Twelve Olympians: The Most Dysfunctional Family in Greek Mythology

The Twelve Olympians are the most powerful and influential gods in Greek mythology. This dysfunctional family tree consists of six gods and six goddesses who were believed to reside atop Mount Olympus, a majestic dwelling fit for the gods.

As the legends say, Zeus, the god of thunder and lightning, is the father and the leader of the Olympian gods. He has two siblings, Poseidon, the god of the sea with a charming hairdo, and Hades, the god of the underworld with a bad reputation. These three are believed to have drawn lots to determine their roles, with Zeus getting the heavens, Poseidon the oceans, and Hades the abyss.

Zeus must have been feeling pretty lucky because he then went on to have a bunch of kids with other goddesses, including Hera, his wife and sister. Hera, the goddess of marriage, was the epitome of a jealous and controlling wife. She was constantly battling with Zeus’ other lovers and their children, which included Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategy, and Ares, the god of war with serious anger management issues.

Who had it worse than the beautiful Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty? She was married off to Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and craftsmen, who was not only deformed but also the least attractive of all the gods. Despite that, Aphrodite was reputed to be one of the most unfaithful of all the gods.

Apollo, the god of light, music, and poetry, was one who seemed to have it all together. He was known as the most handsome of all the gods and was the only one who managed to keep his cool at all times. However, don’t let his suave personality fool you. Apollo was not one to mess with, as the fate of the humankind lay in his hands.

Finally, there was Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, who were sometimes overlooked as they did not have much drama associated with them. However, these two were just as important as the others in the olympian pantheon.

To sum it up, the Twelve Olympians were the most dysfunctional family in Greek mythology, with enough drama to put the Kardashians to shame. It’s amazing they managed to get anything done, considering all the infighting and bitter rivalries constantly going on. But then again, they are gods, and they had the power to make things happen, whether they were playing nice with each other or not.