Short answer: the twelve Olympians are the major gods of Greek mythology who ruled from Mount Olympus after the fall of the Titans: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus, depending on the source. Hades rules the underworld and is usually NOT counted, because he does not live on Olympus.
The complete table
| God | Domain | Symbol | Roman name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeus | Sky, thunder, kingship | Thunderbolt, eagle | Jupiter |
| Hera | Marriage, queenship | Peacock, diadem | Juno |
| Poseidon | Sea, earthquakes, horses | Trident | Neptune |
| Demeter | Harvest, agriculture | Wheat sheaf, torch | Ceres |
| Athena | Wisdom, strategic war | Owl, olive tree, aegis | Minerva |
| Apollo | Sun, music, prophecy | Lyre, laurel, bow | Apollo |
| Artemis | Hunt, moon, wild animals | Bow, deer, crescent | Diana |
| Ares | War, violence | Spear, helmet, vulture | Mars |
| Aphrodite | Love, beauty | Dove, seashell, mirror | Venus |
| Hephaestus | Fire, the forge, craft | Hammer, anvil, tongs | Vulcan |
| Hermes | Messengers, travelers, trade, thieves | Winged sandals, caduceus | Mercury |
| Hestia / Dionysus | Hearth and home / wine and ecstasy | Hearth fire / thyrsus, grapevine | Vesta / Bacchus |
Why is the twelfth seat disputed?
The oldest lists put Hestia, goddess of the hearth, in the twelfth seat. A later tradition says she gave up her throne to Dionysus to keep peace on Olympus, and because someone had to tend the fire. Both answers are correct in an exam if you explain the swap; naming the swap usually earns the extra point.
The family in one paragraph
Six of the Olympians are siblings, children of the Titans Cronus and Rhea: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia and Hades. The rest are mostly children of Zeus: Athena (born from his head), Apollo and Artemis (twins by Leto), Hermes, Ares and Hephaestus (by Hera), and Dionysus. Aphrodite is the exception: in Hesiod she is older than Zeus, born from the sea foam.
Quick questions
Is Hades one of the 12 Olympians?
No, in most sources. Hades is one of the six royal siblings and one of the three great kings, but his realm is the underworld, not Olympus, so the canonical lists leave him out. If the question is "name the three brother kings", then it is Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.
Who are the three virgin goddesses?
Athena, Artemis and Hestia. All three swore never to marry, and Greek myth treats their independence as a power, not an absence.
What did the Olympians overthrow?
The Titans, in a ten-year war called the Titanomachy. The full story, from Cronus swallowing his children to the division of the world, is the founding epic of the whole pantheon.
You can hear the rise of the Olympians as a narrated series in MythologyNow: Cronus, Rhea and the Rise of Zeus.
