Yes yes Simon seeing Grace as an angel but I present you, Grace seeing Simon’s survival as something divine.
Grace, going back to Erid and coming to terms with the fact that he will never see another human again. It’s fine. Whatever.
Then he and Rocky find a submarine floating through space. Rocky insists there is a human being inside, the heart beat is unmistakable but Grace questions it. There’s no way, no human being can survive inside that metal coffin.
And yet, there was. They broke open the metal coffin to find a human being. The man’s (?) body is damaged in a way that should mean certain death, he’s coated in a layer of blood that cannot exit one sole body and yet there he is, laying alone. But surely, surely he isn’t alive. He can’t be.
Then the man opens his eyes.
Grace’s whole body trembles as he reaches for him, somehow getting him back into the Hail Mary with Rocky’s help. He expects the man to barely pull through and yet he recovers fast. Too fast, the teeth and mutated skin on his face settling into the appearance of having been born with such traits but Grace saw the damage. It simply isn’t possible for a person to recover so fast and yet he does.
When Simon comes to and blinks blearily, looking at Grace with a confused expression before shifting rapidly into desperate relief
“Please don’t send me back down there- please I did what I was supposed to do-“
But all Grace can do is stare at this man, this man who survived by the skin of his teeth and defying every law of nature and Grace can’t help but wonder if his survival was aided by something incomprehensible. For a fleeting moment every view he had on life as an atheist scientist was thrown out the window from the sight of someone so impossibly alive.
Ever since the Pantheon SMP gods/goddesses alike were announced, I have been absolutely foaming at the mouth with excitement about every little detail.
As a mythology nerd (especially when it comes to Greek and Roman mythology), I wanted to come here and talk about the gods/goddesses alike featured in the SMP, giving a little introduction to each of them so that watching Pantheon SMP can be even more fun and interesting for everyone!
I know Greek mythology wasn’t everyone’s special interest at some point in their life, so I thought it would be nice to create a small guide for anyone who wants to learn more about these figures and the stories behind them.
Before I start, I want to mention a few things: mythology has been translated and retold countless times, and with every translation, some details can change or get lost. On top of that, many myths don’t have one single “correct” version, some stories have multiple variations depending on the source, time period, or region they come from.
I also encourage everyone to look into these figures and do their own research as well! I’m by no means an expert; I’m just someone who is way too passionate about mythology and loves sharing that excitement with others.
Let's gooo!!
Chronus
Personification of Time (Also known as Chronos)
Chronos is the Greek personification of time. In mythology, he is associated with the goddess Ananke (Necessity) and represents the unstoppable, destructive passage of time. Chronos is often confused with the Titan Cronus because of their similar names. During the Renaissance, this connection led to the popular image of Father Time, an elderly man with a long gray beard carrying a harvesting scythe.
In ancient Greek and Roman art, Chronos is sometimes shown turning the zodiac wheel, symbolizing the endless cycle of time. He is closely linked to Aion, another deity associated with eternal or cyclical time.
In the Orphic tradition, Chronos emerged from Earth and Water and created Aether, Chaos, and a cosmic egg. From this egg hatched Phanes, the primordial creator who brought forth the first generation of gods and the universe.
The philosopher Pherecydes of Syros described Chronos as one of the three eternal principles, alongside Zas and Chthonie. According to his account, Chronos's seed was placed within the Earth, giving rise to the first generation of gods.
Cronus
Titan of the Harvest/Harvest God and Ruler of the Golden Age (Also known as Cronos/Kronos)
Domain & Symbolism
Cronus led the second generation of divine rulers, the Titans, presiding over the mythical Golden Age of abundance and peace.
Note: he is regularly confused with Chronos, a separate and much later personification of Time itself; the two are distinct figures who share only a similar-sounding name.
