Zeus

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Greek Counterpart		Roman Counterpart
Zeus		Jupiter
Name in Greek	Transliteration	Latin Spelling	Pronunciation
Ancient Greek: Ζεύς Modern Greek: Δίας	Zeus	Zeus	Zoos

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I will sing of Zeus, chiefest among the gods and greatest, all-seeing, the lord of all, the fulfiller who whispers words of wisdom to Themis as she sits leaning towards him. Be gracious, all-seeing Kronides, most excellent and great!

— Homeric Hymn to Zeus

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Zeus Zeus the Thunderer, King of the Gods. Details Country Greece Gender Male Cult center Olympia Abode Mount Olympus Symbols Eagle, bull, oak, lightning bolt, Aegis, sceptre, crown, wolf, set of scales, and a woodpecker. Parents Kronos and Rhea Siblings Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Hades Consort(s) Aega, Ananke, Themis, Demeter, Dione, Thalassa, Eos, Eris, Gaia, Hera, Leto, Maia, Metis, Mnemosyne, Nemesis, Persephone, Semele, Europa, Alcmene, Aegina, Callisto and Electra. Children Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Hebe, Hermes, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Perseus, Minos, the Muses, the Graces

External links Theoi.com New World Encyclopedia.com The Online Encyclopedia Britannica Wikipedia Encyclopedia Mythica

In Ancient Greek religion, Zeus was a major deity of the sky, weather, lightning, thunder, air, law, order, justice, honour, hospitality, governance, moral conduct, oaths, honesty and integrity. He was the King of the Gods, and held jurisdiction over Mount Olympus. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.

Zeus was the youngest child of Kronos and Rhea, and was married to Hera. He was known for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Aphrodite (by Dione), Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses (by Mnemosyne); by Hera, he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus.

His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the Ancient Near East, such as the scepter.

Name

Greek Mythology

Twelve Olympians: Zeus Hera Poseidon Demeter Ares Athena Apollo Artemis Hephaestus Aphrodite Hermes Hades Hestia Dionysus

Etymology

Zeus is a continuation of the theonym Dyeus, which referred to the Proto-Indo-European god of the daytime sky. In Sanskrit, Zeus was known by the virtually identical Dyaus or Dyaus Pita ("Sky Father"). Similarly, in Latin, the term Jupiter, which referred to Zeus in the Roman tradition, is derived from Iuppiter. Iuppiter, as it were, derived from the Proto-Indo-European dyeu which meant "to shine," and "sky, heaven, god." To the Greeks and Romans, the god of the sky was also the supreme god. The similarity between Zeus' Greek title and those for the celestial gods in Sanskrit and Latin provides strong linguistic evidence that the god had a connection to the Proto-Indo-European sky god. Zeus was the only deity in the Olympic pantheon whose name had such an apparent Indo-European etymology.

In Minoan and Mycenaean culture, Zeus was not worshipped by mainstream worshipers, rather in small cults that thought of him as a mortal demigod that was eventually killed. The earliest forms of the name are the Mycenaean Greek di-we and di-wo, written in Linear B syllabic script.

Ephithets

Aside from local epithets that simply designated the deity to doing something random at some particular place, the epithets or titles applied to Zeus emphasized different aspects of his wide-ranging authority:

• Zeus Olympios emphasized Zeus's kingship over both the gods in addition to his specific presence at the Panhellenic festival at Olympia.
• Zeus Panhellenios ("Zeus of all the Hellenes"), to whom Aeacus' famous temple on Aegina was dedicated.
• Zeus Xenios, Philoxenon or Hospites: Zeus was the patron of hospitality and guests, ready to avenge any wrong done to a stranger.
• Zeus Horkios: Zeus he was the keeper of oaths. Exposed liars were made to dedicate a statue to Zeus, often at the sanctuary of Olympia.
• Zeus Agoraeus: Zeus watched over business at the agora and punished dishonest traders.
• Zeus Aegiduchos or Aegiochos: Zeus was the bearer of the Aegis with which he strikes terror into the impious and his enemies. Others derive this epithet from αἴξ ("goat") and οχή and take it as an allusion to the legend of Zeus' suckling at the breast of Amalthea.

