Thursday, December 6, 2018

Guest Article: 6 Ancient Greek Gods You May Not Know



Greek mythology is very famous around the globe. While most people assume that the Greek Pantheon consisted of twelve gods, there were also many other gods and goddesses who played an important role in ancient Greece.

1. Kratos
In Greek mythology, Kratos (state) was the personification of strength and power (not just state power). Kratos, and his siblings, Nike (victory), Bia (force), and Zelus (zeal) were all described as children of Titan Pallas and Styx by Hesiod in his poem, “Theogony." In other sources, Kratos was a bastard child, born by Zeus and an anonymous mortal woman. He conspired with Bia and Hephaestus and managed to capture Prometheus. They tied him at the top of the mountain Caucasus, punishing him for his actions against Zeus' will.

Generally speaking, Kratos simply accepted Zeus’ commandments, without any contradiction. He was unable to feel friendship or compassion since he did not have his own values and beliefs, except for what was defined by Zeus.

2. Nemesis

Nemesis was a personification of penalization and punishment against those who attempted to overcome their mortal nature and compete with the gods.  She was the deity of divine revenge and she did not only punish criminal activity, but also any disrespect or arrogance before the gods. She punished those who thought themselves superior and was a balancing influence among the fates of the people. She doled out happiness or misery according to her opinion. Her role was similar to that of Moirae (Fates), who predefined the fate of the people before they were born, whereas Nemesis rewarded or punished someone by judging them against the gods’ laws.

She was the daughter of Nyx (night). There are reports that Zeus had once fallen in love with her and she transformed to avoid him. Eventually, she transformed into a goose, but she did not save herself because Zeus, at the same time, took the form of a swan and united with her. The egg that was born by Nemesis was picked up by some shepherds and given to Leda. From that egg, Eleni and the Dioscuri were born. Later, Nemesis, identified with Adasteia, was portrayed as a virgin and looked like Aphrodite.

Symbols of the goddess are the skirt and the bridle. These symbols are indicative of her function balancing human thoughts, feelings, actions and emotions, and restricting the unbridled persistence of human egoism. Nemesis scanned the lives of mortals for breaches of cosmic laws and harmony. In her role as a force of equilibrium, she often came into conflict with Tykhe (fortune).

3. Hebe
Hebe, a daughter of Zeus and Hera, was the goddess of youth and vitality. Her duty was to serve nectar and ambrosia to the Olympian gods. Her name comes from the Greek word for youth, and she was considered to have the capability of restoring youth. Hebe’s role was taken over by Ganymede, who was given the title of the cupbearer of gods, allowing the goddess to marry Hercules, with whom she had two children, Alexiares and Anicetus (invincible). Among her other tasks was the preparation of Hera’s chariot. In vase paintings, she was depicted in her role as Hercules’ wife, often having wings like Nike or serving nectar to the gods. When Iolaus, Heracles' nephew, was about to fight against Eurystheus, he asked Hebe to make him young again for one day. At first, Hebe was unwilling to do this, but Themis, the goddess of justice, told her that it would be right to do it. Thus, Iolaus' wish was granted and he won the fight.

4. Nike
Nike (where the name of the famous sports brand comes from) was the goddess of victory and glory in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx, and a sister of Kratos (power), Bia (force) and Zelus (zeal). Most of the time, she was depicted having wings. The four siblings were partners of Zeus, and Nike had the role of a divine charioteer, flying above battlefields, granting glory to the victors. There was a golden statue of Nike in the Parthenon and a temple, built approximately in 410 BC, was dedicated in her honor. Athenians in Delphi also worshipped her and the golden ivory statue of Zeus in Olympia also portrayed Nike. According to Pausanias, there was a statue of Nike without wings in Athens (Wingless Victory), which meant that the city would never be without Victory.

5. Harmonia
Harmonia was the goddess of concord, peace and harmony in Greek mythology. According to Hesiod, she was the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite. She was married to Cadmus, a hero, founder and first king of Thebes, with whom she had six children.

Harmonia is famous for the story in which she was given a cursed necklace as a marriage gift. All the gods were invited to her wedding, where Cadmus gave her a robe and a necklace, which he had received from Hephaestus, who was still angry over his wife's betrayal. The necklace, however, was cursed, bringing misfortune to its owner and dooming her descendants to endless tragedy. 

6. Tykhe
Tykhe (luck) was the goddess of fortune, chance, fate and providence. She was usually honored in a more favorable light as Eutykhia (happiness), goddess of good fortune, luck, success and prosperity.

She also personified the prosperity and wealth of a city. Tykhe was depicted usually holding a rudder, a young child, an ear, a horn, a ball, and even the horn of plenty. As she was considered a divinity guiding and conducting the affairs of the world, she was considered one of the Moirae (Fates); Together with Ploutos (richness), she was deemed responsible for remarkable rises in fortune.

In Greek vase painting, Nemesis and Tykhe were often depicted together, balancing out each other’s influence. The Asteroid 258 Tyche was named after her.

Picture Attribution: (Introduction of Ganymede to Mount Olympus, by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (1719–1795), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Written by Stefanos Karampalis

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