Children: Hestia, Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, Zeus
Myths
Uranus drew the enmity of Gaia when he hid the youngest children of her, the Hecatoncheires and Cyclopes, in Tartarus, so that they would not see the light. Gaia then created a great stone sickle and gathered together Cronus and his brothers to persuade them to castrate Uranus. Only Cronus was brave/willing to do it so Gaia gave him the sickle. When Uranus came to see her, Cronus attacked him, castrating him and casting his testicles into the sea. (From the blood that spilled out from Uranus that fell upon Earth, the Gigantes, Erinyes, and Meliae were produced, and the testicles produced a white foam from which Aphrodite emerged.) After dispatching Uranus, it’s said that Cronus re-imprisoned the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes and set a dragon to guard them.
He and his older sister/wife Rhea took the throne of the world as king and queen. After securing his place as the king of the gods, Cronos learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overcome by his own children, just like he had overthrown his father. Cronos swallowed each newborn whole. Rhea, in grief, hid the infant Zeus on Crete and tricked Cronus into swallowing a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead. (There’s a cool myth of when Rhea presented the swaddled rock to him; Cronus asked her to nurse the infant one last time before he swallowed him. Rhea pressed her breast against the rock and the milk that was sprayed across the heavens created the Milky Way galaxy.)
Once grown, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge his siblings and led them, along with allies such as the Cyclopes, in the Titanomachy, a ten-year war that overthrew Cronus and the Titans, installing the Olympian gods as rulers of the cosmos.
Afterwards, many of the Titans were confined in Tartarus. However, Oceanus, Helios, Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Astraeus were not imprisoned following the Titanomachy. Gaia bore the monster Typhon to claim revenge for the imprisoned Titans.
Accounts of the fate of Cronıs after the Titanomachy differ: The most popular account is that he was imprisoned with the other Titans in Tartarus; in one, he rules over the Isle of the Blessed, having been released from Tartarus by Zeus. In another version, Zeus intoxicates Cronus with honey, sending him to sleep and castrating him.
Now, in the announcement, they mentioned Chronos; however, these two get mixed up a lot, so I wanted to explain both to show their differences.
Zeus
King of the Gods, Ruler of Mount Olympus, God of the Sky and Thunder
Domain & Symbolism
Zeus is a sky and thunder god who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus.
Zeus rules the sky and the heavens, and as king of the gods he presides over law, order, justice, and the fates of mortals and gods alike. He wields the thunderbolt as his signature weapon.
Symbol: Thunderbolt, eagle
Family
Parents: Cronus and Rhea
Siblings: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon
Consort(s): Hera (wife/sister); also, Leto, Maia, Metis, Alcmene, Danaë, Semele, and many others
Children: Among many others: Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Ares, Hephaestus, Persephone, Dionysus, and the hero Heracles
Myths
(This is according to the Iliad, but after the Titanomachy, Zeus shares the world with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus gets the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld, with the earth and Olympos remaining common ground.)
Upon assuming his place as king of the cosmos, his rule is quickly challenged; the first of these challenges to his power is from the Giants, who fight the Olympian gods in a battle known as the Gigantomachy. A prophecy said that the Giants could not be defeated by the gods alone, they needed the help of a mortal hero. Gaia searched for a magical herb that would make the Giants impossible to kill, but Zeus prevented this by ordering the Sun, Moon, and Dawn to stop shining. He found the herb first and then asked Heracles (Hercules) to help the gods.
During the battle, one of the strongest Giants, Porphyrion, attacked Heracles and tried to assault Hera. Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt, and Heracles killed him with an arrow. Together, the gods and Heracles defeated the Giants.
After defeating the Titans, Zeus faced an even greater threat: Typhon, a terrifying monster with a hundred snake-like, fire-breathing heads. Typhon was born to Gaia and Tartarus, and in most stories Gaia created him to challenge Zeus's rule.
In Hesiod's version, Zeus fights Typhon in a massive battle and quickly defeats him with his thunderbolts, throwing him into Tartarus.