Additional names and epithets for Zeus are also:

• Zeus Meilichios ("easy-to-be-entreated"): Zeus subsumed an archaic chthonic daimon propitiated in Athens, Meilichios.
• Zeus Tallaios ("solar Zeus"): the Zeus that was worshiped in Crete.
• Zeus Labrandos: he was worshiped at Caria. His sacred site was Labranda and he was depicted holding a double-edged axe (labrys-labyrinth). He is connected with the Hurrian god of sky and storm Teshub.
• Zeus Naos and Bouleus: forms of Zeus worshipped at Dodona, the earliest oracle. His priests, the Selloi, are sometimes thought to have given their name to the Hellenes.
• Kasios: the Zeus of Mount Kasios in Syria
• Ithomatas: the Zeus of Mount Ithomi in Messenia
• Astrapios ("lightninger")
• Brontios ("thunderer")

Many of Zeus' cult titles were derived from his divine functions, as god of weather, governance, the king of the gods, god of fate, giver of plenty, god of marriage, hospitality, protector of strangers and suppliants, protector and deliver from evils, purification, protector of freedom, defence in war:-

Greek ephithet	Transliteration	Latin spelling	Translation
Ομβριος	Ombrios	Ombrius	Of the Rain
Ὑετιος	Hyetios	Hyetius
Αφεσιος	Aphesios	Aphesius	Releasing (Rain)
Σκοτιτας	Skotitas	Scotitas	Dark, Murky
Κεραυνιος	Keraunios	Ceraunius	Of the Thunderbolt
Αστραπαιος	Astrapaios	Astrapaeus	Of the Lightning
Καταιβατης	Kataibatês	Cataebates	Descending
Λαβρανδευς	Labrandeus	Labrandeus	Furious, Raging
Μαιμακτης	Maimaktês	Maemactes	Boisterous
Ευηνεμος	Euênemos	Evenemus	Of Fair Winds
Κονιος	Konios	Conius	Of the Dust
Ικμαιος	Ikmaios	Icmaeus	Of Moisture
Λιμενοσκοπος	Limenoskopos	Limenoscopus	Watcher of the Sea-Havens
Βασιλευς	Basileus	Basileus	King, Chief, Ruler
Ὑπατος	Hypatos	Hypatus	Supreme, Most High
Ὑπσιστος	Hypsistos	Hypsistus	Supreme, Most High
Κορυφαιος	Koryphaios	Coryphaeus	Chief, Leader
Κτησιος	Ktêsios	Ctesius	Of the House, Of Property
Ἑρκειος	Herkeios	Herceius	Of the Courtyard
Βουλαιος	Boulaios	Bulaeus	Of the Council
Τελειος	Teleios	Teleus	Of the Marriage Rites
Αμβουλιος	Amboulios	Ambulius	Counsellor
Μοιραγετης	Moiragetês	Moiragetes	Leader of the Fates
Κλαριος	Klarios	Clarius	Of the Lots
Σημαλεος	Sêmaleos	Semaleus	Giver of Signs
Μηχανευς	Mêkhaneus	Mechaneus	The Contriver
Κοσμητης	Kosmêtês	Cosmetes	Orderer
Επιδωτης	Epidôtês	Epidotes	Giver of Good
Πλουσιος	Plousios	Plusius	Of Wealth
Θεος Αγαθος	Theos Agathos	Deus Agathus	The Good God
Φιλιος	Philios	Philius	Of Friendship
Ξενιος	Xenios	Xenius	Of Hospitality, Of Strangers
Ἱκεσιος	Hikesios	Hicesius	Of Suppliants
Φυξιος	Phyxios	Phyxius	Of Refuge
Σωτηρ	Sôtêr	Soter	Saviour, Deliverer
Μειλιχιος	Meilikhios	Milichius	Gracious, Merciful
Απημιος	Apêmios	Apemius	Averter of Ills
Παλαμναιος	Palamnaios	Palamnaeus	Punisher of Murderers
Καθαρσιος	Katharsios	Catharsius	Of Ritual Purification
Προστροπαιος	Prostropaios	Prostropaeus	Turner of Pollution
Πανελληνιος	Panellênios	Panhellenios	Of All the Greeks
Πολειυς	Poleius	Poleus	Of the City-State
Λαοιτης	Laoitês	Laoites	Of the People
Ελευθεριος	Eleutherios	Eleuthereus	Of Freedom
Στρατιος	Stratios	Stratius	Of War, Warlike
Αρειος	Areios	Areus
Σθενιος	Sthenios	Sthenius	Of Strength, Strong
Τροπαιος	Tropaios	Tropaeus	Turns to Flight, Defeats
Φυξιος	Phyxios	Phyxius	Puts to Flight, Banishes
Σωσιπολις	Sôsipolis	Sosipolis	City-Saviour
Χρυσαορευς	Khrysaoreus	Chrysaoreus	Of the Golden Sword
Source:Theoi.com

Cult

The major center at which all Greeks converged to pay honor to Zeus was Olympia. Here there was an altar to Zeus made of ash collected from the accumulated remains of many centuries' worth of sacrificed animals. The quadrennial festival there also featured the famous Olympic Games. Outside of Olympia and other major sanctuaries, there were certain modes of worship to Zeus that were shared across the Greek world.

