Greek Mythology
Athena
Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. Her symbols were Aegis (a breastplate that had a picture of Medusa's head on it), owls, olive trees, snakes, armor, helmets, and spears. She sprung from Zeus' head fully grown and in battle armor. She entered a contest with Poseidon to become the patron god of Athens. Athena won, hence the name Athens. Once, a mortal named Arachne said that she was better at weaving than Athena. Athena was offended and challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. Arachne accepted. Athena made a tapestry of the gods punishing mortals who thought they were better than the gods. Arachne made a tapestry of the ways that the gods had abused mortals. Athena punished her by ripping up her tapestry. Arachne went to hang herself, but Athena let her live, sprinkling Hecate's (Hecate was the goddess of magic) potion on her. The potion turned her into a spider, cursing her and her descendants to weave forever.
Apollo
Apollo was the god of music, the sun, medicine, knowledge, oracles, and poetry. His parents were Zeus and Leto. His symbols were the lyre, the python, the raven, a bow and arrows, and the laurel wreath. When he was four days old, he killed a dragon named Python. In the Trojan War, he killed a mortal named Achilles by shooting him in the heel with an arrow. A satyr (half human, half goat) named Marsyas challenged him to a music contest. Marsyas would play the flute and Apollo would play the lyre. In the second round, Apollo demanded that they both played their instruments while holding them upside down. A lyre, which is a type of harp, is almost as easy to play upside down as right side up, but a flute is impossible to play upside down. Apollo won and Marsyas was killed.
The cadeceus, one of Hermes' main symbols
Aphrodite
Aphrodite was the god of love and beauty. Her parents were Zeus and Dione (the Oceanid). Her symbols were the dolphin, the scallop, the rose, the myrtle flower, the dove, the sparrow, the mirror, and the swan. Zeus feared that all of the gods would fight for the right to marry her, so he made her marry Hephaestus. But Aphrodite loved Ares, and had 8 children with him. She also had children with 4 other major gods, meaning that Hephaestus, Hades, and Apollo were the only male Olympians Aphrodite didn't have children with.
Artemis
Artemis was the goddess of hunting and the moon. Her parents were Zeus and Leto. Apollo was her twin brother. Her symbols were the bow, arrows, the hunting dog, the stag, and the moon. She never married anyone. The only person she loved was Orion, her hunting partner who was killed by a scorpion sent by Gaea. Sipriotes was a boy who accidentally saw Artemis bathing and was turned into a girl by the goddess. She sent a wild boar to kill the hero Adonis after he boasted that he was a better hunter than Artemis. Niobe, a goddess and the wife of the god Amphion, said that she was better than Leto, Artemis' and Apollo's mother, because she had 7 sons and 7 daughters compared to Leto's two children, Artemis and Apollo.When Artemis and Apollo heard this, they killed al of Niobe's children with poisoned arrows. When Amphion saw his dead sons, he killed himself. Niobe was turned to stone by Artemis.