Why And How To Dress Up As Greek Gods & Goddesses For Halloween?

Fans of mythology may decide to wear a god or goddess costume for Halloween. But what other reasons are there to do this? And how do you dress up as one for Halloween?

If you could have any type or kind of power or magical ability, what would you choose? Would you want to be able to conjure lightning bolts to zap your enemies just like Zeus? Would you want to be an expert archer just like the twins Apollo and Artemis? Would you want to be able to run really fast just like Hermes?

You may not really be able to do these sorts of things but, for Halloween, you can certainly choose to dress up as a god or goddess and pretend to be capable of all these things and more. But, aside from being a mythology fan, why else would you want to wear a god or goddess costume for Halloween and how do you dress up as one anyway?

Why and how to dress up as a Greek God or Goddess for Halloween?

Greek Mythology

Are you a fan?

There are many interesting stories in Greek Mythology, which is why it's not surprising that there are many who are fond of said myths and legends.

The multitude of characters that appear in Greek Mythology are all fascinating and intriguing in their own right whether they be mere mortals or the gods and goddesses themselves.

If you're a fan of mythology, then you might consider dressing up as any of the myriad of characters that show up in these mythological stories.

Greek Gods And Goddesses

Greek Gods & Goddesses

Why would you want to dress up as one for Halloween?

Aside from being a mythology fan, what other reason is there that you would even think about donning a god or goddess costume for Halloween? If you're not a fan of mythology, does that mean you don't even have a reason for even looking at god or goddess costumes?

Dress up as a god or goddess for Halloween if you like magic, powers and fantasy. Gods and goddesses are, of course, known to be very powerful and each of them have their own abilities and even weapons.

Being a god or goddess for the holiday, you're sure to feel strong and tough as you wave your weapon around or pretend to cast some magic or other at people while also regaling everyone with your awesome outfit.

Suitable Halloween Costumes

The aptness of being a god or goddess for this occasion

While it's not necessary to look scary for Halloween, it's good to at least have something or be wearing something that could be symbolic or apt for the holiday in question.

For instance, not all dark black outfits are scary but if you wear one for Halloween, it can still be reminiscent of darkness and maybe even evil though your costume may not necessarily look frightening and terrifying to people.

A Trident for your Poseidon Costume

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So how could god and goddess costumes also be apt for Halloween?

Shield & Sword for the Warrior Athena

Greek Spartan Combat Shield & Sword 12"

If you go with the dark outfits, you could be one of the gods or goddesses of the underworld or those that are associated with death, darkness, shadows and other such grim stuff.

However, even mythological costumes that are light in color are still rather apt for Halloween.

The reason is that not all gods and goddesses are all that nice.

There are those who could be cruel and wicked, who could hurt people and make them suffer even if they are supposedly good.

There are a number of stories that speak of the wrath of the gods and how they could cause chaos and destruction and even wars, all of which would definitely make these gods and goddesses quite suitable as a Halloween costume.

With that said, here are some of the Greek gods and goddesses that you could choose to dress up as for Halloween:

Hera

The queen of the Greek gods

If you want to be a queen and yet still be a goddess, it's entirely possible if you decide to don a Hera costume.

The Greek goddess Hera is also the queen of the gods and she could definitely look regal and majestic as you can see in the outfit to the right.

Hera is the wife of the god Zeus and she is the goddess of women and marriage.

Being the queen of the gods, she is, of course, very powerful and is the perfect choice for all those who would love to show off some power for Halloween.

One of the things that really makes this goddess apt for the holiday in question is how she is usually known as jealous and vengeful.

Hera Costume

Queen Hera Women's Halloween Costume- Adult

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She is jealous of her husband's lovers and even his children that aren't her own and she's been known to make these people's lives miserable.

One example is how she tormented Hercules (or Heracles), the son of Zeus and Alcmene, even when he was still a mere infant by sending two snakes to try and kill the young child. She didn't stop there since Hercules actually managed to survive that encounter with the serpents.