In addition to these Pan-Hellenic forms of worship toward Zeus, local cults maintained their own idiosyncratic ideas about the chief god. On the island of Crete, for instance, Zeus was worshipped at a number of caves at Knossos, Ida and Palaikastro. The stories of Minos and Epimenides suggest that these caves were once used for incubatory divination by kings and priests. Cretan artists typically represented Zeus as a long-haired youth rather than a mature adult. This is probably why he was known as ho megas kouros or "the great youth" on Crete.

With the Kouretes, a band of ecstatic armed dancers, it is said Zeus presided over the rigorous military-athletic training and secret rites of the Cretan culture. The Hellenistic writer Euhemerus apparently proposed a theory that Zeus had actually been a great king of Crete at one time, who had posthumously been venerated to the status of a deity. The works of Euhemerus have not survived, but Christian patristic writers adopted this suggestion with enthusiasm.

Although Zeus was originally a sky god, many Greek cities honored a local Zeus who lived underground. The classical Zeus also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the ancient Near East, such as the scepter. Athenians and Sicilians honored Zeus Meilichios ("kindly" or "honeyed") while other cities had Zeus Chthonios ("earthy"), Katachthonios ("under-the-earth) and Plousios ("wealth-bringing").

Visual representation of these deities took the form of either snakes or men. They commonly received offerings of black animals that were sacrificed into sunken pits, just as they were for other chthonic deities like Persephone and Demeter as well as for numerous heroes. Olympian gods, by contrast, usually received white animals that were sacrificed upon raised altars. Some cities were not entirely sure whether the deity to whom they sacrificed was a hero or an underground Zeus. For example, the shrine at Lebadaea in Boeotia might belong to the hero Trophonius or to Zeus Trephonius ("the nurturing"), depending on the historical source. Similarly, the hero Amphiaraus was honored as Zeus Amphiaraus at Oropus outside of Thebes, and the Spartans even had a shrine to Zeus Agamemnon.

Zeus in myth

The Saga of the Gods

Pre-birth

According to Hesiod, Ouranos (Sky) came every night to cover and mate with Gaia (Earth) but he hated the children she bore him. Hesiod named their first six sons and six daughters the Titans, the three one-hundred-armed giants the Hekatonkheires, and the one-eyed giants the Cyclopes.

Ouranos imprisoned Gaia's eldest children, the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires in Tartarus, deep within Earth, where they caused pain to Gaia. She shaped a great flint-bladed sickle and asked her sons to castrate Ouranos. Only the youngest Titan, Kronos, was wily enough to do it, on being offered the promise of the mightiest weapon of all, the thunderbolt after the completion of the deed. In the dark of the night, he ambushed Ouranos as he lay with Gaia, castrated him, and threw his testicles into the sea.

Birth

But Rhea was subject in love to Cronos and bare splendid children, Hestia,18 Demeter, and gold-shod Hera and strong Hades, pitiless in heart, who dwells under the earth, and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, and wise Zeus, father of gods and men, by whose thunder the wide earth is shaken. These great Cronos swallowed as each came forth from the womb to his mother's knees with this intent, that no other of the proud sons of Heaven should hold the kingly office amongst the deathless gods. For he learned from Earth and starry Heaven that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was, through the contriving of great Zeus.

— Hesiod, Theogony (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.)

Kronos sired several children by Rhea - Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera and Hades, but swallowed them all as soon as they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Ouranos that he was destined to be overcome by his own son as he had overthrown his own father — an oracle that Rhea was to hear and avert.

When Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Kronos would get his retribution for his acts against Ouranos and his own children. Rhea covertly gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Kronos a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed.

