Exercise 1.3 Olympians and Beyond

The Greeks and Romans believed in polytheism, or many gods. When they encountered a god from another culture, they might identify it as one of their own, then absorb the stories and characteristics of that new god with the old. Over time, the Roman and Greek gods were thought to be the same and ruled over the same areas of nature. However, in the chart below, the domain of each god and goddess has been mixed up! Use the family tree for hints or research on your own to find out who’s who.

Roman GodGreek GodDomain
1JupiterZeusA. the hunt, moon, and wilderness
2JunoHeraB. war
3NeptunePoseidonC. king of the gods, lightning
4PlutoHadesD. love and beauty
5MercuryHermesE. wisdom, arts, and war strategy
6VulcanHephaestusF. blacksmith of the gods and technology
7VenusAphroditeG. travel, mischief, and messenger of the gods
8ApolloApolloH. spring and queen of the underworld
9MinervaAthenaI. queen of the gods, marriage, and childbirth
10DianaArtemisJ. sun, medicine, creative arts, and music
11MarsAresK. the underworld
12BacchusDionysusL. grain and the harvest
13VestaHestiaM. the hearth and sacred fire
14CeresDemeterN. wine, fertility, and theater
15ProserpinaPersephoneO. the sea