Zeus

The king of the Greek gods

If there's a queen of the gods, then, of course, there's also a king and this would be the husband of Hera who is called Zeus.

Aside from being the king of the gods, Zeus is also the god of the sky and of thunder as well as the father of many children, both gods, goddesses and even mortals.

If you're going to be Zeus for Halloween, you could consider asking your lover or significant other to dress up as Hera so the both of you could be the king and queen of the gods with your matching crowns and costumes.

But there's no need to act like Zeus by paying attention to all other women except your girlfriend lest you face the wrath of Queen Hera.

One of the stories about Zeus that show him as quite capable of being the bad guy is how he refused to give fire to man and proceeded to punish the Titan Prometheus who disobeyed him by giving fire to the mortals.

Zeus Costume

This outfit really seems to fit the king of the gods, doesn't it?

Adult Greek God Zeus Costume

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Athena

The daughter of Zeus

Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and the arts, among many other things. She is also known as a warrior goddess though she is not the goddess of war.

But if you'd like to be a warrior for Halloween and get the chance to wave a sword and shield around as you pretend to be beating your enemies and antagonists just like in the movies, an Athena costume is certainly a good choice especially as, aside from being a warrior, you also get to be a goddess.

Unfortunately, the costume featured below doesn't include either a sword or a shield or any other weapon, so if you really want some weapons to go with your costume, you're just going to have to get them separately. You could get something like the shield and sword featured above.

Furthermore, if you're going as a couple for Halloween, then it might be better to choose another goddess to dress up as. This is because Athena is known to not be interested in men and she doesn't have either a husband or a lover.

One story about Athena features her changing a girl named Arachne into a spider. Arachne had boasted that she was a greater weaver than Athena and had even challenged the goddess to a contest, the end result of which was that the girl got turned into a spider.

Athena Costumes

In Roman Mythology, her counterpart is the goddess called Minerva

Women's Athena Goddess Costume,White

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Poseidon

In Roman Mythology, he is known as Neptune

Poseidon is the god of the seas and is one of Zeus' brothers. As the god of the seas, Poseidon possesses water-based powers and even has the trident (which could be recognizable as the weapon of King Triton from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid) as his weapon, making him a good costume choice for all those that are fond of the water element as well as having the trident as a weapon.

Unfortunately, the Neptune costume to the right does not include the trident. However, there are many different kinds of tridents that you can find and acquire for your Halloween getup such as the one featured above.

One of the more well-known stories about Poseidon is his hatred and anger at Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Due to this, Poseidon does all he can to prevent Odysseus from returning to his homeland of Ithaca for many, many years.

Poseidon / Neptune Costume

God Poseidon / Neptune Adult Halloween Costume

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Artemis

She is known as Diana in Roman Mythology

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and of the moon, among many other things. She is also a very skilled huntress and is often seen or depicted with a bow and arrows as part of her ensemble.

Unfortunately, the costume to the left doesn't include said bow and arrows but you can always easily acquire some to complete your Artemis look. The goddess Artemis is a great choice for a Halloween costume if you are especially fond of animals, forests and hunting.

And if you're interested in making use of a bow and arrow and pretending to be like those skilled and awesome archers and hunters you can see in the movies, it's all the more reason to be Diana for this holiday. There are many stories which involve Artemis, one of which is about this hunter guy named Actaeon.

There are actually also many versions regarding the story of Actaeon, one of which was that, for accidentally coming across Artemis in her sacred spring, she proceeded to turn him into a stag and he is thus devoured by his own hounds.

Artemis / Diana Costume

Greek Goddess Artemis / Diana Halloween Costume

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Hades and Persephone

The King and Queen of the Underworld

How would you and your significant other like to be a god and goddess while also being a king and queen?

Be the rulers of your very own domain this Halloween by dressing up as Hades and Persephone.

Your loyal subjects could be the rest of the other people dressed up as all the other monsters and creatures of Halloween.

