The popular gods and goddesses from Greek mythology are such as the lightning god, Zeus, Poseidon the god of the sea, Hades the ruler of the underworld, Athena the goddess of wisdom and craft, among many others.
Greek Mythological gods and goddesses are so popular that they can be named without much thinking, and are easily identified from their sculptures and impressions. Poseidon is pictured as a man holding a pitchfork or trident, and Zeus, holding a lightning bolt.
Regardless of the popularity of some of these Greek gods and goddesses, there are a lot more from your favorite mythological story that you do not know. They are also so powerful that you would being to wonder why you’ve never heard of them.
Just as Ares is known as the god of war, Enyo, the daughter of Zeus is known as the goddess of war, conquest, and bloodlust in Greek mythology. There is no way to tell which is the accurate depiction of Enyo but her relationship with the god of war, Ares, usually varies from wife to sister.
Enyo is often pictured as a strong woman, heavily armed with a sword and shield. Her major role in Greek mythology was to cause destruction and chaos by fighting side by side with Ares and their son, Enyalios.
Apart from her close relationship with Ares and her son, Enyalios, Enyo was also close to other gods such as Phobos the god of fear, Deimos the god of dread and terror, and Eris the goddess of strife.
It’s no surprise that she wasn’t as popular as the other gods and goddesses. Nobody would want to remember a blood bloodthirsty goddess that caused destruction everywhere she went.
Phorcys — God of the Sea
God of the sea? Where would that put Poseidon? Phorcys was one of the many children of Pontus and Gaia, which includes Eurybia, Ceto, Thaumas, and Nereus. He is commonly depicted as a man with the lower half of a crab and sometimes the tail of a fish.
It is believed that Phorcys and his siblings were among the oldest gods and the first to rule the seas long before other gods came into existence, which means Phorcys is probably Poseidon’s predecessor.
It is also believed that Phorcys married his sister, Ceto, and gave birth to some popular gods such as Pemphredo, Enyo, and Deino, who are believed to share one eye. Other children include the three Gorgons, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa.
Asclepius — God of Medicine
Asclepius was a demigod and was known as the god of medicine, surgery, and healing of all kinds. He is often depicted as holding a staff with a snake wrapped around it. It is unclear why the snake and staff symbol is associated with Asclepius, but there is a theory that the shedding of a snake’s skin symbolizes regeneration and healing.
He is the son of Apollo and princess Coronis. His father, Apollo, is commonly known as the god of the sun, but is associated with a lot more, such as being the god of poetry, music, art, healing, light, and so on. While his mother Coronis was a woman from Thessaly, Greece.
When Coronis was pregnant with Asclepius, she fell in love with a mortal man named Ischys, and they began an affair. This made Apollo infuriated and caused him to order his sister, Athena, to burn Coronis at the stake.
While Coronis was being burnt alive, Apollo decided to save his unborn child by opening up Coronis’s stomach, which was how Asclepius earned his name. Asclepius means to ‘cut open.’
After Asclepius’s birth, Apollo sent him to the Centaur, Chiron, who raised and taught him the art of medicine. After learning from Chiron, Apollo granted him the gift of healing, and he went on to become the god of medicine and surgery.
Eris — Goddess of Chaos, Strife, and discord
Strife and discord refer to conflict, strong disagreement, and a lack of harmony. So you can already imagine what kind of goddess Eris is based on her title.
Eris was the daughter of Zeus and Hera, and the sister of Ares. Her Roman equivalent was Discordia. According to her name, chaos and destruction followed wherever she went. She was the cause of every disagreement in ancient Greece, and is commonly known for causing the Trojan war.
Due to her destructive nature and her delight in disagreement and war, she was the only god that wasn’t invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis.
She appeared without being invited and threw an apple with the words, "to the fairest" inscribed on it. Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena laid claimed ownership of the apple, and this resulted in discord which eventually led to the Trojan war. A war that Eris enjoyed very much.
It is believed that Eris grew so big that her head touched the heavens when she walked the earth, and when she did, she would rain down hatred, war, and bitterness unto the people of earth.
Hecate — Goddess of Witchcraft and Necromancy
Hecate is popularly associated with witchcraft, necromancy, spells, and magic. She is the daughter of the Titan, Perses and the Nymph, Asteria.
She is often depicted as holding a pair of torches, keys, and snakes, and is sometimes accompanied by several dogs. She is also sometimes pictured as having three bodies joined together into one.
Hecate is one of the deities worshipped in ancient Greece along with Zeus, Apollo, Ares, and Hermes, and is often associated with rulership and power over the earth, sea, and sky.
According to legend, when Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone, Hecate assisted her. They eventually found out from Helios, the sun god, that Persephone had been taken to the underworld by Hades.
Her popular depiction as holding two torches is due to the assistance she rendered to Demeter. She is also known as the mistress of animals.
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