How many gods have there been in the history of mankind. How many gods are there in the world. Closer to people

When a trinitarian interlocutor asks me why I do not recognize Christ as God, I often ask a counter question: why does he not recognize Moses as God? Exodus 7:1 makes it quite clear that Moses is God, and capitalized as well (there were no capital letters in Hebrew and Greek, they appeared much later, creating confusion and headache for linguists and theologians). This verse is very similar to John 1:1: both there and there in one verse, two gods are mentioned, of which only one is the Almighty. At the same time, for some reason, no church has yet declared Moses consubstantial with God. Any trinitarian understands that Moses is here called a god in some other sense, not in the same sense as the Creator. So what prevents us from applying this logic to John 1:1? Apparently something is interfering.

In fact, I am always ready to recognize Christ as a god (or God, it doesn't matter), because the question from the title is not as straightforward as many used to think. On the one hand, many biblical passages point to the uniqueness of the Creator (2 Kings 19:15; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6). On the other hand, the Bible calls a number of other personalities gods: Moses (Exodus 7:1), angels (Ps. 8:5; in the Hebrew text elohim, gods); people (Ps. 82:1, 6), Jesus (John 1:1), Satan (2 Cor. 4:4). How can this seeming contradiction be explained?

One possible explanation is to consider that all gods, except the Almighty, are false gods, and the Bible calls them such only in a figurative sense. This option works well for idols and fictional mythological gods that don't exist. But how can one call real-life personalities false gods? Satan, whom the Bible calls the god of this world, not only has a very real existence, but has colossal powers; he is the real, true, and not false, ruler of this world, otherwise he could not have offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth (Matt. 4:8). Further, in at least three places, the Almighty personally calls people gods: these are Exodus 7:1, Psalm 82:1 and 6. It is very problematic to declare a false god whom Jehovah himself called so, because then you will have to consider Jehovah a liar. No, to call really existing personalities as false gods, especially righteous ones, especially those named so by Jehovah himself, is an obvious logical error.

Of course, the point is not the truth or falsity, and even less the consubstantiality of someone with someone (the term "consubstantiality" was invented by the Gnostics and at first was considered heretical by the Church). It's just the ambiguity of the word "God". This is a very simple linguistic fact, known to any student starting from the fifth grade: almost any word in the language has many meanings. Depending on the context, the word "god" can be applied to anyone. I have already written about the etymology of this word in Russian, where it goes back to the meaning of "wealth". In Hebrew, this word goes back to the word "strong" ( ale). For the writer of the Bible, "god" is simply someone strong, powerful. Most often it is Jehovah, but not necessarily. This is why the writers of the Bible freely referred to a wide range of personalities as gods, in contrast to the late Roman Church and modern Christendom, which any allusion to the plurality of gods would consider sedition and polytheism. They forgot that the word "god" initially has nothing particularly religious, it is the same common noun, the same epithet as many others.

Thus, the statements "there is only one god" and "there are many gods" do not contradict each other at all - provided that the audience understands in what sense the word "god" is used in each case. When Jehovah's Witnesses and other Unitarians say that Christ is not a god, they mean that he is not a god in the same sense as Jehovah. But in some other sense, it is. As did Moses. Like the angel Gabriel. As are you, dear reader. Even if you are an atheist, you are also a "son of the Most High" according to Psalm 82:6, and in that sense you are - elohim.

This is very clearly illustrated in other similar places. For example: “Call no one on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Did Jesus mean to say that there is only one person in the universe called "father"? Did he want to sacralize this word? Did he forbid applying it to everyone except the Almighty? No, he simply urged to avoid turning the word "father" into a pompous religious title. The same applies to the previous verse, where he calls not to call anyone a teacher. Although in the absolute, religious sense we have only one teacher - Jesus, still some people can teach others something, and in this sense they can also be called teachers. New Testament writers freely used the word "teacher" to refer to people (James 3:1; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11; Heb. 5:12).

In the same way, the Bible does not require the sacralization of the word "God", the rigid and unambiguous binding of this word to the Almighty and, as a result, its transformation into a proper name. That is not the point of monotheism. It is that religious worship should be addressed to only one person in the universe - Jehovah, and to no one but him. In other words, although there can be many gods and they can occupy a high position (like Jesus), we worship only Jehovah, because only he is the creator of everything, only he stands above everything and everything, only he is without beginning and has always existed. This is the only linguistically unproblematic definition of monotheism.

There are great gods, such as Vishnu and Shiva, Zeus and Kronos, Allah and Christ, and small gods, so to speak, gods. In India, in the Vedic pantheon, these are, for example, the gods Aditi, who embody freedom, liberation from evil. Gods are also interstate (Mithra, Christ, Allah), state (Japanese goddess Amaterasu), national (God of the Jews - Yahweh), urban, local, street (among the ancient Romans), tribal, tribal, family (among the ancient Romans they were called lares and penates) and personal (“the personal” god of the ruler of Lagash was the god Ningishzida, and the personal god of the hero of the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh was Lugalbande).

Each population center in Mesopotamia had its own god. The so-called "Great Tablet", which consisted of 12 columns, apparently contained more than 2,500 names of the gods. They had wives and children, countless retinues of servants. In many documents that have come down to us, along with the main gods, all their ministers, children and even slaves are listed. These gods lived very well, one might even say chic. They lived in magnificent temples, in which they received vassals, like autocrats.

According to the Indian Vedas (the oldest monument of Indian religious literature dating from the end of the 2nd - the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), there are 33 main and millions of minor
demigods who are responsible for managing world processes. There are much fewer gods in Japan: in the 8th-10th centuries, there were only 3,132 gods in the Shinto pantheon of Japan. There were about the same number of gods
in ancient India - 3.339 gods are mentioned in the Vedic hymns. The Aztecs had a large number of gods - several thousand.

Already from what has been said it is clear that there are a huge number of gods in the world. Naturally, the question arises, do they know about each other? Apparently, they often do not even suspect the existence of other gods or pretend that other gods do not exist. They learn about the existence of other gods only when, as a result of the war, they are victorious or defeated. In one case, they become the main gods, and the gods of the defeated people are secondary. In other cases, the gods of the defeated people and their priests (priests) are simply destroyed.

When Prince Vladimir in our country in 988, for political and economic reasons, decided to adopt a religion alien to our people - Christianity, his squad began to destroy - to break, chop and drown the image of the gods, which the Eastern Slavs had been praying for a thousand years, as well as places of worship - temple. With this began the forced Christianization of Russia. The pagan gods themselves - Veles, Dazhdbog, Khors, Perun and even the ancient god Rod could not (or did not want to) protect themselves! Christ did not enter into communion with them, but with the help of his new adherents - newly converted Christians, he simply destroyed them. And at the same time, the entire ancient Russian culture was destroyed.

And when the Spanish conquistadors conquered the states of the Mayans and the Aztecs, the latter learned that in addition to their gods there is a powerful god Jesus Christ. Apparently, it was during this period that the gods of the Indians learned about the existence of a powerful Christian god. The Christian god, following the example of his father, Yahweh-Sabaoth, did not want to be friends with the Indian gods and, with the help of his followers and faithful servants, began to destroy not only these gods, but also the people who believed in them.