But Hades and Persephone aren't just perfect for couples who will be celebrating Halloween together.

These two are more than perfectly apt and suitable for the holiday in question thanks to their dark, dark outfits, which rightly represent the black and gloomy kingdom of the dead, which they preside over.

Being the ruler of the Underworld, Hades is also often associated with death.

Death is something that many would likely fear, most primarily because it's so final and absolute and who knows what really happens after we die?

Hades Costume

Men's Hades Greek God Halloween Costume

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Though the god Hades is feared by people, he was not actually thought of as evil.

The most well-known story about the couple is how Hades and Persephone met and how the goddess became the queen of the Underworld and came to reside in said dark realm.

It was said that Hades had actually abducted Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, and brought her to the Underworld.

Unfortunately for Hades, Demeter was not pleased with this and proceeded to demand the return of her daughter.

Hades had no choice but to comply. However, Persephone had actually eaten some Underworld food and, for this reason, she had to stay in the Underworld for half of the year while the other half was spent with her mother, which was said to explain the changing seasons.

But, for those going as Hades, there's no need to reenact this story for Halloween, lest you anger Persephone's parents and Persephone herself.

Persephone Costume

Greek Goddess Persephone Adult Female Costume

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Aphrodite

The Goddess of Love and Beauty

Charm people and show them how beautiful you are by donning an Aphrodite costume for Halloween. By wearing such costumes as the ones you can see to the right and below, you're sure to be the center of attention especially since either of these outfits look uniquely original and different from the other goddess costumes.

It's in the way these dresses are designed and cut, which is interestingly stylish. For instance, the first costume consists of a combination of two colors as well as a shoulder drape while the second costume is all red in color, which symbolizes love, and only has one sleeve.

Aphrodite / Venus Costumes

Aphrodite / Venus, Goddess Of Love Costume

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Aphrodite is known as Venus in Roman Mythology. You would also recognize Venus as the name of one of the planets in the Solar System.

The goddess is pretty popular actually as there are many works of art depicting her.

There are also many stories about Aphrodite and one of the more well-known ones is regarding how she was pretty much the cause of the Trojan War.

It all started when Eris, the goddess of discord, threw a golden apple with the inscription 'for the fairest' and caused all the other goddesses to argue amongst themselves as to who is the fairest of them all.

Eventually, only Athena, Hera and Aphrodite were left to argue and they had Zeus choose which of them should have the golden apple.

Zeus left the decision to this guy named Paris instead.

Women's Aphrodite Greek Goddess Costume

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Since Paris couldn't decide either, the 3 goddesses resorted to bribing him. Aphrodite offered the most beautiful mortal woman in the world (Helen) to be his wife and Paris chose the goddess of love as the fairest.

Unfortunately for Paris, Helen was already married but that didn't stop him from abducting her with Aphrodite's help, which thus started the Trojan War. For a goddess who has nothing to do with wars, violence, fighting and the like, Aphrodite sure did a good job helping to start one. In this case, it looks like love and beauty can certainly cause wars.

Conclusion

These are just some of the many possible Greek gods and goddesses that you can choose to dress up as for Halloween.

No matter which of these Greek costumes you decide to don, you're sure to feel just like a god or goddess for the holiday.

You may also consider getting all the appropriate props and accessories such as headdresses and the like to complete your god or goddess look.

But remember not to mix things up so you won't end up waving a trident around when you're actually supposed to be the god Zeus and not Poseidon.

In that case, it would be more appropriate and right for you to have lightning bolts so you can't possibly be mistaken for any other god aside from Zeus.

Who is your favorite Greek God or Goddess?

Choose from the ones featured here

Image Sources:

The 'why and how to dress up as a Greek god or goddess for Halloween' image above was modified by Ceres Schwarz
The original, unedited images are by IImaginary, CC:BY, via deviantArt and IImaginary, CC:BY, via deviantArt

Updated: 06/30/2016, CeresSchwarz

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