Greek Gods & Goddesses: History, Names, & Birth (Mythology)

Greek myths such as Orpheus, Oedipus, and Helen of Troy are widely accepted as part of western cultural inheritance. Still, they may also have parallels in the mythological corpora of the Egyptians, Teutons, Indians, or bushmen.

However, it is simple to overlook how firmly ingrained our myth is about the Greek Gods & Goddesses. Before the advent of ethnology, Hellenists and other classical scholars were primarily responsible for studying myth.

Though Some Greek Gods and Goddesses have passed on, their legacy lives on in the works of art and music that continue to pay tribute to them.

Notwithstanding the extensive scholarly attention given to the definitional problem throughout two and a half centuries, it is nevertheless difficult to describe satisfactorily. The word’s etymology reveals that a myth is a tale: for the ancient Greeks, a mythos was a “word” or “story” equivalent to logos and epos; a mythologist’s logos was a “storyteller.”

History Of The Greek Gods

Mount Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece, is the mythical home of the Greek mythology’s gods and goddesses gods. They were on top of the world, and they controlled everything down below.

Many tales depicted the Olympian gods as humanoid in appearance (though they might transform into animals and other creatures) and as susceptible to human flaws and passions.

These gods include Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon. Other deities counted among the Olympians are:

goddess of home and family, Hestia (Vesta)
god of the underworld, Hades (Pluto)
god of sex and minion to Aphrodite, Eros (Cupid)

Not all of the stories in Greek mythology are about gods and goddesses. and Pygmalion, the monarch who fell in love with an ivory statue, Ganymede, the handsome Trojan prince who became the gods’ cupbearer, Midas, the monarch whose touch turned everything to gold; and Narcissus, the young man who was in love with his own image — are just as important.

There is also a significant part for the monsters and “hybrids” (humans with animal features) in the stories. The winged horse Pegasus, the humanoid Centaur, the lion-woman Sphinx, the bird-woman Harpies, and the giant with only one eye are all examples of such creatures.

Manticores and unicorns, Gorgons, pygmies, minotaurs, satyrs, and various varieties of dragons, as well as cyclops, automatons (metal creatures given to life by Hephaestus), and a few other varieties. These characters have become as well-known as the gods, goddesses, and heroes whose stories they are affiliated with.

Greek Gods And Their Creation

Greek mythology has several creation tales significantly dissimilar to the well-known tale of Adam and Eve or the Big Bang. Themes of parental betrayal and stories of filial betrayal alternate in Greek mythology about the early world. Loyalty and affection are also present. All the components make up strong plotlines.

However, this is an archaic form and a component of the ancient mythological worldview. Procreation is indeed taking place between creatures that we don’t typically conceive of as procreating. Not forgetting we are dealing with a myth here; we will be observing several versions of the Olympian Gods and Goddesses birth

The Birth Of The Greek Gods

According to various interpretations of Greek mythology, Chaos existed at the beginning of the universe. Hesiod Theog writes that Chaos was once alone, but Gaia (Earth) eventually arose. Gaia gave birth to Uranus (Sky) without the benefit of a sexual partner to give cover and father half-siblings. Mother Gaia gave birth to the

12 Titans
the 50-headed Hecatonchires
the Cyclopes (Cyclops)
and other creatures with Uranus as their father.

Eventually, the 12 Titans paired off, male and female:

Cronus and Rhea
Iapetus and Themis
Oceanus and Tethys
Hyperion and Theia
Crius and Mnemosyne
Coeus and Phoebe

They created the moon (Selene), the sun (Helios), second-generation Titans, Atlas, and Prometheus, among many other things.

The Titans’ father, Uranus, was nasty and understandably terrified that one of his sons may overthrow him and sealed all of his children inside his wife, their Mother Earth, even before the Titans had paired off (Gaia). A different account is found in 1.1.4 Apollodorus*, where Gaia got enraged because Uranus imprisoned his first offspring, the Cyclopes, in Tartarus.

I told you there was love; in this case, it was maternal. In any case, Gaia was upset with her husband for imprisoning their kids—either in Tartarus or within—and wanted her kids out. The obedient son, Cronus, volunteered to do the menial task of castrating his father with the flint sickle, rendering him ineligible (without power).