It is interesting to note that the gods Yahweh, Christ and Allah, who claim to have the same rights, do not want to recognize the existence of not only pagan gods, but also gods, like them, who consider themselves the only ones. For example, Allah, who requires his followers to confess five times a day that he is the only God: "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." Does not want to recognize other gods and the Jewish god Yahweh (Sabaoth), who requires that those who worship him, i.e. his slaves did not worship, and therefore did not create images of other gods: "Do not make yourself an idol!". The Christian god Christ demanded the same (albeit earlier, today he no longer requires it). However, the position of Christ is extremely difficult. Of course, he wants to be considered the only God. But at the same time, he is part of the trinity of gods, in which there is one more single God - Yahweh (Sabaoth), who is also God the Father. This is stated in the Nicene-Tsaregrad Creed, adopted in 325. It should be noted that a paradoxical conclusion follows from this stubborn and extremely impolite statement towards other gods. Denying the existence of other gods, and also demanding that people not worship them, they act as real atheists and even atheists.

It turns out that the very first atheist in the world is the Jewish god Yahweh. True, he is an inconsistent atheist - he and his adherents deny the existence of other gods, stating that they are not real, because. There is only one true God! It is no secret that, as a rule, there are no asexual gods - they are all divided into male and female gods. At the same time, in ancient Greece there was a god who had signs of both sexes - male and female - Hermaphrodite. And among the African tribe of the Bombara, many of the gods could even freely change their gender, speaking now in male, then in
feminine hypostasis. For example, the god Odudva was a male deity in some myths, and a female one (the goddess of the Earth) in others.

Most of the gods were and continue to be masculine gods. But there are also enough female gods. Proponents of gender equality may be satisfied by the fact that the goddesses
occupied very important positions in the society of the gods. Although most of the Sun gods are male, there are also female Sun deities. So, among the Hittites in the 17th-12th centuries BC, the Sun was a goddess, who was called Metzulla. Moreover, she was not only the goddess of the Sun, but also the main deity of this people. The deity of the Sun among the Japanese and today is the goddess Amaterasu. The ancient Egyptians had fertility gods Baal (Baal), Min, Ptah, Sepa, Serapis, Khnum and Banebdzhent and goddesses of fertility - Anuke, Renenut, Taurt and Heket. The water of the Egyptians was in charge of the water god Sebek and the goddess of water Sebekted, who appeared later. The only exceptions were the first gods (supreme gods), who were male.

It is interesting to note that feminism occurs not only among people, but also among gods. Among many peoples, the goddesses were in no way inferior to the gods and occupied such purely masculine positions as those responsible for war and hunting. So, among the ancient Egyptians, the goddess Astarte (aka Anat) ruled the war. In combination, she was also responsible for the war chariots. And in another incarnation, Anat also performed the duties of a deity of hunting. The Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, was also responsible for justice in the conduct of hostilities. One of her titles - Promachos - "forward fighter" - would do honor to any male deity of war.

In general, as with people, the gods were dominated by patriarchy. The wives of even the supreme gods could not be equal in their role and importance to those of their husbands. In the Ugaritic myths, the highest god was the father of the gods El. He had a wife, Ela, who was called the mother of the gods. The creators of the world among the ancient Maya were the three gods - the gods Kucumats and Hurakan and the goddess Tepev. The ancient Greek goddess Hera - the wife of Zeus - often objected to him and even argued with him at the council of the gods. It ended with the angry thunderer threatening her with punishments and then she fell silent. She well remembered how once he subjected her to scourging, how he bound her with golden chains and hung her between heaven and earth, tying two heavy anvils to her feet. To think carefully about who is in charge in the house and how to behave as an exemplary wife.

As a rule, the gods are very rich, which is not surprising, since they have a lot of power. Already in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia, III millennium BC), all arable land belonged to God, while the king-priest was only a manager, a "tenant farmer", as he titled himself. But this land had to be cultivated, so thousands of people worked for God. For a very meager reward. The priests of this god inspired believers that working in the fields belonging to God is the fulfillment of religious duties foreordained by God himself. Therefore, it was not appropriate for them to grumble. True, for some reason they did not understand that this work was a great joy for them. Apparently, they were not very conscious then. God himself has no time
was to explain it to people.

Not much poorer than this god of Sumer was the god of another Sumerian city-state - Ur, the god of the Moon Nanna. He received not only a tenth of the entire harvest (this is where the church tithe comes from for Christians), but also the rent. Today, the richest god is the god of Muslims, Allah - he owns the whole world. And so that all the faithful do not forget about it, the Arabs of the Middle East usually knock out an inscription in Arabic on a stone slab above the front door of their house: “Property of God”. Interestingly, the other sovereign Gods do not dispute this. In accordance with the concepts of good and evil, there are good and evil gods. The good ones, for example, include the Indian Ashvins - the Ushas brothers. They dispose of honey, the nectar of life, as well as soma (an intoxicating drink). It is they who give honey to bees, treat gods and people with it. They love to help: they rescue the shipwrecked, return women to the lost ability to bear children, look for husbands for old maids. They also help the newlywed to enter her husband's house. The Japanese Ainu also have a division into good and evil gods.

The ancient Egyptians had the deity Hu personifying the will of God, his creative word. And the African Yoruba tribe until recently had the god Elegba, representing ... the wrath of their other god Fa. The gods of ancient Iran possessed “infested”, which can be understood as “charisma,” a kind of sacred essence, the possession of which gives good luck, power, the ability to master the minds of huge masses of people and
manage them. Khvarna was possessed, in particular, by the god Ahuramazda and the savior of the world Saoshyant. All the strength and power of the Indian god Shiva lies not so much in himself, but in his "Shakti" - spiritual energy that appears and manifests itself only under certain circumstances. Firstly, this energy accumulates in him during periods of ascetic vigils and contemplation. Secondly, the energy of shakti is closely intertwined with his male life-giving force. It is believed that the moment of connection of Shiva with his female half Parvati is the moment of multiple amplification of his energy.

Of particular interest are the so-called living gods. The living god, who assumed human form (God-Man), was Jesus Christ. But Christ is not the only living god. In Nepal (a state between India and China), the living goddess Kumari still lives today. This goddess of flesh and blood is represented as a little girl and is also, in fact, a god-man. She represents the hypostasis of the goddess Shakti, but only innocent, young, who has absorbed the hypostases of female deities. The girl, destined for the role of the goddess, is selected by the priests extremely strictly and meticulously. A three-year-old baby should have the build of a goddess and not have the slightest flaw. If at least one of the eighty external signs does not meet a firmly established standard, the candidate is not suitable. A girl claiming the title of a living goddess must, in the shortest possible time, learn to control herself and under no circumstances lose her presence of mind. Otherwise, great misfortune can be expected. She must supervise the felling of goat heads without shivering, spend the night in a dark basement filled with skeletons and dismembered corpses. If a girl becomes frightened or violates etiquette in any way, this may be considered an ominous sign.

