Zeus

God of the Sky (Zoos)

Distinguishing Features: Pinstriped suit, neatly trimmed grey beard, stormy eyes and a
very large, dangerous lightning bolt.
Now: On stormy days, he can be found brooding in his throne room in Mount Olympus,
over the Empire State Building in New York. Sometimes he travels the world in disguise,
so be nice to everyone! You never know when the next person you meet might be
packing the master bolt.
Then: In the old days, Zeus ruled over his unruly family of Olympians while they
bickered and fought and got jealous of each other. Not much different than today, really.
Zeus always had an eye for beautiful women, which often got him in trouble with his
wife, Hera. A less-than-stellar father figure, Zeus once tossed Heras son Hephaestus off
the top of Mount Olympus because the baby was too ugly.
Symbol: Eagle
Roman name: Jupiter

Hera
Goddess of Marriage, Mothers and Families (Hair-ah)
Distinguishing Features: Usually prefers classic Greek dresses and a simple silver crown,
though she can blend in as needed. She usually appears as a beautiful older woman,
and enjoys turning into birds when she needs to hide or spy.
Now: She hangs out where family life is strongest: the car pool line at school, weekend
soccer games, and birthday parties. That strange woman you saw at Laser Quest,
serving pizza and singing Happy Birthday? Yes, that was probably her. As the goddess of
family, Hera will be happy to pack your lunch or comb your hair or give you a ride to
school, but dont talk back to her. When Hera is mad, she doesnt just ground you. Shes
likely to smash you into the ground.
Then: Its tough to be the goddess of marriage in a family where everyone cheats on
everybody. Hera has no patience with demigods, the children of godly affairs. She was
the enemy of Heracles and many others, though she did have a soft spot for mortal
heroes, like Jason. If an old woman asks you to carry her piggyback across a river, do it.
You might win the favor of a goddess!
Symbol: pomegranate, cow (the motherly animal no comments, please!), peacock
Roman name: Juno

Poseidon
God of the Sea (Po-sigh-dun)
Distinguishing Features: Hawaiian shirt, shorts, flip flops, and a three-pointed trident.
Now: Poseidon walks the beaches of Florida, occasionally stopping to chat with
fishermen or take pictures for tourists. If hes in a bad mood, he stirs up a hurricane.
Then: Poseidon was always a moody guy. On his good days, he did cool stuff like create

horses out of sea foam. On his bad days, he caused minor problems like destroying
cities with earthquakes or sinking entire fleets of ships. But hey, a god has the right to
throw a temper tantrum, doesnt he?
Symbol: Three-pointed trident
Roman name: Neptune

Demeter
Goddess of Agriculture (Duh-mee-ter)
Distinguishing Features: The goddess prefers simple dresses of green or gold, though
you can often find her in gardening clothes.
Now: Demeter divides her time between the upper world, where she oversees the
growing season and produces commercials encouraging people to eat more cereal
products (part of a balanced breakfast!), and the Underworld, where she visits her
daughter Persephone and plays the wicked mother-in-law to Hades, who kidnapped her
poor little daughter eons ago. Hes still not good enough for Persephone. She shouldve
married the god of doctors!
Then: Demeter was one of the quieter goddess. As long as the crops were growing and
the farmers were happy, Demeter was content. But dont underestimate her
importance. If you wanted to eat, you had to make sure you kept on Demeters good
side. When Hades stole her daughter Persephone, Demeter stopped all plants from
growing, and people started starving. Hard to make a cheeseburger with no grain for
bread and no grass for the cows.
Symbol: Torch, Corn plant (though popcorn works, too)
Roman name: Ceres

Ares
God of War (Air-eez)
Distinguishing Features: Biker leathers, Harley Davidson, sunglasses and a stinking
attitude.
Now: Can be found riding his Harley around the suburbs of LA. One of those gods who
could pick a fight in an empty room.
Then: Back in the day, this son of Zeus and Hera used to be inseparable from his shield
and helmet. Fought on the side of the Trojans during the war of Troy, but, frankly, has
been involved in every minor skirmish since Goldilocks told the three bears that their
beds were a little uncomfy.
Symbol:A bloody spear, a wild boar (the animal with the nastiest attitude)
Roman name: Mars

