Editing List of Greek deities (section)

==Major deities in Greek religion==
The following section is structured after [[Walter Burkert]]'s ''Greek Religion'', particularly his section "Chapter III: The Gods".{{refn|{{harvnb|Burkert|1985|pp=119&ndash;189}}. The deities listed in the subsections here are the same as those discussed by Burkert, with the exception of {{section link||Foreign deities worshipped in Greece}}, to which additional figures have been added; [[Hestia]] has also been included among the [[twelve Olympians]]. The subsection {{section link||Chthonic deities}} is loosely based upon Burkert's section "IV 3. Olympian and Chthonic", and the figures in {{section link||Other deities in cult}} are from "III 3.2. Societies of Gods" and "IV 4. Figures who cross the Chthonic&ndash;Olympian Boundary".}}

=== Twelve Olympians ===
The main deities of the Greek pantheon were the [[twelve Olympians]].{{sfn|Bremmer|1994|p=14}} They were believed to reside on [[Mount Olympus]],{{sfn|Price|p=12}} from which they derived their name,{{sfn|Hansen|pp=250&ndash;251}} and were thought to be connected as part of a familial group,{{sfnm|Burkert|1985|1p=218|Price||2p=12}} which had [[Zeus]] at its head.{{sfn|Price|p=12}} This family included two generations: the first consisted of children of [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]] &ndash; Zeus, [[Poseidon]], [[Hera]], [[Demeter]], and [[Hestia]] &ndash; and the second consisted of children of Zeus &ndash; [[Athena]], [[Apollo]], [[Artemis]], [[Ares]], [[Hephaestus]], [[Aphrodite]], [[Hermes]], and [[Dionysus]] (though Aphrodite and Hephaestus were sometimes said not to be children of Zeus).{{sfnm|Hard||1p=80|Hansen||2p=250}} In myth, the Olympians are preceded by another group of gods, the [[Titans]] (among them Cronus and Rhea), who are supplanted by Zeus and the Olympian gods in a war known as the [[Titanomachy]], after which Zeus becomes ruler of the gods.{{sfn|Hansen|pp=250&ndash;251}}

In cult, the notion of the twelve gods (or {{lang|grc|Dodekatheon}}) is first attested in the latter half of the 6th century BC, when the [[Altar of the Twelve Gods]] was constructed in [[Athens]].{{sfn|Rutherford|p=43}} Around the same time, the ''[[Homeric Hymns|Homeric Hymn to Hermes]]'' referred to the division of a sacrifice into twelve pieces,{{sfn|Rutherford|p=44}} and in 484 BC the poet [[Pindar]] mentioned the honouring of twelve gods at [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]].{{sfnm|Dowden|2007|1p=43|Rutherford||2p=44}} By the [[Classical Greece|Classical period]] ({{circa||lk=yes}}5th–4th centuries BC), this idea of twelve gods had become established.{{sfn|Dowden|2007|pp=44, 45}} Although the Olympians were consistently considered twelve in number, the individual gods which comprised this group of twelve could differ by region; in particular, Hestia and Dionysus were sometimes excluded.{{sfn|Berger-Doer|p=646}} Although [[Hades]] is the brother of the first-generation Olympians, he was not included among the twelve Olympians because of his residency in the [[Greek underworld|underworld]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=250}} In addition to the canonical twelve Olympians, there were numerous other gods generally believed to live on Olympus.{{sfn|Ogden|p=2}}

{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Image
!scope="col" | Description
|-
!scope="row" | [[Aphrodite]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἀφροδίτη}}</small>
| [[File:Aphrodite Naples Fréjus - Musée du Louvre AGER Ma 335 ; MR 369 ; N 530.jpg|center|160px]]
| Goddess of sexual love and beauty.{{sfn|Cyrino|p=3}} In [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'' she is born from the castrated genitals of [[Uranus (mythology)|Uranus]], while in the ''[[Iliad]]'' she is the child of [[Zeus]] and [[Dione (Titaness)|Dione]].{{sfnm|Pirenne-Delforge||1loc=para. 1|Gantz||2p=99}} She was worshipped throughout the Hellenic world, and her best-known cults were located on the island of [[Cyprus]].{{sfn|Pirenne-Delforge|Motte|p=120}} A number of scholars believe she was [[Near East|Near-Eastern]] in origin, though others argue she was derived from a Cypriot goddess who contained indigenous elements.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=114}} In the ''[[Odyssey]]'', she is married to [[Hephaestus]], though she fornicates with [[Ares]], and the two are caught in sexual embrace by an invisible net crafted by her husband.{{sfn|Hansen|p=108}} She also had affairs with mortals such as [[Adonis]] and [[Anchises]], and would provide help to mortal lovers while punishing those who spurned love.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Aphrodite, pp. 57&ndash;59}} In art, she was represented from the 7th century BC as a robed figure, though in the Hellenistic period various nude and semi-nude depictions were produced;{{sfn|Burkert|1985|pp=155&ndash;156}} among her symbols were various birds, especially doves.{{sfn|Cyrino|pp=120&ndash;121}} Her Roman counterpart is [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]].{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Aphrodite, p. 57|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Aphrodite, p. 46}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Apollo]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἀπόλλων}}</small>
| [[File:Kylix with Apollo, AM of Delphi 8140, 201391x.jpg|center|200px]]
| Son of [[Zeus]] and [[Leto]], and twin brother of [[Artemis]].{{sfnm|Morford||1p=247|Gantz||2p=87}} His various functions and associations include healing, music, archery and prophecy,{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Apollo, p. 61|Graf|2003b|2p=122|Hansen||3p=109}} and he has often been characterised as the "most Greek" of the gods.{{sfn|Graf|2003b|p=122}} Apollo's cult existed throughout Greece, having been this widespread by the beginning of the 7th century BC,{{sfn|Burkert|1985|pp=143&ndash;144}} and was likely been brought to Greece during the [[Greek Dark Ages]].{{refn|{{harvnb|Graf|2003b|p=122}}; cf. {{harvnb|Larson|2007a|p=86}}.}} By the 5th century BC, his worship had been introduced into Rome, where he was revered primarily as a god of healing.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2002|loc=C.2 Rome, para. 1}} In mythology, he was said to have slain the dragon [[Python (mythology)|Python]], who guarded an oracle of [[Themis]] at [[Delphi]], before taking over the shrine for himself.{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Apollo, p. 47}} He had numerous love affairs with nymphs and women such as [[Daphne]] and [[Cyrene (mythology)|Cyrene]], as well as with males such as [[Hyacinth]],{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Apollo, pp. 63&ndash;64|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Apollo, pp. 48&ndash;49}} though he was often unsuccessful in his amorous pursuits.{{sfn|Morford|p=256}} In art, he is depicted as a youth, usually without a beard,{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Apollo, p. 115}} and can be found portrayed as a lyre player or archer.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2002|loc=D. Iconography, para. 1}} From the 5th century BC, he was often equated with the sun.{{sfn|Graf|2009|p=151}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Ares]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἄρης}}</small>
| [[File:Ares Ludovisi Altemps Inv8602 n2.jpg|center|140px]]
| God of war.{{sfnm|Hard||1p=168|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Ares, p. 52}} He is the son of [[Zeus]] and [[Hera]],{{sfn|Gantz|p=78}} and the lover of [[Aphrodite]],{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Ares, p. 71}} by whom, in the ''[[Theogony]]'', he is the father of [[Deimos (deity)|Deimos]], [[Phobos (mythology)|Phobos]] and [[Harmonia]].{{sfnm|Hard||1p=169|Hansen||2p=114}} His cult was relatively limited,{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=156}} and his temples were located mostly on [[Crete]] and in the [[Peloponnese]];{{sfn|Graf|2003c|p=152}} he also often appeared alongside [[Aphrodite]] in cult.{{sfn|Schachter|Ley|loc=G. Cult, para. 1}} In the ''[[Iliad]]'', he is depicted in a largely negative manner, as a brash and wild warrior;{{sfn|Graf|2003c|p=152}} he supports the Trojan side of the war, and is frequently presented in opposition to [[Athena]].{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=169}} In ancient art, he was depicted early on as a warrior, bearded and with a spear and shield, though from the classical period he can found as a beardless and more youthful figure.{{sfn|Schachter|Ley|loc=H. Iconography, para. 1}} In Rome, his counterpart was [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Ares, p. 70}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Artemis]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἄρτεμις}}</small>
| [[File:Diane de Versailles - Musée du Louvre AGER Ma 589.jpg|center|160px]]
| Daughter of [[Zeus]] and [[Leto]], and twin sister of [[Apollo]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=117}} She presided over transitions,{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003a|loc=A. Etymology and Early History, para. 1}} and was associated with hunting and the wild.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=151}} Her cult was the most far-reaching of any goddess,{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=101}} and she presided over female (as well as male) initiation rites.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003a|loc=C. Functions, para. 3}} She is among the oldest of the Greek gods, and is closely linked with Asia Minor.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=149}} In [[Homer|Homeric epic]], she is described as a talented hunter who traverses the [[Arcadia (region)|Arcadia]]n mountains, accompanied by a retinue of [[nymph]]s.{{sfn|Hard|pp=186&ndash;188}} She remained a young maiden and virgin indefinitely,{{sfn|Budin|pp=38, 40}} and men who attempted to violate her chastity generally faced severe consequences.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Artemis, p. 103}} She dispatches swift punishment against mortals who display arrogance towards her, or fail to honour her properly,{{sfn|Hansen|pp=118&ndash;119}} and is also known for unexpectedly and suddenly killing mortal women.{{sfnm|Gantz||1p=97|Hard||2p=188}} In art, she is often depicted as a hunter carrying a bow and arrow, and wearing a dress, though from the 7th century BC there exist depictions of her as ''[[Potnia Theron]]''.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003a|loc=II. Iconography, para. 1}} Her Roman counterpart is [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Artemis, p. 103}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Athena]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἀθηνᾶ}}</small>
| [[File:Athena Enkelados Louvre CA3662.jpg|center|200px]]
| Daughter of [[Zeus]], who is born from his head after he swallows her mother, [[Metis (mythology)|Metis]].{{sfn|Hard|p=181}} She was originally a [[Minoan]] or [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] goddess, and her name is likely derived from that of Athens.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=41}} Throughout Greece she was the foremost [[polis]] deity, and in Greek cities her temple was typically located on the [[citadel]];{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=140}} the nexus of her worship was the [[Acropolis of Athens|Athenian Acropolis]], upon which there was temple to her by the 8th or 7th century BC.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|pp=41&ndash;42}} She is both a virgin goddess and a warrior,{{sfn|Deacy|p=6}} and is the patroness of all forms of craftmanship.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003c|loc=C. Functions, para. 7}} In mythology, she competes with [[Poseidon]] for the patronage of Athens, besting him by offering its inhabitants the olive tree.{{sfnm|1a1=Tripp|1loc=s.v. Athena, p. 116|2a1=Graf|2a2=Ley|2y=2003c|2loc=B. Mythology, para. 2}} She is described as a provider of aid to male [[Hero#Antiquity|heroes]],{{sfn|Parker|2003a|p=202}} helping figures such as [[Heracles]], [[Perseus]], and [[Bellerophon]] in their quests.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Athena, pp. 115&ndash;116}} In the earliest known artistic depictions of Athena, she wears a helmet and carries a spear and lance, and around the early 6th century BC there begin appearing representations including the [[aegis]] and a shield adorned with a [[gorgoneion]].{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003c|loc=E. Iconography, para. 1}} Her Roman counterpart is [[Minerva]].{{sfnm|March||1loc=s.v. Athena, p. 150|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Athena, p. 66}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Demeter]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Δημήτηρ}}</small>
| [[File:Demeter Altemps Inv8596.jpg|center|160px]]
| Goddess of agriculture.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2004|loc=para. 1}} She is the daughter of [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], and the mother of [[Persephone]] by [[Zeus]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Demeter, p. 194}} She and her daughter were intimately connected in cult,{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Demeter, p. 132}} and the two goddesses were honoured in the [[Thesmophoria]] festival, which included only women.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=70}} Demeter presided over the growing of grain, and she was responsible for the lives of married women.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2004|loc=C. Functions, paras. 1, 3}} Her most important myth is that of her daughter's abduction, in which Persephone is stolen by [[Hades]] and taken into the [[Greek underworld|underworld]];{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Demeter, p. 252}} hearing the cries of her daughter as she is taken, Demeter traverses the earth looking for her, and local versions of the story tell of her interactions with mortals during her search.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=160}} This myth, which is first narrated in the ''[[Homeric Hymn to Demeter]]'',{{sfn|Richardson|2003a|loc=s.v. Demeter, p. 447}} was central to the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]],{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=70}} the most ancient of the Greek [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mystery religions]].{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2004|loc=D. Connection with Eleusis, para. 1}} In art, Demeter is typically depicted as a clothed figure, and features of her representations include the [[polos]], [[calathus (basket)|calathus]], sheaf, and torch.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2004|loc=F. Iconography, para. 1}} Her Roman counterpart is [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]].{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Demeter, p. 194|March||2loc=s.v. Demeter, p. 252}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Dionysus]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Διόνυσος}}</small>
| [[File:Dionysos on a cheetah, Pella, Greece.jpg|center|200px]]
| Son of [[Zeus]] and the mortal woman [[Semele]].{{sfn|Hard|pp=170&ndash;171}} He is the "most versatile and elusive" Greek deity,{{sfn|Henrichs|2003a|p=479}} and is the god who has received the greatest attention in modern scholarship.{{sfn|Bremmer|1994|p=19}} He is the god of wine, intoxication, and ecstasy,{{sfnm|Henrichs|2003a|1p=479|Hard||2p=170}} and is associated with theatre, eroticism, masks, and madness.{{sfnm|Schlesier|Ley|1loc=C. Areas of influence, paras. 4, 6&ndash;7|Larson|2007a|2p=126}} His name is attested in [[Mycenaean Greece]],{{sfnm|Hard||1p=170|Schlesier|Ley|2loc=B. Tradition, para. 1}} and there is evidence of him having been worshipped continuously from the 15th century BC.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=162}} [[Cult of Dionysus|His cult]] was more far-reaching than that of any other Greek god;{{sfn|Schlesier|Ley|loc=A. Special features and genealogy, para. 1}} his festivals, which could be found across the Greek world, often featured drunkenness and revelry,{{sfn|Henrichs|2003a|p=481}} and included the [[Anthesteria]], the [[Agrionia]], the [[Rural Dionysia]], and the [[City Dionysia]].{{sfnm|Burkert|1985|p=163}} His pregnant mother dies upon seeing Zeus in the form in which he appears to [[Hera]], and Zeus stitches the unborn god into his thigh, from which he is then born.{{sfn|Hard|p=171}} He is accompanied by a retinue of [[satyr]]s, [[maenad]]s, and [[silenoi]], and is said to have travelled with his followers to locations such as Egypt and India.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Dionysus, pp. 206, 208&ndash;209}} His artistic depictions are more numerous than those of any other god; prior to 430 BC, he is portrayed as a bearded and clothed adult, often adorned with an animal skin, while later representations depict him as a beardless, effeminate youth.{{sfn|Henrichs|2003a|p=481}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Hephaestus]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἥφαιστος}}</small>
| [[File:Hephaistos Thetis at Kylix by the Foundry Painter Antikensammlung Berlin F2294.jpg|center|200px]]
| God of fire and metalworking.{{sfnm|March||1loc=s.v. Hephaestus, p. 370|Tripp||2loc=s.v. Hephaestus, p. 270}} He is the son of [[Hera]], either on her own or by [[Zeus]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hephaestus, p. 271}} He is non-Greek in origin,{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=167}} and his cult was likely imported from [[Asia Minor]].{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=159}} He was worshipped on the island of [[Lemnos]], and more famously at Athens, where he was linked with [[Athena]].{{sfnm|1a1=Graf|1a2=Ley|1y=2005a|1loc=II. Cult, paras. 1&ndash;2|2a1=Graf|2y=2003e|2p=682}} In [[Homer|Homeric epic]] he is the smith of the gods, who produces creations such as the shield of [[Achilles]];{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2005a|loc=I. Myth, para. 2}} he has crippled feet, and is an outcast among the Olympians.{{sfn|Graf|2003g|p=682}} He is said to have been hurled from [[Mount Olympus|Olympus]] as an infant, either by Zeus, landing on Lemnos, or by Hera, landing in the sea.{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Hephaestus, p. 191}}  His wife is [[Aglaia (Grace)|Aglaea]], one of the [[Charites]], or the unfaithful [[Aphrodite]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hephaestus, p. 271}} In art, he is depicted wearing a ''[[Pileus (hat)|pilos]]'' from the 5th century BC, and can be found holding an axe or hammer.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2005a|loc=III. Iconography, para. 1}} His Roman counterpart is [[Vulcan (mythology)|Vulcan]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hephaestus, pp. 270&ndash;271}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Hera]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἥρα}}</small>
| [[File:Hera Borghese.jpg|center|160px]]
| Wife of [[Zeus]], and daughter of [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=186}} She is associated with marriage in particular,{{sfnm|Motte|Pirenne-Delforge|1p=683|Hard||2p=134}} and is the queen of the gods.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=131}} She likely descends from a goddess who was worshipped in [[Mycenaean Greece]].{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=29}} She has some of the oldest sanctuaries, which often contain immense temples,{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2005b|loc=para. 3}} and her two most important locations of worship were the [[Heraion of Argos]] and [[Samos]];{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=131}} she was venerated in her role as the wife of Zeus, and as a city goddess.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=29}} By her husband she is the mother of [[Ares]], [[Hebe (mythology)|Hebe]], and [[Eileithyia]],{{sfnm|March||1loc=s.v. Hera, p. 373|Tripp||2loc=s.v. Hera, p. 272}} and in myth she is a jealous wife who torments Zeus's mistresses and other children.{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Hera, pp. 373&ndash;374}} In artistic depictions of groups, she can sometimes be distinguished as a figure in bride's attire, accompanying Zeus, and in scenes of ''[[hieros gamos]]'' she is portrayed as a matronly figure; features of her depictions include clothing being pulled around her head like a veil, the ''[[patera]]'', the sceptre, and pomegranate.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2005b|loc=paras. 1, 3}} Her Roman counterpart is [[Juno (mythology)|Juno]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hera, p. 272}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Hermes]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἑρμῆς}}</small>
| [[File:Hermes Logios Altemps 33.jpg|center|140px]]
| Son of [[Zeus]] and the nymph [[Maia]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hermes, p. 299}} He is the messenger and herald of the gods,{{sfnm|Hard||1p=158|Burkert|1985|2p=158}} the god of boundaries and their crossing,{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=158}} and a [[trickster]] deity.{{sfn|Baudy|Ley|loc=A. Profile, para. 1}} He is likely derived from a god which existed in [[Mycenaean Greece]], and the most ancient location of his cult was the region of [[Arcadia (region)|Arcadia]], where his worship was especially prevalent;{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=144}} his cult was spread through the [[Peloponnese]], and existed in a particularly ancient in Athens.{{sfn|Jost|2003b|p=691}} He was closely linked with [[herms]], stone statues which marked various boundaries, and was the patron of shepherds, especially young men whose job it was to protect crops from cattle.{{sfn|Baudy|Ley|loc=B. God of the herm, para. 1, C. God of the shepherds, para. 1}} He is said to have stolen the cattle of [[Apollo]] as a new-born, receiving the herd from the god by gifting him the lyre, which he had created from a tortoise's shell.{{sfnm|Grimal||1loc=s.v. Hermes, pp. 209&ndash;210|Tripp||2loc=s.v. Hermes, pp. 299&ndash;300}} In art, his symbols include the [[caduceus]], the ''[[petasos]]'' (or ''[[pileus (hat)|pilos]]''), and his [[talaria|winged sandals]]; he is a bearded figure prior to the 4th century BC, after which beardless begin appearing.{{sfn|Jost|2003b|p=690}} His Roman counterpart is [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]].{{sfnm|March||1loc=s.v. Hermes, p. 389|Tripp||2loc=s.v. Hermes, p. 299}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Hestia]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἑστία}}</small>
| [[File:Statua di divinità con peplo, detta hestia giustiniani, 120-140 dc ca., da un orig. del 470-460 ac ca, dalla coll. giustiniani, MT 490, 02.jpg|center|160px]]
| Goddess of the hearth.{{sfnm|Mikalson|2003|1p=701|Graf|2005a|2loc=para. 1}} She is the daughter of [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hestia, p. 304}} Her role in mythology is minimal,{{sfnm|Mikalson|2003|1p=701|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Hestia, p. 213}} and she is never fully anthropomorphic.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=170}} In cultic activity, she is always the deity who receives the first offering or prayer, and she was venerated in each city's communal hearth, or ''[[prytaneion]]''.{{sfn|Graf|2005a|loc=paras 2&ndash;3}} She is a virgin goddess, who forever retains her chastity, and rejects the advances of male deities such as [[Apollo]] and [[Poseidon]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=202}} Her Roman counterpart is [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta]].{{sfn|Hard|pp=139&ndash;140}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Poseidon]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ποσειδῶν}}</small>
| [[File:Poseidon Penteskouphia Louvre CA452.jpg|center|200px]]
| God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses.{{sfnm|Bremmer|Bäbler|1loc=A. General remarks, para. 1|Tripp||2loc=s.v. Poseidon, p. 490}} He is the son of [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], and the brother of [[Zeus]] and [[Hades]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=266}} He was an important deity in [[Mycenaean Greece]], and through the [[archaic Greece|archaic period]] his position receded.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=57}} He had sanctuaries in many coastal locations, though he was also worshipped in inland areas, where he was associated with bodies of water such as pools and streams.{{sfn|Jameson|p=1230}} His [[epithet]]s include ''Hippios'' (relating to horses), "Earth-Shaker", and "Embracer of Earth".{{sfnm|Bremmer|Bäbler|1loc=B. Functions, paras. 1&ndash;2|Larson|2007a|2p=57}} In the ''[[Iliad]]'', he and his brothers split the cosmos between themselves, with Poseidon receiving the sea.{{sfnm|Jameson||1p=1230|Hansen||2p=266}} His wife is [[Amphitrite]], with whom he lives below the ocean, though he has affairs with numerous women, producing sometimes dangerous or monstrous children.{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Poseidon, p. 654}} From the 7th century BC, Corinthian [[pinax|votive tablets]] show him with [[Trident of Poseidon|his trident]] in hand, wearing a diadem and [[chiton (garment)|chiton]]; it can be difficult to tell apart him apart from [[Zeus]], and only from the [[Hellenistic period]] is he found in a chariot pulled by [[Hippocampus (mythology)|hippocampi]].{{sfn|Bremmer|Bäbler|loc=II. Iconography, paras. 1, 3}} His Roman counterpart is [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]].{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Poseidon, p. 49|Hard||2p=99}}

|-
!scope="row" | [[Zeus]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ζεύς}}</small>
| [[File:Zeus Otricoli Pio-Clementino Inv257.jpg|center|160px]]
| Chief god of the Greek pantheon.{{sfn|Graf|2003j|p=1636}} He is the king of the gods,{{sfnm|Hard||1p=65|March||2loc=s.v. Zeus, p. 790}} and the most powerful deity.{{sfnm|Burkert|1985|1p=126|Graf|2003j|2p=1638}} He is the son of the [[Titans]] [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], and the husband of [[Hera]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Zeus, pp. 605&ndash;606}} He is the only Greek god who is unquestionably [[Indo-European]] in origin,{{sfn|Graf|2003j|p=1636}} and he is attested already in [[Mycenaean Greece]].{{sfn|Henrichs|Bäbler|loc=III. Zeus in myth and literature, para. 1}} His cult existed from the [[Bronze Age]], and was spread across the Greek world, with major temples in [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]], Athens, and [[Agrigento|Acragas]].{{sfn|Henrichs|Bäbler|loc=IV. Rites, cults, festivals, para. 1}} His functions and domains are more varied than those of any other god, and over 1000 of his [[epithet]]s survive.{{sfn|Henrichs|Bäbler|loc=II. Epicleses and sphere of influence, para. 1}} According to [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'', he attains his power by overthrowing his father and the other Titans in a ten-year war known as the [[Titanomachy]].{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Zeus, p. 605|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Zeus, p. 467}} Through his numerous amorous encounters with mortal women, he is the father of various [[Hero#Antiquity|heroes]] and progenitors of well-known family lines.{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Zeus, p. 468}} Among his symbols are the [[thunderbolt]], the sceptre, and the eagle.{{sfn|Henrichs|Bäbler|loc=I. Name and identity Chief Greek god of the heavens, para. 1}} In art, from the 6th century BC onwards he is often shown sitting on a throne, or as an upright figure wielding a lightning bolt; Zeus's lusting after women is also frequently found on vase paintings of the 5th century BC.{{sfn|Henrichs|Bäbler|loc=V. Iconography, paras. 1&ndash;2}} His Roman counterpart is [[Jupiter (god)|Jupiter]], also referred to as Jove.{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Zeus, p. 790}}
|}

=== Chthonic deities ===
The word "[[Chthonic deities|chthonic]]" is applied to deities who were believed to inhabit the [[Greek underworld|underworld]] or to be otherwise subterranean in nature, and who were associated with fertility or the dead.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. chthonian deities, p. 163}} [[Hades]] and [[Persephone]], the rulers of the underworld, were the principal chthonic deities.{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. chthonian deities, p. 163|Burkert|1985|2p=200}} They were not the only gods held as chthonic, though such figures were typically only alluded to, and were referenced with apprehension.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=200}}

{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Image
!scope="col" | Description
|-
!scope="row" | [[Hades]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἅιδης}}</small>
| [[File:Hades Altemps Inv8584.jpg|130px]]
| Ruler of the [[Greek underworld|underworld]] and the dead.{{sfnm|Bremmer|2004|1loc=para. 1|Hard||2p=107}} He is the child of [[Cronus]] and [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], and the consort of [[Persephone]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=179}} In the ''[[Iliad]]'', Hades and his brothers, [[Poseidon]] and [[Zeus]], split the world between themselves, with Hades receiving the underworld.{{sfn|Bremmer|2004|loc=para. 2}} He was referred to under names such as [[Pluto (mythology)|Plouton]] and "chthonian Zeus", and his epithets included Clymenus ('Renowned') and Eubouleus ('Good Counsellor').{{sfnm|Henrichs|2003b|1p=661|Hard||2p=108}} In his best-known myth, he kidnaps Persephone, after receiving Zeus's assent, and takes her into the underworld; while there, she consumes some of his food, forcing her to henceforth spend part of each year in the underworld.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Hades, pp. 256&ndash;257}} He had virtually no role in cult, and was worshipped instead as Plouton, throughout Greece.{{sfn|Henrichs|2003b|p=661}} In artistic depictions he often holds a sceptre or key, with his appearance being similar to that of Zeus.{{sfn|Hard|p=108}} His name can also be used to denote to the underworld itself.{{sfnm|Bremmer|2004|1loc=para. 1|Henrichs|2003b|2p=661}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Persephone]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Περσεφόνη}}</small>
| [[File:Head of Persephone. Earthenware. From Sicily, Centuripae, c. 420 BCE. The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, UK.jpg|center|110px]]
| Daughter of [[Zeus]] and [[Demeter]].{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Persephone, p. 463}} She is the wife of [[Hades]], and queen of the [[Greek underworld|underworld]].{{sfn|Sourvinou-Inwood|2007|loc=I. Genealogy and Myth, para. 1}} In her central myth, first narrated in the ''[[Homeric Hymn to Demeter]]'', she is seized by [[Hades]] while frolicking in a meadow, and carried her into the underworld;{{sfnm|Burkert|1985|1pp=159&ndash;160|Sourvinou-Inwood|2007|2loc=I. Genealogy and Myth, para. 1}} Zeus asks for her return, but Persephone, having consumed pomengranate seeds during her stay, is forced to from then on spend a part of each year there.{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Persephone, p. 359}} She is frequently found alongside her mother in cult, and the two are honoured in the [[Thesmophoria]] festival,{{sfn|Sourvinou-Inwood|2007|loc=II. Cult, paras. 1&ndash;2}} as well as the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]];{{sfn|Sourvinou-Inwood|2003b|p=1142}} she can also be found closely linked in cult with Hades.{{sfn|Sourvinou-Inwood|2007|loc=C. Kore and Hades, para. 1}} She also appears in myth as the queen of the underworld, a realm over which she wields significant power, with her being described as helping certain mortals who visit.{{sfn|Hard|p=130}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Pluto (mythology)|Plouton]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Πλούτων}}</small>
| [[File:Pluto as Sarapis, Marble, 2nd c AD, AM Heraklion, 145424.jpg|center|110px]]
| A name for the ruler of the underworld, who is also known as [[Hades]].{{sfn|Parker|2007|loc=para. 1}} Plouton is attested from around 500 BC,{{sfn|Parker|2007|loc=para. 2}} before which he was a distinct deity from Hades;{{sfn|Henrichs|2003b|p=661}} the name is a euphemistic title, which alludes to the riches that exist beneath the earth.{{sfn|Parker|2007|loc=para. 1}} Plouton appears in cult linked with Persephone and Demeter, and his worship is attested almost exclusively in Attica prior to the [[Hellenistic period]], in relation to [[Elefsina|Eleusinian]] cult in particular.{{sfn|Parker|2007|loc=paras. 1&ndash;3}} In art, he is depicted with a beard (which is sometimes white), and carrying a [[cornucopia]] or sceptre.{{sfn|Clinton|1992|p=97}}
|}

=== Lesser deities ===
{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Image
!scope="col" | Description
|-
!scope="row" | [[Eileithyia]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Εἰλείθυια}}</small>
| [[File:Amphora birth Athena Louvre F32.jpg|center|130px]]
| Goddess associated with birth.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=170}} In the ''[[Theogony]]'', she is the daughter of [[Zeus]] and [[Hera]].{{sfnm|Hansen||1p=160|Gantz||2p=81}} She is attested in the [[Bronze Age]],{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=163}} and was worshipped at a cave in [[Amnisos]] on [[Crete]] as early as the [[Middle Minoan]] period.{{sfn|Rose|Parker|Dietrich|p=513}} She was venerated mostly by women,{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=171}} and in the [[archaic Greece|archaic period]] her worship was found most prominently on Crete, in the [[Peloponnese]], and in the [[Cyclades]];{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=164}} she is also worshipped in a number of locations as an aspect of [[Artemis]].{{sfn|Graf|2004a|loc=para. 2}}
|-

!scope="row" style="height: 120px;" | [[Enyalius]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἐνυάλιος}}</small>
| 
| A war god.{{sfnm|Tripp||1loc=s.v. Enyalius, p. 222|Larson|2007a|2p=157}} He is associated in particular with close-quarters fighting, though the degree to which he is a separate deity from [[Ares]] has been debated since antiquity.{{sfn|Gordon|2004|loc=para. 1}} He is mentioned as early as the [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean period]],{{sfn|Hard|p=168}} and his worship is most clearly attested in the [[Peloponnese]]; he possessed a significant cult at [[Sparta]], where there sat a statue of him bound in chains.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=157}} In literature, he is little more than an epithet or byname for Ares.{{sfn|Gordon|2004|loc=para. 3}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Hecate]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἑκάτη}}</small>
| [[File:Pergamonaltarhekate.jpg|center|110px]]
| A goddess associated with ghosts and magic.{{sfn|Johnston|2005|loc=para. 1}} In the ''[[Theogony]]'', she is the daughter of [[Perses (mythology)|Perses]] and [[Asteria]].{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Hecate, p. 181}} She was likely originally from [[Caria]] in [[Asia Minor]], and her worship seems to have been taken up by the Greeks during the [[archaic Greece|archaic period]].{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=165}} She is attested in Athens in the sixth century BC, and statues of her stood guard throughout the city by the [[Classical Greece|Classical period]].{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=166}} She is absent from [[Homer|Homeric epic]], and [[Hesiod]] celebrates her in a section of his ''Theogony'', treating her as a mighty goddess who helps various members of society.{{sfn|Henrichs|2003c|p=671}} She was said to have been accompanied by the ghosts of maidens and women who died childless, and was linked with dogs and their sacrifice.{{sfn|Johnston|2005|loc=paras. 3, 5}} Beginning in the 5th century BC, she was assimilated with [[Artemis]].{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=171}} In art, she is depicted with either one or three faces (and sometimes three bodies), and is frequently found wearing a ''[[polos]]'' and carrying torches.{{sfn|Henrichs|2003c|p=672}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Pan (god)|Pan]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Πάν}}</small>
| [[File:Pan goat MAN Napoli Inv27709 n01.jpg|center|140px]]
| God of shepherds and goatherds.{{sfnm|Hard||1p=214|Holzhausen||2loc=para. 1}} He comes from the region of [[Arcadia (region)|Arcadia]], and was conceived of as partly human and partly goat.{{sfn|Jost|2003c|p=1103}} During the 5th century BC, his worship spread to Athens from Arcadia, before being dispersed across the Greek world;{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=151}} he was venerated in caves, sometimes in conjunction with [[Hermes]] and the [[nymph]]s.{{sfn|Jost|2003c|p=1103}} There were numerous conflicting versions of his parentage,{{sfnm|Hard||1p=215|Jost|2003c|2p=1103}} and in myth he is a figure who roams the mountains and plays the [[pan flute|syrinx]];{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Pan, p. 442}} he is a lecherous figure who lusts after both nymphs and young men,{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Pan, p. 340}} though he is typically met with little success in his lustful pursuits.{{sfn|Hard|p=216}} In art, he is portrayed as an [[phallus|ithyphallic]] figure.{{sfn|Holzhausen|loc=para. 3}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Prometheus]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Προμηθεύς}}</small>
| [[File:Atlas Typhoeus Prometheus.png|center|140px]]
| Son of the [[Titans|Titan]] [[Iapetus]].{{sfn|Kiel|loc=B. Genealogy, para. 1}} He was credited with the creation of mankind, producing the first human from a lump of clay.{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Prometheus, p. 394}} He was said to have brought fire to humanity, having covertly stolen it from Olympus; this action earned him the punishment of [[Zeus]], who had him bound to a rock face in the [[Caucasus Mountains]], where an eagle would tear apart his liver each day, before it regenerated over the following night.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Prometheus, p. 500}} He is later set free from his punishment by [[Heracles]].{{sfn|Dowden|2003b|p=1253}} The image of his punishment is found in art as early as the 7th century BC, and he is typically found as a bearded figure with an unclothed body and arms bound, while the eagle hovers overhead.{{sfn|Kiel|loc=F. Ancient Iconography, para. 1}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Leto]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Λητώ}}</small>
| [[File:Leto, terracotta calyx-krater, c. 450–440 BC.jpg|center|130px]]
| Mother of [[Apollo]] and [[Artemis]] by [[Zeus]].{{sfn|Hard|p=78}} She is the daughter of the [[Titans]] [[Coeus]] and [[Phoebe (mythology)|Phoebe]].{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Leto, p. 257}} When pregnant with her children, she travels to find somewhere give birth, but is rebuffed in each location (in some accounts due to the efforts of a jealous [[Hera]]), before arriving at [[Delos]], where she eventually delivers both children (though in an early version Artemis is born instead on [[Ortygia]]).{{sfn|Hard|pp=188&ndash;189}} In cult, she was frequently linked with her children,{{sfn|Graf|2003h|p=846}} though in [[Asia Minor]] she was more important as an individual, and from the 6th century BC she was worshipped at the [[Letoon]] in [[Lycia]].{{sfn|Graf|2005c|loc=para. 3}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Leucothea]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Λευκοθέα}}</small>
| [[File:Etruscan terra cotta head of either Catha or Leucothea.jpg|center|120px]]
| A sea goddess.{{sfn|Hard|p=497}} In myth, she was originally a mortal women named [[Ino (mythology)|Ino]], who fled from her frenzied husband with her young son, [[Melicertes]], in her arms; she jumped into the sea, taking her son with her, and the two were deified, becoming Leucothea and Palaemon, respectively.{{sfn|Hard|p=421}} Leucothea was venerated across the Mediterranean world,{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=172}} and was linked with initiation rites, a connection which is likely responsible for her identification with Ino.{{sfn|Bremmer|2005|loc=para. 1}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Thetis]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Θέτις}}</small>
| [[File:Detail Pioneer Group Louvre G65.jpg|center|140px]]
| The mother of Achilles.{{sfnm|Vollkommer|1997|1p=6|Brown||2p=1512}} She is one of the [[Nereid]]s, the daughters of [[Nereus]] and [[Doris (mythology)|Doris]].{{sfn|Hansen|p=243}} She is courted by [[Poseidon]] and [[Zeus]] until they hear of a prophecy that any son she bears will overthrow his father, prompting Zeus to wed Thetis to the hero [[Peleus]].{{sfn|Waldner|2009b|loc=para. 1}} Prior to their marriage, her future husband pursues her, with her transforming into different shapes as she flees.{{sfn|Brown|p=1512}} After the birth of Achilles, she burns her son in an attempt to make him immortal, an action which led to the end of her marriage.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Thetis, p. 574}} Her cult existed in [[Thessaly]] and [[Sparta]],{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=172}} and she was a popular subject in vase paintings, particularly in the 6th and 5th centuries BC.{{sfn|Waldner|2009b|loc=para. 3}}
|}

=== Nature deities ===
While many of the major Greek gods were associated with aspects of nature, various lesser deities are classed as nature gods because they personify particular parts of the natural world.{{sfnm|Larson|2007b|1p=56|Larson|2007a|2p=152}} Some such deities stood for parts of nature that played a role in the lives of all people &ndash; such as the earth, sea, sun, moon, and winds &ndash; and so were held as divine throughout Greece (though these gods did not experience the same development in myth and cult as figures such as the Olympians).{{sfn|Larson|2007b|pp=56&ndash;57}} Other nature deities &ndash; the [[river gods (Greek mythology)|river gods]] and [[nymphs]],{{refn|On the nymphs, see their entry under {{section link||Groups of divinities and nature spirits}}.}} who represented features of the landscape such as rivers, springs, or mountains &ndash; were individually worshipped only in a specific town or area.{{sfn|Larson|2007b|p=56}} They were numerous, and their cults were found throughout the Greek world.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=152}}

{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Image
!scope="col" | Description
|-
!scope="row" | [[Achelous]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἀχελῷος}}</small>
| [[File:EB1911 Greek Art - Heracles and Achelous.jpg|center|140px]]
| One of the [[river gods (Greek mythology)|river gods]], sons of [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]].{{sfn|Gantz|p=29}} He was the god of the [[Achelous River]],{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Acheloüs, p. 5}} the largest river in [[Greece]].{{sfn|W. M. Murray|p=6}} The oracle of [[Zeus]] at [[Dodona]] helped to spread his worship,{{sfn|Isler|2002|loc=para. 1}} and he was often venerated alongside the [[nymph]]s,{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=153}} though his cult began to recede in the 4th century BC.{{sfn|Isler|2002|loc=para. 1}} In myth, he fights the hero [[Heracles]] for the hand of [[Deianeira]], assuming multiple forms in the battle, including that of a bull; he is beaten when Heracles snaps one of his horns from his head.{{sfn|Isler|1981|p=12}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Anemoi|Winds]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|ἄνεμοι}}</small>
| [[File:Affreschi romani - pompei - nozze zefiro e clori particolare.JPG|center|120px]]
| Personifications of the winds.{{sfn|Simon|1997|p=186}} They are typically four in number &ndash; [[Zephyrus]] (West Wind), [[Boreas (god)|Boreas]] (North Wind), [[Notus]] (South Wind), and [[Eurus]] (East Wind){{sfn|Hünemörder|Phillips|loc=B. Greece, para. 2}} &ndash; though Hesiod, who describes them as children of [[Eos]] and [[Astraeus]], omits Eurus.{{sfnm|Hansen||1p=321|Griffiths|2003c|2p=1622}} There survives a reference to a "Priestess of the Winds" from the [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean period]], and major deities, especially [[Zeus]], were connected with winds.{{sfn|Hünemörder|Phillips|loc=B. Greece, paras. 1&ndash;2}} In myth, Boreas was said to have kidnapped the Athenian princess [[Orithyia]].{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Boreas, p. 77}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Γαῖα}}</small>
| [[File:Pergamonmuseum - Antikensammlung - Pergamonaltar 13 detail.jpg|center|140px]]
| Personification and goddess of the earth.{{sfnm|Graf|2004c|1loc=para. 1|Tripp||2loc=s.v. Ge, p. 245}} In [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'', she is one of the earliest beings in existence, and the progenitor of an extensive genealogy,{{sfn|Hansen|pp=139&ndash;140}} producing figures such as [[Uranus (mythology)|Uranus]] and [[Pontus (mythology)|Pontus]] on her own, and the [[Titans]], [[Cyclopes]], and [[Hecatoncheires]] by Uranus.{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Gaia, p. 167}} She has the ability of prophecy, and was believed to have preceded [[Apollo]] at the [[Pythia|oracle of Delphi]].{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Gaia, p. 326}} In cult, she is more commonly referred to as Ge, and is often venerated alongside [[Zeus]];{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=157}} her worship existed primarily outside of the [[polis]],{{sfn|Graf|2004c|loc=para. 2}} though Gē [[Kourotrophos]] was venerated in Athens.{{sfn|Sourvinou-Inwood|2003a|p=618}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Helios]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἥλιος}}</small>
| [[File:Ilion---metopa.jpg|center|140px]]
| The sun and its god.{{sfn|Tripp|loc=s.v. Helius, p. 267}} He is the son of the [[Titans]] [[Hyperion (Titan)|Hyperion]] and [[Theia]].{{sfnm|Hard||1p=43|Gantz||2p=30}} It was believed that he travelled through the sky each day in a horse-pulled chariot, making his way from east to west; each night he drifted back to the east in a bowl, through [[Oceanus]] (the river which wrapped around the earth).{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Helios, p. 366}} Though the sun was universally viewed as divine in [[Classical Greece]], it received relatively little worship;{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=158}} the most significant location of Helios's cult was the island of [[Rhodes]], where he was the subject of the [[Colossus of Rhodes]].{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=175}} He was commonly called upon in oaths, as it was believed he could witness everything across the earth.{{sfn|Hard|p=43}} He was assimilated with Apollo by the 5th century BC, though their equation was not established until later on.{{sfn|Parker|2003c|p=677}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[River gods (Greek mythology)|River gods]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|ποταμοί}}</small>
| [[File:Gaziantep Achaeological Museum River God and nymphs mosaic Euphrates in 2005 4068.jpg|center|90px]]
| The 3000 male offspring of [[Oceanus]] and [[Tethys (mythology)|Tethys]], and brothers of the [[Oceanid]]s.{{sfn|Gantz|p=28}} River gods were often locally venerated in Greek cities, and they were seen as representations of a city's identity.{{sfn|Graf|2003i|loc=A. General, para. 1}} Their worship was developed by the time of [[Homer]];{{sfnm|Larson|2007a|1p=152|Graf|2003i|loc=C. Cult, para. 1}} river gods were given a sanctuary in their city, and were given sacrifices of youths' hair.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=174}} The only river god worshipped throughout Greece was [[Achelous]].{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=153}} Their iconography includes the melding of the human form with bull-like features.{{sfn|Graf|2003i|loc=D. Iconography, Anthropomorphism, para. 1}} Other river gods include [[Eridanos (mythological river)|Eridanos]], [[Alpheus (mythology)|Alpheus]], and [[Scamander]].{{sfn|Hard|p=41}}
|}

=== Other deities in cult ===
{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Image
!scope="col" | Description
|-
!scope="row" | [[Asclepius]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἀσκληπιός}}</small>
| [[File:(Venice) Bust of Asclepius in Correr Museum.jpg|center|100px]]
| God of healing and medicine.{{sfnm|Hard||1p=149|Grimal||2loc=s.v. Asclepius, p. 62|March||3loc=s.v. Asclepius, p. 139}} In mythology, he is described as a mortal [[Hero#Antiquity|hero]],{{sfn|Hansen|p=121}} with the usual tradition calling him the son of [[Apollo]] and [[Coronis (lover of Apollo)|Coronis]];{{sfn|Hard|p=149}} while pregnant, Coronis weds the mortal [[Ischys]], which leads Apollo to kill her, and he rescues the infant in the process.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003b|loc=A. Mythology, para. 2}} Asclepius grows up to become a skilled healer, capable even of bringing the deceased back to life, an activity which leads [[Zeus]] to strike him down with lightning.{{sfn|Hansen|p=120}} During the [[archaic Greece|archaic era]], his worship was likely centred in [[Tricca]] and [[Messenia]], and towards the end of the period his cult seemingly spread further abroad.{{sfn|Graf|2003d|p=188}} His veneration at [[Epidauros]] started around 500 BC, and in the late 5th century BC he possessed two sanctuaries in Athens;{{sfn|Larson|2007a|pp=192, 194}} he was worshipped alongside family members, such as [[Hygieia]], [[Machaon (mythology)|Machaon]], and [[Podalirius]].{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003b|loc=B. History, para. 4}} Artistic depictions of Asclepius often portray him as a figure sitting on a throne, or an upright figure holding a staff laden with a snake.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2003b|loc=II. Iconography, para. 1}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Cabeiri]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Κάβειροι}}</small>
| [[File:Red figure bell krater, NAMA 1393, 191333.jpg|center|160px]]
| A group of divinities venerated in [[mystery religions|mysteries]].{{sfn|Graf|2003e|loc=para. 1}} Evidence of their worship is known primarily from the island of [[Lemnos]] and from [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]],{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=281}} though they are attested through the northern [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]], in [[Thrace]], and at [[Anthedon (Boeotia)|Anthedon]].{{sfn|Scheid|p=267}} They originated from outside of Greece, though there is evidence of their worship in Thebes as early as the 7th century BC.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=172}} The gods of the [[Samothracian mysteries]] are called Cabeiri by some sources, though in epigraphic evidence from the island there is mention only of Megaloi Theoi ('Great Gods') or Theoi ('Gods').{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=174}} The Cabeiri are commonly associated with other groups of divinities &ndash; such as the [[Kouretes]], [[Corybantes]], and [[Idaean Dactyls]]{{sfn|Graf|2003e|loc=B. Definition, para. 1}} &ndash; and their number varies according to the source.{{sfn|Hard|p=220}} Some authors call them the offspring of [[Hephaestus]].{{sfn|Gantz|p=148}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Charites]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Χάριτες}}</small>
| [[File:Τρεις Χάριτες ανάγλυφο ΑΜ Πειραιώς αρ. 2043 09.jpg|center|150px]]
| Goddesses who embody beauty, charm, and grace.{{sfnm|Arafat||1p=318|Tripp||2p=s.v. Graces, p. 251}} In the ''[[Theogony]]'' there are three Charites &ndash; [[Aglaia (Grace)|Aglaea]], [[Euphrosyne (mythology)|Euphrosyne]], and [[Thalia (Grace)|Thalia]] &ndash; who are the offspring of [[Zeus]] and [[Eurynome (Oceanid)|Eurynome]].{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Graces, p. 338}} They were associated with [[Aphrodite]], and were said to be her attendants.{{sfn|Harrison|p=191}} The most famous location of their worship was [[Orchomenus (Boeotia)|Orchomenus]],{{sfn|Schachter|2003a|loc=para. 4}} where they were venerated in the form of three stones;{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=162}} they were also worshipped in Athens and on the island of [[Paros]].{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=163}} In the ''[[Iliad]]'', the Charis [[Pasithea (mythology)|Pasithea]] is the wife of [[Hypnos]], while in the ''Theogony'' Aglaea is married to [[Hephaestus]].{{sfn|Schachter|2003a|loc=para. 1}}
|-

!scope="row" | The [[Castor and Pollux|Dioscuri]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Διόσκουροι}}</small>
| [[File:Kastor Niobid krater Louvre G341.jpg|center|100px]]
| A pair of divine twins named Castor and Polydeuces.{{sfn|Scheer|Ley|loc=I. Religion, para. 1}} The ''[[Iliad]]'' places [[Helen of Troy]] as their sister and [[Tyndareus]] as their father, while in later sources Polydeuces is the son of Zeus.{{sfn|Parker|2003b|p=484}} They are generally considered [[Indo-European]] in origin,{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=189}} and were venerated across Greece; [[Sparta]] was regarded as the primary location of their worship, though their cult was also very prominent in [[Attica]].{{sfn|Parker|2003b|p=484}} In myth, they are often described as being involved in disputes with other pairs of mythical figures, including battling [[Lynceus (son of Aphareus)|Lynceus]] and [[Idas (son of Aphareus)|Idas]] after stealing their wives;{{sfn|Scheer|Ley|loc=I. Religion, para. 3}} they were also said to have retrieved a kidnapped Helen from Attica.{{sfn|Hard|p=527}} Artistic representations depict them with symbols such as horses, [[pileus (hat)|piloi]], and stars.{{sfn|Scheer|Ley|loc=II. Iconography, para. 1}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Heracles]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἡρακλῆς}}</small>
| [[File:Herakles Niobid krater Louvre G341.jpg|center|80px]]
| The mightiest of the Greek heroes.{{sfnm|Schachter|2003b|1p=684|March||2loc=s.v. Heracles, p. 376}} He is the son of [[Zeus]] and [[Alcmene]],{{sfn|Hard|p=247}} and was considered both a hero and a god.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=208}} He was worshipped throughout the Greek world (though he received little veneration in [[Crete]]), and his cult resembled those of the gods.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2005c|loc=C. Cult, para. 1}} His cult on the island of [[Thasos]] was among his oldest, he was worshipped in numerous locations in [[Attica]],{{sfn|Larson|2007a|pp=184&ndash;185}} and in [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]] his cult existed as early as the time of [[Homer]].{{sfn|Schachter|2003b|p=685}} He was said to have completed [[Labours of Hercules|twelve labours]] on the command of [[Eurystheus]],{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Heracles, p. 196}} though the canonical set of labours was established only by the early 5th century BC; most of these tasks involve him fighting monstrous beasts or humanoid creatures.{{sfn|Graf|Ley|2005c|loc=B. Myth, para. 3}} In art, scenes from his labours can be found from the 8th century BC,{{sfn|Hard|p=254}} and his attributes include his cape (made from the [[Nemean lion]]'s fur), a club, and a bow.{{sfnm|Schachter|2003b|1p=685|Hansen||2p=196}}
|-

!scope="row" style="height: 140px;" | [[Muse]]s<br><small>{{lang|grc|Μούσαι}}</small>
| [[File:Relief slab depicting three Muses (4th cent. B.C.), National Archaeological Museum of Athens (21 June 2018).jpg|center|150px]]
| Goddesses who were responsible for inspiring poets and other creative and intellectual figures.{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Muses, p. 514}} In the ''[[Theogony]]'', they are the nine daughters of [[Zeus]] and the [[Titans|Titan]] [[Mnemosyne]].{{sfn|Hard|pp=204&ndash;205}} Their earliest site of worship was on [[Mount Olympus]],{{sfn|Walde|2006b|loc=D. Historical aspects and influence, para. 1}} and they possessed a sanctuary at the foot of [[Mount Helicon]].{{sfn|Schachter|2003c|p=1002}} There were different sets of Muses said to come from different locations,{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Muses, pp. 298&ndash;299}} and particular areas of creative activity were believed to have been governed by individual Muses.{{sfn|March|loc=s.v. Muses, p. 515}} As a group, they are commonly associated with [[Apollo]].{{sfn|Queyrel|1992|p=657}}
|}

=== Foreign deities worshipped in Greece ===
Through a process termed ''[[interpretatio graeca|interpretatio]]'' ({{gloss|translation}}) by modern scholars, the Greeks identified their gods with those of foreign cultures.{{sfn|Noegel|p=32}} They held respect for foreign gods when in those deities' land of origin (without losing the distinct nature of their own gods),{{sfnm|Burkert|1985|1p=176|Noegel||2p=34}} and there is evidence of deities from foreign cultures retaining their identities when in the Greek world.{{sfn|Noegel|p=34}} Following the 8th century BC, which marked the development of epic art and the establishment of the [[polis]] system, it became more difficult for foreign deities to be accepted into Greek religion.{{sfnm|Burkert|1985|1p=176|Larson|2007a|2p=170}}

