Greek mythology, originating from the rugged mountains, luscious forests, and clear rivers of Greece, encompasses the myths surrounding a plethora of deities, mythological creatures, and rituals of Ancient Greece. Greek Mythology served as a founding principle and centerpiece of Ancient Greece, helping to establish a religion of ethics and explain the nature of the world. Greek myths, such as those surrounding the various deities or heroes, were integrated into Greek culture and religion through the values and lessons that could be extracted from them. Outliving the fall of Ancient Greece in 146 B.C.E, Greek mythology has lived in modern culture through various displays and interpretations in numerous media (“Greek Gods”).

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Greek Mythology, based on a pantheon of anthropomorphic gods and their differing yet connected myths, was featured primarily in Ancient Greece and spread through oral tradition. However, ancient Greek religion, much like Greek culture, was decentralized. Differing from monotheistic religions, ancient Greek religion was fairly unorganized and disunited. Although holy texts were revered, the beliefs of one group were not entirely reflected by another due to the polytheistic nature of the religion, causing multiple facets of Greek myth to vary. Still, despite these inevitable differences, ancient Greek religion was primarily unified by the specific individuals that served as figures of importance, allowing people to agree on general qualities but disagree on specific details. Furthermore, where a God was born or whether a God was attached to a specific area was heavily contested between various Greek groups. For example, “at least six islands claimed to be the birth place of Zeus and had their own unique myths and festivals to commemorate their special relationship to the god” (“Greek Myth and Religion”). In other words, each Greek group had developed special connections with the gods, asserting certain deities had unique ties to the different groups ("Greek Myth and Religion").

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The Greeks, similar to other ancient individuals, such as the Scandinavians, used the various deities to explain aspects of the natural world: the origins and beginnings of man and the planet, the afterlife, natural phenomena. The various tales of deities were used as sources of enlightenment, helping to guide the lives of the Greeks as they drew wizdom from them (“Greek Gods”).

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The Gods: (Olympian, Primordial, and Titan Gods)

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At the tallest, most significant peak in Greece, Mt. Olympus was where the twelve, major Greek deities lived: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus. Additionally, Demeter and Dionysus have also been recognized as major deities. This peak, also known as Mount Olympus, is inaccessible to man. Although the term “olympus” is given to various other sites in Greece, such as mountains, villages, or mythical individuals, Mount Olympus is the most important affiliation ("Mount Olympus"). The twelve gods, living atop Mount Olympus, are also known as the Olympian gods. Although the Olympian gods are composed of the major, most known Greek gods, they only make up a third of the three categories of deities. The other two categories of deities are the Protogenoi, or the primordial gods, who were the first beings of existence, and the Titan gods, who ruled before the Olympian gods and were the children of the Protogenoi (“Greek Gods”).

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The connection between all three categories of gods can be summed up through conflict and direct, family relationships. The primordial gods, connected to various elements of the universe, such as life, the underworld, and the Earth, had various children. These children were also known as the Titan gods. A dissenting clique of titans, however, covetous of the Primordial gods, incited a power struggle between their parents, ending with the Titan gods assuming power. At the head of the usurpation, Cronus established himself as the ruler of his siblings. However, Cronus, cursed by his father, Uranus, would see his own downfall by his own children. The Olympian god, Zeus, freed his siblings from the grip of his paranoid father, Cronos, assuming power after winning The War of the Titans and establishing himself as the king of the gods (“Greek Gods”).

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                                                                                   Zeus

In ancient Greek religion, Zeus is the olympian god of the sky, law, order, and weather. Seen as the supreme god, Zeus is both the ruler and protector of every god and man. As the god of weather and the sky, Zeus is responsible for all occurrences concerning the weather, such as lightning, wind, or rain. As the supreme god, Zeus is traditionally seen as using a lightning bolt as a weapon, punishing adversaries. Additionally, the Romans adopted certain components of ancient Greek religion, causing many Greek gods and goddesses to have different identities. For example, in Roman Mythology, Zeus is regarded as Jupiter (“Zues”).

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