The word “pantheon” has two primary meanings:
- A group of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology. For example, the Ancient Greek pantheon includes gods like Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Athena.
- A temple dedicated to all the gods. The most famous example is the Pantheon in Rome, originally built as a temple to all the Roman gods.
The etymology of “pantheon” traces back to Ancient Greek. It comes from the Greek words “pan,” meaning “all,” and “theion,” meaning “of the gods.” Thus, “pantheon” literally translates to “of all the gods.” Over time, the term evolved to encompass both the collective gods of a religion and the architectural structures dedicated to them.