The Greek God Family Tree: A Complete Family Tree of All Greek Deities

The Greek god family tree is extremely complex. The standard lines drawn between generations often get blurred. Sometimes, we can’t even confidently say who was the parent of who, as familial information changes with the myths. It is not to mention that when looking at the genealogy of the Greek pantheon, we’ll find all sorts of family drama – enough to give reality TV stars a run for their money.

With the help of modern and ancient sources, we’ll be diving into the family tree of the Greek gods one generation at a time. So, let’s sit back, relax, and try not to think about how weird this can get.

Chaos: The Great Father of All Greek Gods

Chaos is the progenitor of all Hellenistic deities. The first generation of Greek gods and goddesses, the Primordials, was born from this being despite its famed nothingness. By that, we mean Chaos just sort of is. It exists as a great, empty void: It isn’t a god, per se, but it isn’t truly nothing either.

Formless, deathless, and frequently sexless, Chaos is often identified with air. It takes up space and fills in gaps with their presence, though unseen as it is. Depending on the source in question, Chaos could be one of the Primordial gods, or it could be the first-ever being, who birthed all else from a cosmic egg.

The Primordial Gods: The First Generation of Greek Gods

The Primordial gods, alternatively referred to as the Protogenoi, were the first generation of immortals in Greek mythology. A majority of these gods and goddesses were born from Chaos. However, some Primordials, such as Aether, were born from other Primordials. As far as their roles go, the Primordials represented the original cosmic forces of the universe.

Unlike the later generations of gods, the Protogenoi lack physical form. They don’t appear traditionally in any physical way, instead existing solely for their roles of unseen universal forces. Thus, they aren’t frequently assigned sexes. Instead, they are described as being masculine or feminine in their respective universal roles.

Gaia

Gaia is the Earth Mother. She is the ground we walk on and one of the more celebrated Protogenoi for it. Gaia was a daughter of Chaos in most myths – in fact, she was the firstborn – though Hesiod describes her as being alongside Chaos at the start of it all.

A mother deity through and through, she birthed the primordial sky god Uranus, the sea god Pontus, and the Ourea. Gaia took her sons as lovers, and bore the second generation of Greek gods and goddesses, the Titans, with Uranus. This would make Gaia the grandmother of most Olympians.

Tartarus

Tartarus is the primordial god of the Abyss – the deepest, darkest part of the Greek Underworld. He also happens to be the Abyss. After death, the wicked come here for their bouts of eternal suffering. In union with his elder sister, Gaia, Tartarus was the father of the monstrous Typhon; at least that’s what Hesiod tells us.

Eros

The very first deity of love and desire, Eros is described as the “fairest among the deathless gods” by Hesiod. More importantly, Hesiod considers Eros to have been present with Chaos at the beginning of time rather than being born later from Chaos.

Most contemporaries consider Eros as one of the Erotes, members of Aphrodite’s entourage and her sons. Thus, Eros’ brothers are often listed as the minor winged gods Anteros, Hedylogos, Hermaphroditus, Himeros, Hymenaios, and Pothos. The six other Erotes are also theorized to be potential aspects of Eros. This particular take is far more likely, considering Eros predates the birth of Aphrodite.

Erebus

Erebus is the primordial god of darkness. A son of Chaos, Erebus is the lover of his sister, Nyx, and the father of Aether and Hemera. Occasionally Erebus is interchanged with Tartarus, though don’t be mistaken: the two are intended to be completely separate entities.

Nyx

Goddess of night and a terror to all other gods, Nyx was legendary as the mother of a slew of malevolent spirits. However, we know her best as the mother of the bright Aether and Hemera, and of the more macabre deities Thanatos and Hypnos. This daughter of Chaos lives deep within Tartarus where she spews prophecies and hosts rendezvous with Erebus.

Aether

Aether is the primordial god of the atmosphere and light. The bright, upper sky is his domain. He is the son of Erebus and Nyx, according to Hesiod’s Theogony, who themselves emerged from Chaos. In Orphic traditions, Aether is a son of Cronus. Hesiod cites the Primordial goddess of the day, Hemera, as the sister of Aether.

Hemera

This primordial goddess rules the dawn. Hemera is the personification of the day. She is the daughter of Erebus and Nyx; therefore, her brother is Aether. Their cousins are the Titans.

Uranus

Uranus is among the most famous Protogenoi, thanks to his prolonged union with Gaia. He is the god of the sky. With his mother, Uranus fathered the Titans, the Cyclopes, the Hecatoncheires, the Erinyes (the Furies), the Gigantes, and the Meliae. On his own (but not of his own volition) he fathered Aphrodite. The Meliae, the Gigantes, the Erinyes, and Aphrodite were a consequence of Uranus’ castration.

