Number 12 in Mythology

The Twelve Olympians – Greek mythology

The twelve Olympians were the twelve principle gods that resided on Mount Olympus.

Zeus (Roman=Jupiter)	The supreme god. God of the sky
Hera (Roman =Juno)	Sister and wife of Zeus. Queen goddess.Hera means “Lady”. Goddess of marriage.
Poseidon (Roman=Neptune)	Brother of Zeus. God of the ocean, earthquakes and horses.
Ares (Roman=Mars)	Son of Zeus and Hera.God of war.He was violent and aggressive.
Hermes (Roman=Mercury)	Son of Zeus and Maia (one of the Seven Pleiads, daughter of Atlas). Messenger god.Enjoyed playing tricks.He protected travelers, merchants and thieves.He also guided the dead to the underworld.
Hephaistos (Roman=Vulcan)	Son of Hera.God of craftsmanship, metal and fire. He was the smith god.He was a crippled, deformed god.Married to Aphrodite.
Aphrodite (Roman=Venus)	Goddess of love and beauty.Aphrodite emerged from of the foam made from the genitals of Uranus (the first ruler of the universe) and the waves, on the shores of Cyprus.Married to Hephaistos.
Athena (Roman=Minerva)	Daughter of Zeus and Metis (wisdom).Goddess of wisdom and science.Also goddess of war.
Apollo (Roman=Apollo)	Son of Zeus and Leto.God of the sun, the arts, music, fortune-telling.He could spread diseases, but could also cure illness.
Artimis (Roman=Diana)	Daughter of Zeus and Leto. Twin sister of Apollo.Goddess of hunting and the countryside.Patron of the wild animals.
Demeter (Roman=Ceres)	Sister of Zeus.Goddess of agriculture, the earth and grain.
Hestia (Roman=Vesta)	Sister of Zeus. Goddess of the home and the hearth.

Heracles was the son of Zeus (the chief god) and the mortal woman, Alcmene.

He was a great hero in Greek mythology.

At one time Heracles was set to do twelve tasks that seemed to be impossible.

He managed to complete all the twelve tasks using wit and strength.

The 12 Labours of Heracles were:

1.	Kill the Lion of Nemea.This was a lion that had a pelt that could not be wounded by metal or stone.
2.	Kill the Hydra of Lerna.The Hydra was a water-snake with nine heads and it was extremely poisonous.
3.	Capture the Cerynian Hind.The Hind was sacred to Artemis, the goddess of hunting.
4.	Capture the Erymanthian Boar.He was to bring the wild and fierce boar back to Mycenae.
5.	Clean the Augean Stables in one day.These stables had not been cleaned for years.
6.	Drive away the Birds of Stymphalus.The birds had feathers with metal tips and they attacked humans.
7.	Capture the Cretan Bull.The bull had been terrorizing the island of Crete.
8.	Capture the Mares of Diomedes.The king of Diomedes had fed these mares with human flesh.
9.	Fetch the girdle of Hippolyta. She was the queen of the Amazons, the female warriors.
10.	Herd the Cattle of Geryon. Geryon was a giant with three heads, three upper bodies and six arms.
11.	Fetch the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides.
12.	Capture Cerberus. Cerberus was the three-headed dog that guarded the Underworld.The dog belonged to Hades, god of the underworld.