We have already read about the ancient greek people and heroes of greek. The ancient Greeks were a pretty weird bunch. They believed in monsters with many heads and gods with goat legs and snake tails. There are a lot of gods and goddesses in greek mythology.

The Greeks called the sky and weather gods “Theoi Ouranioi” or “Theoi Meteoroi”. Zeus and Hera, the king and queen of heaven, were under their authority of them.  Among these characters are various greek gods of the skies who play an essential role in these famous stories. 

From omnipotent beings who control thunder and lightning to a trio of sisters who can see into the future to snakes who can see into the future, many characters in these famous tales exist. This article explores the top 11 mythological sky gods and goddesses from Greek myths.

Eos – God of the morning sky

Eos is the Greek goddess of the dawn and the sister and lover of both Helios and Aphrodite. She is not known for being kind or helpful in these famous tales. She is the one who rises daily in the east to bring light to the world.  Eos was the beautiful goddess of the sky greek who flew through the sky on a winged chariot drawn by winged horses. She is also mentioned several times throughout one of the most famous Greek myths. This myth is about a hero named Heracles. He was tasked with collecting the dangerous and poisonous apples of the Hesperides. 

Eos plays a vital role in this story. She is the one who helped Heracles travel to the garden of the Hesperides by giving him a sack that would make him fall asleep. This would allow him to travel to the garden at night. When the apples were ripe, it was then being able to have the sack made him fall asleep. So that he could travel back to his kingdom before the apples were ready to be picked the next night.

Zeus – King of gods and goddesses of greek mythology

Zeus is the king of the gods and master of the skies. He was the deity of storms, lightning, rain, clouds, and many more.

As you have read in the previous article, the greek god Zeus played a leading role and ruled over the Greek Olympian pantheon. He was a prominent figure in many of the heroes’ local cults and the father of several.

Though the “cloud collector” was the god of the sky and thunder like his Near-Eastern counterparts, he was also the peak cultural artifact. In some ways, he represented Greek religious ideals and the classic Greek deity.

Helios – Greek God of the sky

HELIOS is the sun god in greek mythology. He is the son of the Titan Perses and the Oceanid, Asteria. While not much is known about Helios, he is one of the essential characters in the famous myth about his brother, Phaethon. Eos, the goddess of the dawn, is also Helios’s sister. Phaethon is the son of the goddess Aphrodite. 

When Phaethon took control of his brother’s chariot and tried to make the sun rise in the west, it almost caused an apocalypse. Zeus had to intervene and either kill Phaethon or send him falling from the sky

Perseus – the slayer of the Gorgon Medusa

PERSEUS was the god Zeus and the mortal woman Danae’s son. He is widely regarded as the most well-known Greek mythological hero. He was sent on a quest to slay Medusa. Medusa was a terrible and evil creature. It has snakes for hair, a face that turns men to stone when they see her, and is the guardian of the sacred garden. 

Perseus succeeds in slaying Medusa but becomes trapped in her home when he tries to take her head home as a trophy. He is eventually let go when he agrees to show Medusa’s head to the king’s daughters. 

Atlas – God of heavens, astronomy

The Titan deity ATLAS was responsible for lifting the sky. He was the embodiment of endurance. In their conflict with Zeus, Atlas was forced to bear the weight of the heavens on his shoulders. Ancient People claim that he was eventually chosen to be the protector of the pillars that held the earth and sky apart. 

Atlas was the god in greek mythology who taught humanity the science of astronomy. Farmers use that tool to determine the seasons and sailors to navigate. These responsibilities were sometimes merged, making Atlas the deity who tilts the heavens and causes the stars to rotate.

Aither – Ancient God of Light

AITHER (Aether) was the ancient Greek god of clear, upper shining skies. He was imagined to be made of light, a dazzling mist that lay between the dome of heaven and the lower air that encircled the Earth. All these regions, like the moon, sun, stars, clouds, and mountain tops, belonged to Aether, whereas Chaos ruled other regions of the Earth.

Eosphoros – God of the morning star

EOSPHOROS (Eosphorus) was the god of the dawn star, Venus, which can be seen in the morning skies. At first, he was thought to be separate from Hesperus, the god of the evening star.

In vase paintings in Greek, Eosphoros-Hesperos was depicted as a young man. Either as a bust encircled by the bright orb of his star or as a winged god holding the torch and wearing a starry aureole as his headdress.

SELENE – Goddess of Moon

The moon was ruled by the Titan goddess SELENE. She controlled a silver chariot pulled by two winged horses or rode sidesaddle on a silver horse. A crown on her head or a sparkling cloak served as her moon sphere or crescent. Her lunar crescent was compared to a pair of bull’s horns, and she was sometimes supposed to pull a yoke of oxen.

She is well known for having an affair with the king of Elis, Endymion. The goddesses Artemis and Hecate, who are also connected to the moon, are part of her kin group. Selene is also thought to ride in a chariot over the sky, just like her brother Helios, the Sun god, who does it daily.

BOREAS – Greek God of wind

BOREAS was the god of the winter, and the north wind was responsible for the brisk winter air. He lived in a cave in the highlands of Thrace’s extreme northern country.

He was also the deity of winter from Thrake’s ice mountains, chilling the atmosphere with his icy breath. Hyperborea, the fabled land of perpetual spring unaffected by the god’s winds, was located beyond his mountain dwelling. 

Conclusion

The sky gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology are often the most potent characters. They can cause good or bad things to happen to the humans below them. While many of these characters are well-known and essential, other characters from these myths are just as important and exciting. 

You should learn more about some of the characters mentioned in this article or others that interest you. This way, you can dive deeper into the world of ancient myths and learn more about fascinating characters.