The OLYMPIANS greek mythology part1

Hero there, it's JC your mythology fella again with a might and thunderous blog post, thats right this time i write about the Olympian gods. The greek pantheon was composed by 12 deities who ruled and watch for the fundamental aspects of life and the cosmos, representing forces of nature and aspect of the human civilization. They lived in the top of the Mount Olympus, they were 12 deities, sometimes some of them could change but always maintained the number of 12 seats in Mount Olympus. Strictly speaking only this 12 (and a few more) are considered olimpic god/olympian, despite they are not the only deities or divine beings in greek mythology, that said there are also other ones part of the olympians (in a general way) because they colabore with them, serve or help them, some of those are previous deites, some other minor deities who accompany some of the main 12 olympian or some deities that are offspring of some of this 12. The Olympians were ruled by Zeus, their king, after the result of the war with the Titans/Titanomachy, Cronus was overthrown, Zeus and his sibling took the throne. To had a insight of those Titans, i have my previous blog https://budgetpixel.com/blog/dragons-from-greek-mythology Now lets start with the cool pictures, i have planned make many parts, so i will include some of the minot deities and some of the not main 12 olympians. APOLLO and ARTEMIS Twin brothers, sons of Zeus and Leto, a second generation titan, by then Zeus was already married with Hera, the queen of Olympus, so in her jelously Hera ordered all lands to shun and deny shelter for Leto during her pregnancy (this is something we will read constantly in greek myths, Hera making life hell to Zeus lovers and children out of wedlock), Leto's sister Asteria morphed into a island to give shelter to her and where to give birth, the birth lasted 9 days because Hera detained Eileithya (a minor goddess of childbirth at serve of Hera). Most accounts state Artemis born first. - Artemis : Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals and identified with the moon and night (absorbing some of the roles of the titanes Selene, goddess of moon), she protected young girls and wild animals, she chooses to remain virgin (a chastity aspect important in greek culture/vision, not because moral, but freedom or not be dominated by a male), despite being one of the 12 Olympians she prefered being most time in the wilderness, accompany with nymphs, she had a troupe of nymphs who join her hunting or take a bath in lakes or rivers, she doesnt allowed men to join. Myths and stories involving Artemis include a vengeful nature, as her domain was the wilderness, she had sacred spaces and hunting laws, punishing severily those who violated it. Most notable heroe connected to her is Orion, the great hunter, in wich there is a complex relation with contradictory version but all ended tragic for Orion. - Apollo : a god with multiple roles and virtues, including music, youth, male beauty, sports/athletecism, archery, prophecy, healing and light, like his sister was associated to moon, he was later associated with the sun absorbing some of Helios (2nd generation titan, personification of sun) roles. Both twins were very popular in ancient greece and surroundings, they had temples, shrines and a spread worship, specially Apollo who had the oracle of Delphi and was the few or maybe only who conserved its name in Roman religion version. I have to say, in a power or rank level they are outpowered by other gods (tell me if you want a Tier List thing of greek gods), Hera and Athena had "humillated" them in some oportunities. DIONYSUS God of wine, fertility, rituals, liberation, ecstasy and madness/insanity. There is different version of his born, most interesting one is the one that includes Semele, a human woman, Zeus loved her in secret, visiting her not reveiling his identity, Here discovered this, she disguised as a old lady and befriend Semele with the objetive to infuse doubt on her and ask to her lover his real identity, Zeus had an oath with her so he had to reveal himself, causing thunderbolts and resulting in Semele's death (that was Hera objetive, smart queen), Zeus took the unborn fetus from Semele's remains and sewed into his thigh, few months later Dionysus born from his father thigh (yes sound weird, and this is not the only time you will read someone born from a Zeus body part), later Dionysus grew up and rescue her mother from the underworld and she became a goddess on Mount Olympus. There is a greek hero named Orpheus who was a skilled musician whose music coud charm nature and gods, his famous myth includes the death of her beloved Eurydice and his travel to the underworld to rescue her, this guy Orpheus has an important connection to Dionysus, after his tragic quest to the underworld, Orpheus was slain and torn to pieces by the Maenads (nymphs followers of Dionysus), Orpheus was also a prophet, had his own religion, known as Orphism in wich overall is similar to the greek mythology but with some several changes, what we care know is that in Orphism version, Dionsysus is very more important, he was also killed and resurrected and is told to heir Zeus's throne, being Dionysus the main worship deity to Orphism, also sharing or preconcepting some atributes with judeochristian Jesus, this orphist version is also known as Dionysus Zagreus. In most version, Dionysus was nursing care by the god Hermes, and a group of nymphs named Maenads, who later following him in his frenzy madness-ritual, they acted wild because the madness possesion of Dionysus powers. They could kill the one who dont praise Dionysus cult. Also in this troupe were usually satyrs participating, and sometimes other deitis like Pan and Silenus joining it. In the Roman version, Bacco, there was a group of human women who simulated the maenads, named the bacchantes, their cult blended with Pan, their mysteries and fertility rituals were exclusively female, men were not allowed. PAN Rustic god of wilderness, shephers and herd, depicted as a satyr and specially worshiped in Arcadia. Most accounts consider the olympian god Hermes as his father, despite his olympian blood, he dont live in Mount Olympus, he lives in wild nature. He enjoys music and dancing, and playing a pan-pipe/panflute, one of his atributes is the capacity to shout noisy and produce panic in whose that listen. He has a lustful nature, in myths frequently chasing nymphs (beautiful female nature spirits), most notable Syrinx who transformed into reeds to escape him, Pan used these reeds to create his panflute. He is connected to Olympians being part of Dionysus retinue and fighting along the olympians during the war with the Giants (gigantomachy). SILENUS God of drunkeness and winemaking, holder of wisdom and tutor of Dionysus. It is not clearly his genealogy, some accounts mention Hermes, other Pan as his father, and a not specified nymph, but in all myths involving him he has supernatural powers and atributes confirming him a god-like being. He was depicted as i did in the image, drunk, mounting a donkey and having horse/donkey ears, some accounts state he is a aged satyr, paradoxically he is considered deeply wise and prophetic. Most famous myth of him is the one of King Midas, Silenus after being helped and receive shelter gave to Midas his golden touch as he asked. Silenus connection with olympians, mainly by Dionysus, also include some funny stories, at the war with the giants, he helped Dionysus in the battle, he went riding a donkey, accompany with a group of satyrs also riding donkeys, and the donkeys at meet the giants scared and screamed (making that donkey sound whose name in english i dont know), the giants at hear this screams for the first time also scare, fleeing from combat. Another one, includes the death of the giant Enceladus, who Athena slained in combat, later a drunken Silenus claimed himself defeated Enceladus. Some accounts mentions his whole participation in the war with the giants was a dream meanwhile he was drunk unconscious. There still more parts and olympian gods to post, so stay tuned! End.