The point here is that Kumari, who is considered the patroness of Nepal, is assigned, although nominal, but a very noticeable role in the life of the country. It is to her that the king of Nepal goes to the annual worship to ask her blessings to rule the country for the next year. The duties of a goddess are not too onerous. At half past six in the morning, she wakes up from sleep and immediately falls into the caring hands of the priests. After the prescribed, always the same breathing exercises and ritual washing, they begin the daily procedure of “opening the divine eye”. To do this, a wide sign in the form of a ritual billhook is applied to the forehead of the goddess with carmine, with the handle facing the bridge of the nose. Then they circle it around the contour with yellow paint and carefully draw a very realistic wide-open eye in the middle and lengthen the corners of the eyes given by nature with black ink. Further, in accordance with the instructions of astrologers, the priests decide what color of robe the Kumari will choose today. It is decorated with a precious crown, reminiscent of the old Russian kokoshnik, silver monists, heavy forged hryvnia, rings and bracelets. Most often, Kumari “prefers” to wear a scarlet dress, symbolizing the irresistible power of femininity, the female energy that controls the entire universe.

The goddess prepared in this way is seated in a special chair with a round foot and taken out to the waiting room. Here, sitting at the northern wall, like a bronze statue, she accepts sacrificial flowers and sweets, dispassionately listens to the sounds of the music entertaining her, without looking follows the whimsical figures of the dance, which the dancers perform especially for her. This is how day after day goes by. When the sun sets, the priests begin to prepare the goddess for bed. She is fumigated with incense, silver veils are removed, makeup is washed off.

Only once a year the little goddess has a holiday - the eight-day Indrajatra celebrations, in which Buddhists take an active part along with the Hindus. On this day, she is taken out to the noisy streets of the city filled with enthusiastic crowds. During this holiday, the goddess reveals herself to the people. For three days, she, together with the god Ganesha, makes a detour of the city they patronize. And all these days, the dancing that drives the electrified crowd to a frenzy continues. The king himself enters the square in order to bow before the eyes of the people before the mysterious power of a little girl, whose eye painted by the priests frightens like a curse. At this point, the celebration reaches its climax.

For a whole year, a lonely girl who has forgotten how to laugh and cry will remember the sweet moments of her celebration. Deprived of the company of peers, ignorant of games, she will patiently wait
next holiday. But one day it will all come to an end. Upon reaching the age of twelve, when, according to the priests, femininity awakens in her, she, having fallen asleep as a goddess, will wake up as an ordinary girl. Quietly and imperceptibly, she will leave the temple to return to her family, to try to learn how to live in human form. Entering a new role for her can be very difficult. Despite the significant dowry that she receives at parting, such girls are extremely reluctant to marry. And who wants to marry a goddess accustomed only to command. Therefore, her lot is often a lonely vegetative life, filled with dreams and memories of the former greatness ...

In addition to the living goddess, there are at least two living goddesses in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. One lives in Patala and the other lives in Bhaktapur. In addition to them, there are still living goddesses of local significance in the Kathmandu valley. No wonder this valley is often called the “Valley of the Gods”.

Where do the gods live?

According to some ideas, the first gods lived on Earth. So, the Sumerian gods, when they realized that the Earth is good, wanted to stay on it. They turned to the god Enlil with a request that he arrange a place where they could live together. And in the center of the earth disk (according to the Sumerians, the Earth was flat) Enlil built the city of Nippur, settling his brothers and sisters there. But he did not forget himself, his beloved, having built a high platform in the center of the city and erected on it a beautiful palace of lapis lazuli. The place where they settled, the Sumerian gods called the "blessed land" - "En-Eden". The ancient Jews, borrowing from the Sumerians (and not referring to them) the myth of the creation of the world, only slightly altered the name of this place, turning it into Eden, familiar to everyone, i.e. paradise. The ancient Egyptian god Ra, having completed the primary arrangement of the world of gods and people, settled on the sacred hill of Ben-Ben in Heliopolis (located in Egypt). At the same time, he spent his nights in a lotus flower, which he left at dawn and then hovered over the earth throughout the day.

The Chinese god Huang-di also lived on Earth. Having strengthened and established his power in the fight against other gods, he erected a majestic and beautiful palace for himself on Mount Kunlun. In this palace he spent his free time and had fun. The palace was surrounded by a jasper fence. On each side it had nine columns and nine gates, and inside the palace was surrounded by five walls and twelve towers. At the palace grew a rice ear in five spans. To the west of it grew two trees - pearl and jade. To the east of the spike grew the shatan tree and the langan tree. On the fuchang tree, which is next to the langan tree, the three-headed spirit Lizhu sat, whose three heads fell asleep and woke up in turn. Huang-di had one more palace on Mount Qinyashoan. To the northeast of this palace were the famous Hanging Gardens, located so high that they seemed to hang in the clouds. African gods also live on earth. So, the main god of the Kikuyu peoples
and Kamba Ngai lives on the mountains that he himself built: Mount Kenya, “Mountain of Big Rain” (in the east), “Mountain of Clear Sky” (in the south), “Mountain of Sleep or Secret Refuge” (in the west).

God Shiva lives on top of the crystal mountain. But the dwelling of the ancient German gods Asgard was at the top of a tree. Interestingly, this dwelling was erected by a certain giant, who was helped by ... a horse. World trees were chosen by the god of rain among the Maya Indians. Some gods prefer to live underground. Under the earth there was a great mountain, and in it - the underworld, which was ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal and her husband Nergal.

Although it’s good on earth, it’s still better to live in heaven more interesting. Therefore, most of the gods lived and live there. Even at the dawn of human civilization, in Mesopotamia, the gods of the city-state of Ur settled in heaven (about 2,330 years BC). The Greek gods - Zeus and the deities subordinate to him also lived not on Earth, but high above it - on the bright Olympus. Three beautiful Ores guarded the entrance to the high Olympus and raised a thick cloud covering the gates when the gods descended to earth or ascended to the bright halls of Zeus. High above Olympus, the blue sky stretched wide, from which golden light poured. In the kingdom of Zeus there was neither rain nor snow; there was always a bright, joyful summer. The gods feasted in the golden palaces built by the son of Zeus Hephaestus. Zeus himself sat on a high golden throne.

At his throne were the goddess of peace Eirene and the constant companion of Zeus, the winged goddess of victory Nike. In addition to the palaces located above the ground, the Greek and Roman gods at times lived in special houses specially built for them by believers - temples. Believers came there to turn to them with prayers and thank them for the services rendered to them. But the palace of the great brother Zeus, the shaker of the earth, the god Poseidon, was deep in the abyss of the sea. His beautiful wife Amphitrite lived with him. The gods of India also live in the heavenly realm. Indra has his thousand-gate city of Amaravati, full of gold and precious stones. Gardens are eternally blooming there, and neither cold nor thirst oppresses the inhabitants of the heavenly city. They know neither old age, nor ailments, nor fear. Their eyes are delighted with dances by beautiful dancers - Ansar. In addition, they also have a dwelling on the top of Himawat (Himalayas). The Aztec gods Ometekutli and Omesihuatl also lived in the uppermost heavens - a divine couple that gave birth to gods and people.

