THE TWELVE GODS OF OLYMPUS

Written by Sophia Kamaka, Antigone Tsivanidou and Lucy Xionidis

ZEUS

Zeus was the father of gods and people. He protected marriage, friendship and love and he punished bad people. His wife was Hera and his parents Cronos and Rea. Cronos ate his children because he didn’t want them to be the leader of gods. But Rea hid Zeus on Crete and when he grew up he became the god of earth and sky. People built many temples to Zeus.

HERA

Hera was the wife of Zeus, the principal goddess, the queen of the panoply. Her sanctuary symbol was a peacock. She was very beautiful with a bright face, almond-shaped eyes and long blond hair. She wore a gold crown on her head. Her main attribute was the protection of families. She was a humble but possessive woman.

ARTEMIS

Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Litos, and the twin sister of Apollo. She was born with him in Dilos. Artemi’s character was almost the same as Apollo’s. She was humble and she had a very nice body. Artemis was the goddess of hunting and her sanctuary symbol was the deer.

POSEIDON

Poseidon was the son of Cronus and Rea. His brothers were Zeus and Hades. He lived in the sea in a gold palace with his wife, Amphitriti, the Queen of the Sea. Poseidon held a trident and a net in his right hand and a dolphin in his left.

DIONYSOS

Dionysos was another god. He was the son of Zeus and Semely. Dionysos’ other name was Vakchos. He was the god of wine. Later he also became the god of music, poetry and merriment.

PLUTO

Pluto was the son of Cronos and Rea. He was the god of the underworld. His roman name was Dis Pater and his brother was Zeus. He married Persephone, and so Persephone became the queen of Underworld. Pluto was a gloomy and belligerent boy. He liked fighting with everyone.

HEPHAESTOS

Hephaestos was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was very strong, but he was born lame. His principal role was that of Blacksmith, and he worked for the gods making weapons and jewelry. He liked making a lot of silver things for the war. He was married to Venus and was a kind and friendly person.

APOLLO

Apollo was the twin son of Zeus and Titans. He was the sun god and the patron of the Arts. He was a very beautiful man and that’s why Calliope, Coronis, Cyrene and the others loved him. He had a lyre because he liked playing music. He killed Python and Marsyas and protected his mother and his sister.

HERMES

Hermes was the son of Zeus and the Maia, Titan. He was the messenger of the gods, the patron of travelers and also the god of the thieves. His Roman name was Mercury, because Mercury moves very quickly when in liquid metal form. As a child he was a very naughty and precocious boy. He stole Apollo’s lyre and wouldn’t give it back to him. However, Hermes was dynamic and energetic. He liked playing the lyre when he wasn’t acting as a messenger for the gods.

ATHENA

Athena was one of the ancient Greek goddesses, the goddess of wisdom. Athena was Zeus’s and Mitidas’s daughter. She came out of Zeus’s head because he didn’t want his child to be the leader of the gods. Then he ate Mitida.

ARIS

Aris was the god of war. His parents were Zeus and Hera and his sister was Erida. His symbols were the helmet, the pike and the buckle. Ancient Greeks built temples for Aris. Aris helped the Trojans during their war with the Greeks, but the Greeks won because they had Athena helping them. Aris’s children were the AMAZONES, Fovos and Dimos.

APHRODITE

Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty and love. Her parents were Zeus and Dionis. Some said Aphrodite was born in the sea near Cyprus, others near Rhodes. She married Hephaestos and she had five children by Aris : Erota, Dimo, Fovo, Armonia and Evias, the builder of Rome.

Sophia Kamaka is a fifteen-year-old student at the Fifth Lykeio. Her interests include painting and music and reading.

Lucy Xionidis is an eleven-year-old student at the Fourth Primary school in Katerini. Her interests include Karate (she is the Greek National Champion for her age group), photography, painting, reading, music, surfing the net and conducting scientific experiments. she is an ardent fan of J K Rowlings, and reads the Harry Potter books in English. Her ambition is to become a scientist.

Antigone Tsivanidou is also an eleven-year-old student at the Fourth Primary school in Katerini in the same class as Lucy. Her interests include Ballet, painting, gymnastics, surfing the net, music and reading. Her favourite book is "The Display Case."