SYMBOLS & ATTRIBUTES PAGE TWO
continued from page one
EROS

The mischievous son of Aphrodite
and Ares was always depicted as a winged youth holding the tools
of his trade, the bow and magical arrows with which he could
transform the heart of any being. His Latin equivalent, Cupid,
was often shown as a cherubic, angelic winged boy armed with a
golden bow and arrows.
APOLLO

The Bow and the Quiver are the
attributes of this god who strikes from afar, and also the Lyre,
which some say was invented by Hermes.
Since the maiden Daphne, pursued by Apollo, changed into a
Laurel tree, the god is associated with the Laurel because he
broke a branch from the tree and placed it on his head.
Another emblem of Apollo was a Mouse - Mice were supposed to
know the secrets of the earth, and tell them to him. As he is
the god of light, the sun has also been associated with Apollo.
ARES

The God of war was generally
represented in a brilliant suit of armor, a plumed helmet on his
proud young head, a poised spear in one muscular hand and a
finely wrought shield on the other.
His bird was the vulture and his animal was the dog. Other
emblems of Ares were the Wild Boar and a bloodstained Spear.
ARTEMIS

Artemis is often represented
with the Bow and Quiver of the huntress, her silver arrows, and
with emblems representing the Moon and the Stars.
She is often seen in the company of a Hind or a Dog. Another
emblem of Artemis is the She-Bear. Sometimes she will be shown
with a star adorning the crown on her head.
DIONYSUS 
The Thyrsus, a staff that is
crowned with ivy, is sacred to Dionysus and an emblem of his
worship. Also Vine Leaves and Bunches of Grapes are associated
with him.
The Tiger is an animal attribute of Dionysus, having once
visited India and brought tigers back as souvenirs. As well,
donkeys are his sacred animals, due to the fact that they helped
him cross a deep and wide lake during his travels to India and
back.
HEPHAESTUS

This industrious god of the
forge is mostly seen with the hammer, anvil and tongs of the
smith. Because he was lame in the legs, due to his fall from
Olympus, one of his symbols was the Quail, a bird that does a
hobbling dance in the springtime. Hephaestus was the only
unattractive Olympian god, so he was often depicted as homely
looking.
HERMES

The Petasus, which is a round
winged hat and the Winged Sandals are two well known attributes
of Hermes. Another one is the Caduceus, which is a winged staff
entwined with two serpents (the medical emblem resembles this,
but it is not the same).
The Crane is also one of Hermes' emblems, because cranes fly in
a V - the first letter he wrote, as the inventor of the
alphabet.
PERSEPHONE

The Pomegranate is associated
with Persephone. Because of having eaten a seed or seeds of
Pomegranate Persephone became for ever bound to Hades.
She is also shown in the context of floral or vegetative themes,
since her return to earth heralds the arrival of spring and the
rejuvenation of the world.

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