Unlike the Egyptians, the Greek gods were portrayed in human form as you can see at right (Hermes) because the Greeks though the human body was most beautiful.

Their most important gods were thought to reside on top of Mount Olympus perhaps to signify that they were above mortals. Zeus was at the top thereby establishing a certain order among the gods. Each deity had dominion over a certain aspect of nature. They were immortal but not all powerful. They acted like humans with virtues and vices.

 

1. Zeus, god of thunder and the sky, and the king of the gods. Husband of Hera, and father to Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus and Heracles.
2. Hera, goddess of women, marriage and motherhood. Wife of Zeus.
3. Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes. Consort of Amphitrite the sea goddess, father of Theseus the hero and Triton the sea messenger.
4. Demeter, goddess of the harvest, fertility, nature and the seasons. Mother of Persephone the goddess of fertility, Zagreus, Despoina, Arion, Plutus and Philomelus.
5. Ares, god of war, frenzy, hatred and bloodshed. Father of Cycnus and Eros the god of love.
6. Hermes, god of commerce, thieves and trade. Messenger to the gods. Father of Pan the horned god, Hermaphroditus, 7. Eros, Tyche, Abderus and Autolycus.
8. Hephaestus, god of metalcraft, craftsmen, volcanoes and fire. Blacksmith to the gods. Father to King Erichthonius of Athens.
9. Aphrodite, goddess of sex, love, beauty and fertility. Mother of Eros the god of love.
10. Athena, goddess of wisdom, crafts and strategic battle.
11. Artemis, goddess of the hunt, maidens and the moon.
12. Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home.
13. Apollo, god of the sun, light, healing, the arts, prophecy, the truth and archery. (Wikipeia Encyclopedia/Greek gods)

Eventually the gods came under the scrutiny of the Greek philosophers and academics who asked the following questions:

1. Do the gods exist?

2. What form do they take?

3. Where do they reside?

4. What was their manner of life?

5. Are the gods active in the universe?

4. Nature of the Gods