The Conflict Of Greek Gods And Goddesses

The list of olympian gods and goddesses originated from a fight between Zeus and his father. Because Cronus had deceived his father, he feared that his children would also betray their fathers. Therefore whenever Rhea gave birth, Cronus would steal the child and eat it, and this happened every time Rhea gave birth making her furious, so she played a prank on Cronus by concealing Zeus and wrapping a stone in a baby blanket, which Cronus then consumed.

When Zeus had reached his full maturity, he gave Cronus a drugged drink that made him sick to his stomach. Cronus then threw up all of Rhea’s other children, including Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, as well as the stone, which had been residing in Cronus’ stomach the entire time. Zeus then issued a challenge to Cronus to engage in combat for the position as king of the gods.

The Cyclopes, whom Zeus had previously freed from Tartarus, became instrumental in the ultimate triumph of Zeus and his siblings. When Zeus learned that his first wife, Metis, would have a deity “better than he,” he devoured her. However, she was already pregnant with Athena and burst forth from his head—fully grown and dressed for war.

Characteristics Of The Greek Gods & Goddesses

Each god had specific characteristics which were emphasized when its worshippers worshipped them. The list of gods and characters is shown below:

Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology): the supreme god, lord of the skies, law, and destiny.
Hera (Juno), the goddess of women and marriage and the monarch of the gods
Venus’s goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite
God of prophecy, music, poetry, and understanding is Apollo (Apollo).
Ares (Mars): the god of battle
Goddess of hunting, animals, and childbirth, Artemis (Diana)
Athena (Minerva), the goddess of judgment and protection
The goddess of agriculture and grain is Demeter (Ceres).
Dionysus (Bacchus), the deity of alcohol, joy, and celebration
Hephaestus (Vulcan): the deity of fire, sculpting, and metalworking
Hermes (Mercury): Zeus’s messenger and the deity of commerce, hospitality, and travel
Poseidon (Neptune), the sea god

Zeus; Greek God Of Thunder

The King Of All The Greek GODS

In ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the chief deity of the pantheon and worshiped as the god of the sky, weather and was identical to the Roman god Jupiter. His name originates from the sky god Dyaus of the ancient Hindu Rigveda.

Pausanias compare Zeus to many weather gods from other cultures, after observing that “In heaven Zeus is a king is a universal saying to all men.” His emblems are a lightning bolt, an eagle, a bull, and an oak tree. Greek artists portray Zeus as either standing, striding ahead while holding a thunderbolt leveled in his outstretched right hand, or seated in grandeur.

The Weapons Of The King God

In Greek mythology, Zeus, the god of the sky, can harness the force of the elements and use them as a weapon. Thunder and lightning play a significant role in the mythology of the Greeks. He was the supreme deity of the Olympians, the god of law, order, and justice, and the god of lightning and thunder.

Zeus, the deity of the sky and thunder is the king of all other gods and humanity. Zeus, the god of thunder and lightning is always holds a wand and a lightning bolt. These are both representations of Zeus’s might. In Greek mythology, Zeus is the god of wisdom, consciousness, authority, destiny, and power.

When Zeus was a child, he was raised by the nymphs, where he eventually met his future bride, Metis, also known as Wisdom. Following her advice, he donned a mask and pretended to be an Olympian cupbearer, luring his father into drinking poisoned wine. Cronus threw up so much wine that he vomited up Zeus’ siblings, whole and ready for vengeance. Zeus, the youngest, became the oldest after this second birth.

Poseidon; The Sea Greek God

The Greek God Of Water

Poseidon was the god of all water, ocean, and see in greek mythology, as well as earthquakes, horses, and volcanoes. He is different from Pontus, the ancient Greek water god who was the embodiment of the sea. He was traditionally born to Cronus (the youngest of the 12 Titans) and Rhea (a fertility goddess who was also Cronus’ sister and consort). Poseidon was a sibling of both Zeus (the Greek sky god and supreme deity) and Hades (the Greek god of the underworld).

After they deposed their father, the three brothers cast lots to determine who would rule the sea. Originally a fish spear, the trident was his primary weapon and symbol. Hesiod, a Greek poet, claims that the three Cyclopes created Poseidon’s trident, as well as Zeus’ thunderbolt and Hades’ helmet.

