APPENDIX

Olympians and Other Immortals

Roman names follow the Greek, along with traditional astronomical symbols where applicable. Note that the ancients knew of only five planets, thus only their symbols have been included.

Aphrodite/Venus image: Goddess of Erotic Love and Beauty. One of the Twelve Olympians. Born of sea foam after Kronos castrates his father, Ouranos, and throws his genitals into the ocean. Wife of Hephaestus and lover of Ares. Called Laughter-Loving. Attributes: dove, scallop shell, mirror.

Apollo/Apollo: God of Light, Music, Healing, Prophecy, Poetry, Archery, Civilization, Plague, and the Sun. One of the Twelve Olympians. Leader of the Muses. Twin brother of Artemis. Son of Leto and Zeus. Born on the island of Delos. Called Phoebus (“Bright One”). Attributes: silver bow, laurel wreath, lyre. Modern alias: Paul Solson.

Ares/Mars image: God of War, Bloodlust, and Manly Courage. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Zeus and Hera. Lover of Aphrodite. Often considered the father of Eros. Called Man-Slayer, Battle-Insatiate. Attributes: armor, spear, poisonous serpent. Modern alias: Martin Bell.

Artemis/Diana: Goddess of the Wilderness, the Hunt, Virginity, Wild Animals, Hounds, Young Children, and the Moon. One of the Twelve Olympians. Twin sister of Apollo. Daughter of Leto and Zeus. Born on the island of Delos. Called Phoebe, Cynthia. Has many epithets including Huntress, Swiftly Bounding, Protector of the Innocent, and more. Attributes: golden bow, hounds. Modern aliases: Phoebe Hautman, Dianne Delia, Cynthia Forrester, Selene DiSilva, and more.

Asclepius/Aesculapius: Hero-God of Medicine. Son of Apollo and the mortal princess Coronis. Worshiped in the Eleusinian Mysteries and many other cults. Attribute: a snake-twined staff.

Athena/Minerva: Goddess of Wisdom, Crafts, and Justified War. One of the Twelve Olympians. Virgin. Attributes: helmet, shield, owl.

Atlas: Brother of Prometheus and leader of the Titans in the war against the Olympians. As punishment, Zeus condemned him to hold up the heavens on his shoulders for eternity. His name translates literally as “Endures.” Attribute: celestial sphere.

Cybele/Magna Mater: The Great Mother, originally a primal nature deity from Asia Minor, later incorporated into the Greco-Roman pantheon. Mother of all gods, humans, and animals. Attributes: tall crown, lions.

Demeter/Ceres: Goddess of Grain and Agriculture. One of the Twelve Olympians. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Sister of Zeus. Mother of Persephone. Called Bountiful, Bringer of Seasons. Attributes: wheat sheaves, torch.

Dionysus/Bacchus: God of Wine, Wild Plants, Festivity, Theater. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal. Called Phallic, He Who Unties, He of the Wild Revels. Attributes: grape vine, thyrsus (a pinecone-tipped staff), leopard. Modern alias: Dennis Boivin.

Eris/Discordia: Goddess of Strife. Often considered a sister to Ares. She haunts battlefields, reveling in bloodshed.

Eros/Cupid: God of Love. Son of Aphrodite and Ares. Commonly portrayed as a winged infant, although sometimes as a youth. Attributes: wings, bow. Modern alias: Philippe Amata.

Gaia: Primeval Earth Divinity. Mother to all. Consort of Ouranos, the Sky.

Hades/Pluto: God of the Underworld, Death, and Wealth. Son of Kronos and Rhea. Brother of Zeus. Husband of Persephone. Called Receiver of Many, Lord of the Dead, Hidden One. Attributes: helm of invisibility, bird-tipped scepter. Modern alias: Aiden McKelvey.

Hecate: Goddess of Crossroads, Dark Magic, Night, and the Moon. Sometimes identified as an aspect of Artemis. Often portrayed as a three-faced goddess or, occasionally, as a maiden in hunting attire. Called Lady of the Underworld, Night-Wandering, Terrible One. Attributes: two torches.

Helios/Sol/Sol Invictus image: God and embodiment of the Sun. Also identified with Apollo, who has dominion over the sun. The Romans revered him as Sol Invictus, the “Invincible Sun,” and celebrated his birthday on December 25. Attributes: seven-rayed crown.

Hephaestus/Vulcan: God of the Forge, Fire, and Volcanoes. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Hera, born parthenogenically. Lamed when thrown off Olympus by Zeus, walks with a crutch. Called the Smith, the Sooty God, He of Many Arts and Skills, Lame One. Attributes: hammer, tongs. Modern alias: Flint Hamernik.

Hera/Juno: Queen of the Gods. Goddess of Women, Marriage, and the Heavens. One of the Twelve Olympians. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Sister and jealous wife of Zeus. Mother of Ares and Hephaestus. Known as “white-armed.” Attributes: crown, peacock, lotus-tipped staff.

