Many of the Greek deities are known from as early as Mycenaean (Late Bronze Age) civilization. This is an incomplete list of these deities[n 1] and of the way their names, epithets, or titles are spelled and attested in Mycenaean Greek, written in the Linear B[n 2] syllabary, along with some reconstructions and equivalent forms in later Greek.
Name | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
English | Linear B | Transliteration | Comments | Footnotes |
Pantes Theoi | 𐀞𐀯𐀳𐀃𐀂 | pa-si-te-o-i | "To All the Gods"; a special invocation, irrespective of sex, etc.; recurrently attested at Knossos[1][2][3][4] | [n 3][n 4][n 5] |
Name | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
English | Linear B | Transliteration | Comments | Footnotes |
Anemoi | 𐀀𐀚𐀗𐀂𐀋𐀩𐀊 / 𐀀𐀚𐀗𐄀𐀂𐀋𐀩𐀊 | a-ne-mo-i-je-re-ja / a-ne-mo,i-je-re-ja | attested through *Anemohiereia or *Anemon Hiereia, "Priestess of the Winds"[9][1][10][11] | [n 6][n 7][n 8][n 9] |
Apollo(?) | 𐀟𐁊 | pe-rjo-, reconstructed a-pe-rjo-ne | perhaps attested through the lacunose perio[13][14] | [n 10] |
Ares | 𐀀𐀩 | a-re | [9][16][17][18][19] | |
Despotas(?) | 𐀈𐀡𐀲 | do-po-ta | unclear, perhaps house deity, euphemism for Hades meaning master?[19][20][21] | [n 11][n 12][n 13] |
Dionysus | 𐀇𐀺𐀝𐀰 | di-wo-nu-so | [19][26] | [n 14] |
Dipsioi | 𐀇𐀠𐀯𐀍𐀂 | di-pi-si-jo-i | meaning obscure: perhaps "The Thirsty and hence the Dead Ones" possibly referring to ancestor worship or slain gods possibly the Titans; perhaps related to Thessalian month Dipsos[19][32][33][34][35] | [n 15] |
Drimios | 𐀇𐀪𐀖𐀍 | di-ri-mi-jo | unknown, in later times, son of Zeus, perhaps a predecessor of Apollo[19][34][37] | [n 11][n 16][n 17] |
Enesidaon | 𐀁𐀚𐀯𐀅𐀃𐀚 | e-ne-si-da-o-ne | possibly a theonym; possibly an epithet of Poseidon, assumed to mean "Earthshaker" or something similar[1][37][40] | [n 13][n 18][n 19] |
Enyalius | 𐀁𐀝𐀷𐀪𐀍 | e-nu-wa-ri-jo | a later epithet of Ares, or his son with Enyo, maybe a title for his father Zeus.[1][19][28][34] | |
Hephaestus | 𐀀𐀞𐀂𐀴𐀍 | a-pa-i-ti-jo | regarded as indirectly attested by the name *Haphaistios or *Haphaistion, presumed to be a theophoric name[27][29][43] | |
Hermes | 𐀁𐀔𐁀 | e-ma-*25ore-ma-ha | [19][2][44][45][46] | [n 20] |
Areias | 𐀀𐀩𐀊 | a-re-ja | epithet (Hermes as war god)[2][48] | [n 11] |
Hyperion(?) | 𐀟𐁊 | pe-rjo-, reconstructed u-pe-rjo-ne | perhaps attested through the lacunose perio[49] | [n 21] |
Marineus(?) | 𐀔𐀪𐀚 / 𐀔𐀪𐀚𐀸 / 𐀔𐀪𐀚𐀺 | ma-ri-ne(-u?) / ma-ri-ne-we / ma-ri-ne-wo | unknown deity, perhaps "God of the Woolens", meaning obscure perhaps Pan.[19][27][29][50][51] | |
Pade(?) | 𐀞𐀆 / 𐀞𐀆𐀂 | pa-de / pa-de-i | possibly unknown god, thought to be Cretan, Minoan in origin maybe Zagreus as the divine child.[9][1][19][52] | |
Paean | 𐀞𐀊𐀺𐀚 | pa-ja-wo-ne | a precursor of Apollo[1][19][53][54] | [n 22] |
