Easy Halloween Costume Ideas: The Greek Gods

Dressing as a Greek God for Halloween is both a fun and creative idea. The basic costume required for a Greek God is very simple, requiring only a few props to be identifiable, and won't end up taking a lot of time and money to pull together. Even better, there are several Greek Gods to choose from, so if you are worried that Zeus is overrated you can always go as the under sung Hephaestus.

Of the twelve Olympian Gods, six of them were male and they all have a story of their own. That is where the props come in, each God is recognized by a small detail or emblem. Otherwise the basic costume for all the Greek Gods is the same, a chiton.

The chiton was worn by the Ancient Greeks, and they depicted their Gods and Goddesses in the same type of clothing. A chiton is basically a long tunic that is attached with ties at the shoulders, for males only the left shoulder was tied and the right side was allowed to drape across the chest. You can make your own by sewing up the sides of two pieces of rectangular fabric, front and back, and then adding a tie to the top for the left shoulder. A belt is added to the waist and sandals worn on the feet.

Once you have the basic outfit down it is time to decide which Greek God you want to be for Halloween. Here are the six Greek Gods and the props that will bring your outfit together.

Zeus- the King of the Gods

On Mt. Olympus, Zeus was the man- I mean the God. Identified by several symbols, the one thing that Zeus was most known for was the thunderbolts he threw at anyone who displeased him. The easiest thing to do would be to make a thunderbolt of your own. Try cutting out a simple thunderbolt shape from stiff cardboard and covering it in gold or yellow wrapping paper.

Apollo- the God of Sun and Music

As God of the sun Apollo could be found driving his chariot, which of course pulled the sun across the sky each day. Apollo had several attributes and symbols that were used to represent him, because of the many things he was considered to have dominion over. The most common attribute though, and easiest to use as a prop, is the bow and arrow.

Hephaestus- the God of Fire