Although the worship of Greek gods is no longer widespread, their myths and stories have fascinated people for generations, especially in the Western world. The stories of classical Greek mythology have been taught in schools and even reimagined among the younger generation, such as the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.

Although the Greek Pantheon has many gods technically, when it comes to "Greek gods", most people are thinking of Olympians and Heads. For the purpose of this list, we only include Olympians and Heads. It is a challenge to determine who is the oldest of these gods, because many gods have more than one origin story. However, in most cases, the order of the first generation of Olympians (Zeus and his siblings) has been agreed and indicated in this list. For the second-generation Olympic athletes, scheduling is more difficult because many of their stories overlap each other. Usually, Athena is the first to be born, and Hermes and Dionysus are the two youngest. However, the order among the gods has yet to be debated. Considering all this, here are the oldest Greek gods.

1. HESTIA

Hestia was the first child of Kronos and Rhea, making her the oldest god in Greece. Since Hestia was first swallowed by Cronus, she was finally refluxed and named the oldest and youngest of the six Kronides (Zeus and his siblings). Although Hestia is one of the Kronides, he is not always considered one of the 12 Olympians and is usually replaced by Dionysus. In some myths, this is because Hestia voluntarily gave up her position at Mount Olympus, preferring not to participate in pious affairs. As the goddess of the hearth and homeland, Hestia was revered by the Greeks and made sacrifices to her regularly in the hearth of every private house and in the public hearth of a town or city.

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Traditionally, Hestia, as the elder god, received any sacrifices before other gods, including the first and last glass of wine offered in any feast. In addition, Hestia is usually mentioned first in any prayer and oath.

2. DEMETER

Demeter is another ancient god. She is very important to daily life in Greece because she is the goddess of harvest. Through close contact with the earth, Demeter is responsible for the harvest and protecting agriculture and vegetation. In addition to being important to agriculture, Demeter is best known as Persephone's mother, Hades was kidnapped and forced to become his wife. Demeter was so frustrated with Persephone's kidnapping that she caused a great drought and eventually convinced the other gods to let Hades release Persephone. Hades relaxed and agreed to let Persephone leave, but she had to return to him in the third year. This myth symbolizes the change of seasons.

3. HERA

Hera is the youngest daughter of the daughters of Cronus and Rhea, and the wife of the goddess of marriage and Zeus. As the queen of Mount Olympus, Hera gave birth to other Olympians, including the god of war and Hephaestus, as well as some minor gods. Hera appears in several famous myths, including the story of Hercules, Jason and the Golden Fleece and the Trojan War. Although her personality may vary from story to story, the most common description is that Hera is a jealous and vengeful woman who is angry with Zeus's lovers and bastards.

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Hera is one of the few Greek gods loyal to her partner, and she has become a symbol of loyalty and monogamy.

4. HADES

Hades, the king of the underworld, is the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, and the only one who does not live in Mount Olympus. Instead, Hades ruled the underworld and presided over the dead. In addition to dealing with the affairs of the dead, Hades is the god of hidden wealth on earth, such as its fertile soil and gold, silver and other precious metals. As the ruler of the underworld, Hades did not actively intervene in the affairs of mortals. However, several heroes did visit the underworld and interact with Hades, and if Hades was angered, they would sometimes perish.

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Since he was the king of hell, the Greeks and Romans were worried that Hades would say his name aloud, and instead use Eubuleus (for you great advice) or Pluto/Pluto (Hades’s Rome Name).

5. POSEIDON

Poseidon (Gose the Seas) is the second youngest child of Cronus and Rhea, and one of the most chaotic gods. As an agent of chaos, Poseidon has appeared in many of Greece's most famous myths, including the origin story of Medusa, the struggle with Athena for dominance in Athens, and the Iliad and Odyssey events. Poseidon, the sea god, is also believed to have created this horse. The gift he gave to Athens was that they chose him as the patron god. He also created the Minotaur, which lives in the maze of Knossos.

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