Unlike other mythologies whose gods are so formidable and mysterious, Greek gods are relatively human in the way they appear and behave. They can eat, fall in love, trick and be tricked and even fight amongst themselves. The realm of the gods in ancient Greece was just like another day in the corporate world where everyone struggles to survive amidst the competition. Most people will argue that Zeus is the ultimate big guy because none of the other gods could best him but is that all there is to it? For example, Athena, in her wisdom could easily sway all the gods to her side while hades could simply wipe out all the followers of the other gods if he wanted to.
Kronos-The god Of Time
Most stories revolve around how Zeus and his brothers teamed up to defeat their father Cronus and imprison him in Tartarus. Of course, Zeus’ mother, Thea, managed to hide Zeus from Kronos’ so he wouldn’t be swallowed like the rest of his siblings. However, don’t forget that throughout the time when the titans ruled the Earth, Kronos was the leader of all the Titans and managed to keep everything together. He was powerful enough to force all the Titans to submission under him. Kronos was also the god of time, so he could easily stop time, push back time, or simply push it way ahead hence wiping out the Olympians if he wanted to.
Hephaestus-The God Of The Forge, Volcanoes and Fire
Hephaestus was the son of Zeus and Hera, who was crippled, so his mother cast him from Olympus, but he didn’t perish. Instead, he thrived, and so his father married him to Aphrodite to prevent the other gods from fighting over her. Whenever you see a volcano, that is Hephaestus forging weapons and thunderbolts for Zeus.
He wasn’t the most good looking god nor the most fierce, but he was very innovative. He was also called the god of inventions and technology as he could forge different automatic tools for use by other Olympians. If Hephaestus, Aphrodite’s husband, didn’t make the weapons, the Olympus couldn’t be defended. Remember, he once created a complicated trap that caught his wife Aphrodite cheating on him with Ares and trapped them for the rest of the gods to see and laugh at.
Poseidon-The God Of Seas, Storms, Earthquakes and Horses
While Zeus ruled the skies, Poseidon ruled the sea, earthquakes, storms and even horses. No one could cross the seven seas without his say so, and no one could insult him and get away with it. Although Poseidon wasn’t as smart and cunning as Zeus, he was a very powerful god. The fate of all sailors and horse riders depended on him. All of Zeus’ thunder and rain ended up in Poseidon’s seas, and he could choose whether to calm it down or let the world drown.
Ares-The God Of War
Ares is strong and powerful but not as smart as Athena. He is impulsive and likes chaos and is also stupid as he falls for the traps from the other gods easily. He even gets trapped while naked in bed with Aphrodite for the rest of the gods to laugh at him. If you need an eternal war, all you had to call is Ares. He would come with his sons Phobos and Deimos (fear and terror) and his daughter Enyo (Discord), and the whole cosmos would be at war. He is bloodthirsty and is never willing to negotiate until all his enemies are negotiated. He is what everyone needs to win a war but also has what it takes to wipe everyone out.
Apollo
Apollo is not just about the flute and the bow and arrow! He is the god of the sun and light. Being Zeus’ favourite son, he has a big share of the sky with his father, which makes him a formidable god. If you make him angry, he will not shine a light on you. And if he is angry with you, he may also strengthen your enemy’s archers to wipe you out in battle. He is also in charge of plagues and healing, so he may strike you down with the Black Death or something worse. Apollo was the most loved god by both humans and the gods and doesn’t seem interested in useless enmity, which makes him less dangerous but not weak.
Artemis
She rules the night and decides whether the moon will shine or not. When she was just days old, she helped her mother give birth to her brother Apollo and protected them from the wrath of Hera. While Apollo rules the day, Artemis rules the night with her bow and quiver. She is young, beautiful, and most of all, a skilled huntress. She can track anything even in the night, and if you make her angry, the nights will be long and dark.
Hades
Hades is the other brother of Zeus that was swallowed by Kronos until Zeus showed up to set him free. While Zeus drew a straw to rule the skies, and Poseidon chose the waters, Hades chose the underworld. He is the god of death, and all souls that die, including the gods, go to him. He decides when to come for a soul and whenever he decides that a person has to die, that is the end of them. His powers are no match to those of Zeus and Poseidon, but he is still formidable. He controls an invisible world which makes him a very tough enemy to face.
Athena
Athena, the wise, is Zeus’ favourite daughter and the exact opposite of Artemis. She doesn’t like chaos and confusion. She prefers planning and getting everything right. Although she is stern and calculating, Athena never holds back on a chance to make peace. She is also a god of war in her own right. She denies wisdom to whoever she doesn’t favour and whoever she favours wins the war. She is honoured by the people of Athens, although she is silently feared by all, including her brother Ares.
Aphrodite
Poor Hephaestus just doesn’t stand the chance of keeping this beauty. She is the goddess of love, beauty, fertility and sexual pleasure. She had affairs with almost all the gods despite being married to the god of the forge. She is insatiable, and whenever she feels like it, she seduces whoever she likes, whether human, god, Anchises or Adonis. She never has to fight; if you threatened her, she will simply seduce a more powerful god than you and wipe you out.
Zeus
Now, it is not that the other gods can’t beat Zeus if they want to. An alliance between any of the other Olympians could easily defeat him, but he is a wise leader and doesn’t give them a reason to. The only person with more reasons to kill him than anyone is his wife, Hera. He has cheated on his wife so many times with both gods and humans, making his wife very angry. He is the king of the gods and men and also the god of the sky and thunder. However, he is very wise and doesn’t get involved in useless squabbles.
