The Lives and Deaths of the Greek Gods

By Tony Williams | July 29, 2024

Not All Gods Are the Same

Some who dismiss Christianity compare it to the worship of Greek and Roman gods. This comparison is meant to equate Christians with those who believed in Zeus, Jupiter, Aphrodite, and others from Mount Olympus. In studying the ancient gods and goddesses it turns into a hazy pantheon of gods who controlled various aspects of the weather or displayed a specific gifting for war or love or speed. These figures are now occasionally recycled directly or indirectly in popular movies and are very similar to the superheroes we are all familiar with.

While many versions of the gods and goddesses have been developed since the Greeks began the storyline, the originals were a group of 12 Greek gods whose names were later Latinized by the Roman culture who adopted them. Many may be familiar with Zeus/Jupiter, Hera/Juno, Poseidon/Neptune, Hades/Pluto, Ares/Mars, Aphrodite/Venus, Athena/Minerva, Hermes/Mercury, Hephaestus/Vulcan, Artemis/Diana, Apollo/Apollo, Demeter/Ceres, and Dionysus/Bacchus.

It is assumed by most that the gods and goddesses originated in human fantasy to explain where things came from and what drove the events in the lives of ancient people. This assumption is then extended to the God of Christianity by many doubtful of the Bible’s claims. So, who were the Greek and Roman gods?

History of the Gods

As Dr. Ken Johnson summarizes in his book, Ancient Post-Flood Cultures, some of the early church set out to discover who these gods and goddesses really were to witness to those who worshipped them. They used their own ancient sources available at their time to find answers. Much of what is thought to be an imagined pantheon turns out to be based on real human beings who lived and died and became legendized as gods.

Dr. Johnson outlines how Lactantius and several others in the early church read ancient histories of Herodotus, Strabo, Ennius and several others and found out where the legends began. The history of Greece started with Javen, son of Japheth, son of Noah. In fact, the name of Greece in Hebrew is still Javen. Javen is said to have settled there and they worshipped the God who sustained his father and grandfather through the great flood.

According to the ancient accounts of history, the sons of Gomer came in the conquest of the land and began to rule over the area. A descendant of Gomer (another grandson of Noah) named Maneus began to call himself and his people “Titans”. The grandson of Maneus was named Uranus, and his sons were named Titan and Saturn (also known as Kronos).

An ugly history of striving to be king proceeded through this family but resulted in Saturn’s rule over a kingdom that was said to encompass much of the land between Syria, Phoenicia, and parts of Africa. Saturn had a son named Jupiter who was sent away because of Saturn’s habit of killing potential heirs to the kingdom. Jupiter eventually took the throne from Saturn. Saturn died and, according to church father Cyprian, he was buried on the island of Sicily.

The war between Jupiter and Saturn lasted 10 years, and likely occurred sometime in the last half of Abraham’s life according to Dr. Johnson. Jupiter divided his kingdom with his two brothers, Neptune (also known as Poseidon) and Pluto. The west went to Pluto and the coastlands went to Neptune. Jupiter eventually died and his tomb was a well-known attraction in A.D. 250 according to early church father Cyprian.

Why Should This Matter to Christians?

Many of the other gods in Greek and Roman culture were based on individuals who were likely real people associated with this family whose lives and powers became exaggerated after their deaths. Christians must recognize the truth about these ancient characters who became gods and goddesses as history blurred the truth, as opposed to the reality of Christ as Creator and Redeemer of the universe. The gods of Greece and Rome are all dead, but Christ lives on.

Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God and demonstrated these powers during His life to those who saw His miracles over nature and believed. While He was temporarily entombed, it was short-lived. We must not allow the idea that Christ is just one among the pantheon of legendized Gods, but rather understand history to show that even these ancient people who became known as gods and goddesses were themselves fellow offspring of Noah and sinners. They, like us, will one day face judgment by the One Who created us. Unlike the Greek and Roman gods, Christ defeated death and is alive today for anyone willing to open their eyes to Him.

About the Author

Tony Williams is currently serving in his 20th year as a police officer in a city in Southern Illinois. He has been studying apologetics in his spare time for two decades, since a crisis of faith led him to the discovery of vast and ever-increasing evidence for his faith. Tony received a bachelor’s degree in University Studies from Southern Illinois University in 2019. His career in law enforcement has provided valuable insight into the concepts of truth, evidence, confession, testimony, cultural competency, morality, and most of all, the compelling need for Christ in the lives of the lost. Tony plans to pursue postgraduate studies in apologetics in the near future to sharpen his understanding of the various facets of Christian apologetics.