Even though Poseidon is the god of earthquakes, many of the earliest temples dedicated to him in Greece were built on dry land. These temples were often built near bodies of water, such as pools and streams. As such, he was revered as asphalios and given the names enosichthon and ennosigaios (“earth-shaker”) (“stabilizer”).

Myths In Reality

The “Seven Seas” is a metaphor for all the seas in the world that we know about. The phrase is about sailors and pirates in the arts and popular culture. It can be associated with the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Seven Seas east of Africa and India, or the Caribbean Sea or seas around the Americas.

Arctic Ocean
Indian Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Antarctic (or the Southern) Ocean
South Atlantic Ocean
North Atlantic Ocean

Hera; The Greek Queen Goddess

Greek Goddess Of Marriage

Hera was the Olympian queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, women, the heavens, and the stars. Hera is also the sky goddess and the stars of heaven and typically portrayed as a beautiful woman wearing a crown and holding a regal scepter with a lotus tip.

Zeus wife, Hera is the mother of Ares, Eileithyia, Hebe, and Hephaestus, and the goddess of eternal youth. According to some accounts, she was the eldest daughter of Cronos and Rhea and a sister of Zeus. Zeus himself listened to her counsel and communicated his secrets to her rather than to other gods.

Nature Herself

After her brother-husband Zeus, Hera has the most statues honoring her, representing the epitome of the heavenly woman in the Olympian pantheon. Hera, the supreme goddess of the skies and the wife of Zeus, the king of the skies, rules the skies. She could not only fly through the air but also grant people clear skies or punish them with bad weather.

Hera and the other Olympian gods are all immortal in Greek mythology. The goddess of women, childbirth, marriage, and family is Hera. She became particularly significant to the ancient Greek women since they saw her as their guardian and patron.

Like most Greek gods, Hera possessed the power of eternal youth, ensuring that she would always appear youthful and attractive, unlike mortals. Hebe, the daughter of Hera, is the Goddess of Youth and can make mortals young again.

All Powerful Greek Goddess

Here is the most potent female deity in the ancient Greek pantheon since she is the Gods’ Queen and Cronus’s most powerful daughter. She knocks the goddess of the Hunt to the ground in two blows during the War of Dionysos while destroying Artemis’ bow. Hera can shift her shape at will and soar through the air. These abilities were especially helpful in her repeated attempts to catch Zeus while cheating on her with other women.

Hera’s ability to exert complete mental dominance over Hercules resulted in the tragic outcome of his descent into insanity and the murder of his own family. People typically think of Hera’s ability as a mix of hypnotism, illusion, and mind control.

Most of these powers served as weapons.

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Ares; God Of War And Courage

Ares, Ancient Greek: Ἄρης, Árēs, the Greek god of battle and bravery. Born to Zeus and Hera, he is one of the Twelve Olympians. A lot of Greeks felt neutral about him. His sister, the warrior goddess Athena, who wears armor and whose martial tasks include military planning and generalship, he personifies the physical bravery required for victory in battle. Still, he can also personify utter savagery and bloodlust.

Many cities in Asia Minor and some in Greece performed yearly rituals to bind and imprison him as their defender. He was an oracular deity in several areas of Asia Minor. The Scythians ritually killed one in every 100 war prisoners as an offering to their version of Ares. The later idea that Spartans performed a human sacrifice to Ares may have more to do with misconceptions, reputation, and legendary prehistory than with fact.

War And Courage

Ares has a small role in Greek mythology, even with many literary references to his love life and children. During the Trojan War, Aphrodite, who is in charge of protecting Troy, talks Ares into joining the Trojan side. The Greeks win because Athena, who is the sister of Ares, helps them. When the craftsman god Hephaestus finds out that his wife Aphrodite is having an affair with the god Ares, he catches them in a net and lets the other gods laugh at them.

Mars is more significant and honorable position in ancient Roman religion as the ancestor defender of the Roman people and state, is Ares’ closest counterpart in that religion. Roman authors rewrote the traditions of Ares under the name of Mars during the Hellenization of Latin literature, and later Western art and literature effectively blended the mythologies of the two characters.

