To explore the relationship between the structure of the ligands and the luminescent properties of the lanthanide complexes, a series of lanthanide nitrate complexes with two novel structurally related multipodal ligands, 1,3-bis{[(2'-(2-picolylaminoformyl))phenoxyl]methyl}benzene (L(I)) and 1,2-bis{[(2'-(2-picolylaminoformyl))phenoxyl]methyl}benzene (L(II)), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and molar conductivity measurements. At the same time, the luminescent properties of the Eu(III) and Tb(III) nitrate complexes in solid state and the Tb(III) nitrate complexes in solvents were investigated at room temperature. Under the excitation of UV light, these complexes exhibited characteristic emissions of central metal ions. The lowest triplet state energy levels T(1) of these ligands both match better to the lowest resonance energy level of Tb(III) than to Eu(III) ion. The influence of the structure of the ligands on the luminescent intensity of the complexes was also discussed.