I think we can all agree, growing up most of us had a weird obsession with Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and The Olympians series. Honestly, ever since those books came out, I’ve been praying for another series on Greek mythology because something about it is just so intriguing. Well, over break I fell into a kind of Greek mythology rabbithole and stumbled upon some pretty badass, underrated goddesses I felt like the world needs to recognize. Without further ado, I present to you the 10 most underrated Greek goddesses.
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Persephone: Goddess of Spring and Co-Ruler of The Underworld
Okay, so I know everyone knows about Persephone, but most people only know her as Hades bride, right? Well, she’s so much more than that. Persephone is the goddess of Spring, and co-ruler of the underworld. This bad b!tch absolutely deserves to be honored as much, if not more, than her Criminal Minds episode of a husband.
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Nyx: Goddess of the Night
When I say Nyx is one of the coolest Goddesses I’ve ever come across, I’m not lying. Nyx was here for the dawn of creation. She is the creator of the three fates (those creepy witchy things in Hercules), Sleep, Death, and Strife and Pain. She is the very being of the night. Legend says even Zeus is afraid of her because not only was she created before him, she is also supposedly much more powerful than him. In addition to this, without Nyx, there would be no light or day, as she is the creator of both of these. Shed some light, but not too much because she is the night, on her name.
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Nike: Goddess of Victory
Yes, it’s more than just an expensive sportswear brand. Nike, the goddess of victory, is present in all of humanities ‘games’. This ranges from silly little capture the flag matches, to literal war. Often associated with Athena, goddess of war, Nike has made her appearance in hundreds of Olympics throughout history. If you’re counting on a certain football team to make it to the Superbowl this year, pray to my girl Nike.
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Eris: Goddess of Strife and Discord
As much as I preach pacifism, Eris’s legend can’t help but intrigue me. To say Eris was problematic at the least, is an understatement. Legend says she was present at some of the most bloody wars throughout human history and, not only was she present for them, but human bloodshed delighted her. Eris really woke up and chose violence. Anyway, because of her, I guess you could call them ‘unpopular opinions’ she was the only one not invited to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and I’m sure you can imagine how well that ended when she found out. Either way, she’s sick as hell. 11/10.
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Psykhe: Goddess of The Soul
Better known through her husband, Eros (Cupid), legend says Psykhe was so beautiful and alluring that Aphrodite herself was jealous and commanded Cupid to make her fall in love with the ugliest man alive. However, he fell in love with her himself which, after a few road bumps, landed her the title of Goddess of the Soul. To that I say, yes girl get that coin.
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Ceto: Goddess of Seamonsters and Dangers of the Sea
If you’re afraid of the ocean because most of it is unexplored and we have actually no idea what lurks beneath the surface, Ceto is the reason for that. That being said, she’s kind of awesome. Ceto is the creator, also known as the mother, of some of the most gruesome sea monsters in Greek mythology. The new requirement of this list is that you have to produce a terrifying, man-eating crab. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.
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Iris: Goddess of Rainbows and Messenger of the Gods
Obviously, the literal creator of rainbows had to make this list. In addition to this, Greek legend lands her in the spot of Hera’s personal messenger, so step aside Hermes. While she is mostly studied, through study of Hera, Iris is a beautiful and powerful goddess who deserves to be recognized for her beautiful gift to the universe. Love her.
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Eos: Goddess of the Dawn
Obviously, the creator of my favorite time of day had to make this list. Eos, the goddess of the dawn, was said to rise into the sky each morning and bless the earth with her sun rays. All pictures I found of her depicted her in a gold chariot with wings, which is honestly so perfect for her and exactly what I imagined. Legends say she was also quite the flirt, with a fair number of love interests over the years, but that slightly sexist point of view fails to acknowledge that she literally created morning. So uncool of the history books. Anyway, big fan.
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Asteria: Goddess of Shooting Stars and Nighttime Divinations
If you’re as big of a fan of astrology as I am, this is your girl. Not only was she goddess of the literal stars, legends also said she ruled all nighttime divinations, such as your dreams. Not only was she supposedly chased across the sky by Zeus and only escaped by becoming the Island of Delos, but she also gave birth to Hekate, goddess of magic. I open my co-star each day for her.
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Melinoe: Goddess of Ghosts
I am so excited to finally talk about Melinoe. My personal favorite, and honestly the coolest goddess I have had the pleasure to study, Melinoe is the daughter of Persephone and Zeus and is said to currently reside in the underworld with Hades. Often pictured as a terrifying, ghastly figure, Melinoe was said to stalk the overworld at night with a ‘train of ghosts’ to strike fear into the heart of humans. Her limbs were known to be black and white, to both highlight her heavenly, yet ghastly nature. This incredibly underrated goddess is so much cooler than Hades could ever be, and learning all about her was the highlight of my break.
Source: THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2020, from https://www.theoi.com/