(Role in the Trojan War)

Apollo Greek God of the Sun, the

Light, the Music and the Prophecy

the son of Zeus and the Titan Leto

According to Homer’s Illiad, Apollo played a major part in the Trojan War. He infected the Greek encampment with a plague and aided Paris in killing Achilles.

Ares Greek God of War

The son of Zeus and Hera

Ares always took the side of Aphrodite in the Trojan War. He fought for Hector (a Trojan) until a Greek warrior pierced him with a spear that was guided by Athena. He then departed the battlefield in order to complain to Zeusabout Athena’s violence.

Dionysus Greek God of Wine & the

Grape Harvest

the son of Zeus and the mortal Semele

worshipped as early as 1500-100BC by Mycenean Greeks

Hades Greek God of the Dead and

King of the Underworld

the oldest male child of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Poseidon

Hades is described by some sources as the god of the earth’s fertility.

Hephaestus Greek God of Fire and

Metalworking

the son of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite

Hephaestus crafted the armor that Achilles wore in the Trojan War. The same arms, despite their connection to divinity, brought about the death of Ajax.

Hermes Greek God of Trade,

Eloquence and Messenger of the Gods

the son of Zeus and Maia, one of the seven Pleiades and daughter of the Titan Atlas

Both Homer and Hesiod portrayed Hermes as the author of skilled or deceptive acts, and also as a benefactor of mortals.

Poseidon Greek God of the Sea

the son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus and Hades

Poseidon assisted the Greeks in the Trojan war. However, Zeuscommanded him to withdraw from the battlefield, and he reluctantly obeyed.

His grudge against Odysseus is one theme in the Odyssey.

Zeus Greek God of the Sky and King

of the Gods

Zeus was the last child of the titans Cronus and Rhea

Hesiod calls Zeus the “the lord of justice.” Perhaps because of this, he was reluctant to join a side in the Trojan War. He preferred the Trojans, but he wanted to stay neutral because Hera preferred the Greeks. She was insufferable when he opposed her openly.

Aphrodite Greek Goddess of Love, Beauty

& Eternal Youth

the daughter of Zeus and Dione

During the Trojan War, Aphrodite fought on the side of Paris.

Aphrodite rescued Paris from Menelaus by enveloping him in a cloud and taking him back to Troy.

Artemis Greek Goddess of the Hunt,

Forests and Hills, the Moon, Archery

the daughter of Zeus, king of the gods, and the Titaness Leto and she has a twin brother, the god Apollo

She punished Agamemnon, for example, when he killed a stag in her sacred grove.

Athena Greek Goddess of Wisdom and

War

was born from Zeus and no mother

Hera and Athena fought against Paris in the Trojan War since he had awarded the Golden Apple to Aphrodite.

The sacred image of Athena, a wood statue called the Palladium, protected the Trojans as long as they had it.

Odysseus and Diomedes executed a plan to steal the image, greatly encouraging the Greeks in their hopes to end the long-suffering war.

Demeter Greek Goddess of Agriculture,

Fertility, Sacred Law and the Harvest

the daughter of Cronos and Rhea

She had one daughter, Persephone; Zeus was Persephone’s father.

Cronus had previously swallowed Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hadesand Poseidon

Hera Greek Goddess of Marriage

and Queen of Olympus

the Queen of the Gods and is the wife and sister of Zeus

The Trojan War would have ended in peace, but Hera had a vested interest in its outcome and influenced Zeus to either switch sides or remain neutral.

Hestia Greek Goddess of the Heart

and Domestic Life

Eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister to Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Hera

Although Hestia appeared in a few stories, she was not overly significant in Greek mythology.

Hestia is completely omitted from the works of Homer, author of the Iliad and the Odyssey.