Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece: its summit is 2911m high. |
Mount Olympus
Created by Zeus as the home of the Olympian Gods.
According to Greek Creation Myths, Zeus created Mount Olympus after he had overthrown the Titans and become Supreme Ruler of the Universe. The mountain was so high that its snow-capped peak, hidden in the clouds, reached all the way into the aether.
The Olympian Gods - the twelve principal gods in the Greek pantheon - lived in crystal palaces at its summit. They consumed nectar and ambrosia on Mount Olympus to reinforce their immortality.
The Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians – Zeus’ family – lived on Mount Olympus. His offspring were: Ares (god of war), Hermes (god of travellers), Hephaestus (god of fire), Athena (goddess of wisdom), Apollo (god of dance and music) and Artemis (goddess of the hunt). Aphrodite (goddess of love) also lived on Mount Olympus but she was born out of sea-foam.
In different periods fourteen different gods were recognised as Olympians, but there were never more than twelve at one time. Hestia, Demeter, Dionysus and Hades are the variable gods amongst the twelve.
Hestia gave up her position as an Olympian to Dionysus in order to live among mankind (eventually she was assigned the role of tending the fire on Mount Olympus). Demeter was allowed to leave Olympus for six months of the year to be with her daughter, Persephone in the underworld. And although Hades was always one of the principal Greek Gods, his home in the underworld of the dead made his connection to Mount Olympus more tenuous.