Athena

Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Useful Arts (Ah-thee-nah)

Distinguishing Features: Dark hair, striking grey eyes, casual yet fashionable clothes
(except when shes going into battle; then its full body armor). Athena is always
accompanied by at least one owl, her sacred (and fortunately housebroken) animal.
Now: Youre likely to spot Athena at an American university, sitting in on lectures about
military history or technology. She favors people who invent useful things, and will
sometimes appear to reward them with magical gifts or bits of useful advice (like next
weeks lottery numbers). So start working on that revolutionary new bread slicer!
Then: Athena was one of the most active goddesses in human affairs. She helped out
Odysseus, sponsored the entire city of Athens and made sure the Greeks won the Trojan
War. On the downside, shes proud and has a big temper. Just ask Arachne, who got
turned into a spider for daring to compare her weaving skills to Athenas. So whatever
you do, DO NOT claim that you fix toilets better than Athena. Theres no telling what
shell turn you into.
Symbol: The owl
Roman name: Minerva

Apollo
God of archery, music, poetry, prophecy, medicine, and later on the god of the
sun. (Ah-paul-oh)
Distinguishing Features: Youve got to dig the shades. Apollo likes to look hot, and I
dont mean temperature. He typically looks like a movie star with the fashionably
shabby clothes, the laid back attitude, the brilliant smile, and the Ray Ban sunglasses.
His sun chariot morphs into a fine Maserati.
Now: Do NOT ask him to recite his poetry. Seriously. You can find Apollo cruising down
Sunset Avenue looking cool, or hanging out at parties chatting with writers or rock stars.
He likes to be the center of attention wherever he goes. Hes a nice enough guy, as long
as you agree that hes the coolest person on earth. Just dont get him angry, or he can
get a little hot under the collar.
Then: Apollo was into everything, from music to medicine, probably because he thought
he was better at everything than anyone else. When the old sun god Helios retired,
Apollo took over that job too, though he was mostly thought of as the god of poetry and
music. Apollo didnt take criticism well. One time he asked King Midas to judge a contest
between him and Pan, and when Midas decided Pans music was better, Apollo gave the
king donkey ears. The lesson: if someone asks your opinion, think carefully before you
answer.
Symbol: the lyre, laurel wreath
Roman name: Apollo (you can't improve on perfection, baby!)

Artemis

Goddess of the moon, the hunt, and young maidens (Ar-tem-iss)

Distinguishing features: Artemis likes to appear as a regular mortal maiden of about
twelve or thirteen, but dont let that fool you. Artemis is deadly with her bow, and
doesnt suffer fools, especially male fools. Her eyes are silver like the moon, and she
tends to dress in white and silver.
Now: Artemis can be found roaming the countryside with her handmaidens, the Hunters
of Artemis. Imagine an immortal, very deadly Girl Scout troop, on a permanent camp
out, hunting monsters. Dont get in their way, and dont try to flirt with them. These Girl
Scouts do NOT sell cookies.
Then: Artemis enjoyed hunting with her handmaidens and basically kept to herself
unless she was bothered. Once a male hunter tried to spy on Artemis while she was
bathing. The goddess turned him into a deer and her hunters tracked him down and
killed him. Basically, she doesnt have much of a sense of humor when it comes to
peeping toms.
Symbol: The moon, the deer
Roman name: Diana

