the Olympin Gods

Between Macedon and thessaly of eastern GREece there stood a high mountain．Its cloudy top rushed into the very heavens．On the top of the mountain， the home of the gods was bathed in brightness． At Olympus Zeus ruled as the father of gods and men． Zeus was not a crude ruler by any standards．All the gods listened to his final words，it was true．But Zeus made them all sit on a committee of twelve members，including six gods and six goddesses． The first in the Olympian crowd sat Zeus himself． He was the overlord of gods and men and the operator of the thunderbolt ．Next to him was Hera，his proud and greeneyed queen．Poseidon was ruler of the sea，And Hades，king of the lower world，had no seat in the committee．Apollo was the god of the sun，music and poetry，while his twinsister Artemis was the goddess of the moon and the chase． Athena was the goddess of wisdom and patroness of house holdarts．Hestin，the goddess of the family，represented home life and family happiness．The frightening Ares was the god of war，and the charming Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty．The god of fire，Hephaestus，was the forger of the thunderbolts of Zeus．The wing footed messenger Hermes was the god of invention and commerce；and the goddess of grains and harvests，Demeter，looked after agriculture and stood for mother ofcivilization．

All the chief gods mentioned above took human forms of incomparable beauty and grace． Often moved by human feelings and desires，they frequently gave way to anger and jealousy．They became involved in ceaseless battles with the world of man． Among themselves at Olympus they plotted and struggled for power．In the human world they experienced competitions and difficulties．They enjoyed earthly friendships and loves．Acrowd of everlasting gods looked and acted in a perfectly human fashion that is what all gods at Olympus actually were．

奧林波斯山神

在馬其頓和希臘東部的色薩利之間矗立著一座高山。大霧彌漫的山頂直插云霄。山頂上，眾神們的家園沐浴在陽光之中。宙斯作為山神和人類之父主宰著那里的一切。總的說來，宙斯并不是一個獨裁統治者。但毫無疑問，凡事山神們都要聽從他的命令。宙斯將男女山神12人組成一個委員會，宙斯本人則坐第一把交椅，是眾神與人類的太上皇，也是雷電的操縱者。他旁邊是他那傲慢且嫉妒的皇后赫拉。波塞冬是大海的統治者。哈得斯是主宰陰間的冥王，他在委員會中沒有席位。阿波羅是太陽神、音樂和詩神。他的孿生姐妹阿耳特彌斯是月亮和狩獵女神。雅典娜是智慧女神和家居藝術品的守護女神。赫提斯是家室之神，象征著家庭中的生命與幸福。氣勢洶洶的阿瑞斯是戰神。媚人的阿芙羅狄蒂是愛與美神。火神赫菲斯托斯是宙斯雷電的創造者。以翅代步的信使海爾墨斯掌管商業與發明事務。谷物與豐收女神得墨特爾負責管理農業，她是文明之母。

以上所提到的主要天神們都假裝成凡人的樣子，他們的美麗與魅力無可匹敵。因常受到凡人情感與愿望的感染，他們不時地勃然大怒，妒嫉別人。他們卷入與人類世界無休止的爭斗中。在奧林波斯，他們之間也充滿了陰謀與權力之爭。在凡人的世界里，他們經歷了敵對與挫折。他們珍惜人間的愛與友善。這群長生不老的天神們的外表與行為完全符合人間的方式。這就是奧林波斯山神們的本來面目。