Some gods choose not just heaven, but clouds as their residence. In the clouds, in a huge shining copper palace, the god of the African Yoruba tribe Shango lives. The gods of ancient Sumer, who lived constantly in heaven, sometimes showed mercy to people and descended from heaven to their earthly temples.

They were especially fond of "high" temples on platforms, called ziggurats. At the same time, they also lived in the "lower" temples in the form of their statues. The Indian god Krishna, on the one hand, always resides in his abode, on the other hand, he is omnipresent (Bhagavad Gita 8:22). And since he is omnipresent, he also resides in the heart of every believer (Bhagavad-gita 18:61). Like people, the ancient gods also lived in houses (palaces). Having defeated his father, the Indian god Indra rebuilt the whole world. He arranged this world like a house: it stands on four pillars, and from above it is covered with a roof-sky. The house has two doors. In the morning the sun enters through the east door, wide open. In the evening, caring Indra opens the western door for a moment to let out the sun leaving for the night. During the day it does a lot of work and gets very tired, and therefore wants to sleep.

Judging by the Old Testament, the god Yahweh-Sabaoth initially did not have a definite place of residence at all, until he came up with a wonderful idea to create our material world. Why he needed it - no one knows. Maybe he doesn't know it himself. Anyway, the Bible says nothing about it. Judging by the description of this creation, the wise and all-knowing Yahweh did not even suspect that this world would turn out to be so good (“And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:10). And when he created the light, he was even more surprised and even rejoiced. It turned out that life is better with light (“And God saw the light that it was good” Genesis 1:4). The thought creeps in that poor Yahweh lived for billions of years ... without light, in complete, even pitch darkness. And he had neither a torch nor a flashlight. He had no idea that life would be better with light. One has only to wonder how the Jews call such a god all-knowing and all-wise? ...

Although Yahweh created the world, he was in no hurry to determine his location in it (and, therefore, arrange his life). It is not known how long this would last, but then shrewd and intelligent Jews worshiping him intervened in his life, who provided him with permanent housing in the "ark of the covenant", which was kept during their nomadic life in a special tent, which was placed in various safe places (so that wild animals did not disturb the peace of the omnipotent and omnipotent God - the creator of the whole world). Later, the Jewish king Solomon in 953 B.C. built a magnificent temple for his god. However, due to the fact that Jehovah was accustomed to a nomadic life, he was not seduced by this temple and did not choose it as his place of permanent residence. At the same time, so that the Jews would not be offended by him, Jehovah announced that this temple abides ... his name (1 Kings 8:16).

In 586 BC due to an oversight of the Jewish God, this wonderful temple was destroyed by strangers (apparently, Jehovah at that time was doing some very important things or was in other worlds),
but the Jews restored it. When in 70 AD. the temple was destroyed again (this time by the Romans), the Jews did not rebuild it. And although almost 2 thousand years have passed since this destruction, and for almost 60 years the Jews have been living in their state, it has not yet been restored. As a result, the Jews have to pray to their god in buildings that to some extent replace the Temple - synagogues (synagogue - Greek - "house of assembly"). And the patient Yahweh is still waiting for the Jews to come to their senses and finally restore the Temple to him. The case in religions, of course, is unique and paradoxical: the god of the Jewish people, who, according to the teachings of Judaism, created the whole world and chose this people as the object of his love from all the peoples of the world, has not had his own home (temple) for two thousand years. How he must love his people, that he has not yet been offended and punished them for such inattention and disrespect for himself! Another god would have cruelly avenged his people for such neglect of himself!

Instead of restoring the Temple to their god, the Jews are waiting for the messenger of their God - the messiah (not the one who, according to the teachings of Christians, will come to earth a second time and whom they call Jesus Christ, but the real messiah!), Who, as they believe, will restore them Temple. Like, Yahweh allowed the destruction of the Temple, let him restore it himself or with the help of his messenger.

However, judging by the fact that none of the great and small gods have ever built or rebuilt their own temples (!), the Jews are wasting their time and not rebuilding the Temple, which was destroyed through their own fault (the Temple was destroyed by the Romans, because Jews turned it into a fortress and the center of the uprising). Today, the Jews have everything to restore the Temple - the money of the richest people on the planet, the most modern construction equipment, architects, engineers and labor. And there is no need to restore the Temple on the Temple Mount, where it used to be and where today there are as many as two Muslim mosques - Kubbat al-Sahra (Rock Dome) and Masjid al-Aqsa (Far Mosque). There is enough space in Jerusalem itself for the construction of the Temple. For Yahweh, the main thing is that he again has his own Temple, and in what place of Jerusalem he will stand is not so important. Indeed, according to the teachings of the Jews, their God is not only the creator, but also the owner of the whole earth!

Believers can communicate with their gods (god) and in the fresh air - in the forest, on the mountain, in the field. The ancient Aryans chose an elevated place to meet with the gods, on which they spread sacrificial straw. The gods were invited to sit on it. Among the ancient Slavs, most of the sacred places of worship were of a temporary nature - for one holiday, for one season, for one year. This was connected not so much with the nomadic or semi-nomadic way of life, but with the belief in a one-time visit to this place by God. Then they began to build temples (from the Old Slavonic “drop” - an idol; “to accumulate” - to gather) and trebishche (“treba” - sacrifice and sacrifice). Initially, the ancient gods met with their worshipers in the open air. But later they realized that they deserved more comfortable conditions and ordered the construction of buildings for themselves - first towers, and then special temple houses that became their dwellings. But the relatively new gods (Christ and Allah) do not permanently live in their houses-temples, but settle temporarily or visit them only occasionally. The gods are very fond of when they have their own house in every city, village and village, where they can look and even stop for a while - to relax and stay for a while.

If the old gods had only a few of their houses, or even one at all, then modern gods, for example, Jesus Christ, have hundreds of thousands of such houses-temples scattered across many countries and continents and having a wide variety of forms. Which one does he live in?

The question is very complicated: after all, if he settles in one of them, then the priests and believers of other temples will be offended. And if he moves from temple to temple, then a schedule of his stay in different churches should be drawn up. But there is no such schedule! The way out of this difficult situation is for God to be present in all of them at once. In the time of John Chrysostom, it was believed: "God himself is invisibly present in the temple." Preacher John of Kronstadt, highly revered in the Russian Orthodox Church, agreed with this: “When you go to church, remember that you are in the living presence of the Lord God, you are standing before His face, before His eyes, in the living presence of the Mother of God.” From these words, which every Orthodox Christian must believe, it follows that Christ is present simultaneously in all churches. How he manages to do this no one knows, because. it is a great secret. Naturally, God.