Hephaestus
God of blacksmiths and fire (Huh-fess-tus)
Distinguishing Features: Ugly face, scraggly beard, massive powerful hands. Usually
wears a mechanics uniform with his name embroidered on the pocket so he doesnt
forget who he is.
Now: The god likes to hang out in his workshop fixing cars and building inventions. Hes
not very good with people, but he can do anything with machines. You want a robot to
do your homework, or a life-sized metal giant to stomp on your enemies. Hephaestus
can have one ready in a matter of hours.
Then: Poor Hephaestus was ugly from birth, but he didnt get any prettier when his
parents chucked him down the side of Mount Olympus, making him a cripple forever
after. Hes not much to look at, but hes clever with his hands. The Olympians made
Aphrodite marry him, thinking that it would settle her down, but that didnt work out too
well. Hephaestus is a jealous husband, always on the lookout for that scoundrel Ares
and anyone else who might want to flirt with his wife (which is basically every man with
a pulse).
Symbol: The anvil and hammer
Roman name: Vulcan (no Star Trek jokes, please)

Aphrodite
Goddess of Love and Beauty (-fro-d-tee)
Distinguishing Features: Shes really, really pretty. Its hard to be more specific, because
Aphrodite can change her appearance to become whatever you find most beautiful.
Now: Shes more beautiful than Angelina Jolie. She can often be found shopping on Fifth

Avenue or trying on new clothes during Fashion Week in New York. She loves parties,
and cant get enough of gossip. If that sounds like a lot of people you know, youre
probably right. Any of them might be Aphrodite in disguise.
Then: Shes more beautiful than Helen of Troy. Aphrodite wasnt afraid to use her beauty
to get what she wanted, either. She promised Prince Paris the most beautiful mortal
woman in the world if he judged Aphrodite the fairest goddess in a contest, and Paris
readily agreed. When he got Helen for his wife, it started the Trojan War and thousands
died, but hey, at least Aphrodite got what she wanted!
Symbol: the dove, which is odd, since its a symbol of peace and Aphrodite started a
war, but oh well. Looks are everything.
Roman name: Venus

Hermes
God of the Roadways, Travelers, Merchants and Thieves (Her-meez)
Distinguishing Features: Joggers clothes and winged athletic shoes, a cell phone that
turns into the caduceus, his symbol of power a winged staff with two snakes, George
and Martha, entwined around it.
Now: Hermes is a hard person to find, because hes always on the run. When hes not
delivering messages for the gods, hes running a telecommunications company, an
express delivery service, and every other type of business you can imagine that
involves travel. Did you have a question about his activities as god of thieves? Leave a
message. Hell get back to you in a few millennia.
Then: Hermes got started young as a troublemaker. When he was one day old, he
sneaked out of his crib and stole some cattle from his brother Apollo. Apollo probably
wouldve blasted the young tyke to bits, but fortunately Hermes appeased him with a
new musical instrument he created called the lyre. Apollo liked it so much he forgot all
about the cows. The lyre made Apollo very popular with the ladies, which was more than
he could say about the cattle.
Symbol: the caduceus
Roman name: Mercury

Dionysus
God of Wine (D-oh-n-sus)
Distinguishing Features: Leopard-skin shirt, walking shorts, purple socks and sandals,
the general pasty demeanor of someone who has been up partying much too late.
Now: Dionysus has been sentenced to one hundred years of rehab as director of Camp
Half-Blood. The only thing the god of wine can drink these days is Diet Coke, which
doesnt make him happy. He can usually be found playing pinochle with a group of
terrified satyrs on the front porch of the Big House. If you want to join the game, be
prepared to bet large.
Then: Dionysus invented wine, which so impressed his father Zeus that he promoted

Dionysus to god. The guy who invented prune juice, by contrast, got sentenced to the
Fields of Punishment. Dionysus mostly spent his time partying it up in Ancient Greece,
but once a crew of sailors tried to kill him, thinking the god was too incapacitated to
fight back. Dionysus turned them into dolphins and sent them over the side. The moral
of this story: Do not mess with a god, even a drunk one.
Symbol: the leopard, the grape vine
Roman name: Bacchus

