Greek Gods and Goddesses of Olympus

Have you seen our latest sidewalk art murals? GreekTown on the Danforth BIA has developed a summer-long project established with local community arts organization, Muse Arts and artist Mutant, culminating in a series of twelve sidewalk art pieces depicting figures of Greek mythology. The twelve murals have been painted on street corners of the BIA, each depicting one of the twelve Gods/Goddesses of Mount Olympus. The twelve Olympians are Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Hephaestus, Hestia, and Hermes. There is also an additional piece depicting Dionysus, God of fertility, wine, and a patron of the arts, located in the CafeTO parklet between Carlaw Ave and Gough Ave. We invite you to explore and enjoy these pieces while you’re out and about in GreekTown on the Danforth. Tag us in your posts @greektown_danforthbia and follow us for more!

FREE Download! Colouring Pages from @museartsto of the Greek God and Goddess murals: Click here to download.

Learn more about the Goddesses and Gods

GODDESS/GOD	A BIT ABOUT THEM	WHAT ARE THEY A GOD OF?	WHO ARE THEY RELATED TO ?	SKILLS OR POWERS?
Apollo – Απόλλωνας	He was the patron god of the city of Delphi.	Archery, Music and Dance, Truth and Prophecy, Healing and Diseases, the Sun and Light, Poetry, and more.	Zeus and Leto are his parents. Moreover, Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, is his twin sister.	He had many special powers including the ability to see into the future and power over light. He could also heal people or bring illness and disease. When in battle, Apollo was deadly with the bow and arrow.
Ares – Άρης	Ares was the Greek god of war. He was known for being violent and cruel, but also cowardly. Most of the other Olympians, including his parents Hera and Zeus, didn’t like Ares very much.	War and Violence.	Zeus and Hera	strength and physicality. As the god of war he was a superior fighter in battle and caused great bloodshed and destruction wherever he went.
Zeus – Δίας	Zeus is the king of the Greek gods who lived on Mount Olympus. He was the god of the sky and thunder.	Sky, Lightning, Thunder and Justice.	Cronus and Rhea	Zeus is the most powerful of the Greek gods and had a number of powers. The ability to throw lightning bolts, control weather causing huge storms, mimic voices to sound like anyone, shift to look like an animal or anyone. When mad he would usually turn people into animals as a punishment
Artemis – Άρτεμις	She spends much of her time in the forest surrounded by animals such as hunting dogs, bears, and deer.	Hunt, Wilderness, Moon and Archery.	Zeus and Leto	Her special powers included perfect aim with the bow and arrow, the ability to turn herself and others into animals, healing, disease, and control of nature.
Hestia – Εστία	Since she didn’t get married or have any kids, she wasn’t as involved in many of the Greek stories and myths as the other gods.	Hearth and Home.	Cronus and Rhea	Hestia maintained the hearth fire of both Mount Olympus and the homes of the Greeks. This fire was important because it was used for cooking and for keeping the home warm. Hestia also helped to keep peace in the family and taught people how to build their homes.
Hermes – Ερμής	His main job was to serve as the messenger of the gods. He was able to travel very fast and could easily move between the realms of the gods, humans, and the dead. He was known as a cunning trickster.	The Divine Messenger, and God of Travel, Roads, Thieves, Sports, and Shepherds. .	Zeus and Maia	He was the fastest of the gods and used his speed to carry messages for the other gods. He helped lead the dead to the Underworld and could put people to sleep with his wand.
Hephaestus – Ήφαιστος	He was very skilled in metalworking, stonework, and other crafts that were typically performed by Greek men. He could control both fire and metal to do his will. He also had the ability to make his creations move. He used this power to create two golden handmaidens who assisted him in his work.	Fire and Craftsman for the Gods.	Zeus and Hera	He was very skilled in metalworking, stonework, and other crafts that were typically performed by Greek men. He could control both fire and metal to do his will. He also had the ability to make his creations move. He used this power to create two golden handmaidens who assisted him in his work.
Athena – Αθηνά	Athena is most famous for being the patron god of the city of Athens. Athena also helped many of the Greek heroes such as Hercules and Odysseus on their adventures	Reason, Wisdom and War.	Zeus and Metis	She was one of the most intelligent and wisest of the Greek gods. She was also good at war strategy and giving heroes courage. Athena’s special powers included the ability to invent useful items and crafts. She invented the ship, chariot, plow, and rake. She also invented many of the skills used by women in Ancient Greece such as weaving and pottery.
Poseidon – Ποσειδώνας	He is one of the three most powerful Greek gods (along with Zeus and Hades)	Sea, Fishermen, and Sailors.	Cronus and Rhea ( swallowed by Cronus and later saved by Zeus)	Poseidon had complete power and control over the ocean. He could create storms to sink ships or clear weather to help them along. He also could cause earthquakes on land which earned him the title “earth-shaker.”
Demeter – Δήμητρα	Because she was the goddess of the harvest, she was very important to the farmers and peasant people of Greece.	Agriculture and the Seasons.	Cronus and Rhea	She had control over the harvest and the growing of grains. She could cause plants to grow (or not grow) and had control over the seasons. She also had some control over the weather and could make people hungry.
Hera – Ήρα	As the wife of Zeus, Hera was considered the queen of Mount Olympus.	Women, Marriage, and Childbirth.	Cronus and Rhea ( she was swallowed by Cronus and later saved by her little brother Zeus)	The women of Greece prayed to Hera for protection during childbirth, good health, and to aide them in their marriages. She also had power over the skies and could bless the people with clear skies or curse them with storms.
Aphrodite – Αφροδίτη	She is famous for being the most beautiful of the goddesses.	Love and Beauty.	Some say her parents are Zeus and Dione, while others believe it is Uranus and that She appeared out of the foam of the sea, floating on a scallop shell to the island of Cypress.	Her special powers were those of love and desire. She had a belt that had the power to cause others to fall in love with the wearer. Some of the other Greek goddesses, such as Hera, would borrow the belt from time to time. Aphrodite had the ability to cause fighting couples to fall in love again.
Dionysus – Διόνυσος	Dionysus wandered the world actively spreading his cult. He was accompanied by the Maenads, wild women, flush with wine, shoulders draped with a fawn skin, carrying rods tipped with pine cones. While other gods had temples to be worshipped at, the followers of Dionysus worshipped him in the woods.	Fertility and Wine, later considered a patron of the arts.	Dionysus was the son of Zeus and Semele, and he was the only god with a mortal parent.	He created wine and spread the art of viticulture. He had a dual nature; on one hand, he brought joy and divine ecstasy; or he would bring brutal and blinding rage, thus reflecting the dual nature of wine.

Hera

Artemis

Ares

Apollo

Poseidon

Hermes

Hephaestus

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