Infancy

With Kronos tricked, Rhea hid Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. There are various versions of the story following this event, including variations where Zeus was then raised by:

• Gaia, in her womb, where Kronos could not reach;
• Melissa; she nursed him with with goat's-milk and honey;
• Cynosura, a nymph; she was later placed in the stars in gratitude;
• Adamanthea, a nymph; she hid him by dangling him on a rope from a tree so he was suspended between earth, sea and sky and thus, invisible to his father who ruled over all three jurisdictions;
• Amalthea the sacred goat; while a company of Kouretes — soldiers, or smaller gods — danced, shouted and clashed their spears against their shields so that Kronos would not hear the baby's cry;
• A shepherd family under the promise that their sheep would be saved from wolves.

The Titanomachy

Main article: Titanomachy

After that, the strength and glorious limbs of the prince increased quickly, and as the years rolled on, great Cronos the wily was beguiled by the deep suggestions of Earth, and brought up again his offspring, vanquished by the arts and might of his own son, and he vomited up first the stone which he had swallowed last. And Zeus set it fast in the wide-pathed earth at goodly Pytho under the glens of Parnassus, to be a sign thenceforth and a marvel to mortal men.

— Hesiod, Theogony (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.)

After reaching manhood, he learnt of his father through Gaia, who told him to seek the Titaness Metis' advice to save his brethren. Metis prepared an emetic, and gave it to Zeus to be mixed into Kronos' drink. With Gaia's help, he attained the position of cupbearer in Kronos' palace, and mixed the emetic into his wine. Kronos choked, and disgorged first the stone (which was set down at Pytho under the glens of Parnassus to be a sign to mortal men, the Omphalos), then Zeus' siblings in reverse order of swallowing.

The gods quickly divided between Kronos and his children with most of the Titans rallying behind their king. However, some such as Prometheus supported the Olympians while others such as Oceanus remained neutral. From Olympus in the north and Othrys in the south, both sides were kept in a deadlock for ten years.

Kronos' and Zeus' forces gradually tired, and Zeus soon realized they were on the losing side. Zeus delved into Gaia's womb, and reached the abyss of Tartarus to free Kronos' ugly brethren, the single wheel-eyed Cyclopes and the hundred-handed Hekatonkheires who were trapped inside, killing their guard Kampê in the process. As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia.

The Cyclopes set to work, and quickly forged new weapons for the gods; they made Poseidon's trident, with which he could stir up waves and cause earthquakes, and Hades' Helm of Invisibility, with which he could sneak up on the Titans unseen. The Hekatonkheires set up about wrecking havoc on the Titans. Together, they managed to turn the tables, and the gods won.

Zeus castrated Kronos with his own weapon, and imprisoned in the endless abyss of Tartarus. The other Titans were chained as well, and their general Atlas was punished to bear up the sky.

After the battle with the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld). The ancient Earth, Gaia, could not be claimed; she was left to all three, each according to their capabilities, which explains why Poseidon was the "earth-shaker" (the god of earthquakes) and Hades claimed the humans that died.

Gaia resented the way Zeus had treated the Titans, because they were her children. Soon after taking the throne as king of the gods, Zeus had to fight some of Gaia's other children, the monsters Typhon and Echidna. He vanquished Typhon and trapped him under Mount Etna, but left Echidna and her children alive.

Zeus and Metis

After the wars, Zeus married the Titaness of prudence, Metis, the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Metis was exceptionally wise, and had helped Zeus come up with many strategies and plans in the war to help Zeus. One day, however, after geting a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi that his child by Metis would be more powerful than him, Zeus decided to kill Metis. Using the fact that Metis could shape-shift, Zeus asked her to turn into a fly, and then swallowed her.

A few months later Zeus felt a continuous headache. Even after repeated medicine, when it did not cure, Prometheus the Titan of forethought asked Hephaestus to open Zeus head with an axe. As soon as it was opened, Metis' daughter, Athena, sprung from the head.

Zeus & his various Consorts

Themis

Zeus' second consort was Themis, the embodiment of law and custom. With her, Zeus begot the Horae, embodiments of the right moment – the rightness of Order unfolding in Time – and Astraea; the Moirai, or the Fates, weaver of the threads of life; and Eunomia (Order), Dike (Justice), and Eirene (Peace).

Eurynome

Zeus' third consort became Eurynome, the beautiful daughter of Oceanus. She bore him the Graces, Aglaea, Thalia, and Euphrosyne; the goddesses of grace, arts and music and dance.