Other myths tell a longer story. Typhon attacks the heavens, causing most of the gods to flee to Egypt in animal forms. Zeus fights him but is temporarily defeated when Typhon tears out the tendons from Zeus's hands and feet, leaving him unable to move. Typhon hides Zeus in a cave, but Hermes and Aegipan recover Zeus's tendons and restore his strength. Zeus returns to battle, chases Typhon across the world, and finally crushes him beneath Mount Etna, ending the monster's threat.
Aeolus
Keeper of the Winds
Domain & Symbolism
Aeolus governs the winds, which Zeus placed in his keeping on the floating island of Aeolia. He can calm storms or unleash them at will. He is distinct from a separate legendary figure, Aeolus son of Hellen, regarded as an ancestor of the Aeolian Greeks.
Symbol: The winds
Family
Parents: In Homer's Odyssey, son of Hippotes (other traditions vary)
Genealogies for Aeolus differ across ancient sources; the Odyssey account above is the most famous.
Myths
In the Odyssey, Aeolus hosted Odysseus for a month and, on his departure, gave him a sealed leather bag containing all the contrary winds, leaving only a favorable wind to blow his ships home. Within sight of Ithaca, Odysseus's curious crew opened the bag, believing it held treasure, releasing a storm that blew the fleet back to Aeolia. When Odysseus asked for help a second time, Aeolus refused, declaring that anyone so cursed by the gods must be beyond his aid.
Artemis
Goddess of the Hunt, the Wilderness, Wild Animals, Transitions, Nature, Vegetation, Childbirth, Care of Children, Chastity, and Archery and the Moon
Domain & Symbolism
Artemis protects wild animals, forests, and young girls, and presides over the hunt and, in later tradition, the moon. She was often described as wandering through forests and mountains with a group of nymphs (female nature spirits)
Symbol: Bow and arrows, torch, deer, bear
Family
Parents: Zeus and Leto
Siblings: Apollo (twin brother)
Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. Because Zeus's wife, Hera, was jealous of Leto, she forbade her from giving birth anywhere on solid land. Leto eventually gave birth on the island of Delos. In one version of the myth, Artemis was born first and then helped her mother deliver Apollo.
Myths
One famous story tells of Actaeon, a hunter who accidentally saw Artemis bathing. As punishment, she turned him into a deer, and his own hunting dogs killed him because they did not recognize him.
During the Trojan War, Artemis stopped the winds so the Greek ships could not sail because King Agamemnon had killed one of her sacred deer. She demanded that Agamemnon sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia, as punishment. (This is what got him killed by his own wife) In most versions of the myth, Artemis took pity on Iphigenia at the last moment, rescued her, and replaced her with a deer on the altar.
Athena
Goddess of Wisdom, Warfare, and Crafts
Domain & Symbolism
Athena presides over wisdom, strategic warfare, weaving, and craftsmanship. As patron of Athens, she embodies civic order and reasoned strength over brute force.
Symbol: Owl, serpent, horse, Aegis (an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon), helmet, spear, armor, gorgoneion, chariot, distaff, olive tree
Family
Parents: Zeus alone or Zeus and the Oceanid Metis
In Greek mythology, Athena was born from the forehead of her father, Zeus. According to Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife, Metis, after hearing a prophecy that her child would become more powerful than him. Later, Athena emerged fully grown and wearing armor from Zeus's forehead.
Myths
Athena competed with Poseidon to become the patron god of Athens. Poseidon offered either a saltwater spring or the first horse, while Athena gave the people the first olive tree, which provided food, oil, and wood. King Cecrops chose Athena's gift, and the city was named after her.
The god Hephaestus tried to force himself on Athena, but she escaped. From the incident, Erichthonius was born from the Earth goddess Gaia. Athena adopted and raised him as her own child. She later hid him in a chest and gave it to the daughters of Cecrops, warning them not to open it. When they disobeyed, they were driven mad after seeing what was inside.
Hermes fell in love with Herse, one of Cecrops' daughters. Her sister Aglauros became jealous and tried to stop him. As punishment, Athena turned Aglauros into stone.
When Poseidon tried to assault a young woman named Corone, Athena saved her by transforming her into a crow.