Poseidon | 𐀡𐀮𐀅𐀃 / 𐀡𐀮𐀅𐀺𐀚 | po-se-da-o / po-se-da-wo-ne | chief deity[19][56][57] | [n 13] |
Trisheros | 𐀴𐀪𐀮𐀫𐀁 | ti-ri-se-ro-e | theonym, "Thrice-Hero"; thought to attest, and pertain to, the veneration of the dead or the Tritopatores[19][34][63][64][65] | [n 23][n 24][n 25] |
Wanax | 𐀷𐀙𐀏𐀳 | wa-na-ka-te | "The King"; in this case, it is considered to be a theonym in the dative case, perhaps as an epithet of Poseidon[19][34][73] | [n 26][n 27] |
Zeus | 𐀇𐀸 / 𐀇𐀺 | di-we / di-wo | God of the sky[19][76][77] | |
Diktaios | 𐀇𐀏𐀲𐀍 𐀇𐀸 | di-ka-ta-jo di-we | local epithet of Zeus on Crete[9][19][78][79] | [n 28][n 29] |
Name | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
English | Linear B | Transliteration | Comments | Footnotes |
Artemis | 𐀀𐀳𐀖𐀵 / 𐀀𐀴𐀖𐀳 | a-te-mi-to / a-ti-mi-te | [19][81][82][83][84] | |
Diwia | 𐀇𐀄𐀊 / 𐀇𐀹𐀊 | di-u-ja / di-wi-ja | possibly the female counterpart of Zeus, possibly Dione in later Greek[1][19][21][34] | |
Demeter | Damate in Linear A and B | |||
Doqeia(?) | 𐀈𐀤𐀊 | do-qe-ja | possibly an unknown goddess but could be only a feminine adjective[85][86][87] | [n 30] |
Eileithyia | 𐀁𐀩𐀄𐀴𐀊 | e-re-u-ti-ja | attested in the Cretan Eleuthia form; perhaps Minoan in origin[1][19][89][90][91] | |
Eos | 𐀀𐀺𐀂𐀍 | a-wo-i-jo | perhaps attested through a personal name Ἀϝohιος related to the word for dawn, or dative form Āwōiōi[92][93][94][95][96][97] | [n 31][n 32] |
Erinyes | 𐀁𐀪𐀝 / 𐀁𐀪𐀝𐀸 | e-ri-nu / e-ri-nu-we | both forms of the theonym are considered to be in the singular, Erinys[9][19][56][99][100] | [n 33] |
Hera | 𐀁𐀨 | e-ra | [19][34][102] | |
Iphemedeia | 𐀂𐀟𐀕𐀆𐀊 | i-pe-me-de-ja | theonym; probably variant form of Iphimedia, name of a mythological person found in Homer's Odyssey[19][21][34][103] | |
Komawenteia(?) | 𐀒𐀔𐀸𐀳𐀊 | ko-ma-we-te-ja | possibly unknown deity, possibly meaning "long-haired goddess"[21][104] | [n 34] |
Leto | 𐀨𐀴𐀍 / 𐀨𐀵 | ra-ti-jo / ra-to | perhaps attested through the forms Latios[107][108] and Lato[109] | [n 35] |
Manasa | 𐀔𐀙𐀭 | ma-na-sa | unknown goddess[19][34][85][111][112] | [n 11][n 36] |
Mater Theia | 𐀔𐀳𐀩𐄀𐀳𐀂𐀊 | ma-te-re,te-i-ja | possibly "Mother of the Gods" or mother goddess[19][113][114] | [n 37] |
Pipituna | 𐀠𐀠𐀶𐀙 | pi-pi-tu-na | Reconstructed as *Πίπτυννα (Píptynna);[116] unknown deity, considered to be Pre-Greek or Minoan[9][1][19][35][37][117][118] | [n 38] |
Posidaeia | 𐀡𐀯𐀅𐀁𐀊 | po-si-da-e-ja | probably the female counterpart to Poseidon[19][21] | [n 11] |
Potnia | 𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | po-ti-ni-ja | "Mistress" or "Lady"; may be used as an epithet for many deities, but also shows up as a single deity[19][120][121][122] | [n 13] |
Potnia Athena | 𐀀𐀲𐀙𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | a-ta-na-po-ti-ni-ja | or Potnia of At(h)ana (Athens(?)); reference of the latter is uncertain[1][19][114] | [n 39] |
Potnia Hippeia | 𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊𐄀𐀂𐀤𐀊 | po-ti-ni-ja,i-qe-ja | Mistress of the Horses; later epithet of Demeter and Athena[19][114] | [n 40][n 41] |
Potnia of Sitos | 𐀯𐀵𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | si-to-po-ti-ni-ja | Mistress of Grain; Bronze Age predecessor or epithet of Demeter[19][85][114][124] | [n 42] |
Potnia of the Labyrinth | 𐀅𐁆𐀪𐀵𐀍𐄀𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | da-pu2-ri-to-jo,po-ti-ni-ja | [1][19][34][114] | |
Potnia, at Thebes | 𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊𐄀𐀺𐀒𐀆 | po-ti-ni-ja,wo-ko-de | of no attested name or title, other than that offers are made to her house, her premises likely the Sphinx[19][27][34][126][127] | [n 43] |
Potnia, of unidentified Pylos sanctuary | 𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | po-ti-ni-ja | unknown local(?) goddess of pa-ki-ja-ne (*Sphagianes?) sanctuary at Pylos[114][129][130] | [n 11][n 44][n 45] |
Potnia, of uncertain A place or epithet | 𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊𐄀𐀀𐀯𐀹𐀊 | po-ti-ni-ja,a-si-wi-ja | Maybe AphroditeasAstarte when she was introduced into Greece.[19][135] | [n 46][n 47] |
Potnia, of unknown E place or epithet | 𐀁𐀩𐀹𐀍𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | e-re-wi-jo-po-ti-ni-ja | [85] | [n 48] |
Potnia, of unknown N place or epithet | 𐀚𐀺𐀟𐀃𐄀𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | ne-wo-pe-o,po-ti-ni-ja | [19][85] | |
Potnia, of unknown U place or epithet | 𐀄𐀡𐀍𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | u-po-jo-po-ti-ni-ja | [19][85] | [n 49] |
Potnia, of unknown ? place or epithet | 𐀀𐀐𐀯𐄀𐀡𐀴𐀛𐀊 | (?)-a-ke-si,po-ti-ni-ja | [85] | [n 50] |
Preswa(?) | 𐀟𐀩𐁚 | pe-re-*82orpe-re-swa | generally interpreted as a dove goddess or an early form of Persephone[19][21][111][139] | |
Qerasia(?) | 𐀤𐀨𐀯𐀊 | qe-ra-si-ja | unknown goddess, perhaps Minoan in origin or possibly connected with thēr[9][1][19][34][85][140][141][142] | [n 51][n 52] |
Qowia(?) | 𐀦𐀹𐀊 | qo-wi-ja | unknown deity, possibly meaning "She of the Cow(s)"[21][75][85] | [n 11][n 53][n 54] |
Wanasso(?) | 𐀷𐀙𐀰𐀂 | wa-na-so-i | "The Two Queens", possibly Demeter and Persephone; *wanassojin(?) regarded as a dative dual form[19][34][129][147] | [n 26][n 27][n 55] |
Possible goddesses | ||||
(?) | (?) | (?) | A possible sun goddess, predecessor to Helios, and possibly related to Helen.[150] No unambiguous attestations of words for "sun" have yet been found, though the Mycenaean word for "sun" is reconstructed as *hāwélios. | [n 56] |
Name | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
English | Linear B | Transliteration | Comments | Footnotes |
Proteus | 𐀡𐀫𐀳𐀄 | po-ro-te-u | could be the theonym of the sea-god Proteus, but probably just the anthroponym of a nobleman[151][152][153] |
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