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 ．
1 奧林波斯山神
在馬其頓和希臘東部的色薩利之間矗立著壹座高山。大霧彌漫的山頂直插雲霄。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裏的壹切。總的說來，宙斯並不是壹個獨裁統治者。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 人組成壹個委員會，宙斯本人則坐第壹把交椅，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後赫拉。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願望的感染，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鬥中。在奧林波斯，他們之間也充滿了陰謀與權力之爭。在凡人的世界裏，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。