In The Odyssey, Athena becomes Odysseus's greatest protector because she admires his intelligence and cleverness. She guides and helps him throughout his journey home from the Trojan War, often giving him advice or helping him in disguise.
When Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, Athena disguises him as an old beggar so no one recognizes him. She helps him defeat the suitors trying to marry his wife, Penelope, and reclaim his kingdom.
Hermes
Messenger of the Gods, God of Boundaries, Roads, Travelers, Merchants, Thieves, Athletes, Shepherds, Commerce, Speed, Cunning, Language, Oratory, Wit, and Messages
Domain & Symbolism
Hermes serves as herald and messenger of Olympus, guiding travelers, merchants, thieves, and the souls of the dead safely across boundaries.
Symbol: Talaria (winged sandals), petasos (winged helmet), caduceus (herald’s staff/a winged staff intertwined with two snakes copulating), tortoise, lyre, rooster
Family
Parents: Zeus and the nymph Maia
Myths
According to the myth, Zeus secretly visited Maia in a cave on Mount Cyllene, where Hermes was conceived. After Hermes was born, Maia wrapped him in blankets and fell asleep. Remarkably, Hermes grew incredibly fast and, on his very first day, snuck away to steal his half-brother Apollo's cattle. He also invented the lyre by using a tortoise shell. When Apollo accused Hermes of the theft, Maia did not believe him, so the brothers went before Zeus. In the end, Hermes gave the lyre to Apollo in exchange for the cattle, and the lyre became one of Apollo's most famous symbols.
In the earliest myths, Hermes was closely connected to the underworld. He served as a psychopomp, guiding the souls of the dead between the world of the living and the underworld. Over time, his role expanded beyond guiding souls to protecting travelers on all kinds of journeys. He became the god of roads, boundaries, travelers, merchants, sailors, and commerce. Hermes was also associated with communication, eventually becoming the god of language, storytelling, rhetoric, and literary creativity.
He aided many heroes, notably giving Perseus winged sandals for his quest against Medusa.
Morpheus
God of Sleep and Dreams
Domain & Symbolism
Morpheus shapes human dreams, appearing to sleepers in human form and imitating their movements, voices, and mannerisms with uncanny skill. Most of what we know about him comes from the Roman poet Ovid in the Metamorphoses.
Symbol: Poppies, wings, transformation and illusion
Family
Parents: Hypnos (His mother is usually not named in ancient Greek sources. Later traditions sometimes identify her as Pasithea, but this is not universal.) (Also since Hypnos is his father, that makes Nyx his grandmother)
Siblings: Morpheus was one of the Oneiroi, the spirits of dreams:
Morpheus created dreams featuring humans.
Phobetor (also called Icelus) appeared as animals, monsters, and terrifying creatures.
Phantasos appeared as inanimate objects such as rocks, rivers, trees, or strange landscapes.
Myths
King Ceyx dies in a shipwreck while sailing home to his wife, Alcyone. The goddess Juno (Hera in Greek mythology) wants Alcyone to learn the truth, so she sends a messenger to the palace of Sleep. There, Hypnos chooses Morpheus because he is the most skilled at imitating humans. Morpheus enters Alcyone's dream disguised as Ceyx. He perfectly copies her husband's appearance, voice, and gestures and tells her that he has drowned at sea. When Alcyone wakes, she realizes the dream was true. She later finds Ceyx's body washed ashore, and the grieving couple are transformed into kingfishers by the gods.
Nyx
Primordial Goddess and Personification of Night
Domain & Symbolism
Nyx is one of the primordial deities born at the dawn of creation, embodying night itself. Ancient sources describe her as so powerful and awe-inspiring that even Zeus hesitated to offend her.