Demeter

Zeus' next consort became Demeter, goddess of the Harvest; with her Zeus fathered Persephone, the lovely goddess of spring, who was abducted by Hades and later wed.

Mnemosyne

Zeus' fifth attraction was Mnemosyne, Titaness of memory. Through her were born the nine Muses.

Leto

Zeus once had an affair with the Titaness Leto, and she eventually became pregnant with two children. When Hera discovered that Leto was pregnant and that Zeus was the father, she banned Leto from giving birth on terra-firma, or the mainland, or any island at sea. Poseidon took pity on Leto and guided her to the floating island of Delos, which was neither mainland nor a real island and Leto was able to give birth to her children on the island. As a gesture of gratitude, Delos was secured with four pillars. The island later became sacred to Apollo. Alternatively, Hera kidnapped Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to prevent Leto from going into labor. The other gods bribed Hera with a beautiful necklace nobody could resist and she finally gave in.

Either way, Artemis was born first and then assisted with the birth of Apollo. Some versions say Artemis helped her mother give birth to Apollo for nine days. Another variation states that Artemis was born one day before Apollo, on the island of Ortygia and that she helped Leto cross the sea to Delos the next day to give birth to Apollo.

Zeus and Hera

Main article: Hera

Zeus' seventh consort was his sister Hera. By Hera, Zeus sired Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus, though some accounts say that Hera produced these offspring alone. Some also include Eileithyia and Eris as their daughters. The conquests of Zeus among nymphs and the mythic mortal progenitors of Hellenic dynasties are famous. Olympian mythography even credits him with unions with Leto, Demeter, Dione and Maia. Among mortals were Semele, Io, Europa and Leda and with the young Ganymede.

Initially, Hera was resistant of Zeus, but Zeus turned into a cuckoo, flew to her window, pretending to be in distress. Hera took the cuckoo into her arms and cuddled the bird. Zeus turned back into himself and Hera found herself cuddling with Zeus. Hera then agreed to become his wife and the two married.

Many myths render Hera as jealous of his amorous conquests and a consistent enemy of Zeus' mistresses and their children by him. For a time, a nymph named Echo had the job of distracting Hera from his affairs by talking incessantly, and when Hera discovered the deception, she cursed Echo to repeat the words of others.

Stories of his love

Divine Loves

Asteria

Of the daughters of [the Titan] Koios, Asteria in the form of a quail threw herself into the sea while fleeing a sexual union with Zeus. A polis was originally named Asteria after her: later on it became Delos. The other daughter Leto had relations with Zeus, for which she was hounded by Hera all over the earth. She finally reached Delos and gave birth to Artemis, who thereupon helped her deliver Apollon.

— Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 21 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.)

Asteria, daughter of the Titan Koios, was chased by Zeus throught the heavens in order to seduce her. Asteria turned into a quail, and threw herself into the sea, where she became the floating island of Delos.

Aphrodite

Since the birth of Aphrodite on the island of Cyprus, Zeus decided to seduce her. The goddess, however, was able to escape his pursuit, but her seed fell on the Earth, where it gave birth to the Centaurs. Aphrodite later and of her own volition had an affair with Zeus, but his jealous wife Hera laid her hands upon the belly of the goddess and cursed their offspring with malformity. Their child was the ugly god Priapos.

Semele

When Hera learned that Semele, daughter of Cadmus King of Thebes, was pregnant by Zeus, she disguised herself as Semele's nurse and persuaded the princess to insist that Zeus show himself to her in his true form. When he was compelled to do so, his thunder and lightning blasted her. Zeus took the child and completed its gestation sewn into his own thigh. Another variation is when Hera persuades Semele to force Zeus to show himself in his real form. Unfortunately, he must do what the princess wants, having sworn by Styx.

In another version, Dionysus was originally the son of Zeus by either Demeter or Persephone. Hera sent her Titans to rip the baby apart, from which he was called Zagreus ("Torn in Pieces"). Zeus rescued the heart and gave it to Semele to impregnate her; or, the heart was saved, variously, by Athena, Rhea, or Demeter.

Zeus used the heart to recreate Dionysus and implant him in the womb of Semele—hence Dionysus became known as "the twice-born". Certain versions imply that Zeus gave Semele the heart to eat to impregnate her. Hera tricked Semele into asking Zeus to show his true form, which killed her. But Dionysus managed to rescue her from the underworld and have her live on Mount Olympus.