The Stronger Greek God; Athena Versus Ares

Greek legend says Athena came from Zeus’ head fully grown and armored. Despite being a Greek goddess of education and knowledge, Athena fought in multiple wars, including the Trojan War. Because she used her knowledge and skill to outwit her adversaries, Athena was frequently more successful in battle than Ares because Ares acted hastily and forcefully without consideration. Even though he was the Greek god of war, this frequently made Ares less successful in battle.

Ares was on the Trojan side in the Trojan War because of Aphrodite. She had a son, Aeneas, with the Trojan prince Anchises, making her side with the Trojans. Aphrodite convinced Ares to side with the Trojans even though the Olympians supported the Greeks in the Trojan War.

The Trojan War lasted ten years until the battle of troy took place. Odysseus, with the help of Athena, was able to lead the Greeks into Troy through the Trojan horse in which they were hiding. When the Greeks emerged from the Trojan horse, they fought the Trojans and won.

Athena helped the Greeks defeat Ares and the Trojans to become victorious in the War.

Aphrodite; Goddess Of Beauty And Romance

Unfaithful Love

The Romans knew the ancient Greek goddess of beauty and sex, Aphrodite, as Venus.

The term “aphros” in Greek means “foam,” and Hesiod claims that Aphrodite was created from the white foam formed when Uranus’s (Heaven’s) cut genitalia was thrown into the sea by his son Cronus. In truth, Aphrodite was revered throughout much of ancient Greece as a goddess of the sea and of sailors.

In Sparta, Thebes, Cyprus, and other locations, Aphrodite is respected as goddess of war. Though she occasionally oversaw marriages, she was largely revered as a goddess of love and fertility. Even though prostitutes revered Aphrodite, her public cult was typically serious and austere.

Aphrodite married Hephaestus, the god of fire, blacksmiths, and metalworking in Greek mythology. She had an affair with Ares and had a slew of other lovers but was never faithful in the marriage. She also tempted the human shepherd Anchises in the first Homeric hymn to Aphrodite.

Adonis, a mortal shepherd, had Aphrodite as his surrogate mother and lover before he was turned into a wild boar.

Aphrodite, along with Athena and Hera, plays a significant role throughout the Iliad as one of the three gods whose feud led to the beginning of the Trojan War. In Western culture, Aphrodite has come to symbolize the idealized female form. Contemporary Neopagan cults venerate her, including the Church of Aphrodite, Wicca, and Hellenismos.

Zeus Generations

Zeus Sons

Demigod and godly children of Zeus were many. Apollo, Athena, Persephone, Are, Hephaestus, Hermes, Henry, Hercules, Perseus, and Hebe are only a few of his offspring. Zeus and Hera only produced two legal offspring, Hebe and Hephaestus; the others are illegitimate.

Sons of Zeus and their characters are described as follows:

Apollos

Apollo is maybe the most well-known of Zeus’ sons. Zeus had extramarital relationship with Leto to conceive Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. The Greek god of the sun, light, music, poetry, archery, agriculture, healing, prophecy, order, and beauty was Apollo when he was an adult.

Apollos represents the ideal masculine beauty in art and literature, with a powerful, muscular, and athletic build. Funny enough, he resembled his father quite well in how he developed and frequently appeared in Greek myths. He also had a streak of unsuccessful relationships.

Hermes

Hermes, who served as a messenger for the gods and a transporter of the dead to Hades, is one of Zeus’ most well-known offspring. Maia, a mountain nymph, gave birth to Hermes herself in a mountain cave. Maia was Hermes’ mother. Her son grew up to be a very productive young man who invented the lyre from a tortoise shell and acquired flying and public speaking abilities that made him the ideal messenger.

Hermes is linked to various things, such as fertility, good fortune, highways, and boundaries. Even marketplaces, traders, travelers, and athletes began to revere Hermes. Hermes has a winged sandals that allows him to soar through the air as quickly and high as a bird.

Dionysus

The deity of the vine, the grape harvest, winemaking, theater, and fertility was Dionysus, a son of Zeus. Zeus traveled to earth to have an extramarital relationship with Semele to conceive Dionysus.

