Religion has played a very important role in societies, dating back thousands of years. From its earliest roots in Mesopotamia, to Christianity in the Roman Empire, groups and civilizations have had gods or goddesses that they worship. One of the earliest groups to have a set of beliefs like this were the Greeks, who had a very intricate and complex mythos, with many layers, with heroes such as Percius and Hercules, and quests like the one embarked upon by the Argonauts. Along with this, many creatures existed in mythology, such as cyclops, centaurs, and sirens.

But the center of the Greek religion is at Mount Olympus, where the 12 Gods live. They are the most revered and worshipped in Greek mythology, and temples were built for them everywhere, as well as daily sacrifices being made to the gods. They were feared, as they were seen as all powerful, and that they could destroy or create as they pleased. So today, being a Greek, I decided to rank the 12 Gods that live on Mount Olympus. Although there are thousands of gods and goddesses in Greek Mythology, that would simply be too long of a list, so I am whittling it down to the main gods.

12) Demeter

Coming in at 12 on the list, we have the goddess of harvest, Demeter. Although her backstory is pretty cool, and she is responsible for spring, out of all of the gods, she is pretty average. While all of the gods were revered, some were revered more than others, hence, the number 12 spot.

11) Artemis

This particular deity is the goddess of hunting and wildlife. Although wildlife is fine, personally, using a bow and arrow isn’t a very powerful thing, as Zeus or any other god could catch bow and arrow. Overall, pretty meh.

10) Dionysus 

The god of alcohol has claimed his throne at the number 10 spot. Dionysus is the god of wine and grape harvesting. He was the son of Zeus, and after being torn apart by the Titans, he was resurrected. The reason that I ranked him at this spot is due to the fact that he has no stable seat at Olympus, and he is constantly rotated in and out as a god and demigod. By late Antiquity, was relegated to demigod status indefinitely, although he was worshipped strictly by some Greek monotheistic factions.

9) Hermes

Coming in at number 9, we have the patron god of boundaries, speed, and also shepherds. Hermes was considered the god who could travel between the mortal and divine world at any time, unlike the other gods, who primarily stayed in Olympus to rule. Although he is venerated as one of the 12 Gods of Olympus, only three known temples were venerated to him, and he was later Christianized by some scholars, such as Saint Augustine of Hippo, saying that in his writings, he described worship of the Trinity.

8) Hera

Hera was the god of family and birth, and she is number 8 on this list. She was the wife of Zeus, and she is revered as one of the most important gods. She had many children with Zeus, such as Angelos and Ares, and she is considered a matriarchal figure. She is also considered to be one of the most powerful, and for that, she is number 8 on the list.

7) Hephaestus 

The god of metalwork, and the official blacksmith of the gods, Hephaestus was deemed too ugly as a baby, and was thrown off Mount Olympus by Hera. He eventually returned, and presented all of the gods with thrones made of gold. Due to his scraggly beard and deformities, he was often mocked by the gods. When it became time for Aphrodite to be married, Hephaestus was chosen, to prevent fighting among the gods. All in all, he is a pretty cool god, and his metalworking skills put him in a decent spot on my list.

6) Aphrodite

Coming in at number six on this list, we have the god of love and beauty, Aphrodite. She was considered the most beautiful god, and men constantly fought over her. She is a pretty cool ruler of Olympus, and she is definitely superior to some others on the list.

5) Ares

Ares was the god of war, and he was worshipped for his resilience, physical strength, and brute force. He was championed and revered by the Greeks, and was seen as a protector, who could save the people for anything. Although he is very powerful, he is also very brutal, and he has no empathy, and was a very barbaric person, and for that, he is ranked in this spot.

4) Athena

The god of wisdom comes in at number 4. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and tactical warfare. She was the favorite child of Zeus, having sprung out of his head (mythology is pretty weird sometimes). While powerful, her real strength is her strategic edge, as she is very wise. For this intellectual edge, she comes in fourth.   

3) Poseidon

Poseidon is the god of the sea, and he is known for his immense power. He is most frequently mentioned in Homer’s epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, and is revered as the ruler of all of the seas. He controls all aquatic creatures, and he rules with his trident, which was forged by the cyclops.

2) Apollo

Perhaps one of the most important gods, only second to Zeus. He is the sun god, and he has many temples dedicated to him. Apollo rides on his golden chariot, and he is seen as a very important god. Even though he is Zeus’s first born son, he still plotted with Poseidon to overthrow Zeus, and he often butts heads with his father. He is highly respected by the other gods, and for that, he has the second spot on the list. 

1. Zeus

The least surprising entry on the list is Zeus. He sits in Olympus on a throne made of solid gold, and he is the king of the gods. He rules over lightning, and he is the most powerful god, by a large margin.