Symbol: Dark veil or cloak, stars, night, moon, owls, chariot drawn by black horses
Family
Parents: Chaos
Consort: Erebus (Darkness) aka her brother
Children: Hypnos (Sleep), Thanatos (Death), the Moirai (Fates), Nemesis, Eris (Strife), Momus, Aether, Hemera, Moros, Ker, Oizys, the Hesperides, the Moirai, the Keres, Apate, Philotes, Geras
Myths
During the events of the Iliad, Hypnos put Zeus to sleep so that Hera could interfere in the Trojan War. When Zeus awoke, he became furious and chased Hypnos across the heavens. Hypnos fled to his mother, Nyx. When Zeus saw that Hypnos had taken refuge with her, he immediately stopped pursuing him. Although Zeus was stronger than almost every god, he did not dare challenge Nyx.
In Hesiod's Theogony, Nyx lives in a great house at the edge of the world with her daughter Hemera (Day). The two never meet. Every morning, Hemera leaves the house as Nyx returns from covering the earth in darkness. Every evening, Nyx departs as Hemera emerges to bring daylight.
Nyx is described as driving across the sky each evening in a chariot pulled by black horses, drawing her cloak of darkness over the world.
Hephaestus
God of the Artisans, Blacksmiths, Carpenters, Craftsmen, Fire, Metallurgy, Metalworking, Sculpture, and Volcanoes
Domain & Symbolism
Hephaestus is the master smith of Olympus, crafting weapons, armor, and marvels of engineering for gods and heroes alike from his volcanic forge. He was cast off Mount Olympus by his mother Hera because of his lameness(limp), the result of a congenital impairment; or, in another account, by Zeus for protecting Hera from his advances
Symbol: Hammer, anvil, tongs, forge fire
Family
Parents: Zeus and Hera (in some tellings, Hera alone, conceived without a father)
Siblings: Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia
Spouse(s): Aphrodite (divorced); in later tradition, Aglaia/Charis
Children: Thalia, Erichthonius, Cabeiri
Myths
Two versions explain how Hephaestus became limp:
In the first one: Hera was disappointed that Hephaestus was born with a physical disability and threw him from Mount Olympus. He fell for an entire day before landing in the sea, where the sea goddesses Thetis and Eurynome cared for him until he became a master craftsman.
In the second one: Hephaestus defended Hera during one of her arguments with Zeus. Zeus became enraged and threw Hephaestus from Olympus himself. Again, he fell for an entire day before crashing onto the island of Lemnos, permanently injuring his leg.
Seeking revenge on Hera, Hephaestus crafted a magnificent golden throne and sent it to Olympus as a gift. When Hera sat on it, invisible chains trapped her. None of the gods could free her. Finally, Dionysus persuaded Hephaestus to return to Olympus. After becoming intoxicated, Hephaestus agreed to release Hera, and from then on he resumed his place among the Olympians.
Aphrodite secretly had an affair with Ares. The sun god Helios saw everything and informed Hephaestus. Hephaestus forged an invisible metal net and placed it over his bed. When Aphrodite and Ares met there, the net trapped them. Hephaestus summoned the gods to witness their humiliation. Eventually, the lovers were released after promises of compensation, though Aphrodite and Ares continued to be associated with one another in later myths.
Many myths involve objects Hephaestus created rather than adventures of his own.
Among his greatest creations were:
Zeus' thunderbolts (in some traditions)
Achilles' magnificent shield and armor
Hermes' winged helmet and sandals (in some traditions)
The armor of Heracles
The bronze giant Talos, who protected Crete
Pandora, the first woman, whom he fashioned from clay at Zeus' command
Tyche
Goddess of Fortune, Luck, Prosperity, Chance, and the Destiny of Cities
Domain & Symbolism
Tyche governs luck, chance, and prosperity, for individuals and, especially in the Hellenistic period, for entire cities, each of which venerated its own protective Tyche.
Symbol: Cornucopia (horn of plenty), wheel of fortune, ball or sphere, mural crown (crown shaped like city walls)
Family
Parents: Accounts vary: most commonly Oceanus and Tethys; sometimes named as a daughter of Zeus and Aphrodite or Prometheus
Myths
Unlike gods such as Zeus or Athena, Tyche does not have many major myths centered around her. Instead, she appears as a force influencing events.
