

Greek Goddesses 101

Greek Goddess Images, Traits And Symbols

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Greek goddesses reigned thousands of years ago – at least in tradition and myth – yet they continue to fascinate people in this century. And why not? The tales of the goddesses are full of fury, beauty, sex, and revenge…

Greek mythology is peopled with numerous gods and goddesses, but a few really stand out from the rest. In fact, they’ve become household names.

A Greek goddess was surrounded by worship, admiration and myth, but what is the real story behind the most famous goddess figures in ancient Greece?

What is Mythology?
Greek mythology is the collection of stories written about the gods, goddesses and heroes of ancient Greece. These stories attempted to explain the origins and structure of the world around them to the people of that day.

Myths about the gods and other heroes were passed down through the generations, both in literature and in other forms of art such as statues, paintings, poetry, and pottery. Hesiod and Homer are two of the most well-known Greek poets on mythology, although the stories were passed down using the oral tradition long before they were ever written down.
Gods and goddesses in Greek mythology helped the people of Ancient Greece understand how the world was made and why things happened the way they did. Each god and goddess came to represent certain things both in the natural world and human nature itself. They were the physical embodiment of many human traits, and their stories often rival the deceit and intrigue of much of today’s reality television.

Aphrodite is the goddess most emulated when looking for a Greek goddess costume. She is perfect and beautiful and eternally young. Aphrodite the Greek goddess is the symbol of love, beauty, and sex, which makes her the perfect goddess for a sensual costume party.

Mythology says that Aphrodite was born when the god Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus. His genitals were thrown into the sea where they began to roil and foam. The goddess that emerged from this boiling ocean was named for the Greek word for foam (aphros).

Aphrodite was married off to a sooty blacksmith named Hephaestus and she wasn’t too happy being his wife. He, however, was overjoyed, and made her a girdle of finely spun gold. This gift backfired because it had magical powers to compel love and made her irresistible to men whenever she wore it. She had many lovers, both gods and mortals, the most famous being Adonis.

Her festival was called the Aphrodisiac, and it was celebrated throughout Greece. It was said that her priestesses were prostitutes, but they actually were women who worshipped the goddess and having intercourse with them was one form of worship.

For this reason they are also referred to as Sacred Prostitutes in literature. Aphrodite’s symbols are the dolphin, dove, swan, pomegranate (the symbol for marriage) and the lime tree.
Hera The Greek goddess Hera was the Queen of all Olympian deities. She was the Greek goddess of marriage and birth. Hera was both the wife and sister of Zeus, the most powerful of the Greek gods. Her children were Hephaestus, who later married Aphrodite, Hebe and Ares. Some tales insist that she did not actually conceive these children with Zeus, but alone out of her own lust and hatred.

Most accounts of Hera paint her as jealous and vengeful of Zeus’ affairs. There are many stories in Greek mythology of her punishing his lovers as well as the illegitimate children. Most of the time, Zeus tried to hide these children or turn them into animals so that she could not find them.

Hera was worshipped as the town goddess in the Peloponnesian city of Argos. The symbols of this Greek goddess are the peacock, which stands for pride, the cow and the crow. She is most often represented as majestic and solemn.

The gray-eyed goddess Athena was a child of Zeus, and is said to have sprung fully formed from his head. The myth of her birth is that Zeus was afraid that Athena’s mother, Metis, goddess of wisdom, would bear him a boy who would someday overthrow him.

To prevent this, Zeus swallowed her mother who then began to make a helmet and robe for Athena. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus such a headache that his son cracked open his skull and out came Athena, fully grown.
Largely because of the circumstances of her birth, Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, arts, industry, justice and skill. She is most often shown wearing the robe and helmet and carrying a spear. When there was a dispute over a certain city in Greece, her winning gift to them was the olive tree, which brought food, wood and oil to the people. In gratitude, they named the city Athens. The symbol associated with Athena is the owl, representingwisdom.

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and the twin of the famous god Apollo. This Greek goddess is shown armed with a silver bow and arrow, sometimes with the image of a crescent moon above her forehead. She is the goddess of the wilderness and wild animals, as well as the hunt.

Both Artemis and Zeus are considered to be contrary gods, and therefore she is both the goddess of hunting as well as the protector of animals. She is seen as possessive and was eager to show her wrath to anyone who went against her wishes, particularly when dealing with her animals.

Artemis is an eternal virgin, and many Greek cities held annual festivals in her honor.

Not as well known as some of the others, the Greek goddess Hestia was an important deity. She was the goddess of the hearth fire and presided over domestic life.

As the oldest sister of Zeus, she is important in the creation myth as she helped Zeus bring order to the world out of chaos.
Hestia was wooed by both Poseidon and Apollo, but as a chaste goddess, vowed to remain a virgin. Every hearth on earth at the time was considered an altar to her. Because she tended the fire in the hall on Mount Olympus, she symbolized the connection between cities and towns.

People brought fires from the main hearths in the city and kept those fires burning in the small towns. She is mainly known for her traits rather than her actions, and is seen as centered, calm, and serene; one who is complete within herself. Because of these traits, her symbol is the circle.

Whether they were slaying rivals or seducing lovers, Greek goddesses were important figures in ancient times.

Their traits helped people explain the bad and good things that happened on earth, as well as the feelings that welled up inside of them.

Greek goddess images often contain the symbols that were associated with them — Artemis is most often seen with a bow and arrows, standing with a doe, while Athena is most often pictured wearing her helmet.

If you are looking for a costume idea, research which Greek goddess you most resemble, and incorporate the appropriate symbols into your outfit.

Although the stories of Greek goddesses are ancient, the lessons they illustrate can apply to and enhance our lives even today.

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