What is the difference between gods and goddess

According to Greek mythology, the world began when Gaia the Earth emerged from Chaos — an empty nothingness. The Titans rebelled against their father Ouranos, overthrew him, and Cronos became the ruler of the gods until Zeus deposed him to rule over the Olympic gods — more on that shortly. There is evidence for Greek religious practice involving 12 gods from the late 6th century BC.

In the Homeric Hymn to Hermes , from around BC, Hermes stands at Olympia on the bank of the river Alpheius and divides a sacrifice into 12 portions for the gods. But how can you tell Ares from Apollo? Do you know the difference between Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite? King of the gods is Zeus — or his Roman equivalent, Jupiter — who rules over Mount Olympus and is the god of thunder and lightning, as well as law and order.

You can recognise Zeus by his symbols — the thunderbolt, the eagle and the oak tree — and as a sky god he is often shown among clouds or sitting on top of Mount Olympus.

When Zeus was born, his mother Rhea hid him in a cave on the island of Crete, and instead fed Cronos a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. When Zeus grew up, he forced Cronos to throw up his brothers and sisters, waged war on his father, and won. Her symbols are the peacock, the cuckoo and the cow — animals she considered sacred — and her chariot is pulled by peacocks instead of horses. In this gold hat jewel, made in the 16th century, she is shown at the Judgement of Paris read more on that here and here accompanied by a blue peacock.

She is the goddess of marriage, childbirth and fertility. God of the sea, horses and earthquakes, Poseidon — or Neptune — is often shown driving a chariot of horses or sea creatures and wielding the trident he used to control the waves.

On this ewer, Poseidon or Neptune is shown at the stem, riding a sea monster and holding his trident. As his brothers Zeus and Hades rule the skies and the underworld, Poseidon was given control of the sea and protected sailors and seafarers.

This Romano-British statuette shows Mars, the god of war, fully decked out in his characteristic armour, missing the original spear and shield he would once have held. You can recognise Mars or Ares by his armour and weapons — usually a spear and a shield — and the god is sometimes accompanied by a boar or a vulture.

Although he was unpopular with the other gods of the classical pantheon, with the exception of his lover Aphrodite, Ares was particularly admired in Sparta as the ideal soldier.

By contrast, his Roman equivalent Mars was far more popular, seen as second only to Jupiter, and was considered to be the protector of Rome. Goddess of reason, handicraft, wisdom, and war, she is the daughter of Zeus and according to legend, sprang fully grown from his forehead, dressed in armour. She also gives her name to the city of Athens. Athena — and Minerva, her Roman equivalent — is often shown wearing a helmet to demonstrate her prowess in war, and her symbols include the owl and the olive tree.

In the founding myth of Athens, Athena beat Poseidon in a competition over patronage of the city by growing the first olive tree, hence its association with her. By contrast, Poseidon gave Athens a spring of salted water which was far less useful to the city.

For example, all the followers of God think that God created the universe and God watches all the activities happening in his universe.

Gods are worshipped in order to show the belief on them and various offerings are made to them. The form of god also differs a lot. To conclude, we can say that both are used as synonyms and there is no difference between these terms, both are used in context to a supreme and divine power. The definition of god or deity may differ in many contexts. Still, the powers associated with them are generally referred as divine, and divine indicates that these forces are supernatural. Difference between God and Deity.

Key Difference: God and deity are synonymous. According to their basic definitions, they both represent a supreme power.

His symbols include the laurel tree, the crow, and the dolphin. Apollo is famously the patron of the oracle at Delphi. See also: Night of the Hunters: Artemis and Apollo. Ares was the god of war. He was both cruel and a coward. Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera, but neither of his parents liked him. His symbols include the vulture and the dog, and he often carried a bloody spear. See also: Hephaestus and Ares. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the protector of women in childbirth.

She hunted with silver arrows and loved all wild animals. Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. Her symbols include the cypress tree and the deer. Athena was the goddess of wisdom. She was also skilled in the art of war, and helped heroes such as Odysseus and Hercules. Athena sprang full-grown from the forehead of Zeus, and became his favorite child.

Her symbols include the owl and the olive tree. Athena is also the namesake of the city of Athens. Hephaestus was the god of fire and the forge a furnace in which metal is heated. Although he made armor and weapons for the gods, he loved peace. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and married Aphrodite. His symbols include the anvil and the forge. Hestia was the goddess of the hearth a fireplace at the center of the home. She was the most gentle of the gods, and does not play a role in many myths.

Hestia was the sister of Zeus and the oldest of the Olympians. Fire is among her symbols. Hermes was the messenger of the gods, a trickster, and a friend to thieves. Rather, their chief concern was being paid tribute through very specific rituals. We can still recognize traces of the Roman gods and goddesses in the artifacts that remain from the ancient civilization and the art that pays homage to them. Carvings of Janus still survive and statues of Neptune spout water from city fountains.

Today we appreciate the stories and mythology built around these deities as insights into what life was like over 2, years ago for the ancient Romans. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. Others say that Aeneas and some of his followers escaped the fall of Troy and established the town. Regardless of which of the many myths one prefers, no one can doubt the impact of ancient Rome on western civilization. A people known for their military, political, and social institutions, the ancient Romans conquered vast amounts of land in Europe and northern Africa, built roads and aqueducts, and spread Latin, their language, far and wide.

Use these classroom resources to teach middle schoolers about the empire of ancient Rome.