Who’s who on Mount Olympus
Not sure where to start with the stories? Let us introduce you to some of the key players
The one who causes all the problems
ZEUS is king of the gods on Mount Olympus, but his powers generally cause more trouble than good. A lot of myths stem from him being angry at someone (he’s the god of thunder after all), or sleeping with whoever he feels like (he disguised himself as a swan to rape Leda, her daughter is Helen of Troy). Of course, he doesn’t actually solve any of the problems he causes himself.
The most beautiful one
HELEN OF TROY might be the most beautiful mortal, but Aphrodite – goddess of love – was so beautiful it made her powerful. She bribes Paris by telling him he can marry the most beautiful woman in the
world, even though Helen is already married. This sparks the start of the decade-long Trojan War. The enraged goddesses Athena and Hera side with Greece over Troy and this is ultimately Paris’s downfall, but not before he sticks an arrow through the heel of Achilles.
The one who rules the seas
POSEIDON, Zeus’s brother, is god of the seas and one of the most powerful figures in the mythological world. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, kills Poseidon’s son, but the god fights back – punishing Odysseus’s travels with storms, lost ships, and an abandoned island populated by a mysterious witch (who you can find out more about in Madeline Miller’s Circe). As a result of the sea god’s
punishment, it takes Odysseus a decade to return home.
The one who rules the
dead HADES, god of the underworld, is the brother of Zeus. While Hades is often strict about the rules involving mortals and death, he’s willing to bend them when it’s convenient for him. You’ll meet him when Orpheus, the most famous bard and musician in Greece, travels to the underworld in a bid to rescue his love Eurydice. So moved is he by his music, Hades allows Orpheus one last chance to win back his love, but he must walk in front of her and not look behind him until they are free. Of course, Orpheus looks back and Eurydice disappears forever.
The one who provides the seasons
Adding to the firm proof that Hades isn’t a particularly nice guy, he abducts PERSEPHONE and forces her to marry him. Her mother Demeter – goddess of grain and agriculture – refuses to let a single thing grow until her daughter is returned. Faced with a starving population, Zeus forces Hades to allow Persephone to return home. However, Hades takes the opportunity to trick his beloved (such a romantic!) and because Persephone has eaten the food of the underworld, she’s forced to spend a third of every year with him. This season becomes winter, and flowers only bloom whenever Persephone is free from the underworld.