Io

Hera almost caught Zeus with a mistress named Io, a fate avoided by Zeus turning Io into a beautiful white heifer. However, Hera was not completely fooled and demanded that Zeus give her the heifer as a present.

Once Io was given to Hera, she placed her in the charge of Argus to keep her separated from Zeus. Zeus then commanded Hermes to kill Argus, which he did by lulling all one hundred eyes to sleep. In Ovid's interpolation, when Hera learned of Argus' death, she took his eyes and placed them in the plumage of the peacock, accounting for the eye pattern in its tail. Hera then sent a gadfly (Greek oistros, compare oestrus)) to sting Io as she wandered the earth. Eventually Io settled in Egypt, where according to Ovid she became the Egyptian goddess Isis.

Lamia

Lamia was a queen of Libya, whom Zeus loved. Hera turned her into a monster and murdered their children. Or, alternatively, she killed Lamia's children and the grief turned her into a monster. Lamia was cursed with the inability to close her eyes so that she would always obsess over the image of her dead children. Zeus gave her the gift to be able to take her eyes out to rest, and then put them back in. Lamia was envious of other mothers and ate their children.

Miscellany on Zeus

• Zeus turned Pandareus to stone for stealing the golden dog which had guarded him as an infant in the holy Dictaeon Cave of Crete.
• Zeus killed Salmoneus with a thunderbolt for attempting to impersonate him, riding around in a bronze chariot and loudly imitating thunder.
• Zeus turned Periphas into an eagle after his death, as a reward for being righteous and just.
• At the marriage of Zeus and Hera, a nymph named Chelone refused to attend. Zeus transformed her into a tortoise (chelone in Greek).
• Zeus, with Hera, turned King Haemus and Queen Rhodope into mountains (the Balkan mountains, or Stara Planina, and Rhodope mountains, respectively) for their vanity.
• Zeus condemned Tantalus to eternal torture in Tartarus for trying to trick the gods into eating the flesh of his butchered son Pelops.
• Zeus condemned Ixion to be tied to a fiery wheel for eternity as punishment for attempting to violate Hera.
• Zeus sank the Telkhines beneath the sea.
• Zeus blinded the seer Phineas and sent the Harpies to plague him as punishment for revealing the secrets of the gods.
• Zeus rewarded Tiresias with a life three times the norm as reward for ruling in his favour when he and Hera contested which of the sexes gained the most pleasure from the act of love.
• Zeus punished Hera by having her hung upside down from the sky when she attempted to drown Heracles in a storm.
• Of all the children Zeus spawned, Heracles was often described as his favorite. Indeed, Heracles was often called by various gods and people as "the favorite son of Zeus", Zeus and Heracles were very close and in one story, where a tribe of earth-born Giants threatened Olympus and the Oracle at Delphi decreed that only the combined efforts of a lone god and mortal could stop the creature, Zeus chose Heracles to fight by his side. They proceeded to defeat the monsters.
• Athena has at times been called his favorite daughter and adviser.
• His sacred bird was the Golden Eagle, which he kept by his side at all times. Like him, the eagle was a symbol of strength, courage, and justice.
• His favourite tree was the oak, symbol of strength. Olive trees were also sacred to him.
• Zelus, Nike, Kratos and Bia were Zeus' retinue.
• Zeus condemned Prometheus to having his liver eaten by a giant eagle for giving the Flames of Olympus to the mortals.
• When Hera gave birth to Hephaestus, Zeus threw him off the top of Mount Olympus because of his repulsive appearance.
• Zeus turned Lycaon into a werewolf for daring to serve his own child as food.

Consorts and children

Divine offspring

Mother	Children
Aega	Aegipan
Ananke or Themis	Moirai Atropos Clotho Lachesis
Demeter	Persephone Zagreus
Dione	Aphrodite
Eos	Ersa Carae
Eris	Limos
Eurynome	Graces
Gaia	Orion
Hera	Ares Hephaestus Hebe Eileithyia Eris Angelos Enyo
Leto	Apollo Artemis
Maia	Hermes
Metis	Athena
Mnemosyne	Muses
Nemesis	Helen of Troy
Persephone	Zagreus Melinoe
Selene	Ersa
Thalia	Palici
Themis	Astraea Nymphs of Eridanos Nemesis Horae
Unknown mothers	Ate Aletheia Caerus Litae Tyche

