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tylermileslockett

ARES

“Ares, exceeding in strength, chariot-rider, golden-helmed, doughty in heart, shield-bearer, Saviour of cities, harnessed in bronze, strong of arm, unwearying, mighty with the spear, O defense of father of warlike Victory, ally of Themis, stern governor of the rebellious, leader of righteous men, sceptered King of manliness, who whirl your fiery sphere among the planets in their sevenfold courses through the aether…”

(-Homeric Hymn, translated by H.G. Evelyn white)

ARES (AIR-ees), God of war, courage, and civil order. The raging, wrathful deity unleashes his bloodlust in the fury of battle. His sacred weapons glittering; the golden helmet, spear, and shield. The boar head icon on the shield symbolizes Ares turning into a boar and jealously gorging the youth Adonisto death, for the youth's affair with Aphrodite. The serpents are creatures associated with Ares: the Colchian dragon (which guards the golden fleece in the sacred grove of Ares- from the Jason and the Argonauts myth) and the Ismenian dragon (which guards the sacred spring of Ares near Thebes).

Flying above Ares' shoulderAres shoulder is his daughter, Nike, the goddess of Victory, Nike. In the upper right are vultures, animals associated with Ares, and his sister Eris; goddess of discord. This goddess who, unable to enter the banquet of the gods, threw in the golden apple inscribed "for the fairest" causing strife for the women and ultimately bringing Paris of Troy to judge, as a precursor to Helen and the Trojan war. Galloping into battle below are three Amazon warrior women, the leader being Ares daughter; Queen Penthesilea, (who Achilles killed in battle at Troy and fell in love with her as she lay dying.)

Want to own my Illustrated Greek myth book jam packed with over 130 illustrations like this? Support my book kickstarter "Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" coming in early 2024. check my bio LINKTREE

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DEMETER

“I begin to sing of rich-haired Demeter, awful goddess —of her and her trim-ankled daughter whom Aidoneus (Hades) rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer.”

(-Homeric Hymn, translated by H.G. Evelyn white)

DEMETER (duh-MEET-er), is the goddess of harvest, agriculture, fertility, and grains. She is the central figure in the mystery Cult of Eleusis,where citizens made a pilgrimage to Eleusis to partake in a festival and initiation ritual tied to the myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone’s abduction by Hades into the underworld. This ceremony would initiate a citizen, provide some spiritual insight, thereby guaranteeing a better position in the afterlife. In my depiction, Demeter holds out her torch, in search of her abducted daughter, and an ear of wheat grain to symbolize her role in agriculture. Tto the left we have the main players of the missing daughter myth. A misty Hades behind, and Persephone in front, with triple-bodied Hekatebeside, who helped Demeter find her daughter, and became Persephone's attendant in the underworld. On the right we have a woman pouring libations to help the wheat grow, then Demeter holding the cut grain, symbolizing the cyclical nature, and transience of life.

Unfortunately, as the crime of revealing the inner secret ceremony was punishable by death, we can't know for sure what took place in the inner sanctum during the main ritual. What we do know is that something was “drunk” and something was "seen". Many believe that the Kykeon drink offered to initiates would produce a psychotropic, hallucinatory effect. Perhaps the drink was tainted with ergot (rotten barley fungi), or maybe mushrooms. Apparently, the ritual had three stages, (mirroring Persephone’s underworld journey); the descent, the search, and the ascent. Some believe the final act shown to the initiate was the cutting of an ear of grain, to symbolize the cyclical death and rebirth of nature.

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HERA

“I sing of golden-throned Hera whom Rhea bare. Queen of the immortals is she, surpassing all in beauty: she is the sister and the wife of loud-thundering Zeus-" (Homeric Hymn, translated by H.G. Evelyn white)

HERA (HEH-ruh) Queen of the Gods, is both Zeus’ sister and his wife, and is Goddess of mothers, marriage, and protector of women in childbirth. In one hand she holds her lotus-tipped scepter, and in the other, a pomegranate fruit; a symbol of fertility. At her feet rests the Nemean lion, who she raises and sends to destroy Heracles. She has associations with the cow, a symbol of maternity and fertility, and is even described as “cow-eyed” in the Iliad. Mourning the death of her loyal servant, a hundred eyed giant named Argus, Hera creates the peacock by placing his many eyes on the feathers. Behind here stand Caryatid style female form columns holding up her hall.

Being the wife of a serial cheater, the queen of the Olympians has acquired a reputation as a bitter wife seeking vengeance against Zues’s mistresses. She chases the pregnant Leto(female titan and mother to Apollo and Artemis) out of Olympus, and disguised as a maid, convinces Semele(pregnant with Dionysus),toforce Zeus to reveal his true form; which fries the princess to dust. Hera also attempts to kill the offspring of her husband’s infidelities; most notably, sending snakes to kill Herakles in his crib as a baby, or preventing Dionysus from being born from Semele’s belly. Hera gives birth to the crippled metalsmith God, Hephaestus, but cruelly casts him down to earth for his lame leg.

She has a substantial role in the Argonautica; wishing to punish King Pelias, she assists Jason and the Argonauts as they quest for the golden fleece.

Thanks for looking

If you like this art, Please support my upcoming kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylermileslockett/lockett-illustrated-greek-gods-and-heroes

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Zeus

“I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest, all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of wisdom to Themis as she sits leaning towards him. Be gracious, all-seeing Son of Cronos, most excellent and great!”

(Homeric Hymn, translated by H.G. Evelyn white)

ZEUS, (zoos) King of the Olympians, sits upon his throne high atop the golden palaces of Mount Olympus. The king of the sky and thunder holds aloft his blazing lightning bolt, which was crafted by the Cyclopes. Above, float his winged enforcers, Nike (victory), Bia (force) Zelos (rivalry) and Kratos (strength). Zeus is the Lord of prophecy, relaying them to his radiant son, Apollo, who relates them to the Pythia; the oracle priestess at the temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Most of us are accustomed to seeing Zeus portrayed as an older man, with white hair and white beard. But in fact, to the ancient Greeks, Zeus was portrayed as middle-aged, with black hair and beard. Remember that Zeus was last born to the titaness Rhea, (before his siblings were swallowed by his father, Cronus) technically making Zeus the youngest of the Olympians.

The Oracle at Dodona, in northwestern Greece, was a temple site dedicated to Zeus. Here the priests and priestesses used a form of divination involving the rustling sounds of the oak tree and its leaves to gain prophecies.

Zeus is also known for his insatiable lust; transforming into animals like an eagle, swan, or bull (and even a shower of gold!) to pursue his conquests of female mortals and deities alike.

Thanks for looking and reading!

If you like this art, Please support my upcoming kickstarter:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tylermileslockett/lockett-illustrated-greek-gods-and-heroes