This is because the first translation ever made of the Hebrew Scriptures was from Hebrew into Koine Greek. The most common title for Koine Greek is Biblical Greek. In fact, it reached its height in the 2nd century AD - long after the Hellenistic Period had ended! This is a poor title, though, since the Hellenistic Period is said to have ended around 31 BC, but Koine Greek would continue to be spoken long afterward. It is also known as Hellenistic Greek, since it was the dominant language spoken during the Hellenistic Period, which began with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. This means it developed from contact between multiple dialects of Greek over a large region, not just Attic. More accurately, Koine is a form of Greek, not a dialect. It is sometimes called Common Attic since it borrows heavily from the Attic (Classical) dialect. Hence it is called koine, which in Greek means “common.” Because of his connection to wine, Dionysus was happy during the harvest months and was feeble during the winter months.Koine was the most widely spoken form of Greek of late antiquity. He was often considered an outsider of the Twelve Olympians because he had a mortal mother. Dionysusĭionysus is the Greek god of wine. She always kept the fire burning in the hearth of Mount Olympus, and all food was sacrificed to her in her name for her service to the Olympians. She was a virgin goddess and never married. Hestia is the Greek goddess of the hearth and home. Hermes delivered the message to Hades that Demeter requested he releases Persephone back to the earth. Hermes was considered the messenger of the gods. Hermes is the Greek god of travel, athletes, sports, mischief, and trade. He is associated with an anvil, donkey, and volcano. He would make all of the weapons and armor for Mount Olympus. Hephaestus was the Greek god of blacksmithing, metalworking, and craftsmanship. She often wears a sacred belt that she sometimes lends out. AphroditeĪphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and relationships. His sons often accompany Ares by driving him in his chariot on the way to war. He has two sons, Phobos and Deimos, who represent fear and terror.
Tragically, she would kill her best friend, Orion, with this same bow and arrow after Apollo convinces her that Orion is a villain who is attempting to escape the area after raping a friend of Artemis. She is often depicted with a bow and arrow, the weapon she would use when hunting. ArtemisĪrtemis is the Greek goddess of animals and hunting. Apollo being the god of music, was captivated by the music and allowed Hermes to keep his cattle in exchange for the musical instrument. Hermes began playing music on the Lyre that he made. When Apollo noticed his cattle were missing, he confronted Hermes. He is most associated with the Lyre, a musical instrument made by fellow Olympian, Hermes. ApolloĪpollo is the Greek god of healing, medicine, music, and poetry. Athens, Greece, is named after Athena because of her close ties to the city and civilization. She was born fully grown and dressed in armor. She is born from the head of Zeus after he swallowed Athena’s mother when she was pregnant. AthenaĪthena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and knowledge. She vows the earth will continue to be barren unless Hades returns Persephone to the earth. Demeter brings drought and famine upon the earth when Hades steals her daughter, Persephone, from the earth and takes her to the underworld. Demeterĭemeter is the Greek goddess of agriculture, harvest, and fertility of the earth. Throughout his 12 labors, Hera plays a major role in making the labors as difficult as possible for Hercules. She is the one who inflicts a madness upon Hercules to make him kill his wife and children, resulting in his accomplishment of 12 labors. Hera is the Greek goddess of marriage and the queen of the goddesses. He had a love affair with Medusa, who birthed his two children when Perseus beheaded her. He is known for protecting the sailors, but he will also inflict his wrath on those who he feels has done him wrong. Zeus is considered the king of all the gods. Zeus had three sisters, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. Poseidon is one of the Twelve Olympians, while Hades is not. We will include both in this depiction of the main Greek gods of Greek mythology. Some versions of Greek mythology include the goddess Hestia as the 12th Olympian, while other versions have Greek god Dionysus as the 12th Olympian. The Twelve Olympians were the main deities that made up the Greek pantheon. The 12 main Greek gods of Greek mythology are often referred to as the Twelve Olympians.