining light of the clear blue sky. She is the consort of Hyperion, and mother of Helios, Selene, and Eos.

• Θέμις (Thémis) - Titaness of divine law and order.

 

Other Titans

• Ἀστερία (Astería) - Titaness of nocturnal oracles and falling stars.

• Ἀστραῖος (Astraîos) - Titan of dusk, stars, and planets, and the art of astrology.

• Ἄτλας (Átlas) - Titan forced to carry the heavens upon his shoulders by Zeus. Also Son of Iapetus.

• Αὔρα (Aúra) - Titaness of the breeze and the fresh, cool air of early morning.

• Κλυμένη (Clyménē) - Titaness of renown, fame, and infamy, and wife of Iapetus.

• Διώνη (Diṓnē) - Titaness of the oracle of Dodona.

• Ἥλιος (Hḗlios) - Titan of the sun and guardian of oaths.

• Σελήνη (Selḗnē) - Titaness of the moon.

• Ἠώς (Ēṓs) - Titaness of the dawn.

• Ἐπιμηθεύς (Epimētheús) - Titan of afterthought and the father of excuses.

• Εὐρυβία (Eurybía) - Titaness of the mastery of the seas and consort of Krios.

• Εὐρυνόμη (Eurynómē) - Titaness of water-meadows and pasturelands, and mother of the three Charites by Zeus.

• Λήλαντος (Lēlantos) - Titan of air and the hunter's skill of stalking prey. He is the male counterpart of Leto.

• Λητώ (Lētṓ) - Titaness of motherhood and mother of the twin Olympians, Artemis and Apollo.

• Μενοίτιος (Menoítios) - Titan of violent anger, rash action, and human mortality. Killed by Zeus.

• Μῆτις (Mē̂tis) - Titaness of good counsel, advice, planning, cunning, craftiness, and wisdom. Mother of Athena.

• Ὀφίων (Ophíōn) - An elder Titan, in some versions of the myth he ruled the Earth with his consort Eurynome before Cronus overthrew him. Another account describes him as a snake, born from the "World Egg"

• Πάλλας (Pállas) - Titan of warcraft. He was killed by Athena during the Titanomachy.

• Πέρσης (Pérsēs) - Titan of destruction.

• Προμηθεύς (Promētheús) - Titan of forethought and crafty counsel, and creator of mankind.

• Στύξ (Stýx) - Titaness of the Underworld river Styx and personification of hatred.

 

Gigantes and other "giants"

The Gigantes were the offspring of Gaia (Earth), born from the blood that fell when Uranus (Sky) was castrated by their Titan son Cronus, who fought the Gigantomachy, their war with the Olympian gods for supremecy of the cosmos, they include:

• Agrius (Ἄγριος), he was killed by the Moirai.

• Alcyoneus (Ἀλκυονεύς), a giant usually considered to be one of the Gigantes, slain by Heracles.

• Chthonius (Χθονιος).

• Clytius (Κλυτίος), killed by Hecate with her torches.

• Enceladus (Ἐγκέλαδος), typically slain by Athena, said to be buried under Mount Etna in Sicily.

• Ephialtes (Ἐφιάλτης), according to Apollodorus, he was blinded by arrows from Apollo and Heracles.

• Eurymedon (Ευρυμέδων), he was a king of the Giants and father of Periboea.

• Eurytus (Εὔρυτος), he was killed by Dionysus with his thyrsus.

• Gration (Γρατίων), he was killed by Artemis.

• Hippolytus (Ἱππόλυτος), he was killed by Hermes, who was wearing Hades' helmet, which made its wearer invisible.

• Leon (Λεων), possibly one of the Gigantes, killed by Heracles.

• Mimas (Μίμας), according to Apollodorus, he was killed by Hephaestus, or by others Zeus or Ares.

• Pallas (Πάλλας), according to Apollodorus, he was flayed by Athena, who used his skin as a shield.

• Polybotes (Πολυβώτης), typically slain by Poseidon.

• Porphyrion (Πορφυρίων), one of the leaders of the Gigantes, typically slain by Zeus.

• Thoas/Thoon (Θοων), he was killed by the Moirai.

 

Other "giants"

• Aloadae (Ἀλῳάδαι), twin giants who attempted to climb to Olympus by piling mountains on top of each other.

• Anax (Αναξ) was a giant of the island of Lade near Miletos in Lydia, Anatolia.

• Antaeus (Ἀνταῖος), a Libyan giant who wrestled all visitors to the death until he was slain by Heracles

• Antiphates (Ἀντιφάτης), the king of the man-eating giants known as Laestrygones which were encountered by Odysseus on his travels.

• Argus Panoptes (Ἄργος Πανόπτης), a hundred-eyed giant tasked with guarding over Io

• Asterius (Αστεριος), a Lydian giant.

• Cacus (Κακος), a fire-breathing Latin giant slain by Heracles.

• Cyclopes (Elder), three one-eyed giants who forged the lightning-bolts of Zeus, Trident of Poseidon and Helmet of Hades

• Cyclopes (Younger), a tribe of one-eyed, man-eating giants who herded flocks of sheep on the island of Sicily

• Polyphemus (Πολύφημος), a cyclops who briefly captured Odysseus and his men, only to be overcome and blinded by the hero

• The Gegenees (Γηγενέες), a tribe of six-armed giants fought by the Argonauts on Bear Mountain in Mysia

• Geryon (Γηρυων), a three-bodied giant who dwelt on the sunset isle at the ends of the earth. He was slain by Heracles when the hero arrived to fetch the giant's cattle as one of his twelve labours.

• The Hekatonkheires (Ἑκατόγχειρες), or Centimanes (Latin), the Hundred-Handed Ones, giant gods of violent storms and hurricanes. Three sons of Uranus and Gaia, each with their own distinct characters.

• The Laestrygonians (Λαιστρυγόνες), a tribe of man-eating giants encountered by Odysseus on his travels

• Orion (Ὠρίων), a giant huntsman whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion

• Talos (Τάλως), a giant forged from bronze by Hephaestus, and given by Zeus to his lover Europa as her personal protector

• Tityos (Τίτυος), a giant slain by Apollo and Artemis when he attempted to violate their mother Leto.

• Typhon (Τυφῶν), a monstrous immortal storm-giant who attempted to launch an attack on Mt. Olympus but was defeated by the Olympians and imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus.