List of Greek mythological figures

The following is a list of gods, goddesses, and many other divine and semi-divine figures from ancient Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion.

Immortals

The Greeks created images of their deities for many purposes. A temple would house the statue of a god or goddess, or multiple deities, and might be decorated with relief scenes depicting myths. Divine images were common on coins. Drinking cups and other vessels were painted with scenes from Greek myths.

Major gods and goddesses

Greek primordial deities

Titans and Titanesses

The Titan gods and goddesses are depicted in Greek art less commonly than the Olympians.

Gigantes

The Gigantes were the offspring of Gaia (Earth), born from the blood that fell when Uranus (Sky) was castrated by their Titan son Cronus, who fought the Gigantomachy, their war with the Olympian gods for supremacy of the cosmos, they include:

• Alcyoneus (Ἀλκυονεύς), a giant usually considered to be one of the Gigantes, slain by Heracles.
• Chthonius (Χθόνιος).
• Damysus (Δάμυσος), the fastest of all the Giants in Greek mythology.
• Enceladus (Ἐγκέλαδος), typically slain by Athena, said to be buried under Mount Etna in Sicily.
• Mimas (Μίμας), according to Apollodorus, he was killed by Hephaestus, or by others Zeus or Ares.
• Pallas (Πάλλας), according to Apollodorus, he was flayed by Athena, who used his skin as a shield.
• Picolous (Πικόλοος), who fled the battle but was slain by Helios.
• Polybotes (Πολυβώτης), typically slain by Poseidon.
• Porphyrion (Πορφυρίων), one of the leaders of the Gigantes, typically slain by Zeus.
• Thoas/Thoon (Θόων), he was killed by the Moirai.

Other "giants"

• Aloadae (Ἀλῳάδαι), twin giants who attempted to climb to Olympus by piling mountains on top of each other.
  • Otus or Otos (Ότος).
  • Ephialtes (Εφιάλτης).
• Anax (Αναξ) was a giant of the island of Lade near Miletos in Lydia, Anatolia.
• Antaeus (Ἀνταῖος), a Libyan giant who wrestled all visitors to the death until he was slain by Heracles.
• Antiphates (Ἀντιφάτης), the king of the man-eating giants known as Laestrygones which were encountered by Odysseus on his travels.
• Argus Panoptes (Ἄργος Πανόπτης), a hundred-eyed giant tasked with guarding Io.
• Asterius (Αστεριος), a Lydian giant.
• Cacus (Κακος), a fire-breathing Latin giant slain by Heracles.
• Cyclopes (Hesiodic), three one-eyed giants who forged the lightning bolts of Zeus and Helmet and Bident of Hades.
  • Arges (Ἄργης).
  • Brontes (Βρόντης).
  • Steropes (Στερόπης).
• Cyclopes (Homeric), a tribe of one-eyed, man-eating giants who herded flocks of sheep on the island of Sicily.
  • Polyphemus (Πολύφημος), a Cyclops who briefly captured Odysseus and his men, only to be overcome and blinded by the hero.
• The Gegenees (Γηγενέες), a tribe of six-armed giants fought by the Argonauts on Bear Mountain in Mysia.
• Geryon (Γηρυων), a three-bodied giant who dwelt on the sunset isle at the ends of the earth. He was slain by Heracles when the hero arrived to fetch the giant's cattle as one of his twelve labours.
• The Hekatoncheires (Ἑκατόγχειρες), or Centimanes (Latin), the Hundred-Handed Ones, giant gods of violent storms and hurricanes. Three sons of Uranus and Gaia, each with his own distinct characters.
  • Briareus (Βριάρεως) or Aigaion (Αἰγαίων), The Vigorous.
  • Cottus (Κόττος), The Furious.
  • Gyges (Γύγης), The Big-Limbed.
• The Laestrygonians (Λαιστρυγόνες), a tribe of man-eating giants encountered by Odysseus on his travels.
• Orion (Ὠρίων), a giant huntsman whom Zeus placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion.
• Talos (Τάλως), a giant forged from bronze by Hephaestus, and given by Zeus to his lover Europa as her personal protector.
• Tityos (Τίτυος), a giant slain by Apollo and Artemis when he attempted to violate their mother Leto.
• Typhon (Τυφῶν), a monstrous immortal storm-giant who attempted to launch an attack on Mount Olympus but was defeated by the Olympians and imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus.

Personified concepts

Chthonic deities

Sea deities

Sky deities

Rustic deities

Agricultural deities

Health deities

Sleep deities

Charities

• Charites (Χάριτες), goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, and fertility
  • Aglaea (Αγλαΐα), goddess of beauty, adornment, splendor, and glory
  • Euphrosyne (Εὐφροσύνη), goddess of good cheer, joy, mirth, and merriment
  • Thalia (Θάλεια), goddess of festive celebrations and rich and luxurious banquets
  • Hegemone (Ηγεμόνη) "mastery"
  • Antheia (Άνθεια), goddess of flowers and flowery wreaths
  • Pasithea (Πασιθέα), goddess of rest and relaxation
  • Cleta (Κλήτα) "the glorious"
  • Phaenna (Φαέννα) "the shining"
  • Eudaimonia (Ευδαιμονία) "happiness"
  • Euthymia (Ευθυμία) "good mood"
  • Calleis (Καλλείς) "beauty"
  • Paidia (Παιδία) "play, amusement"
  • Pandaisia (Πανδαισία) "banquet for everyone"
  • Pannychis (Παννυχίς) "all-night (festivity)"

Horae

• The Horae (Ώρες), The Hours, the goddesses of natural order
  • Eunomia (Ευνομία), spirit of good order, and springtime goddess of green pastures
  • Dike (Δίκη), spirit of justice, may have represented springtime growth
  • Eirene (Ειρήνη), spirit of peace and goddess of the springtime
  • The goddesses of springtime growth
    • Thallo (Θαλλώ), goddess of spring buds and shoots, identified with Eirene
    • Auxo (Αυξώ), goddess of spring growth
    • Karpo (Καρπώ), goddess of the fruits of the earth
  • The goddesses of welfare
    • Pherousa (Φέρουσα) "the bringer"
    • Euporie (Ευπορίη) "abundance"
    • Orthosie (Ορθοσίη) "prosperity"
  • The goddesses of the natural portions of time and the times of day
    • Auge (Αυγή), first light of the morning
    • Anatole (Ανατολή) or Anatolia (Ανατολία), sunrise
    • Mousika or Musica (Μουσική), the morning hour of music and study
    • Gymnastika, Gymnastica (Γυμναστίκή) or Gymnasia (Γυμνασία), the morning hour of gymnastics/exercise
    • Nymphe (Νυμφή), the morning hour of ablutions (bathing, washing)
    • Mesembria (Μεσημβρία), noon
    • Sponde (Σπονδή), libations poured after lunch
    • Elete, prayer, the first of the afternoon work hours
    • Akte, Acte (Ακτή) or Cypris (Κυπρίς), eating and pleasure, the second of the afternoon work hours
    • Hesperis (Έσπερίς), evening
    • Dysis (Δύσις), sunset
    • Arktos (Άρκτος), night sky, constellation
  • The goddesses of seasons of the year
    • Eiar (Είαρ), spring
    • Theros (Θέρος), summer
    • Pthinoporon (Φθινόπωρον), autumn
    • Cheimon (Χειμών), winter

Muses

Other deities

Deified mortals

Mortals

Heroes

Notable women

Kings

Seers/oracles

Amazons

Inmates of Tartarus

• The Danaides, forty-nine daughters of Danaus who murdered their husbands and were condemned to an eternity of carrying water in leaky jugs
• Ixion, a king of the Lapiths who attempted to rape Hera and was bound to a flaming wheel in Tartarus
• Sisyphus, a king of Thessaly who attempted to cheat death and was sentenced to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down
• Tantalus, a king of Anatolia who butchered his son Pelops and served him as a meal to the gods; he was punished with the torment of starvation, food and drink eternally dangling just out of reach

Minor figures

See also

• Classical mythology
• Family tree of the Greek gods
• List of Trojan War characters
• Lists of deities
  • List of Roman deities
  • List of Mycenaean deities
• Lists of legendary creatures
  • List of Greek mythological creatures

References

External links

• Media related to Characters in Greek mythology at Wikimedia Commons