Semi-divine offspring

Mother	Children
Aegina	Aeacus
Alcmena	Heracles
Antiope	Zethus
Anaxithea	Olenus
Asterope	Acragus
Callisto	Arcas
Carme	Britomartis
Cassiopeia	Atymnius
Chaldene	Solymus
Danaë	Perseus
Electra	Harmonia Iasion
Europa	Minos Rhadamanthus Sarpedon Carnus Alagonia
Lamia	Herophile
Leda	Castor Pollux Helen of Troy
Niobe	Argus
Pandora	Latinus
Plouto	Tantalus
Pyrrha	Hellen
Semele	Dionysus

Function

Zeus played a dominant role, presiding over the Greek Olympian pantheon. He fathered many of the heroes and was featured in many of their local cults. Though the Homeric "cloud collector" was the god of the sky and thunder like his Near-Eastern counterparts, he was also the supreme cultural artifact; in some senses, he was the embodiment of Greek religious beliefs and the archetypal Greek deity.

As king of the Gods, Zeus was said to rule over all that exists from the snowy peaks of Mount Olympus. Based on his celestial abode, it was thought that Zeus was revealed to humanity by way of the daylight and rain. He also served as the protector of landed wealth, preserver of household goods, and guardian of travelers against those who might seek to victimize them. Zeus' close affiliation with the Fates allowed him to know all that is, was and will be. Even with this foreknowledge, Zeus was said to dispense success and misfortune to men as he saw fit.

Zeus also assumed the role of guarantor of the social and moral order, adjudicating the behavior of humans as well as that of his fellow deities. Thus, it was Zeus who often meted out punishment for misdeeds. For instance, he condemned Tantalus to eternal torture in Tartarus for trying to trick the gods into eating the flesh of his butchered son. Some of the punishments Zeus delivered were rather puerile, such as his murder of Salmoneus with a thunderbolt for attempting to impersonate him, by riding around in a bronze chariot while imitating the sound of thunder. Though Zeus could be petty and malicious, he also had a righteous element, perhaps best exemplified when he confronted Capaneus for unbridled arrogance.

In modern culture

Books

• Zeus appears in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
• In John C. Wright's Chronicles of Chaos, Zeus, called "Lord Terminus", has recently died, and infighting over his throne fully occupies Olympus, and his commands with regards to the children are a determining factor in their lives.

Comics

• In the Batman comics, a former teacher named Maximilian "Maxie" Zeus believes himself to be a reincarnation of Zeus.

Film

Zeus has been portrayed by various actors:

• Axel Ringvall in Jupiter på jorden, the first known film adaptation to feature Zeus.
• Niall MacGinnis in Jason and the Argonauts and Angus MacFadyen in the 2000 remake
• Laurence Olivier in the original Clash of the Titans, and Liam Neeson in the 2010 remake, along with the 2012 sequel Wrath of the Titans.
• Anthony Quinn in the 1990s TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
• Rip Torn in the Disney animated feature Hercules
• Sean Bean in the 2010 movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Television

• In the 1992 animated series Batman: The Animated Series, Maximilian Zeus is a shipping tycoon who believed himself to be a reincarnation of Zeus. He is based off of the comic book character of the same name.
• In the 1998 Disney TV series Hercules: The Animated Series, Zeus is voiced by Corey Burton.
• In the House of Mouse episode, "Unplugged Club", his lightning bolt is used to recharge the club with red and black electric cables thanks to Mickey Mouse who calls him "Big Z".
• In the 2004 animated series The Batman, Maximilian Zeus appears once again as a Greek mythology obsessed multimillionaire. He runs Zeus Industries. Maxie uses a high-tech suit of armor that more closely resembles Roman than Greek. He is based off of the comic book character of the same name.
• Zeus appears various times in the Xena/Hercules franchise.
  • In the Hercules telemovies, Zeus is portrayed by Anthony Quinn.
  • Peter Vere-Jones portrays Zeus in the episode "Judgement Day" from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
  • John Bach portrayed Zeus in the episode "Valley of the Shadow" on the tv-series Young Hercules.
  • Charles Keating played Zeus on the final episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
  • Roy Dotrice portrayed Zeus at the end of season four of Hercules: The Legenday Journeys.
  • Peter Rowley voiced Zeus in Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus.

