Greek religion included hundreds of deities. The most important were the 12 Olympians. But exactly which gods and goddesses made up the Olympian Dozen depended on whose list you used.

In all, 14 deities made it onto one or another of the most authoritative surviving lists.

Some of these are better known by their Roman name -- Mercury rather than Hermes, for instance. When the Romans conquered the Greeks, they absorbed parts of Greek culture, including religion, but changed the names of the deities.

Below are the names and descriptions of 14 Greek deities, with Roman names in parenthesis:

Zeus (Jupiter)

The boss god, hurler of thunderbolts. Had a habit of kidnapping, seducing or raping beautiful women (and at least one boy). He was the father of five other Olympian deities, only one by his wife (and sister), Hera. Despite his serial adulteries, he was associated with law and justice. The Olympic Games started at a festival dedicated to him.

Hera (Juno)

The (understandably) jealous and angry queen of Olympus. She was the protector of marriage, even though many of her stories involved Zeus' infidelity. She had her out-of-marriage moments, too. At least one of her children was "fathered" by a head of lettuce. June -- the month of brides -- is named for her Roman incarnation.

Poseidon (Neptune)

Ruler of the seas and older brother of Zeus. Known for his trident (a three-pronged spear.)

When he was in a good mood, the seas were calm and the winds favorable. On his bad days, he caused earthquakes and storms. Like Zeus, Poseidon spent a lot of time seducing women and men. He competed with Athena to be the patron of the cultural capital of ancient Greece. She won. Thus, Athens.

Athena (Minerva)

Goddess of wisdom. She was Zeus' daughter by an unusual delivery -- he swallowed her pregnant mom after hearing a prophecy that the child would overthrow him. Another god split Zeus' head so Athena could emerge. In the competition with Poseidon for patronage over Athens, he created a municipal well. She topped him by creating the olive tree.

Apollo (Apollo)

Son of Zeus, god of music, archery and healing. He drove the chariot that carried the sun across the sky. He was associated with the most famous soothsayer of the day, the Oracle at Delphi. Priestesses at Apollo's temple at Delphi were famous for their inscrutable prophesies. One theory: the women were high from gas fumes wafting from a fissure beneath the temple.

Artemis (Diana)

Apollo's twin sister and the goddess of hunting. She helped midwife her mother during her brother's difficult delivery. For that reason, she was also the goddess of women in labor.

Aphrodite (Venus)

Goddess of love, may be the eldest of the Olympians. One story had her born from sea foam that sprayed from the severed private parts of Zeus' grandfather. She got into a spat with Hera and Athena over who was the most beautiful goddess. Their discord triggered the Trojan War. She had an ongoing affair with Ares. Eros, aka Cupid, was her son.

Hermes (Mercury)

Son of Zeus, messenger of the gods. He's also the sly god of tricks and robbers, and the inventor of the lyre. Best known these days from the logo for FTD, the flower delivery folks, he appeared in many Olympian tales, carrying messages, transporting people to and fro and putting schemes into place.

Demeter (Ceres)

Sister of Zeus, goddess of fertility, corn and grain. She and daughter Persephone (considered an Olympian on some lists) were the subject of the most famous of the Greek "mystery cults." Tens of thousands of women attended an annual festival celebrating the two deities. But what happened inside was kept secret -- and remains so to this day.

Dionysos (Baccus)

Son of Zeus, god of wine, madness, vegetation and the theater. He is known as "twice-born" because his mom was blasted to ashes by Zeus while she was pregnant, and he was sewn into dad's thigh until ready for birth. Several of his stories involved sea journeys. One had him captured by pirates. He turned them into dolphins.

Hephaistos (Vulcan)

Son of Hera, god of smiths, metalwork and other heavy-lifting crafts. He was born lame and ugly and, his mom flung him off Olympus in disgust. Or maybe Zeus tossed him for taking Hera's side in an argument. He got the beautiful but notoriously unfaithful Aphrodite for a wife. He was the only ugly Olympian -- a big deal for the Greeks, who were even more hung up on appearance than today's Hollywood celebrities.

Ares (Mars)

Son of Zeus and Hera. The god of war and mindless violence, he was more feared than loved. (Athena was the deity of more thoughtful battle.) One tale had him as the first deity tried and acquitted of murder. He'd caught a son of Poseidon trying to rape his daughter. The ruling, apparently, was that the killing was justifiable deicide.

Hestia (Vesta)

Sister of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. Goddess of the hearth, the home, altars and other central things, she stayed at home in Olympus and didn't get much involved in human affairs.

An eternal virgin, she had no lovers or children. She was considered one of the most important deities. Many prayers began and ended with references to her.

Hades (Pluto)

Brother of Zeus and Poseidon, he ended up as lord of the underworld by drawing lots after they overthrew their father. He was husband to Persephone, whom he kidnapped. Despite the rocky start, the marriage was among the most successful of the Olympians, short on tales of infidelity. Because he lived in the underworld (also called "Hades"), he's not on some Olympian lists.