Ourea

The Ourea are a group of reclusive mountain and hill deities born from Gaia. Their brothers are Uranus and Pontus. These rolling hills are frequented by nymphs, and are as follows:

Athos
Cithaeron
Etna
Helicon
Nysus
Olympus
Oreus
Parnes
Tmolus

Pontus

The swelling sea itself, Pontus is the son of Gaia. He’s also the younger brother of Uranus. With his mother, he fathered the Old Men of the Sea:

Nereus
Thaumas
Phorcys

He also produced the goddesses Ceto and Eurybia. Despite being his mother’s lover, Pontus eventually settled down with his female counterpart, Thalassa. Together, they would go on to produce various sea creatures and, well…fish.

Since Pontus is the father of Nereus, he is the grandfather of the 50 Nereids and their handsome brother, Nerites. By extension, he is the great-grandfather of Achilles and the grandfather-in-law of Poseidon. Through his children Phorcys and Ceto (yep, more incest), Pontus is the grandfather of several monsters: the Phorcides, the Gorgons, Echidna, and the Hesperian Dragon, Ladon.

The Titans: The Second Generation of Greek Gods

The Titans are the second generation of Greek deities. Most were the mighty offspring of Uranus and Gaia, although some Titans begat other Titans.

This generation is known to have ruled over the Golden Age of Man after overthrowing Uranus as the ruler of the Heavens. Their rule came to an abrupt end after members of the third generation of divinities staged a violent overthrow. The event became known as the Titanomachy.

Coeus

No one knows too much about the Titan Coeus (or, Polus). Instead, his offspring and descendants have all the glory.

Coeus married his sister, Phoebe, the “shining” Titaness. The couple had two daughters, Leto and Asteria. By Leto, Coeus is the grandfather of divine twins Apollo and Artemis. Meanwhile, Asteria bore the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate, into the world.

This mysterious Titan was considered to be the northern pillar of the world that separated the Earth from the Sky. His brothers Crius, Hyperion, and Iapetus made up the other three of the Four Pillars.

Crius

Crius became the southern pillar of the world after his father’s overthrow. Despite this, the most remarkable thing about Crius is his lineage. He married his cousin and half-sister, the daughter of Pontus and Gaia, Eurybia. Together they had three strapping boys: Astraios, Pallas, and Perses.

Astraios, the god of dusk and twilight, wed his radiant cousin, the goddess of dawn, Eos. From their union came the Anemoi, the stars Phosphorus and Hesperus, and the virginal goddess Astrea.

Pallas married Styx (yes, literally the River Styx) and begat Zelus, Nike, Kratos, and Bia. The Roman scholar Hyginus also suspected Pallas as the father of the monstrous Scylla, Fontus, and Lacus.

Perses married his cousin, Asteria, and the couple produced Hecate. And that’s that.

Cronus

Cronus is the more famous of the Titans, being the one to overthrow Uranus and all. However, fearful and jealous Cronus became notorious for consuming the children he had with his sister, Rhea, to try and secure his position as King of the Heavens.

With Rhea, the Titan god of time Cronus had…

Hestia
Demeter
Hera
Hades
Poseidon
Zeus

From his offspring, Cronus became the grandfather (and several greats) of a multitude of gods and goddesses, nymphs, and heroes. To be fair, Zeus is responsible for like 75% of them, but that’s beside the point. Cronus was also the father of the centaur Chiron, a famed teacher of demigod heroes.

Hyperion

Compared to other Titans, we know a bit more about Hyperion. He is the Titan god of Heavenly light and was married to his sister, Theia. From their union came Helios, Selene, and Eos.

Thus, Hyperion is the grandfather of the Anemoi, various stars, and the sometimes goddess of justice, Astrea. Through his other children, Selene and Helios, he is the grandfather of Pandia, Ersa, and Nemea. And, well, maybe Narcissus. There’s also Circe, the Heliadae, and the Heliades among plenty of others.

Hyperion is the eastern pillar of the world, having teamed up with his brothers to keep the Sky from the Earth. Following the Titanomachy, he was imprisoned in Tartarus with many of his other kin.

Iapetus

The supposed god of mortality, Iapetus was one of six sons of Uranus and Gaia. He also had six sisters. Altogether, the twelve children made up the Titans.