Hades
God of the Underworld (Hay-deez)
Distinguishing Features: Evil smile, helm of darkness (which makes him invisible, so you
cant see the evil smile), black robes sewn from the souls of the damned. He sits on a
throne of bones.
Now: Hades rarely leaves his obsidian palace in the Underworld, probably because of
traffic congestion on the Fields of Asphodel freeway. He oversees a booming population
among the dead and has all sorts of employment trouble with his ghouls and specters.
This keeps him in a foul mood most of the time.
Then: Hades is best known for the romantic way he won his wife, Persephone. He
kidnapped her. Really, though, how would you like to marry someone who lives in a dark
cave filled with zombies all year round?
Symbol: the helm of darkness
Roman name: Pluto

Hypnos
God of Sleep (Hip-nos)
Distinguishing features: Hypnos appears as a young man with wings sprouting from his
brow, probably to keep him from doing a face plant whenever he falls asleep. He carries
a poppy stem and a branch dripping in water from the River Lethe, which can make you
forget anything, even tomorrows history test. Sometimes he is seen carrying an upsidedown torch. Why? Probably because the flames keep him awake.
Now: Hypnos lives in Erebos, deep in the Underworld, but can often be found trying out
the mattresses at the Sleep Shop. He is the son of Nyx (Night) and loves putting people
to sleep. If youre lucky, hell wait until you are actually in bed before he conks you out.
If youre unlucky, hell put you to sleep in the middle of algebra class. He is the brother
of Thanatos (Death). But unlike his brother, Hypnos might let you wake up eventually.
Then: Hypnos could be good or bad in ancient times. He brought rest and dreams, but
he could also sneak up on you and cause you to doze off at bad moments. In his Roman
form of Somnus, the god liked to make sentries fall asleep on duty (which was an
automatic death sentence) or make ship navigators fall asleep at the wheel. Somnus
made me do it! is not a good defense when trying to explain to your captain why you

steered the trireme into the side of a cliff.

Roman name: Somnus

Nike
Goddess of Victory (Ni-key)
Distinguishing features: Nike has the wings of an angel and rides a chariot. She usually
has a golden laurel wreath handy to give to the winners of major battles, sports
competitions, and the state lottery.
Now: If you ever meet Nike, you should not say, Hey, isnt that a kind of sports shoe?
unless you want to lose every competition for the rest of your life. The goddess does not
find it amusing to be confused with footwear. You are likely to meet Nike at the World
Series, the Superbowl, and most other major sporting events, where she will be
hovering overheard, deciding which team to grant victory. She values bravery and skill,
though she also likes a good halftime show.
Then: Nike was very popular, since everybody wanted victory. Olympic athletes would
sacrifice to her, as would soldiers before a big battle. Nike would sometimes serve as
Athenas charioteer in battle. After all, the goddess of victory is pretty much the best
wheelman you can ask for.
Roman name: Victoria

Janus
God of beginnings, choices and doorways (Jay-nus)
Distinguishing features: Kind of hard to miss Janus, since he has two faces. He can be a
pain, since he can never make up his mind and tends to argue with himself. On the
bright side, he can sing a solo in two-part harmony.
Now: Janus likes to dress as a New York City doorman. He shows up just when heroes
have an important choice to make, usually offering them two doors to choose from. At
least one of the doors typically leads to a nasty death. Janus isnt all bad. He can open
many doors and he stands for new beginnings, but think carefully before making
choices. Janus wont let you change your mind afterwards!
Then: Janus was one of the most important Roman gods. January, the beginning month
of the year, was named after him. Its said that Janus showed Saturn hospitality when he
fled to Italy after the Titan war, so Saturn gave Janus the power to see both the past and
the future. Twice the faces. Twice the fun! Gee, thanks, Saturn. Super gift.
Roman name: Janus (he has no Greek name)

