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The ancient Egyptian goddess Isis was worshipped throughout Egypt and even in the Greco-Roman regions. Archaeological evidence like the discovery of obelisks erected in her honor in Rome and inscriptions and symbols of Isis found across Europe suggest she was a popular goddess with devoted followers.  Isis was the patron of magic and nature. She symbolized both the perfect mother and the ideal wife.  Like most gods in polytheistic cultures, she played many roles.  Friend to sinners and slaves. Savior of the penniless and patron of the arts.  She was the goddess of fertility and motherhood.

The goddess Isis was born to Geb and Nut, the god of Earth and goddess of the overarching sky.  Ancient Egyptian legend tells how she we her brother Osiris. They were a happy, well-suited couple who produced a son, Horus.  A Egyptian myth tells the story of Osiris and how he was betrayed by his enemy Seth.  The evil Seth fooled Osiris and drowned him in the Nile river.  Isis used her magical powers to resurrect her husband, but Seth was relentless and killed Osiris again, this time hacking his body into 14 pieces and spreading the remains across the lands.

Grief-stricken, Isis set out across the desert in hopes of find the remains of her husand and making him whole again.  After decades of searching, Isis reassembled the remains of her husband and used her magical power to bring him back from the dead.

Versions of the story differ, but must suggest that Osiris was resurrected but imcomplete because Isis was unable to find his genitalia. In one tale, she fashioned a substitute from clay to ensure that she could become impregnated and give birth to her son Horus.  Horus becomes a powerful god in his own right and exacts revenge on Seth, destroying him in retribution for his father’s death.

Isis was different than most other Egyptian gods and goddesses in that she dwelled amongst her worshippers.  She taught women how to make bread from grain and weave cloth along with other household duties. Isis was worshipped as the goddess of wisdom and medicine.  She was also considered the protector of the dead in the afterlife.  The annual flooding of the Nile is explained as the tears Isis cried at the loss of her husband.

Over time, Isis began to be identified with the sky goddess Hathor and was depicted wearing the solar disk and horns that were Hathor’s signature headdress.  Isis is frequently depicted in Egyptian art carrying an Ankh symbol and a simple staff.  Frequently, she is portrayed with outstretched wings as a symbol of protection.  Thought to be the symbolic mother of the king, her name also meant “throne.”.  A popular exhibit at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo depicts Isis nursing Horus. This was a common subject of Egyptian art that emphasized Isis’ protector role.

{While outnumbered by their male counterparts, the five Goddesses of Mt. Olympus played an important role in rule of the universe and the everyday lives of ancient Greeks according to Greek Mythology. Hera was both wife and sister to Zeus and is regarded as the queen of the Gods. Greek mythology holds up the goddesses as protectors and stewards of the feminine side of human existence. The Greek Goddesses are in control of love, fertility and the fruit of the Earth. Just as the Gods of Mt. Olympus are powerful but imperfect, they can possess great wisdom and be prone to rash decisions.

Hera

The Goddess Hera was wife to Zeus, both born to Cronus and Rhea. She is viewed as the Goddess of women, marriage and childbirth. Greek mythology is ripe with the stories of  the jealousy and retribution Hera enacted against the love interests who submitted themselves to Zeus and the children who were fathered by her unfaithful and all powerful husband. Herakles, son to Zeus and the mortal Alceme, was just of dozens of deities and mortals who were punished by the vengeful goddess. Juno is the Roman representation of Hera.

Demeter

Born the second daughter of Rhea and Cronus, Demeter served as goddess of the land who replenished and fertilizied the lands. She as seen as the “bringer” of the seasons. Her central myth involved her daughter Persephone, who was abducted by Hades and forced to become his queen. Demeter was grief-stricken and life stood still as her sorrow held in wait the turn of the seasons. Zeus was petitioned by the suffering people and the other deities and he commanded Hermes to return Persephone from the underworld. Although she was brought back to her mother, Hades had tricked her, and by the rule of fates Persephone was forced to return for four months of every year as punishment for eating the pomegranate seeds that Hades had offered.

Aphrodite

She was the goddess of love, lust and sensuality and her beauty was unsurpassed. Aprhodite means  “risen from the foam” and legend suggests she was created after Cronus severed Ouranos’ genitals and threw them into the seas. Differing versions of her origin suggest she was daughter to Zeus or Dione. Her legendary beauty was a danger in the eyes of the Gods, who believed it was inevitable that they would be plunged into all out war in order to gain her favor. Zeus married her off to  Hephaestus, God to the blacksmiths who was crippled and homely according to Greek mythology. This did little to deter her ability to use her physical perfection to meddle in the affairs of Gods and mortals. In Rome, Aphrodite was referred to as Venus.  The most popular Aphrodite statue is more commonly known as the Venus De Milo, but she is perhaps the most popular subject of Greek art.

Artemis

Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and the mortal woman Leto.  She is the God Apollo’s twin. Artemis was one of the three Virgin Goddesses in Greek mythology. Artemis the Virgin Huntress’ rule over nature was absolute and she delivered fertility to the lands of all who sought her favor through worship. As sister to Apollo, God of the Sun, she became connected to the Moon. She is identified with the Roman goddess Diana.

Athena

Athena is another popular subject of Greek art.  One of the most famous works is a Greek Goddess Athena Bust from the 4th century that sits in the Lourve, Paris.  While there are varying tales of how Athena became a goddess, it’s agreed that she is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, a Titan consort of the king of Gods. In the predominant origin tale; Zeus, fearing the prophecy that claimed Metis’ offspring may be more powerful than himself, swallowed the Titan goddess whole. Athena was raised inside of Zeus by her mother and one day sprang from the King of the Gods head as a fully formed woman armed for battle. Athena was the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge who taught men and women the skills to cloth their families, tend the lands and prepare for battle. She is one of the three virgin Goddesses along with Artemis and Hestia. Athenians buit the Parthenon in honor of Athena, their patron God.

Hestia

First born daughter of Rhea and Cronus, she was one of the three virgin Goddesses along with Athena and Hera. She was pursued by both Poseidon and Apollo who wished her hand in marriage, but she remained faithful to the vow of chastity she made to Zeus. Hestia was a favorite goddess of the Greek people for her generous spirit and peaceful nature. Hestia remained for eternity at Mt. Olympus, never engaging in the wars and conflicts that occupied the other gods. Hestia was the only god or goddess worshipped in all temples of the Ancient Greeks.}