Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of stories used by the Ancient Greeks as a way of explaining the world around them. It is one of the most influential of world mythologies, along with Egyptian and Roman.
Gods
The twelve major gods in Greek mythology were known as the Olympians. They took on human form but were different from humans in the respect they would live forever.
When Greek influence reached Egypt, many of the Greek gods were combined with those of the Egyptians, and later on when the Romans took control of Greece, many of the Greek gods were identified with those in the Roman pantheon.
The twelve Olympians were:
Zeus-King of the gods, god of lightning and law
Hera-Queen of the gods, goddess of marriage, families and women
Aphrodite-Goddess of love and feminine beauty
Athena-Goddess of wisdom, battle strategy and crafts
Poseidon-God of the sea
Hermes-Messenger of the gods, god of travel, trickery and commerce
Apollo-God of music, the sun, foresight and healing
Ares-God of war
Dionysus-God of wine, revelry, theatre and dancing
Artemis-Goddess of hunting, moonlight and animals
Demeter-Goddess of crop growth
Hephaestus-God of blacksmiths, fire and volcanoes