The Gods

The Many Gods

As Polytheists we worship many gods; of the heavens (Ouranic), the underworld (Khthonic), and everything in between. While worship of a "Twelve" is common across Ancient Greece, who is included in The Twelve often varies, and worship was never exclusive or limited to only these twelve. Some city-states included Helios, Kronos, Rhea, Dionysos, and others. The Theoi website is one of the most comprehensive general resources on the gods.

The Attic Twelve

The set of Twelve we are most familiar with comes from Ancient Athens. Of course there are thousands of gods and this is only a small selection.

Hephaistos | Ηφαιστος
Fire, craftsmen, metalworking, stonemasonry, sculpture

Hermes | Ερμης
Heralds, trade, thieves, athletics, guider of souls

Ares | Αρης
War, courage

Aphrodite | Αφροδιτη
Love, beauty

Artemis | Αρτεμις
Wilds, the hunt, child-birth, protector of young girls

Apollon | Απολλων
Healing, music, medicine, protector of young boys

The Olympian Twelve

At Olympia in Elis – from which the Olympic games sprung – there were a different set of "Twelve" gods. These were documented as follows:

Zeus Olympios | Ζευς
Leadership, fathers, storms

Hera | Ηρη
Marriage, women, family

Hermes | Ερμης
Heralds, trade, thieves, athletics, guider of souls

Kharites | Χαριτες
Grace, beauty, joy, mirth, festivity, dance

Artemis | Αρτεμις
Wilds, the hunt, child-birth, protector of young girls

Kronos | Κρονος
Agriculture, the harvest, cyclic time

When he [Herakles] came to Elis, he founded the shrine at Olympia of Zeus Olympios and named the place Olympia after the god. He sacrificed to him there and to the other gods, setting up altars, six in number, shared by the twelve gods:

first the altar of Zeus Olympios, whom he had share with Poseidon; second of Hera and Athene;
third of Hermes and Apollon;
fourth of the Kharites and Dionysos;
fifth of Artemis and Alpheius;
sixth of Kronos and Rhea.

– Herodorus of Heracleia, FGrH 31 F34a