It is on the authority of these people that the conviction rests that in every temple they can talk with their God. After all, the very word “church” (in Greek “kurioke”) means “the house of the Lord”, i.e. the house where God lives. But even if he is not there now (he has gone away, for example, somewhere on his Godly business), he will still hear all the prayers addressed to him. That's what the clergy say. And although they cannot know this for sure (after all, God himself does not communicate with them), at the same time they cannot say that God is not in this temple. Otherwise, people will not come there and buy candles and trebs, which means that the priest will not have money to maintain this temple, and he will have nothing to live on!

Of course, it is possible, as Protestants, to say that Christ is present in all temples at the same time because He is everywhere in space and time. But if you take the point of view of the main part of Christians - Catholics and Orthodox, then such a view is heretical. At the same time, they do not have their own explanation of how God manages to be in all the churches at the same time. If we accept the point of view of the Protestants that God is everywhere at the same time in time and space, then you can communicate with him anywhere.

From this follows a very unpleasant conclusion for Catholics and Orthodox that there is no need to build special houses-temples for God. And if the Protestants are consistent, it will turn out that the buildings where they gather, they should not call temples and churches, not houses of prayer, but only assembly halls or, as Jehovah's Witnesses call them, "Kingdom Halls." It turns out that the construction of temples and churches is necessary only for the clergy and clergy ...

The Islamic god Allah also does not live in a mosque. A mosque (in Arabic “masjid”) is “a place where prostrations are made”, i.e. This is the place where they pray to God. And although Allah is not in the mosque, all the prayers addressed to him mysteriously reach him.

Of course, the gods accept prayers to them, read in other places (at home, in the field, on the road, etc.), but they prefer that they be said in these prayer houses - churches, kirchs, mosques, synagogues. The gods, especially the creator gods, could themselves create temples for themselves, but they apparently have no time to do this or are simply too lazy. Therefore, they are waiting for the believers to build these temples. And believers, especially those in power, who can spend not only (and not so much) their personal, but also state money on the construction of temples, build a large number of temples in order to earn God's mercy - to go to heaven, even if they themselves understand that they deserve not heaven and hell. So, the Jewish king Solomon, popular among Jews and Christians, for the construction of the temple of Yahweh for many years, by agreement with the Phoenician king Hiram, transported gold to Israel - about 20 tons per year, which was intended for the construction of this temple. For this, he gave Hiram, as it says in the Old Testament, “20 cities in the land of Galilee” (1 Kings 9:11).

Large churches (temples) among Christians (Catholics and Orthodox) are called cathedrals. Believers of each religion themselves determine the architecture and decoration of their church - from very simple, nondescript buildings, almost sheds, to luxurious palaces that can accommodate thousands of parishioners. An example of the latter are temples dedicated to the Indian god Vishnu and St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The huge still unfinished Sagrada Familia Church (Sagrada familia) in Barcelona (Spain) is very interesting. Until 1990, the largest Christian cathedral in the world was St. Peter's in Rome. And in 1990, it was surpassed by the cathedral in the city of Yamoussoukro, the capital of the African state of Côte d'Ivoire. It covers an area of 22.067 sq. meters, its height is 189 m, length without portico - 186.4 m, and with portico - 211.5 m.

Why are such large temples being built? It turns out that not at all because to gather as many believers as possible! For example, cathedrals built at the beginning of the 4th century in Trier (Germany) and Geneva (Switzerland) occupied vast tracts of land, although they were attended by relatively few parishioners. In XI, the huge cathedral in the city of Speyer would not have filled even all the inhabitants of this city. The huge size of the cathedrals and the splendor of their decoration only testify to the fact that the customers who ordered their construction are not driven by religious feelings. The impelling force is often the pride and vanity of the bishop or abbot, who encouraged the construction of the cathedral. “We will build a cathedral so huge that at the sight of it people will consider us mad,” said a Spanish clergyman in Seville in 1402. Even today, the cathedral in Seville is considered the second largest in the world. “Perhaps,” writes the Jehovah’s Witness magazine Awake! (June 8, 2001), “cathedrals glorify the people who built them, but not God.”

The decoration of prayer houses can be either very modest and simple, as, for example, in Islamic mosques, Jewish synagogues, Protestant prayer halls, or very rich, even luxurious, as in Catholic and Orthodox churches: the walls are decorated with icons and paintings on biblical themes. and the ceiling is covered with paintings. In Orthodox churches, the altar is separated from the main part of the room by a special wall consisting of icons - the iconostasis. In Catholic and Protestant churches, believers can communicate with God while sitting, but in Orthodox churches, as a rule, only standing, sometimes on their knees or prostrate on the floor. On their knees turn to Allah and the Mohammedans.

The fact that already in ancient times people built a large number of temples to the gods is evidenced by excavations in Babylon. One of the inscriptions on a clay tablet says that there were 53 temples of great gods, 55 sanctuaries of the god Marduk, 300 sanctuaries of earthly and 600 celestial deities, 180 altars of the glorious goddess Ishtar, 180 altars of the goddesses Nergal and Adadi and 12 other altars! These excavations confirmed that the inhabitants of Babylon loved (or rather feared) their gods so much that they devoted most of their vital and creative forces to the construction of these religious buildings. Churches (temples) are small and large. An example of a small church is the architectural miracle - the Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. The largest Christian church is the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome, which can accommodate several tens of thousands of worshipers. Muslims do not lag behind Christians - for example, the mosque of Sultan Suleiman in Istanbul can accommodate up to 10 thousand people.

Usually a separate temple is dedicated to each god. For example, the temple of Vesta or Saturn in Rome. However, there are temples dedicated to all the gods at once. For example, built in 27 BC. Mark Agrippa Pantheon, in which there were statues of many gods. The Pantheon is the greatest ancient domed structure that has survived to this day almost unchanged. And now there are temples in which believers can pray to several gods at once - Christ, Allah and Yahweh. The number of temples of the gods is different - from one, as, for example, in the past with the god Jehovah-Yahweh, to tens and even hundreds of thousands - with Christ and Allah. In Russia alone, by the beginning of 1917, there were about 78,000 Orthodox churches, prayer houses, and chapels alone.

In recent decades, given that believers are not very willing to attend temples, in Western countries, especially in the United States, the so-called “electronic churches” are becoming more widespread. They are radio and television broadcasts, as well as computer programs that believers can use wherever they are - at home, at work, on vacation, while traveling. “Electronic churches” offer believers Christian news, all kinds of Christian dialogue performances, religious cartoons, games and puzzles of religious content. Interestingly, God himself, as before, does not seek to take advantage of new opportunities to communicate with his believers. Apparently he is not up to it, he is very busy ... But what?