Zeus also immortalized Dionysus by cleverly creating wine, according to tradition, even though he was born mortal like his mother (making one of the best thank you gifts in history). Dionysus then granted his mother immortality so she could join him in Olympus and dwell with him.

Hercules

The renowned hero Hercules, regarded by many as the archetypal representation of strength and masculinity, is another well-known son of Zeus. Given that his mother was the human Alcmene, he was born a demigod. Hercules began to show remarkable promise at a young age, killing two snakes that Zeus’ envious wife Hera had dispatched to his cradle.

Hercules got the gift of immortality from his display of courageous bravery in capturing terrible creatures, freeing prisoners, and taking on rebellious leaders.

Perseus

Perseus, the second son of Zeus, is most remembered for killing Medusa and using her severed head as a weapon. Princess of Argos Danae was Perseus’ mother. Danae’s father, King Acrisius, imprisoned her for many of her formative years because a prophecy had told him that his daughter’s son would one day murder him.

There was no way she could become pregnant if she was imprisoned, right? Actually, not quite. Zeus entered Danae’s cell as a golden rainstorm and successfully impregnated the princess. The child she had was Perseus. As well as slaying Medusa, Perseus also killed the sea-monster Cetus, turned the Titan Atlas into stone, and accidentally killed his grandfather, thus fulfilling his life’s prophecy.

Generations Of Poseidon

The god Poseidon had several divine, humanistic, and animalistic children and possessed other features. Below are their lists:

Divine

The deity of the Aeolian or Liparian Islands winds and ruler is AIOLOS (Aeolus) (southern Italy). Some claim he was the child of Poseidon and Arne.

Asos (Asopus) The Boiotia and Argos river deity in southern Greece (central Greece). Some claim he was the progeny of Poseidon and the Nymph Kelousa or Pero (but most accounts say he was born to Okeanos and Tethys like the rest of the river-gods).

Athene (Athena) Some claim that the goddess of battle was the offspring of Poseidon and Tritonis (contrary to the usual account in which she springs fully grown from the head of Zeus). The local gods of Libya, Athena and Poseidon were compared to their nearest Greek contemporaries in this story.

Prosperous Daimones On Rhodes island, six daimones (spirits) roamed the sea caverns (Greek Aegean). They were Poseidon and the sea goddess Halia’s children.

Despoena, sometimes known as DESPOINE, is the deity of several Arkadian Mysteries. She was Demeter and Poseidon’s child.

Proteus, an old sea deity who was Poseidon’s son and seal herder.

Telkhines (Telchines) are the Sea-daimones and strong but evil sorcerors from the Aegean Islands who were buried under the sea by Zeus . Some tales claim that they were Poseidon and Thallatta’s sons (though these accounts seem to identify or confuse them with the Rhodian Daimones Proseoous above).

Triton is a sea deity with fishtails. He was Poseidon and Amphitrite’s son.

Nymph Offspring

Arthouse (Aethusa) is a Boiotian nymphorean princess (central Greece). She was Poseidon’s daughter through the Plaid Alcyone.
Ethiopia’s Queen of the sea nymphs, Benthesikyme (Ethiopia). She was Poseidon and Amphitrite’s child.
Daughter of Poseidon and Aphrodite, Herophile is a nymph.
Poseidon’s daughter is a sea nymph or giantess, Kymopoleia (Cymopoleia).
A Troad nymph named Ourea (Urea) was Apollon’s favorite Poseidon’s daughter.
Hode, Hodos, The Rhodes Island’s goddess-nymph (Greek Aegean). She was the wife of the deity Helios and the Amphitrite, Aphrodite, or Halia-born daughter of Poseidon.