Hermes/Mercury image: God of Thieves, Liars, Travel, Communication, Hospitality, Eloquence, and Athletics. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Zeus and a nymph, Maya. Herald to the gods. Called Messenger, Giver of Good Things, Trickster, Dissembler, Many-Turning, Busy One. Attributes: caduceus (staff twined with snakes), winged sandals, winged cap. Modern alias: Dash Mercer.

Hestia/Vesta: Goddess of the Hearth and Home. Eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Sister of Zeus. Virgin. Once one of the Twelve Olympians, but gave up her throne to Dionysus. She tended the sacred fire at the center of Mount Olympus. Called “The Eldest.” Attributes: veil, kettle.

Isis: Egyptian Goddess of Motherhood, Magic, and Nature, later adopted by the Greco-Roman world. Temples to Isis were often built on the sites of earlier sanctuaries dedicated to Diana or Ceres. Attribute: throne headdress.

Khaos: Primeval embodiment of Chaos. From the same root as “chasm,” the name means the void from which all other primeval divinities sprang.

Kronos/Saturn image: A Titan. With the help of his mother, Gaia (the Earth), he overthrew his father, Ouranos (the Sky), to become King of the Gods until overthrown in turn by Zeus, his son. Father/grandfather of the Olympians. Also identified as the God of Time. Called “the Wily.” In Roman mythology, Saturn is also an ancient agricultural god who guarantees good harvests. He was thought to preside over Elysium, the home of the blessed dead. His yearly festival, Saturnalia, held from December 17 to 23, involved public feasting and revelry. Attribute: sickle.

Leto/Latona: Goddess of Motherhood and Modesty. Daughter of the Titans Phoibe and Koios. Lover of Zeus. Mother of Artemis and Apollo. Called “neat-ankled,” Gentle Goddess, Mother of Twins. Attributes: veil, date palm. Modern alias: Leticia Delos.

Mithras: God worshiped by a Mystery Cult during the late Roman era, especially popular with soldiers in the Roman legion. Epithets include Sol Invictus. Attributes: Phrygian cap, Persian pants, bull.

Morpheus: God of Dreams. As a messenger of the gods, he sends prophetic dreams to mortals. Attributes: wings, poppy crown.

Orion: Son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. Artemis’s only male hunting companion. Some tales describe him as blinded and exiled after raping Merope, a king’s daughter. Other myths say he raped one of Artemis’s nymphs and was killed either by a scorpion or by Artemis’s arrows. Placed as a constellation in the sky. Called the Hunter. Modern alias: Everett Halloran.

Ouranos/Uranus: Primeval Sky Divinity. Father of the Titans. Castrated by his son Kronos/Saturn.

Persephone/Proserpina: Goddess of Spring and the Underworld. Daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Wife of Hades. Called Kore (“Maiden”), Discreet, Lovely. Attributes: wheat sheaves, torch. Modern alias: Cora McKelvey.

Poseidon/Neptune: God of the Sea, Earthquakes, and Horses. One of the Twelve Olympians. Son of Kronos and Rhea. Brother of Zeus. Father of Orion, Theseus, and other heroes. Called “blue-haired,” Earth-Shaker, Horse-Tender. Attribute: trident.

Prometheus: A Titan. His name translates literally as “Forethought.” After molding mankind from clay and granting them life, he gave them fire—despite Zeus’s prohibition. As punishment, the Olympians chained him to a rock and sent an eagle to eat his liver every day for eternity. Later, he was freed from his torment by the hero Heracles. Called Fire-Bringer, Lofty-Minded, Chained One. Attribute: fennel stalk of fire.

Rhea/Ops: A Titan. Goddess of Female Fertility. Queen of the Gods in the Age of Titans. Helped Zeus, her youngest son, overthrow his father, Kronos.

Selene/Luna image: Goddess and embodiment of the Moon. While Artemis has dominion over the moon, Selene is the Moon incarnate.

Serapis: Greco-Egyptian God of Fertility and the Afterlife, later adopted by the Romans. Attribute: basket crown.

Zeus/Jupiter image: King and Father of the Gods. God of the Sky, Lightning, Weather, Law, and Fate. One of the Twelve Olympians. Youngest son of Kronos and Rhea. After Kronos swallowed his first five children, Rhea hid baby Zeus in the Cave of Psychro. After coming to manhood, Zeus cut his siblings from his father’s gullet, defeated the Titans, and began the reign of the Olympians. He divided the world with his two brothers, taking the Sky for himself. Husband (and brother) of Hera, but lover of many. Father of untold gods, goddesses, and heroes, including Artemis, Apollo, Hermes, Ares, Dionysus, and Athena. Attributes: lightning bolt, eagle, royal scepter.