The life of the gods, their behavior and occupations

Nothing human is alien to the gods - like people, they work, rest, walk, eat, drink, sleep and even dream. Many human traits are inherent in them: they fall into anger, are not free from envy, can be sad and rejoice. The gods are very proud of their position and therefore very vain. So, the Sumerian god Enki - the god of water and wisdom -
he loved to sing of himself, his high position in the hierarchy of the gods, his temple of the Abzu and, of course, his many good deeds. First of all, the laws he created that govern the world. He boasted that he introduced arable farming and that he appointed the god Enkidu to look after the plowing implements. He was proud of having built bins for storing grain, transferring supervision of them to the goddess Ashnan, as well as the invention of a hoe and a mold for making bricks. Being consistent in everything, he instructed the god of bricks Kull to look after the manufacture of bricks. Allah is very proud of himself and his deeds, therefore in the Qur'an he calls himself “We”.

The gods are also not alien to the habits and customs of people. So, after the victory and accession in the palace, the victorious god rebuilt his palace in accordance with his tastes. For example, the Ugaritian god Baal, after defeating the god of the seas and rivers Yam-Nahar, despite a quite decent palace (made of brick and cedar), considered that his house was worse than that of the other gods and decided to replace it with a luxurious palace, which he built from gold, silver and lapis lazuli. In honor of any success - victory over the enemy, the completion of the construction of the palace, the birth of a child - the gods arranged holidays-feasts. They always loved to eat, they ate with taste and a lot. Given the colossal size of the stomach, it was very difficult to feed them. So, the Indian god Indra had two stomachs, huge as lakes. .You can imagine how much he had to eat in order to get enough ... After the death of the god Baal, a feast was arranged, for which 60 bulls, 60 goats and 60 roe deer were killed. Like people, the gods are very fond of celebrating birthdays. Judging by the myths, the gods lived especially well in antiquity.

The ancient Greek gods spent most of their time in feasts. The daughter of Zeus, the young Hebe and the son of the king of Troy, Ganymede, brought them ambrosia and nectar - the food and drink of the Greek gods. Beautiful charites (grace) and muses delighted them with singing and dancing. Holding hands, they danced, and the gods admired their light movements and wondrous, eternally youthful beauty. These gods, like people, loved to eat well, drink, including good wine, dance, listen to music. People in those days had not yet invented radio, television and the recording of musical works on video cassettes and compact discs. And since the gods were in no hurry to give people the fruits of civilization, various convenient inventions, they themselves (apparently out of modesty) did not use them either. Therefore, they had to listen only to “live” music, that is, concerts of musicians who performed in front of them. But it also had its positive side: under the "plywood" the musicians never performed in front of them. But at their feasts, the gods not only had fun - at them they decided at the same time all important matters, determined the fate of the world and people.

In the past, the gods loved to show their strength, to make war, to take part in battles. During hostilities, the gods, like ordinary people, could be captured. Thus, the Babylonian god Marduk spent 21 years in Assyrian captivity - from 689 to 668 BC. Although the gods loved to have fun, they did not shy away from work and crafts. Thus, the Ugaritic god of crafts Kotar-i-Khasis produced magnificent works of applied art.

The life of some gods is painted literally by the minute. So, in one of the Hare Krishna sects in India, in the state of Rajasthan, until recently, eight ceremonies were held during the day, during which the god Krishna was awakened, dressed, sang about how he leads a herd of cows to pasture, then "fed", provided him daytime rest, woke up again, "fed" again, sang about how he drives the cows home, after which they put him to bed for the night. In another place in India - in the town of Pazhani (southern India), the popular and highly respected Tamil god Muragan is still taken daily (!) For an evening walk. He rides on a chariot - a tower, about five meters high, placed on a four-wheeled platform. God himself is represented by a statue of a young man with a spear in his hand, sitting on a peacock. They drag the chariot, grabbing the ropes, about three dozen people. Behind the chariot, several young men are dragging a large generator that provides electricity to the illumination arranged in honor of the god.

And here is the daily routine of another Indian god - Vithoba. Every day, the badwe (the priestly clan that sends all services to Vithobe) performs five obligatory ritual ceremonies - at dawn, in the morning, at noon, in the evening and at night. The stone statue of Vithoba, which for most believers is only a symbol for prayerful concentration, is gently awakened, washed, anointed, dressed and decorated (at the same time, special priests “dingra” bring Vithoba a mirror so that he can appreciate the efforts of the priests), they feed and lay down to rest. Many times a day, Vithoba participates in prayers - pujas. The purpose of the puja may be the fulfillment of a vow, the propitiation of a deity, the acquisition of virtues or prasadam - food overshadowed by a divine touch. During the puja, chants are constantly heard, and the object of worship is repeatedly washed in five “sweet nectars” - milk, honey, sugar syrup, curdled milk and ghee.

Some gods of antiquity were at the same time kings on earth. Thus, the god Set was the king of Upper Egypt, and Horus was the king of Lower Egypt. Horus then took control of both Egyptian kingdoms. A very good ruler of the city-state of Ur was the god Enki. He constantly took care of its prosperity and superiority over other cities. To begin with, he filled the Tigris River with fresh, sparkling and life-giving water.

To ensure the proper operation of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, he appointed the god Enbilulu, the “supervisor of the canals,” to supervise them. He also created the life-giving rain, made it fall to the ground (what a caring one!) and appointed Ishkur, the god of the storm, to oversee it. He invented the plow, the yoke, and the harrow to till the land, and had the god Enkidu look after them. He did not forget about the houses and, in particular, about the bricks from which they are built. And he appointed the god Mushdamma as the chief architect (“great builder”).

And yet the life of most gods is far from being as easy and pleasant as it might seem. They have not only friends, but also enemies. So, the Egyptian god Ra had such an enemy as the serpent Apep - also, of course, a god. It was a very malevolent giant serpent, which not only bothered Ra during his stay on earth, but even wanted to overthrow and destroy the solar deity. The fight with him lasted a whole day from sunrise to sunset, and Apophis, although he was defeated, managed to survive and hide in the underworld, where since then he has been attacking the boat of Ra every night.

In infancy, the god Krishna was tried to be killed by the smallpox goddess Putan'a (not to be confused with a good woman - a walking woman), who offered the baby god a breast full of poison. But Krishna, despite his young age, as befits the great gods, did not let himself be offended: he sucked out all the contents of the chest of the killer goddess and the withered Putana died. Krishna's troubles did not end there. Seeing Krishna in the cradle, the demon Shaktasura descended from heaven to kill the child. But the young god dealt with him, turning him into dust with a kick. But the intrigues of forces hostile to Krishna did not end there either - many more times he had to fight with the asuras, who took the form of angry animals - elephants, bulls, horses, donkeys and snakes. In Mahabhbrata 10 there is a long list of duels and fights of all kinds, in which Krishna was always victorious. Once he had to fight with a very unusual opponent - his own double, who appropriated his name.

As for the occupations of such great gods as Sabaoth-Yahweh, Allah and Jesus Christ, practically nothing is known about them. According to the Koran, Allah is awake all the time (“... neither slumber nor sleep takes possession of him.” Sura 2, ayat 256). But what he fills his precious time with is unknown. In any case, he does not tell his followers this, and the believers themselves do not dare to ask - it's scary, but what if he doesn't like it and he gets angry. Great, single-ruling gods communicated with people only in the distant past. They have not communicated with people for a long time and do not make themselves felt.