Iapetus married his niece, the Oceanid Clymene, and had four children: Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. He became known as the western pillar of the world for his role in the overthrow of his father. During the Titanomachy, he, Menoetius, and Atlas sided with Cronus against the Olympians. However, his other sons, Prometheus and Epimetheus, were all for the revolution.

Again, the Greek mythology family tree is far from drama-free. Some sources further claim Iapetus was the father of Buphagus, a hero from Acadia, and Anchiale, an Anatolian tutelary goddess.

Mnemosyne

Mnemosyne is the Titan goddess of memory. From union with her nephew, Zeus, Mnemosyne gave birth to the coveted Muses. She had her own river in the Underworld across from Lethe, as attested in Orphism, where practitioners were encouraged to drink from to stop the process of reincarnation.

Oceanus

Last of the Titan sons, Oceanus was perhaps among the least problematic. Maybe. As his name suggests, Oceanus was the god of a mythological river, also named Oceanus. It was said this is where all the world’s water supply came from.

Oceanus married his sister Tethys, following the romance trends of most of his other siblings. Together, the pair had the 3,000 Potamoi (the gods of rivers) and the 3,000 Oceanids (ocean nymphs). By the Potamoi, Oceanus is the grandfather of the Naiads – or, freshwater nymphs. By the Oceanid Titaness of wisdom, Metis, Oceanus is the grandfather of Athena. By Clymene, he is the grandfather (and uncle) of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.

Phoebe

Phoebe was the sister-wife of Coeus and mother to Leto and Asteria. She was so beloved by her grandchildren that Apollo and Artemis occasionally went by Phoebus and Phoebe, respectively. It was said that her gift of prophecy was passed to Apollo, who notably held sway over the Oracle of Delphi. She was also the grandmother of Hecate through her daughter, Asteria.

Rhea

Rhea was the Mother Goddess of the religion of ancient Greece. Besides Gaia, who was literally the Earth, Rhea was honored as the mother of the current King of the Heavens and many active Olympians. She was in a miserable marriage to her brother up until Zeus’s revolt that ended the Titan’s reign. By her children, Rhea was the grandmother of an abundance of legendary figures, both divine and mortal.

Tethys

Tethys was the divine sister-wife of Oceanus. They had a ton of kids together, give or take 6,000 between the Potamoi and the Oceanids. Phew. Anyways, Athena is one of the most significant of her grandchildren, as she was the daughter of the Oceanid Metis and her rowdy nephew, Zeus. Through the Oceanid Clymene, Tethys is the grandmother of the four Titans Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius.

Theia

Theia, or Thea, is the Titaness of light. She married her brother, Hyperion. Their offspring were all radiant, celestial deities: Helios, Selene, and Eos.

Eos went on to marry her cousin and birthed the winds and the stars into existence. Selene herself had 50 daughters from her lover Endymion and then with Zeus (yep, him again), she was said to have the minor goddesses Pandia and Ersa, and the nymph Nemea. According to Nonnus of Panopolis, Selene and Endymion may have also produced Narcissus. Helios also had a lot of children, the most notable ones being the enchantress Circe, the Heliadae, and the Heliades.

Themis

Themis is the goddess of law and justice. Zeus sought after Themis and successfully wooed another aunt of his. Together, they had the Horae (the Graces) and Moirai (the Fates). Throughout various myths, Themis acts as an indispensable advisor to Zeus.

The Olympian Gods and Goddesses: The Third Generation of Greek Gods

The 12 Olympian gods are the third generation of Greek divinities and undoubtedly the most memorable. The hot-shots of the Heavens, the Olympians resided atop Mount Olympus. There are traditionally 12 Olympians, though sometimes a 13th is unofficially added to the bunch.

Also, since Olympus (the Heavens) is the place to be for the Olympians, we won’t be seeing any Chthonic deities on this list. That means no Hades; he isn’t unimportant, just unable to fulfill Olympian demands.

Zeus

Zeus is the King of the Immortals in Greek mythos and is the god of storms. He has fathered plenty of offspring, both in and out of marriage. So much so in fact that his sister-wife Hera has a vendetta against just about every single one born out of their union.

Though nothing compared to the 6,000 offspring of Oceanus and Tethys, Zeus is thought to have fathered anywhere between 90 and 100 children overall. Only three of those are with his lawful wife: Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus (or Eileithyia). Most myths give or take the final two.

Hera

Hera is the goddess of marriage – it is too bad hers is so toxic. She is the sister of Hestia, Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Despite a marriage rife with infidelity, Zeus and Hera had three children of their own. She never took a lover outside of her marriage; not surprising considering her divine realms.

