| Greek Deities III |
| Maia Fauna, Bono Dea Goddess of Fields, "Good Goddess" Bona Dea is a Roman fertility goddess, especially worshipped by the Roman matrons. She presided over both virginity and fertility in women. She is the daughter of the god Faunus and she herself is often called Fauna. She had a temple on the Aventine Hill, but her secret rites (on December 4) were not held there but in the house of a prominent Roman magistrate. Only women were admitted and even representations of men and beasts were removed. At these secret meetings it was forbidden to speak the words 'wine' and 'myrtle' because Faunus had once made her drunk and beaten her with a myrtle stick. Her festival was observed on May 1. Similarly, no men were allowed to be present here either. She was also a healing goddess and the sick were tended in her temple garden with medicinal herbs. Bona Dea was portrayed sitting on a throne, holding a cornucopia. The snake is her attribute, a symbol of healing, and consecrated snakes were kept in her temple at Rome, indicating her phallic nature. Her image could often be found on coins. Morpheus The Greek god of dreams. He lies on a ebony bed in a dim-lit cave, surrounded by poppy. He appears to humans in their dreams in the shape of a man. He is responsible for shaping dreams, or giving shape to the beings which inhabit dreams. Morpheus, known from Ovid's Metamorphoses, plays no part in Greek mythology. His name means "he who forms, or molds" (from the Greek morphe), and is mentioned as the son of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Mors God of Death Nemesis In Greek mythology, Nemesis is the goddess of divine justice and vengeance. Her anger is directed toward human transgression of the natural, right order of things and of the arrogance causing it. Nemesis pursues the insolent and the wicked with inflexible vengeance. Her cult probably originated from Smyrna. She is regarded as the daughter of Oceanus or Zeus, but according to Hesiod she is a child of Erebus and Nyx. She is portrayed as serious looking woman with in her left hand a whip, a rein, a sword, or a pair of scales. In the Hellenistic period she was portrayed with a steering wheel. Also called Rhamnusia, from a temple and statue of her in Rhamnus, a village in the northern part of Attica. The epithet Adastreia, "she whom none can escape", properly of the those of the Phrygian Cybele, was later applied to her. Nereus Nereus is the righteous and all-wise "old man of the sea", god of the Mediterranean Sea, son of Gaia and Pontus. His wife is Doris and she became by him the mother of the fifty Nereids, friendly sea-nymps. Nereus is a gentle and very wise old man who has the power to foretell the future, but he will not answer questions unless he was caught and to avoid that he would change his shape (such as when Heracles came to ask him the way to the Garden of the Hesperides). The domain of Nereus and his fifty daughters is especially he Aegean Sea where he has saved many ships from destruction. Nike Victory Nike is the Greek personification of victory. She can run and fly at great speed. She is a constant companion of Athena. Nike is the daughter of Pallas and Styx and the sister of Cratos, Bia, and Zelus. She was represented as a woman with wings, dressed in a billowing robe with a wreath or staff. Pan Inuus/Faunus Pan is the son of Hermes. He is the god of goatherds and shepherds. He is mostly human in appearance but, with goat horns and goat feet. He is an excellent musician and plays the pipes. He is merry and playful frequently seen dancing with woodland nymphs. He is always in pursuit of one of the nymphs but, always rejected because he is ugly. Peitha Suadela The personification of persuasion and seduction. She is the daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite, and usually mentioned as the sister of Tyche and Eunomia She was part of the retinue of Aphrodite. Persephone Proserpina Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful girl that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. When she was a little girl, she and the Oceanids were collecting flowers on the plain of Enna, when suddenly the earth opened and Hades rose up from the gap and abducted her. None but Zeus had noticed it. Broken-hearted, Demeter wandered the earth, looking for her daughter until Helios, the all-seeing, revealed what had happened. Demeter was so angry that she withdrew herself in loneliness, and all fertility on earth stopped. Finally, Zeus sent Hermes down to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate to eat, thus she would always be connected to his realm and had to stay there one-third of the year. The other months she remained with her mother. When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. In the Eleusinian mysteries, this happening was celebrated in honor of Demeter and Persephone, who was known in this cult as Kore. The Romans called her Proserpina. Pheme Fama The Roman personified goddess of fame, and the personification of popular rumor. What she heard she repeated first in a whisper to few, then louder and louder until she communicated it to all heaven and earth. Mentioned as a daughter of Tellus. Not truly a goddess, she was more a literary conceit. She had as many eyes, ears, and tongues as she had feathers. Virgil mentions Fama ("rumor") as a horrible creature with multiple tongues and tattling mouths. Phosphor Lucifer Light-bearer, Star that brings in the day Poena Goddess of Punishment Pontus God of the Deep Sea Poseidon Neptune The son of Cronus and Rhea, and Zeus' brother, lived at the bottom of the sea in a palace made of coral and gems. After the overthrow of their Father Cronus he drew lots with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshiped by seamen but was known to be a moody and violent god. When he was in an angry mood, he would strike the ground with his trident, and the Earth would tremble and split open. When he struck the sea, huge waves rose, and the winds howled. He caused many ship wrecks, and often drowned those who lived on the shores. However, when he was in a calm mood, he would stretch out his hand and calm the sea. He could also cause new lands to rise out of the water. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. At one point he desired Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome personality. He was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities. Proteus Proteus is a prophetic sea divinity, son of either Poseidon or Oceanus. He usually stays on the Island of Pharos, near Egypt, where he herds the seals of Poseidon. He will foretell the future to those who can seize him, but when caught he assumes all possible varying forms to avoid prophesying. When held fast despite his struggles, he will assume his usual form of an old man and tell the future. Selene Luna Selene, the moon goddess, is known for her countless love affairs. The most famous of her loves is the shepard Endymion. Other affairs of Selene's include involvement with Zeus with whom she had three daughters, and Pan who gave her a herd of white oxen. Some sources report that the Nemean lion, which fell to the earth from the moon was the result of an affair of Zeus and Selene. She was involved in many love affairs, however, not as many as her sister, Eos, the dawn. She resembles a young woman with an extremely white face who travels on a silver chariot drawn by two horses. She is often shown riding a horse or a bull. Selene is said to wear robes, carry a torch, and wear a half moon on her head. She was not one of the twelve great gods on Olympus, however she is the moon goddess. After her brother Helios completes his journey across the sky, she begins hers. Before Selene's journey across the night sky she bathes in the sea. The seduction of Endymion is the love affair that brings Selene the most fame. She fell in love with the shepard, Endymion, and seduced him while he lie sleeping in a cave. Some sources say Endymion was a king or a hunter, rather than a shepard. Her seduction of Endymion resulted in the birth of fifty daughters, one of which was Naxos. Since Selene was so deeply in love with Endymion she asked Zeus to allow him to decide his own fate. Zeus granted Selene's request, and Endymion chose never to grow old and to sleep eternally. However, Endymion's eternal sleep did not prevent him from Selene giving birth to his daughters. Endymion was visited by Selene every night and kissed by her rays of light. Selene is a favorite of many poets, especially love poets. A moonlit night brings the feeling of romance. It is said that Selene's moon rays fall upon sleeping mortals, and her kisses fell upon her love, Endymion. Thanatos The Greek personification of death who dwells in the lower world. In the Iliad he appears as the twin brother of Hypnos ("sleep"). Both brothers had little to no meaning in the cults. Hesiod makes these two spirits the sons of Nyx, but mentions no father. Thanatos was portrayed as a youngster with a inversed torch in one hand and a wreath or butterfly in the other. He appears, with Hypnos, several times on Attican funerary vases, so-called lekythen. On a sculpted column in the Temple of Artemis at Ephese (4th century BCE) Thanatos is shown with two large wings and a sword attached to his girdle. Triton In Greek mythology, Triton is the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite and lives with them in a golden palace in the depths of the sea. He rides the waves on horses and sea monsters and he carries a twisted conch shell, upon which he blows either violently or gently, to stir up or calm the waves. Triton is represented as having the body of a man with the tail of a fish, but sometimes also with the forefeet of a horse. In later times there was a multiplicity of Tritons, each attending the various divinities associated with the sea. Tyche Fortuna A Greek goddess, originally of fortune and chance, and then of prosperity. She was a very popular goddess and several Greek cities choose her as their protectress. In later times, cities had their own special Tyche. She is regarded as a daughter of Zeus (Pindar) or as a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys (Hesiod). She is associated with Nemesis and with Agathos Daimon ("good spirit"). Tyche was portrayed with a cornucopia, a rudder of destiny, and a wheel of fortune. Zeus Jupiter The ruler over all the Greek gods and goddesses, and also the lord of Olympus. He is the god of light and sky, and protector of the states, and its laws. Zeus was the son of Cronus and Rhea. Cronus, Zeus� father, had been foretold that one of his children was destined to dethrone him. To prevent this from ever happening, Cronus swallowed every one of his children as they were born. However, Rhea secretly took her sixth child, Zeus, and hid him in the city Crete. She then wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes, and gave it to Cronus to eat. Cronus mistook the stone for the newborn child, allowing Zeus to escape harm. When Zeus grew up, he asked mother Earth to help him. She forced Cronus to disgorge the five earlier children along with the stone. This brought forth Zeus� brothers, Hades and Poseidon, and his sisters, Hera and Hestia. Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus. He then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. Zeus went on to marry Hera, but had numerous affairs with other goddesses and mortals. This resulted in many offspring. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths. Zeus is attributed with the lightning bolt, and the eagle. The eagle is not only his symbol, but also his messenger. Flora Goddess of Flowers Janus Janus is the god of gates and doors (ianua), beginnings and endings, and hence represented with a double-faced head, each looking in opposite directions. He was worshipped at the beginning of the harvest time, planting, marriage, birth, and other types of beginnings, especially the beginnings of important events in a person's life. Janus also represents the transition between primitive life and civilization, between the countryside and the city, peace and war, and the growing-up of young people. Juturna Goddess of Springs [Water] Libitina The goddess of corpses and the funeral, her name often being a synonym for death itself. Pales The patron goddess of shepherds and flocks. Pales also presides over the health and fertility of the domestic animals Pomona & Vertumnus Powers Protecting Orchards and Gardens Priapus The patron god of gardens, viniculture, sailors and fishermen. Saturn Protector of the Sowers and the Seed Sylvanus Helper of Plowmen and Woodcutters Terminus The Roman deity protecting the boundaries between the fields. Actually, the stone that marked the border was thought to be a sacred object with divine powers. Voluptas Goddess of Pleasure |