The pantheon of Olympus, in one grid
Greek myth is the source of so many of our favourite stories, and this word search gathers its biggest names. You'll be finding the Olympians — ZEUS, HERA, POSEIDON and ATHENA — the heroes and monsters like HERCULES and the MEDUSA, and the powers of the old world, from the TITAN CRONUS to the winged PEGASUS.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the pantheon changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a longer-word challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Gods, heroes and monsters in the grid
The grid spans the whole Greek myth-world. There are the twelve Olympians — sky-king ZEUS and his queen HERA, sea-god POSEIDON, wise ATHENA, the twins APOLLO and ARTEMIS, war-god ARES, messenger HERMES, APHRODITE, DIONYSUS, the smith HEPHAESTUS, DEMETER and HESTIA — plus underworld HADES and his queen PERSEPHONE. Around them are the older TITANS CRONUS, ATLAS and HELIOS, the hero HERCULES, and a menagerie of monsters: MEDUSA, the MINOTAUR, the HYDRA and the winged PEGASUS, all watched over from Mount OLYMPUS.
Why these stories never get old
The ancient Greeks used myths to explain the world around them: thunder was ZEUS hurling lightning, the seasons changed because PERSEPHONE spent half the year in the underworld with HADES, and the sun crossed the sky because HELIOS drove his fiery chariot. The gods were powerful but wonderfully human too — jealous, funny and quick to argue — which is exactly what makes the stories so much fun to read.
These tales are everywhere once you spot them. HERCULES and his twelve labours, ATHENA's owl, the snake-haired MEDUSA who turned people to stone, the MINOTAUR in its maze — they fill films, books and games today, and even the planets and the word 'museum' (from the Muses) come from Greek myth. That deep root in everyday language and a brilliant link to ancient Greece make this a classroom favourite. (Many of the same gods reappear under Roman names in our Roman Mythology puzzle.)
Great for an ancient-Greece topic
It's a great fit for an ancient-Greece or myths topic — Easy mode favours the shorter god names, while longer ones like PERSEPHONE appear on Medium and Hard. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own Greek myth names.
Frequently asked questions
Which Greek gods are in the word search?
The Olympians and more — Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Hercules and famous monsters like Medusa. Each puzzle uses a fresh selection.
Does it include heroes and monsters too?
It does — alongside Olympians ZEUS, HERA, POSEIDON and ATHENA, you'll find the hero HERCULES, the winged PEGASUS, and monsters like MEDUSA, the MINOTAUR and the HYDRA.
Is it good for an ancient-Greece topic?
Great fit for an ancient-Greece or myths topic. Easy mode favours the shorter god names; longer ones like PERSEPHONE appear on Medium and Hard.