Poseidon

God of the sea and earthquakes, Poseidon married the Nereid Amphitrite. As the story tends to go, he didn’t stay faithful in his marriage and had children with several lovers. Not as many as his brother, Zeus, mind you, but a lot regardless.

Demeter

Demeter is the goddess of agriculture in Greek myths and legends; her worship presided over the Eleusinian Mysteries. She took a handful of lovers over the centuries, including her brothers Zeus and Poseidon. She is featured in the Kidnapping of Persephone, with her sorrow being the explanation behind the winter months.

Athena

Athena is the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Metis; she is the goddess of strategic warfare and wisdom. Her early life was rough since she was born from her father’s head after he ate her mom. Weird stuff, but Athena seems all the better for it. As a maiden goddess, she never married, took lovers, or had children.

Apollo

Apollo is the golden boy of Olympus: the god of the sun, music, art, and prophecy. He’s also a god of plague, but no one likes talking about that. He is one half of the Divine Twins alongside Artemis, born to Zeus and Leto. He dated around and had children but never married.

Perhaps it has something to do with his relationship with the Muses.

Artemis

The goddess of the hunt and childbirth, most artistic representations of Artemis equate her with the moon. She, unlike her brother, is distant and introverted. As a child, Artemis made a vow of virginity to her father, Zeus, and has upheld the vow ever since. She prefers the company of her hunting party, made up of other unmarried maidens.

Ares

Ares is the definition of a barbarian. Would he like to rage? Yes. Yes, he would.

The son of Zeus and Hera, Ares was the god of bloody warfare. It made him unpopular among the common people, though Aphrodite had a soft spot for this ruffian. That soft spot led to several children, ranging from sweet to…downright disconcerting. He never married.

Aphrodite

The goddess of love and beauty is always busy. Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, though she held no affection for him. Let’s say it was a marriage of convenience (for the other gods).

Instead, Aphrodite sought satisfaction elsewhere. Ares frequently kept her company and she maintained relationships on the side. Despite being able to bewitch anyone and literally everyone, it is said she could not stir the hearts of Hestia, Artemis, and Athena.

Hephaestus

This god was the god of fire and the patron of blacksmiths. In legends, Hephaestus is either the ill-fortuned son of Hera and Zeus or of only Hera. Regardless, he was abandoned at a young age. It was a chip he carried for the rest of his life.

After a series of events – including trapping Hera on a golden throne – Hephaestus was married off to Aphrodite. Neither individual respected the sanctity of their marriage and saw other people.

Hermes

Hermes was the god of travelers and a psychopomp, among other things. Notably mischievous in his youth, Hermes eventually garnered enough attention to ascend to Mount Olympus. His mother was the nymph, Maia, and he often kept Apollo company. As a deity, he was occasionally offered libations alongside Hestia, given the frequency with which their realms overlapped.

Dionysus

Dionysus was the god of wine and fertility. As an illegitimate child of Zeus twice over (he was originally the god Zagreus, born to Zeus by Persephone), Dionysus was one of many subjected to Hera’s ire. Though technically a demigod by birth, Dionysus had all the makings of godhood and was welcomed to Olympus after Hestia offered him her seat. He eventually married a distant niece of his, Ariadne.

Hestia

You may be wondering why there are 13 Olympians listed when we originally mentioned there would only be 12. Hestia was once an Olympian but lost that title when she gave her seat to Dionysus. Due to her popularity, some folks still count her as one of the big ones.

A virgin goddess of the hearth and home, Hestia never took lovers or bore children. In Hymn 5 to Aphrodite, it is said that her brother, Poseidon, and nephew, Apollo, both attempted to marry her to no avail. As a household deity, Hestia was among the most venerated across the Greek world.

The Offspring of the Olympians: 4th, 5th, 6th Generation and Beyond

Gods don’t always produce other gods. Sometimes their offspring are legendary heroes, powerful demigods, or whimsical nymphs. Here, we cover the offspring of the Olympians as we know them in mythology.

Minor Gods

Not all gods are as important as the Olympians. That is, they weren’t as widely worshiped or were somewhat more obscure. Below we’ve compiled some of the most notable immortal children of the Olympians.