Video Games

• Zeus appears in The Battle of Olympus. In the game the hero Orpheus gains Zeus favor, thanks to that, Zeus also convinces the other gods to imbue Orpheus with powers.
• Zeus appears in the Kid Icarus video game series.
• In the 1989 NES game Batman: The Video Game, the villain Maxie Zeus appears as minor enemy, aiding The Joker. Maxie Zeus is a Greek mythology obsessed criminal who believes himself to be Zeus. He is based off of the comic book character of the same name.
• Zeus appears in Sony Computer Entertainment's God of War series of video games, voiced by Paul Eiding in God of War, Corey Burton in God of War II and God of War III, Fred Tatasciore in Ghost of Sparta:
  • First appearing in God of War, Zeus initially aids Kratos.
  • Revealed in Ghost of Sparta to have ordered the imprisonment of Kratos' brother Deimos, thinking (incorrectly) that the sibling would be responsible for the demise of Olympus. Many years later, Zeus aids Kratos against Ares, who kills the God of War and takes his place. Zeus, however, is infected by fear and eventually tricks Kratos into draining his godly powers into the Blade of Olympus, stating it is necessary so as to deal with a new threat (actually created by Zeus). Kratos, stripped of his power, is mortally wounded while human, and killed by Zeus. With the help of the Titan Gaia, Kratos uses the power of the Sisters of Fate to return to the moment Zeus betrayed him and after extensive combat defeats the King of Gods. Zeus is saved by Athena, who sacrifices herself to preserve Olympus. Before dying, Athena reveals that Kratos is in fact Zeus' son, and that he fears a perpetuation of the son-killing-father cycle (as he himself imprisoned his father Cronos). This is confirmed when Kratos discovers that Zeus was infected with fear when Kratos opened Pandora's Box and used its power to kill Ares. After an enlightening encounter with Pandora, Kratos finally kills Zeus.

Portrayal

Zeus is usually shown as a muscular man crowned with a laurel wreath, usually with an eagle in the background. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty.

Attributes

Chariot

His chariot is pulled by four horses - Pyrois, Eos, Aethon and Phlegon.

Symbols

Symbol	Description
Thunderbolt	Zeus' thunderbolt was his primary attribute and his signature weapon, both in classical myth and art. In art, it could range from an unadorned bolt to a much more elaborate object in works of art. The thunderbolt was presented to Zeus during the course of the Titanomachy by the Cyclopes, as a reward for freeing them.
Eagle Aetos Dios	The Aetos Dios or the Eagle of Zeus served as Zeus' personal messenger and animal companion. According to some, the eagle was once a mortal king named Periphas, whose virtuous rule was so celebrated that he was came to be honoured like a god. Zeus, in anger, would have smote him with a thunderbolt, but Apollo intervened and, transforming the king into an eagle, set him beside the throne of Zeus. In other accounts, Zeus adopted the eagle as his bird when it first appeared to him before the Titan War as a sign of good omen. The eagle was later sent by Zeus to carry the handsome youth Ganymede up to heaven to become the cupbearer of the gods.
Oak	The Oak was representative of Zeus in mythology and art. In fact, there was a cult related to Zeus revolving around an oak tree at the Oracle of Dodona.
Scepter, Throne	The royal scepter and Zeus' majestic throne were symbolic of his duties as the ruler of Olympus.
Bull	Zeus could transform into a bull on will. Several myths focus on this form of Zeus. One of the most famous is he tale of Zeus and Europa.

Gallery

A statue of Zeus.

Zeus seated in majesty -- a common theme in Greek art.

The Chariot of Zeus, from an 1879 Stories from the Greek Tragedians by Alfred Church.

Bust of Zeus.

Trivia

• The Olympic games started as one of the religious festivals in Ancient Greece in honor of Zeus.
• The name "Zeus" can also mean "day" in Ancient Greek.

References

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Major Deities in Greek mythology
Zeus King of the Gods God of the Sky	Hera Queen of the Gods Goddess of Marriage	Poseidon Father of Horses God of the Seas	Demeter Bringer of the Seasons Goddess of Agriculture
Ares Armed with Bronze God of War	Athena Sharp-sighted Maiden Goddess of Intellect	Apollo The Shining God of the Sun	Artemis Lady of the Hunt Goddess of the Moon
Hephaestus The Sooty God God of Smithing	Aphrodite The Foam-Risen Goddess of Love	Hermes Keeper of the Flocks God of Messengers	Dionysus Twice-Born God of Viticulture
	Hestia The Eldest Olympian Goddess of the Hearth	Hades The Wealthy Lord God of the Underworld

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This article is part of Project Greece, a EoMW project that covers all aspects of Greek mythology.