As it is clear from the Bible, Sabaoth-Yahweh worked very hard on the creation of the world - for 6 whole days and therefore was very tired. After all, he created the world (ie the Earth) and everything that inhabits it with the help of the word. How many words did he have to utter in order to create all the flora and fauna! Then he began to rest and, apparently, has been doing this pleasant pastime until now. In any case, he does not interfere in human affairs. Saving their God from criticism, Christian theologians and clergy came up with a special explanation for his behavior: God, they say, gave people freedom. From this freedom, God himself benefited the most - from now on he does not have to take care of anyone, and people themselves are to blame for all their troubles - they abused their freedom: they behaved badly or unreasonably and sinned a lot! Yes, and the earthly, as well as the cosmic problems of the Christian God are hardly interested.

Jesus Christ in his human form, judging by the Gospels, worked hard to spread his teachings. But after the crucifixion, followed by the ascension to heaven and return to his “uncreated” state, he also does not really bother himself with the problems of people. Whatever qualities and talents the gods of different peoples do not possess, but only Indian ones can reach the state of nirvana.

Answer from Konstantin Simferopol[guru]
God is everything in everything.

Answer from 2 answers[guru]

Hey! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: How many gods are there in the world?

Answer from Ludmila German[active]
Jesus spoke of his Father as "the only true God" (John 17:3). And God himself said, "There is no God besides me" (Isaiah 44:6).

Answer from LIFE SYMPHONY[guru]
Many and all are fake ... there is no mercy and care for children in anyone ...

Answer from Sarah Abraham[newbie]
The living God is one .... the Bible shows many idols ... (Ephesians 6-4, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all ...)

Answer from rain rain[newbie]
One

Answer from [guru]
There is only one true God in the whole Universe - Jehovah.

Answer from Marina[guru]
The Hebrew words that translate as "God" indicate strength as well as majesty, dignity, and superiority. In contrast to the true God, there are false gods. Some of them made themselves gods, others were made objects of worship by people who revere them.
Jesus spoke of his Father as "the only true God" (John 17:3). And Jehovah himself said: “There is no God besides me.”—Isaiah 44:6. The apostle Paul wrote that for true Christians, “there is but one God, the Father” (1 Corinthians 8:5, 6). No one and nothing can compare with Jehovah: he occupies the highest position. Idols, deified people, Satan are nothing compared to him. They are all false gods. On the link site you can find answers to the most important questions regarding our Creator, our relationship with him and the near future.

Answer from Yoman[guru]
Lot

Answer from Yoitka Charlie[expert]
Damn and a lot.

Answer from ALYONA W***[guru]
In Isaiah 44:6, God rightly calls himself the only almighty God: "I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no God." And people did not invent many useless gods that the True God does not approve of!

Answer from Michelle[guru]
Hindus have 330 million gods. But these are all invented by demons who want to worship themselves. And there is only one Creator.

The life of the ancient Greek gods on Mount Olympus seemed to people a continuous fun and a daily holiday. Myths and legends of those times are a storehouse of philosophical and cultural knowledge. Having considered the list of the gods of Ancient Greece, you can plunge into a completely different world. Mythology surprises with its uniqueness, it is important because it pushed humanity to the development and emergence of many sciences, such as mathematics, astronomy, rhetoric, and logic.

First generation

Initially, there was Mist, and Chaos arose from it. From their union came Erebus (darkness), Nikta (night), Uranus (sky), Eros (love), Gaia (earth) and Tartarus (abyss). All of them played a gigantic role in the formation of the pantheon. All other deities are related to them in one way or another.

Gaia is one of the first deities on earth, which arose along with the sky, sea and air. She is the great mother of everything on earth: heavenly gods were born from her union with her son Uranus (heaven), sea gods from Pontos (sea), giants from Tartaros (hell), and mortal beings were created from her flesh. Depicted as a fat woman, half rising from the ground. We can assume that it was she who came up with all the names of the gods of Ancient Greece, a list of which can be found below.

Uranus is one of the primeval gods of Ancient Greece. He was the original ruler of the universe. He was overthrown by his son Kronos. Born to one Gaia, was also her husband. Some sources call his father Akmon. Uranus was depicted as a bronze dome covering the world.

List of the gods of Ancient Greece, born by Uranus and Gaia: Oceanus, Kous, Hyperion, Crius, Thea, Rhea, Themis, Iapetus, Mnemosyne, Tethys, Kronos, Cyclopes, Brontes, Steropes.

Uranus did not feel much love for his children, more precisely, he hated them. And after their birth he imprisoned them in Tartarus. But during their rebellion he was defeated and castrated by his son Kronos.

Second generation

The Titans, born of Uranus and Gaia, were the six gods of time. The list of titans of ancient Greece includes:

Ocean - tops the list of gods of Ancient Greece, titanium. It was a large river surrounding the earth, was the reservoir of all fresh water. Oceanus' wife was his sister, the titanide Tethys. Their union gave birth to rivers, streams and thousands of oceanids. They did not take part in the Titanomachy. The ocean was depicted as a horned bull with a fish tail instead of legs.

Kay (Koy/Keos) - Phoebe's brother and husband. Their union gave birth to Leto and Asteria. Depicted in the form of a celestial axis. It was around her that the clouds revolved and Helios and Selena walked across the sky. The couple were thrown by Zeus into Tartarus.

Kriy (Krios) - an ice titan that can freeze all living things. He shared the fate of his brothers and sisters, thrown into Tartarus.

Iapetus (Iapetus / Iapetus) - the most eloquent, commanded the titans during the attack on the gods. Also sent by Zeus to Tartarus.

Hyperion - lived on the island of Trinacria. He did not take part in the Titanomachy. The wife was the titinide Thea (she was thrown into Tartarus along with her brothers and sisters).

Kronos (Chronos/Kronus) is the temporary ruler of the world. He was so afraid of losing the power of the supreme god that he devoured his children so that none of them would claim the throne of the ruler. He was married to his sister Rhea. She managed to save one child and hide him from Kronos. Deposed by his only rescued heir, Zeus, and sent to Tartarus.

Closer to people

The next generation is the most famous. They are the main gods of Ancient Greece. The list of their exploits, adventures and legends with their participation is very impressive.

They not only became closer to people, descending from heaven and emerging from chaos to the top of the mountain. The gods of the third generation began to contact people more often and more willingly.

This was especially boasted by Zeus, who was very partial to earthly women. And the presence of the divine wife Hera did not bother him at all. It was from his union with a man that the familiar hero of myths, Hercules, was born.

third generation

These gods lived on Mount Olympus. From its name they got their title. There are 12 gods of Ancient Greece, the list of which is known to almost everyone. All of them performed their functions and were endowed with unique talents.