{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" | Name
!scope="col" | Image
!scope="col" | Description
|-
!scope="row" | [[Adonis]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἄδωνις}}</small>
| [[File:Aphrodite Adonis Louvre MNB2109.jpg|center|120px]]
| A figure of [[Levant]]ine origin.{{sfnm|West|1997|1p=57|Larson|2007a|2p=124}} He is born of the incestuous union between a [[Phoenicia]]n king and his daughter, [[Myrrha]].{{sfn|Baudy|2002|loc=para. 2}} Though this genealogy places him as a mortal, in cult he was considered a god.{{sfn|Baudy|2002|loc=para. 1}} He is known to have been worshipped on [[Lesbos]] by the beginning of the 6th century BC,{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=176}} and in Athens by the 5th century BC;{{sfn|Baudy|2002|loc=para. 1}} he was venerated primarily by women, who were the participants in the [[Adonia]] festival.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=124}} In myth, he is a young man of great beauty, who is loved by [[Aphrodite]]; because [[Persephone]] is also enchanted by his beauty, [[Zeus]] decrees he spend parts of the year with each goddess.{{sfn|Cyrino|pp=95&ndash;96}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Amun|Ammon]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἄμμων}}</small>
| [[File:Zeus Ammon (Antikensammlung München).jpg|center|120px]]
| The principal deity of the [[Ancient Egyptian deities|Egyptian pantheon]].{{sfn|Griffiths|2003a|p=74}} Due to his position in the pantheon, he was equated by the Greeks with [[Zeus]].{{sfnm|Larson|2007a|1p=175|Griffiths|2003a|2p=74}} He was worshipped at the [[Siwa Oasis]] from at least the 6th century BC,{{sfn|Parke|p=197}} and his oracle began to be broadly known in that century.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=175}} Greek attention towards Ammon was due primarily to the Greek colony of [[Cyrene, Libya|Cyrene]] in Libya,{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=175}} and by the 4th century BC he was venerated in Athens.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|p=179}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Cybele]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Κυβέλη}}</small>
| [[File:Cybele, from Formale in Campania c. 60 BC, marble - Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, 20220618 1056 7035.jpg|center|100px]]
| A mother goddess from [[Asia Minor]].{{sfn|Walton|Scheid|2003b|p=416}} She is the Anatolian form of the Great Mother, and in Greece she was typically referred to as ''Meter''.{{sfn|Burkert|1985|pp=177&ndash;178}} During the 6th century BC, her worship proliferated through the Greek world, and in the same century she was introduced in Athens.{{sfn|Larson|2007a|pp=170&ndash;171}} Upon the spread of her cult, she was identified with the Greek goddess [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], the mother of the first generation of [[twelve Olympians|Olympians]], as well as other goddesses such as [[Gaia]] and [[Demeter]];{{sfn|Larson|2007a|p=171}} she may have also been identified with an indigenous mother goddess.{{sfn|Takacs|2003|loc=B. Greece, para. 2}} In artistic depictions, she is found seated on a throne, accompanied by lions and holding a tambourine.{{sfn|Takacs|2003|loc=B. Greece, para. 2}} Her cult was officially introduced in Rome around the end of the 3rd century AD.{{sfn|Walton|Scheid|2003b|p=416}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Isis]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Ἶσις}}</small>
| [[File:Relief depicting Isis, from the facade of the main temple of the sanctuary of Isis, Archaeological Museum, Dion (7076647679).jpg|center|140px]]
| An [[Ancient Egyptian deities|Egyptian goddess]].{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Isis, p. 238}} In [[Egyptian mythology]], she was the wife of [[Osiris]], and the mother of [[Horus]].{{sfn|Witt|p=18}} She was known to the Greeks as early as the [[archaic Greece|archaic period]], and possessed a temple in Athens by the 4th century BC.{{sfn|Woolf|p=75}} In the Graeco-Roman world, she was a goddess who presided over the family,{{sfn|Witt|p=18}} and was a healer and protective figure.{{sfn|Gordon|2003b|p=768}} [[Herodotus]] equates her with [[Demeter]].{{sfnm|Gordon|2003b|1p=768|Woolf||2p=75}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Men (deity)|Men]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Μήν}}</small>
| [[File:Bust of Mên, the Moon God, a god worshipped in the western interior parts of Anatolia, he is shown with a crescent like open horns on his shoulders, Roman period, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara (26438852956).jpg|center|100px]]
| A deity from western [[Asia Minor]].{{sfn|Gordon|2003c|p=955}} He was a moon god, and his worship is most clearly documented in [[Lydia]] and [[Phrygia]].{{sfn|Petzl|loc=paras. 1, 3}} He is attested from the 4th century BC, with the earliest evidence in the [[Hellenistic period]] originating from Greece, particularly [[Attica]].{{sfn|Vollkommer|1992|p=473}} In art, he is often found with crescent moons extending up from his shoulders, wearing a [[Phrygian cap]] and sleeved clothes, and holding a sceptre or rod.{{sfn|Petzl|loc=para. 4}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Sabazios]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Σαβάζιος}}</small>
| [[File:Busto sincretistico del dio Sabazio, III sec. d.C. -FG.jpg|center|120px]]
| A god from [[Phrygia]] in [[Asia Minor]].{{sfn|Grimal|loc=s.v. Sabazius, p. 410}} His earliest literary attestion is from the 5th century BC,{{sfn|Takacs|2008|loc=para. 2}} and his worship in [[Attica]] is mentioned in the 4th century BC.{{sfn|Parker|2003d|p=1341}} He was identified with [[Dionysus]], and an [[Orphism|Orphic]] myth of Dionysus's birth to [[Zeus]] and his daughter, [[Persephone]], was linked with the [[mystery religions|mysteries]] of Sabazios.{{sfn|Gicheva|pp=1068&ndash;1069}} In artistic depictions, he is portrayed as a bearded figure in Phrygian garb, or as having the iconography of Zeus-[[Jupiter (god)|Jupiter]]; there also exist [[votive offering|votive]] hands dedicated to him, which hold objects such as snakes or pine cones.{{sfn|Takacs|2008|loc=para. 3}}
|-

!scope="row" | [[Serapis]]<br><small>{{lang|grc|Σέραπις}}</small>
| [[File:SarapisHead.jpg|center|100px]]
| A god derived from the syncretic Egyptian figure [[Osiris]]-[[Apis (deity)|Apis]].{{sfn|Gordon|2003d|p=1355}} This Egyptian antecedent had a cult in [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], where he was a sacred bull figure.{{sfn|Quack|Takacs|loc=I. Egypt, para. 1}} This cult was adapted by the Greeks into that of Serapis;{{sfn|Thompson|p=213}} the first three [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemies]] had a [[Serapeum]] constructed in [[Alexandria]],{{sfnm|Quack|Takacs|1loc=II. Graeco-Roman Antiquity, para. 1|Gordon|2003d|p=1355}} and [[Ptolemy I Soter]] was said to have brought to the city a statue of [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]], which was given the name of Serapis.{{sfn|Clerc|Leclant|p=666}} The god was identified with Greeks deities such as [[Dionysus]], Pluto, and [[Zeus]],{{sfn|Clerc|Leclant|p=667}} and in art he was depicted wearing a [[calathus (basket)|calathus]] atop his head.{{sfn|Quack|Takacs|loc=II. Graeco-Roman Antiquity, para. 1}} His worship propagated in the Mediterranean, and he possessed temples in Athens and [[Corinth]].{{sfn|Quack|Takacs|loc=II. Graeco-Roman Antiquity, para. 2}}
|}