Top 10 Most Powerful Gods in Greek Mythology
With power comes drama, and these gods had plenty of drama to go around
A pantheon that invoked fear and respect
Throughout history, we have witnessed and experienced phenomenons of which we can not explain. What we can't disclose or don't understand, we turn into myth. These myths were stories that we would tell young children to teach them valuable lessons. While also keeping them out of trouble. We travel to ancient Greece to talk about the powerful deities that struck fear into children and adults alike. These are the top ten most powerful gods of Greek mythology.
10. Morpheus God of Dreams
Morpheus the God of Dreams and Sleep
One of the lesser-known gods, Morpheus, is the god of sleep and the god of dreams. While you sleep, he will enter your dreamscape in the form of a human, so while you're sleeping, you won't realize that Morpheus is present. An example of this comes from the story Alcyone and Ceyex. In the story, Ceyex dies at sea, when Alcyone sleeps Morpheus takes the form of Ceyex to tell her that her husband has died and that she is now a widow. Morpheus is almost like a nighttime Hermes.
- Powerful enough to put you to sleep.
- Can enter your dreams at will.
- Has the power to manipulate your dreams.
9. Hephaestus God of the Forge
Hephaestus forged many different objects and inventions
Also known as the god of fire, Hephaestus mounts his anvil in a volcano. He crafts divine weapons, and other inventions for his brethren on Mount Olympus. He is responsible for Zeus' lightning bolts, and often time's legendary heroes will seek out Hephaestus to craft them a weapon for their quest.
While Hephaestus was married to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, their marriage was shaky. Zeus allowed Hephaestus to marry Aphrodite as a reward for freeing Hera from a trap he created. Zeus had planned to arrange them anyway for political reasons. Everything worked out in that situation. Not for their marriage, unfortunately. Aphrodite was so displeased with Hephaestus that she would often cheat on him with Ares. Hephaestus caught them and trapped them while in the middle of intercourse. Hephaestus brought this to Mount Olympus to show the Olympians the affair. Aphrodite and Ares were humiliated by the smith god. The Olympians laughed at them for getting caught. Moral of the story here, don't upset Hephaestus. He's a very petty god.
- With the power of the forge, he can craft anything he wishes.
- He trapped Hera, Ares, and Aphrodite, on separate occasions.
- He has created some of the most potent weapons for Greek heroes.
8. Hermes God of Trade
Hermes the Messenger, he wields a caduceus which we use as a symbol of medicine today.
Look, Hermes may not be the most elegant or dangerous god out there. Think about it, though. Hermes is the herald to Olympus and earth, which makes him the messenger. So when Zeus finds his next mortal one night stand, he needs Hermes to deliver the apology letter. What if Hades wants to send hate mail to Chronos? Hermes is your guy. He'll carry that letter no problem. There's no place this winged shoe delivery boy can't go.
When he was just an infant, he stole an entire herd of cattle from Apollo and hid them in a cave without their hooves. Some of those hooves he used to create his magical winged shoes. When Apollo caught Hermes and brought him to Zeus for judgment, Zeus found it so amusing that he let Hermes get away with it.
- Faster than the human eye
- Can travel to Olympus, The Underworld, Atlantis, and even Tartarus.
- Cunning trickster.
7. Artemis Goddess of the Moon
Artemis is often found running alongside wild animals and other forms of nature.
You can also call her the goddess of the hunt. Artemis is the older sister of Apollo, who is the god of the sun. Artemis doesn't spend much time in Olympus, as she does her own thing. She is known as a protector to young girls, and a protector of their virginity. Being a virgin herself, she requested Zeus to stay chaste for eternity. When the hunter, Actaeon was caught spying on her while she bathed. Artemis turned him into a stag and set his hunting dogs on him. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
- Able to command nature to do her bidding.
- She draws her power from the moon.
- Never misses her mark
6. Hera Goddess of Childbirth and Marriage
Hera had a bad temper and would use passive-aggressiveness against both Zeus and her offspring.
Queen of the gods and sister to Zeus, yeah, there were a lot of weird relationships. Hera had numerous offspring with Zeus and tended to resent most of them. Heracles (Hercules) in particular. Hera is responsible for stripping him of his godhood. She also set up his twelve trials to prove himself worthy of the gods. Hera gets to choose who to bring into the world, which makes her pretty powerful. Given how she's also a queen, and not just any queen but a queen of the gods. That's the kind of title that holds a lot of power.
- Queen of the gods.