Tyche was believed to decide whether cities would prosper or fall.
A city favored by Tyche might experience: successful rulers, military victories, wealth, growth
A city abandoned by Tyche might face: war, famine, political collapse
Many Greek and Roman cities created statues of their own Tyche to honor and seek her protection.
Pan
God of the Wild, Nature, Shepherds, Flocks, Mountain Wilds, and Rustic Music
Domain & Symbolism
Pan roams the wild places of Arcadia, protecting shepherds, flocks, and the mountain wilderness, and is closely tied to rustic music and the untamed, instinctual side of nature.
Symbol: Syrinx (pan flute), goat, forest and mountains, shepherd’s staff
Family
Parents: Hermes and a nymph (named Dryope or Penelope, depending on the source)
Myths
One famous version tells that Pan was born with goat legs, horns, and a strange appearance. When his mother saw him, she was frightened and abandoned him. Hermes found the child and brought him to Mount Olympus, where the gods laughed with delight at the unusual child. Despite his strange appearance, Pan became beloved because of his joyful nature.
Pan fell in love with a beautiful nymph named Syrinx. However, Syrinx did not return his affection and fled from him. As Pan chased her, she begged the gods to save her. The gods transformed her into reeds. When Pan reached the reeds, he was heartbroken. He cut the reeds and discovered that when the wind passed through them, they created beautiful sounds. He made a musical instrument from them, which became the syrinx, or Pan flute.
In some traditions, Pan loved the nymph Echo. However, Echo rejected him or could not return his love. In anger and jealousy, Pan caused madness among shepherds, who tore Echo apart. Later, only her voice remained, the echo heard in the mountains.
Pan once challenged Apollo to a musical contest. Pan played his simple shepherd's pipes, while Apollo played the lyre. The judge declared Apollo the winner because his music was considered more refined.
The word 'panic' derives from Pan's ability to inspire sudden, irrational terror in travelers, flocks, and even armies with his eerie cry.
A frequent companion of Dionysus and the nymphs, Pan is closely associated with revelry, music, and the wild countryside of Arcadia.
Apollo
God of the Sun, Music, Prophecy, Truth and Healing
Domain & Symbolism
Apollo governs music, poetry, prophecy, healing, and (in later tradition) the sun, and speaks through his oracle at Delphi. He represents harmony, order, beauty, reason, and the pursuit of perfection.
Unlike many gods who represent a single force, Apollo governs many areas of Greek life, especially those connected to civilization, art, and enlightenment.
Symbol: Lyre, laurel wreath, python, bow and arrows, sun, raven, swan, wolf, tripod (symbol of Delphi)
Family
Parents: Zeus and Leto
Siblings: Artemis (twin sister)
Myths
Shortly after his birth, Apollo slew the monstrous serpent Python at Delphi, founding his famous oracle on the site.
Before Apollo arrived, the sacred oracle at Delphi was guarded by a giant serpent called Python. Apollo killed Python with his arrows and claimed Delphi as his sacred sanctuary. He established the: Oracle of Delphi where the priestess, the Pythia, would deliver prophecies inspired by Apollo. (happens shortly after his birth)
Apollo mocked Eros for using a small bow. Angered, Eros shot Apollo with a golden arrow of love and Daphne, a nymph, with a lead arrow of rejection. Apollo became obsessed with Daphne, but she wanted to escape him. She prayed to her father, a river god, for help. She was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, grieving, declared the laurel sacred and wore its leaves as a crown.
A satyr named Marsyas challenged Apollo to a music contest. Marsyas played the flute, while Apollo played the lyre. Apollo won. However, the punishment was cruel: Apollo tied Marsyas to a tree and flayed him alive.
Apollo loved the Trojan princess Cassandra and gave her the gift of prophecy. However, when she rejected him, Apollo cursed her: She would always tell the truth. Nobody would ever believe her. Cassandra foresaw the fall of Troy but was ignored.
