Ancient Greek Mythology - Non-Olympian Gods

Beyond the great gods of history, there were others that played powerful supporting roles. These were the gods who were heirs to the ruling family of Mount Olympus. The Muses were famous for entertaining the family of Zeus with their music, and the Furies were known for unleashing their formidable wrath on wrongdoers. Not all of the lesser gods lived upon Olympus. Those who called the Earth or the underworld home would arrive through the clouded gates of the great mountain only when beckoned by Zeus.

Demeter – The goddess of agriculture, of the harvest, and of grain. She is responsible for making the crops grow each year, and the first loaf of bread of the season is sacrificed to her. Demeter is the mother of Persephone, who was abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld to be his bride.

Persephone – Daughter of Demeter and Zeus, and queen of the underworld. She is also the embodiment of Earth’s fertility. Zeus had talked Hades into allowing Persephone to leave the underworld, but before she left, Hades tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds that bound her to Hades forever. From then on, she could spend part of the year on Earth, and then was bound to return to the underworld.

Eros – The beautiful and cherubic god of love, famous for inflaming passions with his bows and arrows. He was the son of the passionate goddess Aphrodite.

Helios – The sun god and son of Hyperion. He later lost his rule of the sun to Apollo, who became known as lord of the sun. He was a son of the great Titans, and brother to Selene and Eos. Combined, the three were the embodiment of the sun, the moon, and the dawn.

Thanatos - Thanatos was the original god of death, but eventually was eclipsed by Hades. He was a son of Nyx and Erebos, gods of night and darkness. The siblings of Thanatos were equally reviled by the gods, and included the gods of old age, suffering, doom, deception, blame, strife, and retribution. No good came of that entire family.

Pan – God of goatherds and shepherds, and the son of Hermes. Pan was known for his exceptional musical ability, particularly with flutes and pipes. He was known as a playful and jovial god, who enjoyed running wild in the woods. One theory of how “panic” was derived from his name is that he stalked the woods at night, making noises that would frighten travelers.

Nemesis – A term now used to describe an enemy or foe, Nemesis was a goddess who was completely without remorse. She was the goddess of retribution, and the Greeks believed there was no escaping her wrath. She may have been the daughter of Oceanus, and was also known as the avenger of crimes.

The Graces – The three daughters of Zeus and Eurynome who were often reported to be in the company of Aphrodite. Aglaea was the goddess of splendor, Euphrosyne the goddess of mirth, and Thalia the goddess of good cheer. Together they were viewed as the overseers of charm, beauty, nature, creativity, and fertility.

The Muses – There were nine Muses, born to Zeus and the Titan Mnemosyne as they lay together on nine consecutive nights. Clio was the goddess of history, Urania the goddess of astronomy, Melpomene the goddess of tragedy, Thalia the goddess of comedy, Terpsichore the goddess of dance, Calliope the goddess of poetry, Erato the goddess of love poetry, Polyhymnia the goddess of song (tot the gods), and Euterpe the goddess of lyric poetry. When someone has extraordinary artistic talent they are said to have the gift of the Muses.

The Erinnyes – Also known as the Furies, these female goddesses were the seekers of vengeance. These beauties were said to have blood dripping from their eyes and serpents draped around their heads. They were born from the blood of Uranus as he was castrated by Cronus, and were known as Alecto(unceasing), Megaera (grudging), and Tisipone (avenging murder).

The Fates – These were the goddesses who controlled the destiny of everyone, and some believe they even controlled the fate of the gods. There were three in all: Clotho, the spinner, who would spin the thread of life; Lachesis, the apportioner or measurer, who determined how much time on earth each person would be given and what each person’s position in life would be; and Atropos, who would sever the thread of life when the time came to do so. They were not entirely uncaring, as they allowed Alcestis to take her husband King Admetus’ place in the underworld so he could return to Earth. Alcestis was later rescued from Hades by Herucles.