The Hellenes believed in multiple deities; each polis had its own patron. The deities were revered in a multitude of ways, having "picked up" traditions from previous cultures. The deities listed below are considered to be the primary deities of the Hellenes, often referred to as "The Olympians" because of They are believed to call that mountaintop home.

Zeus~ King of the Gods, husband and brother of Hera, son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. He was notorious for his lust for mortal women, and had numerous affairs resulting in offspring. In Roman mythology, he is referred to as Jupiter

Hera~ Queen of the Gods, wife and sister of Zeus. Hera is often depicted as jealous, angry, and spiteful. She was incredibly jealous and generally found a way to punish her husband for his infidelities, which she viewed as personal insults. Ever the possessive wife, she despised not only Zeus's mistresses, but his children with them, as well. Known as Juno in Roman Mythology.

Aphrodite~ Goddess of Love. She was married to Hephaestus, the ugly and lame god, but was madly in love with Ares. Her temper and spiteful nature was well known, as were her torrid love affairs with mortals. In Roman myth, she was given the name Venus.

Apollo~ God of the Sun, son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis. A lyre was given to him as a gift from his father, and remained an instrument associated with Apollo. This association also has caused Him to be regarded as the God of Music. Apollo is depicted as a beautiful, statuesque figure with long, black curls and blue eyes. His reputation for his appetite for women, however, outweighs his reputation for his beauty. Apollo had affairs with many women, mortal, muse and nymph alike.

Ares~ God of War, son of Zeus and Hera, father of the Amazons. While Ares delights in warfare, justice had no influence on whom he would support. The God has been known for switching sides in the midst of battle. Ares is generally depicted in battle armour and a helmet, carrying a sword, a spear, and a shield. He's said to be above human height and to scream terrible battle cries in the midst of war. His companions are Deimos (Fear) and Phobos (Terror), as well as Eris (Strife) and Enyo (a blood-spattered lesser war goddess, reputed to be his daughter). Ares is most closely compared to the older Italic-Roman God Mars.

Artemis~ Goddess of the Hunt. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, Apollo's twin sister. Artemis is always shown as a wild young virgin with no interests other than hunting. She was also exceptionally proud and beautiful, but equally spiteful. Her arrows were said to cause instant death, and she was blamed for inflicting pain on women who died while giving birth. Also known as the Roman Diana.

Athena~ Goddess of Wisdom and Righteous War, daughter of Zeus and Metis. While Metis was pregnant, he was given a prophecy that Metis would have a child that would overthrow him. So, Zeus ate her, and developed a massive headache at the time that the child was to be born. Zeus bade Hephaestus to split his head with a hammer, and out jumped Athena, full-grown and dressed in armour. Athena was also the Goddess of Weaving. Comparable to the Roman Minerva.

Demeter~ Goddess of the Earth. She was primarily an agricultural goddess, credited with making the harvests plentiful. She was the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, sister to Zeus, and mother of Perephone. Known to the ancient Romans as Ceres.

Dionysus~ The God of Wine and Mystic Ecstasy. Son of Zeus and Semele. Semele, goaded by a disguised Hera, asked to see her lover in all of His glory. He could not deny her, and she was struck dead by the vision. Semele was, at that time, early in her pregnancy with Dionysus, so Zeus plucked Dionysus from the womb and sewed him up in his leg. Dionysus was born perfectly formed and twice hidden as a child from Hera. As an adult, Dionysus was famed for his world travels. Associated with the Roman Bacchus.

Hades~ God of the Dead, Ruler of the Underworld, and son of Cronus and Rhea. At the defeat of Cronus, Hades gained the Nether Regions of the Universe. Hades was a pitiless master of the dead. Once a soul had passed, Hades refused to allow them to return to their loved ones among the living. His name translated to "The Invisible", which is rather fitting, since he possessed a helmet of invisibility that allowed him to wander the land of the living, unseen. This helmet was also worn by other Gods and heroes in mythology. In Ancient Rome, Hades was renamed Pluto.

Hestia~ Goddess of Home and Hearth, oldest daughter of Titans Cronus and Rhea, Zeus's sister. Zeus allowed Hestia to retain her virginity, in spite of being pursued for marriage by Apollo and Poseidon. She stayed at Olympus while the other deities travelled about the world, content to maintain her household duties.

Hecate~ Daughter of the Titans Asteria and Perses, cousin of Zeus. The Goddess of Magic, she presided over the crossroads, and was said to have a pack of hounds that accompanied her. Before becoming a Goddess to the Witches, She was viewed as an eternal maiden, much like Diana. Hecate has no role in any of the myths, but is said to have functions, rather than stories.

Hephaestus~ God of Fire, son of Hera and Zeus, married to Aphrodite. Hephaestus is also a skilled metal worker, a skill he developed while briefly expelled from Olympus. The most common myth tells that Hephaestus' lameness came about because he took sides with Hera while She and Zeus were arguing. Enraged, Zeus picked up Hephaestus and threw him from Olympus. He fell for a full day before finally landing on the island of Lemnos. The Sintians rescued the fallen god and revived him. Known in Rome as Vulcan.

Hermes~ Messenger of the Gods, son of Zeus and Maia. Hermes is also viewed as a protector of travelers. Hermes was trouble from the start. As a young boy, he stole some of Apollo's sacred herd and slaughtered them in a sacrifice for the Gods. When Apollo discovered that some of his herd was missing, he was enraged. In repayment, Apollo accepted the lyre that Hermes had made from the intestines of cattle and an empty tortoise shell. Hermes shows up frequently in myths, but generally as a secondary factor. He tended to provide divine assistance to various heroes, and has been mentioned in Hades' invisibility helmet. He is always depicted as wearing winged sandals. Hermes is also identified as the Roman Mercury.

Persephone~ Goddess of the Underworld, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and wife of Hades. She was kidnapped as an adolescent by Hades (with her father Zeus's concent) to be his wife. Her mother was so bitter over this loss that Zeus relented and allowed Persephone to spend six months of the year on earth with her mother and the remaining six months with her husband Hades. She was, after her imprisonment, as capable of cruelty as her spouse. The Romans identified her as Prosperina.

Poseiden~ God of the Sea. Son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus. His tritan could cause earthquakes with one blow.