

In the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, from around 500 BC, Hermes stands at Olympia on the bank of the river Alpheius and divides a sacrifice into 12 portions for the gods. There is evidence for Greek religious practice involving 12 gods from the late 6th century BC. 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. Together, Gaia and Ouranos had 12 children – known as the Titans – including Cronos and Rhea, Zeus' parents. She then gave birth to Ouranos (the Sky) and other primordial deities like Pontos (the Sea) and Ourea (the Mountains). You may also know this group as the 'Twelve Olympians'.Īccording to Greek mythology, the world began when Gaia (the Earth) emerged from Chaos – an empty nothingness. Although any polytheistic religion (religion with multiple deities) can have a pantheon – and they existed in Norse, Aztec and Sumerian cultures to name a few – we're taking a look at the classical pantheon, and the 12 major deities included in it.

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