But more often they talk about fourteen gods, the first six of which were the children of Kronos and Rhea:

Zeus - the main god of Olympus, the ruler of the sky, personified power and strength. God of lightning, thunder and creator of people. The main attributes of this god were: Aegis (shield), Labrys (double-sided ax), Zeus' lightning (two-pointed pitchfork with notches) and an eagle. Distributed good and evil. Was in alliance with several women:

Metis - the first wife, the goddess of wisdom, was swallowed by her husband;
Themis - the goddess of justice, the second wife of Zeus;
Hera - the last wife, the goddess of marriage, was the sister of Zeus.

Poseidon is the god of rivers, floods, seas, drought, horses and earthquakes. His attributes were: a trident, a dolphin and a chariot with white-maned horses. Wife - Amphitrite.

Demeter is the mother of Persephone, the sister of Zeus and his lover. She is the goddess of fertility and patronizes farmers. Demeter's attribute is a wreath of ears of corn.

Hestia is the sister of Demeter, Zeus, Hades, Hera and Poseidon. The patroness of the sacrificial fire and the family hearth. I took a vow of chastity. The main attribute was a torch.

Hades is the ruler of the underworld of the dead. Husband of Persephone (goddess of fertility and queen of the kingdom of the dead). The attributes of Hades were a bident or a wand. Depicted with an underground monster Cerberus - a three-headed dog, who stood guard at the entrance to Tartarus.

Hera is the sister and wife of Zeus. The most powerful and wise goddess of Olympus. She was the patroness of family and marriage. A mandatory attribute of Hera is a diadem. This decoration is a symbol of the fact that she is the main one on Olympus. She obeyed (sometimes reluctantly) all the main gods of ancient Greece, the list of which she headed.

Other Olympians

Although these gods did not have such powerful parents, almost all of them were born from Zeus. Each of them was talented in their own way. And he did his job well.

Ares is the son of Hera and Zeus. God of battles, war and masculinity. He was a lover, then the husband of the goddess Aphrodite. Ares' companions were Eris (goddess of discord) and Enyo (goddess of violent war). The main attributes were: a helmet, a sword, dogs, a burning torch and a shield.

Apollo - the son of Zeus and Leto, was the twin brother of Artemis. The god of light, the leader of the muses, the god of medicine and the predictor of the future. Apollo was very loving, he had many mistresses and lovers. The attributes were: a laurel wreath, a chariot, a bow with arrows and a golden lyre.

Hermes is the son of Zeus and the Pleiades Maya or Persephone. God of trade, eloquence, dexterity, intelligence, animal husbandry and roads. Patron of athletes, merchants, artisans, shepherds, travelers, ambassadors and thieves. He is the personal messenger of Zeus and the escort of the dead to the kingdom of Hades. He taught people writing, trade and accounting. Attributes: winged sandals that allow him to fly, an invisibility helmet, a caduceus (a wand adorned with two intertwined snakes).

Hephaestus is the son of Hera and Zeus. God of blacksmithing and fire. He limped on both legs. Wives of Hephaestus - Aphrodite and Aglaya. The attributes of the god were: bellows, tongs, a chariot and a pilos.

Dionysus is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman Semele. God of vineyards and winemaking, inspiration and ecstasy. Theater patron. He was married to Ariadne. Attributes of God: a cup of wine, a vine wreath and a chariot.

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and the goddess Leto, the twin sister of Apollo. The young goddess is a huntress. Being the first to be born, she helped her mother give birth to Apollo. Chaste. Attributes of Artemis: doe, quiver with arrows and chariot.

Demeter is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Mother of Persephone (wife of Hades), sister of Zeus and his lover. Goddess of agriculture and fertility. Demeter's attribute is a wreath of ears.

Athena, the daughter of Zeus, completes our list of the gods of Ancient Greece. She was born from his head after he swallowed her mother Themis. Goddess of war, wisdom and craft. Patroness of the Greek city of Athens. Her attributes were: a shield with the image of the Gorgon Medusa, an owl, a snake and a spear.

Born in foam?

I want to talk about the next goddess separately. She is not only to this day a symbol of female beauty. In addition, the history of its origin is hidden in mystery.

There is a lot of controversy and speculation about the birth of Aphrodite. The first version: the goddess was born from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed foam. The second version: Aphrodite originated from a sea shell. The third hypothesis: she is the daughter of Dione and Zeus.

This goddess was in charge of beauty and love. Spouses: Ares and Hephaestus. Attributes: chariot, apple, rose, mirror and dove.

How they lived on the great Olympus

All the Olympic gods of Ancient Greece, the list of which you see above, had the right to live and spend all their free time from miracles on the great mountain. The relationship between them was not always rosy, but few of them dared to open hostility, knowing the power of their opponent.

Even among the great divine beings, there was no permanent peace. But everything was decided by intrigues, secret conspiracies and betrayals. It is very similar to the human world. And this is understandable, because humanity was created by the gods, so they all look like us.

Gods who do not live on Mount Olympus

Not all deities had a chance to reach such heights and climb Mount Olympus to rule the world there, feasting and having fun. Many other gods either failed to deserve such a high honor, or were modest and content with an ordinary life. If, of course, you can call the existence of a deity that way. In addition to the Olympic gods, there were other gods of Ancient Greece, a list of their names is here:

Hymen is the god of marriage bonds (the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope).
Nike is the goddess of victory (daughter of Styx and the titan Pallas).
Irida is the goddess of the rainbow (daughter of the sea god Tawmant and the oceanid Electra).
Ata is the goddess of obscuration of the mind (daughter of Zeus).
Apata is the mistress of lies (heiress of the goddess of night darkness Nyukta).
Morpheus is the god of dreams (the son of the lord of dreams Hypnos).
Phobos - the god of fear (a descendant of Aphrodite and Ares).
Deimos - the lord of horror (the son of Ares and Aphrodite).
Ora - the goddess of the seasons (daughters of Zeus and Themis).
Eol - the demigod of the winds (the heir of Poseidon and Arna).
Hekate is the mistress of darkness and all monsters (the result of the union of the titan Perse and Asteria).
Thanatos is the god of death (son of Erebus and Nyukta).
Erinyes - goddesses of revenge (daughters of Erebus and Nyukta).
Pontus is the ruler of the inland sea (heir to Ether and Gaia).
Moira - the goddess of fate (daughter of Zeus and Themis).

These are not all the gods of Ancient Greece, the list of which can be continued even further. But to get acquainted with the main myths and legends, it is enough to know only these characters. If you want to read more stories about each, we are sure that the ancient storytellers came up with a lot of interweaving of their destinies and details of the divine life, in which you will gradually get to know more and more new heroes.

Meaning of Greek mythology

There were also muses, nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, heroes, cyclops, giants and monsters. This whole vast world was not invented in one day. Myths and legends have been written for decades, with each retelling acquiring other details and characters that have never been seen before. All the new gods of ancient Greece appeared, the list of names of which grew from one storyteller to another.

The main goal of these stories was to teach future generations the wisdom of the elders, to tell in an understandable language about good and evil, about honor and cowardice, about loyalty and lies. And besides, such a huge pantheon made it possible to explain almost any natural phenomenon, the scientific justification of which was not yet available.

Where do the gods live?

The life of the gods, their behavior and occupations