Nemesis
Goddess of Revenge (Nim-uh-sis)
Distinguishing features: Nemesis is often pictured as a winged maiden, but dont
confuse her with Nike! The evil look in her eyes should tell you that this lady is not here

to give you victory. Nemesiss symbol is a scale, with which she measures how much
fortune you actually deserve. If youve gotten more than your fair share, she brings out
her other tools a lash and a sword. She also carries a wheel sometimes, symbolizing
how fate can turn on you. Notice above she is trampling some poor fool underfoot. She
just loves doing that.
Now: Nemesis usually hangs around the classroom the day major projects are due. All
those who put off working until the last minute are likely to feel her lash. She hates it
when things work out for people who dont deserve it, and thinks her sister Fortuna is
way too generous with the good luck. Whenever you feel like things are going too well,
like something bad has got to happen to balance it out thats the shadow of Nemesis
falling over you. Shes all about payback. If it seems like somebody is out to get you,
she is.
Then: Nemesis was feared more than she was worshipped. The Greeks and Romans
didnt really have the concept of karma, but Nemesis was pretty close. Whenever
something good happens, youd better look out, because Nemesis is probably watching,
ready to balance things out with a little bad luck. Watch your step and stay humble!
Roman name: Nemesis

Iris
Goddess of the rainbow, messenger of the gods (Eye-ris) Distinguishing features:
Iris appears as a beautiful maiden with wings (rainbow-colored, naturally) carrying the
symbolic staff of a herald like Hermes. When shes not running around delivering
messages, she serves nectar to Zeus and Hera in the throne room on Olympus, which is
not as exciting but does let her rest her wings.
Now: Iris is constantly in demand to deliver Iris-messages for demigods. While this
brings her a lot of supplemental income, she does wish Zeus would let her upgrade her
network to 4G, since her coverage is spotty in many metropolitan areas.
Then: Iris was mostly the handmaiden to Hera. She never got much attention in the old
myths, but everyone was always happy to see her. Much like a rainbow, she would show
up where you least expected her and then disappear quietly. The colorful part of the
eye, the Iris, is named after her. Not much of a tribute, but better than nothing, I guess.
Roman name: Iris or Arcus

Hecate
Goddess of magic, crossroads and ghosts (Heck-ate or Heh-cah-tay)
Distinguishing features: Hecate is usually dressed in dark robes, holding twin torches
(all the better to see you and burn you with, my dear). She is accompanied by a she-dog
and a polecat, which used to be her enemies before she morphed them into animals. In
later times, Hecate was pictured as a woman with three heads, or three entirely
different forms for morning, noon and night. Talk about split personalities . . .
Now: Hecate is the daughter of the Titans, and although she sided with the gods in the

Titan war, shes a mysterious and crafty figure. Magic is her territory, and her followers
include Circe and Medea, who were not exactly girl scouts. You can find Hecate in foggy
graveyards, or at abandoned crossroads at night. If you see a woman with two torches,
be nice to her, unless you want to become one of her animal familiars.
Then: Hecate was a goddess to be feared. The Greeks and Romans respected her
power, but didnt usually worship her. She was the goddess of dark and unknown forces,
and the fact that she had three different forms meant you never knew whether she
would be a good cop or a bad cop. It was best just to steer clear!
Roman name: Hecate

Tyche
(Tike-ee) Goddess of good luck and fortune
Distinguishing features: Tyche can look just like Nemesis, her sister, which means
youve got to be careful. Sometimes good luck can look like bad luck, and vice versa!
Tyche usually holds a cornucopia, the horn of plenty, which is filled with nuts, berries,
fruitcakes, bonbons, and all kinds of goodies representing the fortunes she bestows on
mankind. The horn of plenty has become a symbol of Thanksgiving in America thanks to
Tyche. She is also pictured with an orb a ball which can roll in any direction, just as a
reminder than good luck doesnt always roll your way.
Now: Tyche is a hard goddess to find. People are always looking for her at the racetrack,
the casino and the lottery ticket dealer, but she hardly ever hangs out there. She mostly
likes to give good luck to those who worked hard to get it. Nevertheless, sometimes
Tyche gets random. Next time you find a bag of cash in the street, you know whom to
thank.
Then: People don't change! Back in the day, Greeks and Romans prayed for Tyche's
favor at gambling, contests, and competitions. Funny thing about Tyche, though. She
hardly ever shows up when you call. She prefers to surprise you. Sadly, her sister
Nemesis does too.
Roman name: Fortuna