Giant Offspring

Aloadai (Aloadae) Otos and Ephialtes, two enormous giants from the city of Alos in Phthiotis (northern Greece), made an effort to seize heaven. They were Iphimedeia and Poseidon’s children.
Antonios (Antaeus) was a Libyan (North African) ruler who murdered visitors so that their skulls may be used to cover the roof of the Poseidon temple. He was Poseidon and Gaia, the Earth’s.
Ephialtes a giant from Malis, northern Greece, named Alos, who made an effort to invade heaven with his brother Otos. He was Poseidon and Iphimedeia’s son.
Charybdis was a chained immortal giant whose breaths created a gigantic vortex under the Straits of Messina. Poseidon and Gaia had a daughter named Charybdis.
Khrysaor (Chrysaor) A huge ruler of either Iberia or the Atlantic island of Erytheia (Spain). He was Poseidon and Medousa’s son.
The first ruler of the Laistrygones, a tribe of man-eating Giants, was named Laistrygon (Laestrygon). He was Poseidon’s son.
Orion A sea-walking giant from Syria in Boiotia (central Greece), who was either created from the soil by Poseidon and Euryale or from the earth itself when an ox hide was fertilized by the urine of the three gods Poseidon, Zeus, and Hermes.
Otos (Otus), a grant from the town of Alos in Malis (northern Greece), made an effort to storm heaven with his brother Ephialtes. He was Poseidon and Iphimedeia’s son.
Polyphenols (Polyphemus) A Sikelia (Sicily) monster known as a kyklops (Cyclops) (southern Italy). He was the child of Poseidon and Thoosa, a sea goddess.

Other Offspring

Poseidon’s other offspring can also be divided to two

Animal Offspring; those with animal like appearance and they include arion, pegasus, chrysomallus

Mortal Offspring; without God-like abilities, and they include abas, agelus, agenor, Aeolus, achaeus, almopos, althepus, ampheres, amphimaros, amykaios, anthas, augeias, autochthon, azaes, Bellerophon, belos, boeotus, bousiris, delphos, derkynos, diaprepres, diktys, edonos, elasippos, eleios, ephokeus, epopeus, erginos, eryx, eudne, euaimon, eumolpos, eurypylos, eurytos, eusiros, eumelos, hippothous, hopleus, hyperes.

Hyrieus, ialebion, iadas, kaukon, kenkhrias, kerkyon, khois, kteatos, kyknos, lamia, lekhes, lelex, leukon, lykos, megareus, melas, messapos, mestor, minyas, mneseus, molionidia, mygdon, nauplois, nausithoos, neleus, nireus, nykteus, oioklos, onkhestos, paion, Parnassos, pelasgos, periklymenos, corynetes, phaiax, phokos, phthios, poltys, prokustes, Sarpedon, skeiron, taphois, taras, Thasos, theseus, and triopas are the others.

Gods And Their Demise

Gods Realm

Greek gods are immortal; Zeus And Poseidon, for example, never died.

You have to eliminate the importance of the gods’ realms to “kill” them.

For instance, if Zeus must “die,” his realm—the sky and the lightning—must be meaningless. That implies that the populace cannot pass away until the sky and lightning are no longer revered.

Poseidon is in a similar situation.

Poseidon, the god of the seas, earthquakes, and horses, must perish for humans to stop acknowledging his corpses.

Gods Die

In actuality, only two gods have perished.

Pan is one among them; he is the shepherd, the wild, and the god of nature.

People stopping to worship nature and the wild made Pan pass away

People stopped honoring nature spirits, Naiads, nymphs, and other beings.

Christianity and theology also emerged after Pan’s death. Supposedly, Christ was born immediately after Pan passed away (It is not clear whether Christ was born after Pan died or Pan died after Christ was born). People began to worship Christ instead of the natural world. As a result, Pan “died,” and nature went unrecognized.

Asclepius, the god of medicine, healing, and rejuvenation, is the other god.

His tale is rather distinct. Zeus allegedly slew Asclepius because he had brought back Hippolytus from the dead in return for money.

Hades is enraged by this and requests that Zeus murder him. A thunderbolt kills him from Zeus.

Zeus is claimed to have later brought him back and given the directive not to bring anyone back from the dead without his consent.

Another school of thought holds that although The Greek Gods cannot actually “Die,” they can be permanently disabled, dismembered, or just fade away. For instance, Ouranos (Uranus) was never able to take on a bodily form again after Kronos slashed him to death. People referred to Apollo, Helios, Artemis, and Selene as one deity in the third century BC. Then Selene and Helios were finally forgotten. That would imply that Selene and Helios lost their strength.

They have no other choice than to endure unimaginable torment or vanish from existence forever.

The Greek-Roman and Norse Gods did not die out. They survived in art and music patches and went underground for many years.

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