Zeus’s Divine Children:

The Muses
The Graces
The Fates
The Dioscuri
The Litae
The Cyprian Centaurs
Persephone
Eileithyia
Hebe
Pandia
Ersa
Nemea
Caerus
Melinoe
Zagreus

Poseidon’s Divine Children:

Proteus
Antaeus
Charybdis
Chrysaor
Pegasus
Polyphemus
Despoina
Arion
Triton
Benthesicyme
Rhodos
The Eastern Demons (proseous daimones)

Demeter’s Divine Children:

Persephone
Despoina
Arion
Eubuleus
Plutus*
Philomelus*

*Both Plutus and Philomelus are children born to Demeter by her mortal lover Iasion; despite their demigod status they are minor gods in their own rights

Apollo’s Divine Children:

Asclepius
Aristaeus
Hymenaeus
The Muses of the Lyre (worshiped in Delphi)
- Nete (Cephisso)
- Mese (Apollonis)
- Hypate (Borysthenis)

Ares’ Divine Children:

The Erotes
Phobos and Deimos
Harmonia
Enyalius

Aphrodite’s Divine Children:

The Erotes
Phobos and Deimos
Harmonia
Beroe
Hermaphroditus
Iacchus
Priapus
Rhodos

Hephaestus’s Divine Children:

The Cabeiri
The Cabeirides

Hermes’s Divine Children:

The Satyrs
- Pherespondus
- Lycus
- Pronomus
Angelia
Hermaphroditus
Palaestra
Pan

Dionysus’s Divine Children:

Iacchus
Methe
Priapus
Telete

Demi-Gods

The gods of the Greek pantheon tended to fool around with mortals. On that note, there were a lot of demigods running around ancient Greece. They often leave their mark on history by behaving just like their divine parent, flaws and all.

*Note: a lot of royal lines tend to claim lineage from some god or another; those kings, queens, and lords have been left out unless they hold some mythical significance.

Zeus’s Mortal Offspring:

King Minos of Crete
King Rhadamanthus of Crete
King Tantalus of Lydia
Epaphus (Apis) of Egypt
Helen of Sparta
Megarus of Megara
Achilleus
Amphion and Zethus
Ceroessa

Poseidon’s Mortal Offspring:

The Aloadae
Eumolpus
Aeolus and Boeotus
Aethusa
Atlas
Eumelus
Ampheres
Euaemon
Mneseus
Autochthon
Elasippus
Mestor
Azaes
Diaprepes
Lycus and Nycteus
Euphemus
Neleus
Chrysomallus
Celaenus

Apollo’s Mortal Offspring:

King Amphissus of Dryopia
King Lycomedes of the Dolopians
Tenerus and Ismenus
Linus of Thrace
Philammon
Oncus
Troilus
Orpheus*

*Apollo as Orpheus’s father is only in a handful of accounts; he is more frequently cited as the son of King Oeagrus of Thrace

Ares’s Mortal Offspring:

The Ismenian Dragon
The Amazons and Queen Otrera
- Hippolyta
- Antiope
- Penthesilea
Ascalaphus and Ialmenus
Romulus and Remus
Diomedes
Cycnus

Aphrodite’s Mortal Offspring:

Golgos*

*Despite being the brother of Beroe, and son of Aphrodite and Adonis, Golgos did not ascend to godhood

Hephaestus’s Mortal Offspring:

King Erichthonius of Athens
Ardalus
Cacus

Hermes’s Mortal Offspring:

Aethalides

Dionysus’s Mortal Offspring:

King Oenopion of Chios
King Thoas of Lemnos
Eurymedon
Phlias
Phanus
Peparethus
Staphylus

Heroes

Everybody loves heroes, especially the ancient Greeks. Heroes were usually demigod children of some major deity or another. After all, there had to be a reason these guys could do all the crazy feats they did. If not directly their children, heroes were speculated to have some degree of godly lineage.

For example, the characters of the Argonautica, the Iliad, and the Odyssey weren’t all children of gods, but sometimes grandchildren or great-grandchildren (or great-great-great-grandchildren).

Zeus’s Heroic Children:

Heracles
Perseus
Sarpedon

Poseidon’s Heroic Children:

Aphrodite’s Heroic Children:

Aeneas

Hermes’s Heroic Children:

Abderus

Wrapping Up the Complicated Greek God Family Tree

The family tree of the Greek gods is far from nice and tidy. There’s overlap, missing links, and a lot of speculation. However, the relationships between the gods were integral to the religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks. Their familial ties play a central role in many myths, such as the Kidnapping of Persephone, the tale of Hephaestus, and the Trojan War.

Sometimes, things were inflicted on individuals as a result of them being a certain figure’s child. For example, the abundance of terrors Hera inflicts on the illegitimate children of Zeus. Other times, one’s lineage acted as a way to explain their traits (e.g. Odysseus being obscenely cunning because of his relation to Hermes). Ancient Greeks understood that the presence of divine blood could seriously impact a myth’s narrative and the actions of a character.