heroes-can-be-anyone

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artemis · goddess of the hunt, forest and moon 

Artemis is known as the goddess of the hunt and is one of the most respected of all the ancient Greek deities. It is thought that her name, and even the goddess herself, may even be pre-Greek. She was the daughter of Zeus, king of the gods, and the Titaness Leto and she has a twin brother, the god Apollo. Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, she was also known as the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. Also, she was protector of young children and was know to bring and relieve disease in women. In literature and art she was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrow.

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aletheia · goddess of truth and the unhidden 

Aletheia’s parentage is a mystery. Some scholars say she was Zeus’ daughter (mother unknown); some say the God Prometheus sculpted her and breathed life into her lungs to stand as a symbol for truth for mankind. Regardless, she was venerated as a Goddess of virtue, wisdom, and unconcealedness. You could hide nothing from her; she represented Truth in its highest form. She had three opposites; Dolos, the god of trickery, Apate, the goddess of deception, and all the Pseudologoi, the gods of lies.

requested by: @turquoisetimetraveller

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amphitrite · goddess & nereid queen of the sea

Amphitrite was one of the sea nymphs Nereids, fifty sisters in total and daughters of Nereus and Doris. She was the wife of Poseidon and had two children with him; a son named Triton, a merman; and Rhode. Amphitrite also gave birth to other children, such as seals and dolphins. Initially, she was considered an important deity, as mentioned in the Homeric Hymn, when she was present at the birth of Apollo, alongside Dione, Rhea and Themis. The poets used her name as a mere representation of the sea. Her Roman counterpart was Salacia, the goddess of saltwater.

requested by: @smol-witchy-bean

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selene · goddess of the moon

Selene was a Titan goddess in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. She was the goddess of the moon, which she drove every night across the skies. Selene was linked to Artemis as well as Hecate; all three were considered lunar goddesses. She had an affair with a mortal named Endymion, whom Zeus had granted the choice of when he would die; Endymion chose to fall into an eternal sleep to remain ageless and deathless. Selene drove the silver moon chariot which was carried by two snow-white horses, as opposed to the golden sun chariot which was carried by four. According to other sources, Selene was one of Zeus’ lovers and they had a number of children

requested by: @so-she-sings

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hades · god of the dead and king of the underworld

Hades was the god of the underworld and the name eventually came to also describe the home of the dead as well. He was the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea. Hades and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon defeated their father and the Titans to end their reign, claiming rulership over the cosmos. The agreed to split their rule with Zeus becoming god of the skies, Poseidon god of the sea and Hades god of the underworld. The god of the underworld was married to Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, whom he obtained through deception after abducting her to the underworld and giving her the forbidden fruit pomegranate, forcing her to remain in the underworld with him for one third of each year.

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eros · god of love 

Eros was the Greek god of love, son of Aphrodite and either Ares or Hermes. In some myths, he was considered a primordial god, a child of Chaos, who blessed the union of Gaia and Uranus after which the universe came into existence. Especially in later works by satirical poets, he was depicted as a blindfolded male, who, carrying his bow and arrow, could target any human being and make them fall in love with the first person they would see. 

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hermes · god of trade, eloquence and messenger of the gods

Hermes was one of the 12 Olympian Gods and was god of trade, thieves, travelers, sports, athletes, and border crossings, guide to the Underworld. He was the second youngest Olympian god and was the son of Zeus and Maia, one of the seven Pleiades and daughter of the Titan Atlas. As the god of boundaries and transitions, Hermes was known to be quick and cunning and had the ability to freely move between the mortal and divine worlds. It is this skill that made him a luck-bringing messenger to the gods and intercessor between mortals and the divine.

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hekate · goddess of magic and witchcraft

Hekate was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth, and sea. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone, guiding her through the night with flaming torches. After the mother-daughter reunion became she Persephone’s minister and companion in Haides. Hekate was usually depicted in Greek vase painting as a woman holding twin torches. Sometimes she was dressed in a knee-length maiden’s skirt and hunting boots, much like Artemis. In statuary Hekate was often depicted in triple form as a goddess of crossroads.

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poseidon · god of the sea 

Poseidon was god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses and is considered one of the most bad-tempered, moody and greedy Olympian gods. He was known to be vengeful when insulted – for example when he brutally blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus because his father, Odysseus, had insulted him. After the gods defeated the Titans, the world was divided into three and Zeus, Hades and Poseidon drew straws to decide which they would rule. Zeus drew the skies, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the seas. There is only one reference to this divide, by Home in the Iliad.

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hephaestus · god of fire and metalworking 

Hephaestus was the god of fire, metalworking, stone masonry, forges and the art of sculpture. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite by Zeus to prevent a war of the gods fighting for her hand. He was a smithing god, making all of the weapons for Olympus and acting as a blacksmith for the gods. Hephaestus’s ugly appearance was the reason Zeus chose him to marry Aphrodite, but despite this she had many affairs with both gods and men. In one story, Hephaestus builds a tricky invention which catches Aphrodite laying with Ares, the god of war, trapping them both in the bed to be laughed at and ridiculed by the other gods.

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dionysus · god of wine and the grape harvest 

Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, religious ecstasy and theatre. He may have been worshipped as early as 1500-100BC by Mycenean Greeks according to very old scripts inscribed with his name. Earlier images and descriptions of Dionysus depict him as a mature male, bearded and robed holding a fennel staff tipped with a pine-cone. However, in later images the god is show to be a beardless, sensuous, naked or semi-naked androgynous youth. He is described in literature as womanly or “man-womanish”.

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apollo · god of the sun, light, music and prophecy 

Apollo is one of the most complex and important gods, and is the god of many things, including: music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge. He is the son of Zeus and the Titan Leto, and was born in the Greek island of Delos, along with his older twin sister Artemis – goddess of the hunt. Both medicine and healing are associated with Apollo and were thought to sometimes be mediated through his son, Asclepius. However, Apollo could also bring ill-health and deadly plague.

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zeus · god of the sky and king of the gods

Zeus was the first of the gods and a very imposing figure. Often referred to as the “Father of Gods and men”, he is a sky god who controls lightning (often using it as a weapon) and thunder. Zeus is king of Mount Olympus, the home of Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike. Zeus was the last child of the titans Cronus and Rhea, and avoided being swallowed by his father (who had been told one of his children would overthrow him) when Rhea sought help from Uranus and Ge. Cronus had previously swallowed Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades and Poseidon.

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athena · goddess of wisdom and war 

Athena, also referred to as Athene, is a very important goddess of many things. She is goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. She is known most specifically for her strategic skill in warfare and is often portrayed as companion of heroes and is the patron goddess of heroic endeavour.

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demeter · goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the harvest

Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and presides over grains and the fertility of the earth. Although she was most often referred to as the goddess of the harvest, she was also goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death. Her virgin daughter Persephone was abducted by the god of the underworld, Hades, and Demeter endlessly searched for her, preoccupied with loss and grief. The seasons halted and living things stopped growing and died. At this point, Zeus had to intervene and send his messenger Hermes to the underworld to bring Persephone back and prevent the extinction of all life on Earth.

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aphrodite · goddess of beauty, love and eternal youth

Aphrodite was the goddess of love, desire and beauty. Apart from her natural beauty, she also had a magical girdle that compelled everyone to desire her. There are two accounts of her birth. According to one, she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, the mother goddess worshipped at the Oracls of Dodona. However, the other account, which is more prevalent, informs us that she arose from the sea on a giant scallop, after Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then walked to the shore of Cyprus.