- Most of the Greek heroes were created unintentionally by Hera.
- She can essentially create life.
5. Chronos God of Time
Chronos tried to eat Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and other gods that would later become Olympians.
Just because he's a titan doesn't mean he isn't a god. He is the father of three gods after all, but that's not all he's the father of; he is father time. Chronos is the god of time. Which makes a lot of sense, with him being the king of the titans. Being able to control and manipulate time at a whim is quite the feat. You would think with power such as this; he would be top 3 at least, right? Unfortunately for him, his three children managed to defeat him. They were considered lesser beings. To add insult to injury, his son Zeus imprisoned him to Tartarus, where he would roam for the rest of eternity.
- The father of the three most powerful gods in the Greek pantheon
- Controls time itself.
- Brought life into the universe.
4. Ares God of War
The god of war and violence. Do not get on Ares's bad side. Not only is he very discourteous, and he has a nasty temper. One wrong word and he'll beat you to a bloody pulp. Ares was a driving force for the Trojan army. Very similar to how Athena was a driving force for the army of Athens. Just like how Ares and Athena fought. So did Athens and Troy. In the pantheon, Ares and Athena never saw eye to eye. Ares gave the world violence and weapons. While Athena gave the world art, literature, and diplomacy. Things Ares hated.
Ares' influence is what made him powerful. Mortals relied on him for victory but were often scared of him. Ares was a violent individual who had an insatiable bloodlust. Even the Olympians don't like him all too much. Out of revenge, Ares killed one of Poseidon's sons because they had raped one of his daughters. When it judged at trial, Ares was freed and proclaimed not guilty.
- He Inspires war and violence.
- Master of any weapon.
- Very skilled tactician.
3. Poseidon God of the Sea
After defeating Chronos and the other titans Zeus took the skies, Hades took to the afterlife while Poseidon took to the seas.
Lord of the waters, and god of storms. Poseidon resides in the city of Atlantis, where people thrived and prospered. Well, before it mysteriously sunk. Atlantis then became an underwater city. Poseidon is one of the three great siblings of Chronos. He wields a trident, and when he would strike the ground, it would cause terrible earthquakes. He controls everything that has to do with the sea; he can even talk to fish. Kind of like Aqua-Man. If Aqua Man had terrible mood swings.
- King of the seas.
- Poseidon can create storms causing sailors' problems while out at sea.
- Poseidon was emotionally unstable and would burst out into a bloody rage that would result in violence more times than not.
2. Zeus God of Thunder
Zeus rules all. Not only is he the king of the gods but also essentially the king of man.
Big daddy Zeus, no literally. This lord of the sky is the father to everyone famous in Greek mythology. Zeus doesn't know how to keep it in his pants. Why would he? Being the king of all the gods makes him horny for everything that moves. He even got a rock pregnant once. How does that happen?
He's so powerful that he turned Medusa, who was such a beautiful woman that it even made Aphrodite jealous. Just because he could make his brother upset, he turned her into a Gorgon. Poseidon was furious with Zeus after he took his love away from him. There's a lot of pettiness in this pantheon. Zeus controls all life and oversees the world from his mighty throne on Mount Olympus. Shouldn't that make him number one? As powerful as Zeus might be, there is one god that has more power than he does, and Zeus doesn't even know it.
- King of the gods.
- After fooling his father Chronos, Zeus went to war against the titans and won.
- Zeus imprisoned Chronos to Tartarus.
1. Hades God of Death
Hades oversees all of the dead souls who pass on from their mortal life.
The lord of the dead, ruler of the underworld. When you die, you go to the underworld, where Hades keeps track of all the departed souls who enter his dominion. Given that hades rules the underworld, he is also known as the god of death. Think of Hades as one of those annoying solicitors that knock door to door. Instead of trying to sell you something, though, he's here to collect the debt you owe called life. The only thing more powerful than giving life is the power to take it away, and that's what Hades does. Hades is a great deceiver. When he kidnapped Persephone, the gods were on a rampage and demanded that he return her to Demeter, Persephone's mother. Hades was willing to compromise. As long as she stayed in the underworld for half a year, she would be able to walk the earth for the other half. However, This was before he fed her a pomegranate, which forced her to stay in the underworld. This trick was so powerful that not even the all-mighty Zeus could do anything to lift it.
- Ruler of the underworld.
- Controls and oversees death.
- Hades kidnapped Persephone and made her the queen of the underworld. Not even the power of Zeus could return her from Hade's dominion.
You may also be interested in:
