What is the birth order of the Greek God Olympians?

Question

I was told that Hades was the eldest of the three brothers in the first generation and that Dionysus is the youngest of them all but I have no knowledge of the full order and I cannot find it anywhere

Anyone willing to give me an order for ages in the first generation (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, Demeter), and the second generation (Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Persephone, Dionysius)?

I do understand that all of them are not Olympians but does anyone know the birth order of them all?

Answer 1

According to the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite and the scholar Apollodorus Hestia is specifically referred to as the oldest and firstborn. But according to the Roman poet Ovid Hestia was the third daughter. The Hymn is older so it might be considered more accurate.



Zeus is universally agreed to be the youngest due to him freeing his siblings.



This may not be accurate, but listings of the siblings in several ancient sources list the order as Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. This is probable as close as you are going to get to birth order.



Of the next generation it is hard to tell due to the mixing of the stories, but a few things can be gathered.



Athena is among if not the oldest. Her mother Metis was Zeus's first wife and he ate her to remove the threat a future child of Metis would be to him. Some sources attribute Hephaestus as freeing her from Zeus's head which would mean she is younger than him, but other sources state Zeus split his own head open.



Hera is Zeus's third wife so in all likelihood both Ares and Hephaestus are younger. One story states Hera gave birth to Hephaestus on her own in response to Zeus giving birth to Athena. This would clearly make him younger. Ares is unknown, but probable safe to say he is at least younger than Athena. Some sources state Ares was born without Zeus fathering him in place of Hephaestus, but this is rarer.



Aphrodite was born from the blood of Ouranos when Kronos injured him so she is possible even older than the children of Kronos. One source has her a child of Zeus, but that is rare.



Apollo and Artemis were born at the same time after Zeus married Hera so it is safe to say they were born after Athena, Aphrodite, Ares and Hephaestus since Hera was outraged that Zeus had been unfaithful to her. Hera had arranged it so her daughter by Zeus the goddess of childbirth was not there to let the children be born.



Hermes is usually agreed to be one of the younger gods due to stealing Apollo's cattle while still a child and Apollo was already an established god.



Persephone is unknown other than she is a daughter of Zeus. Zeus fathered many, many children in his early days and it is hard to tell when exactly he did it. If it was before he married Hera or after.



I think Dionysus is usually considered the youngest of the major gods due to replacing Hestia on the ruling council after it had already been established.



In short, if I were to go with an order..

First Generation: Aphrodite

Next the Children of Kronos: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.



The first generation is more or less agreed upon by most sources. The second is where it gets confusing.



My take:

Second generation: Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, and finally Dionysus for reasons stated.



Hesiod's Theogony as far as I can tell implies the order of the second generation to be: Apollo and Artemis, Athena, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, and finally Dionysus.



This order seems to assume Zeus made Leto pregnant with the twins before he married Hera, but they were born after the wedding. Hesiod was also somewhat of a fundamentalist and thought Zeus could do no wrong which is not a stance all the ancient Greeks took.



Another scholar who has written several books takes the birth order of the second generation to be: Ares, Artemis and Apollo, Athena, Hephaseous, Hermes, and Dionysius.



This should cover all the major gods. It is not possible to cover all of them because depending on how you define Olympian it could include close to or more than a hundred gods fathered by Zeus himself. Hediod gives a good listing, but it is hard to tell if that is meant to be taken as a literal order and in what timespan aside from it was shortly after Zeus assumed power. Even then different sources had different takes.

Answer 2

The reply depends upon what you imply via the age of a deity? I suppose those men and women believed in first could be the oldest, which are not always those stated to be the mothers and fathers or grandparents of the opposite gods nor those depicted as older. Eros used to be one of the most primal deities of Greek mythology, however later he used to be proven as a tender guy and later nonetheless he used to be proven as a child. After the primal forces of production, the Titans had been viewed the following oldest new release of gods in classical Greek mythology. These integrated Rhea and Chronus, who had been the mothers and fathers of Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hades, and Poseidon. The subsequent new release integrated Hephaestus, Athena, Persephone, Artemis, Apollo, Ares, Hermes, and Dionysus. This lineage does not recollect the truly origins of the Greek gods, nevertheless. Deities who had been worshiped via men and women the Greeks conquered, had been most likely followed into the Greek pantheon via myths explaining how the conquered gods had been particularly the equal because the Greek ones or had been the fanatics or youngsters of the Greek ones. The fashioned Persephone used to be most probably an historical Great Goddess of Life and Death, however in classical Greek mythology she turns into the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, then the spouse of Hades. Look on the hyperlinks beneath for a better expertise of Greek mythology. - P.

Answer 3

The real order of the 1st Generation by birth (pre-eaten) is: Hestia, Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, & then Zeus/Post-Eaten: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hades, & then Hestia.



Hestia is considered as the 1st & the last because she was born 1st, but regurgitated last, so through this way she would be the eldest & youngest child. Zeus was the last child to be born, but was never swallowed. He was hidden until grown, where he then forced his Father to release his siblings. They returned in reverse order they were born.



2nd Generation (Zeus had 7 Wives, the rest were lovers. See: source below for reference. Most stories agree.): Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Ares, & Hephaestus. By lovers: Aphrodite & then Dionysus. Technically, Artemis & Apollo came after Zeus married Hera, though Leto was Zeus' (favorite) Wife before Hera.



Extensive research done though says its: Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, & Dionysus.

Answer 4

12 Olympians Family Tree

Answer 5

While Athena is likely the oldest, she sprung from Zeus s head fully grown at some later point. And we don t know how long she was in there. Perhaps long enough for Zeus to father Ares and then Hera to have Hephaestus.

Answer 6

Dionysus was the youngest; however, Hebe was the youngest because she was the Goddess of Youth and, hence, could rejuvenate. Athena was the oldest; although, she was freed by Hephasteus, she was fully grown, then was Ares and Bellona, Atermis and Apollo, Persephine, Hermes, and then Dionysus.

Answer 7

First Generation:

Hestia

Demeter

Hera

Hades

Poseidon

Zeus



No idea on the second set. Zeus's affairs screwed up the family tree too much.

Answer 8

Frankly, I am not convinced