Zeus, king of the gods
Greek mythology
Zeus was the supreme deity in the religiosity of the ancient Greeks. It was known as god of heaven, lightning and thunder and was the son of Kronos and Rhea (Gaia). He was saved by his mother from being devoured by his own father and, after becoming an adult, he rescued his brothers and took revenge on his father. He was marked by having dozens of children.
Summary about Zeus
- resided in Mount Olympus and commanded the Universe.
- He was the god of the heavens, lightning and thunder.
- He was married to the goddess Metis and with the goddess Ivy and had several extramarital affairs.
- He fought against his own father, Kronos.
- Temples and statues were built to worship him.
- He was honored in the city of Olímpia during the Olympic Games
Who was Zeus?
He was known for controlling the weather and for handling lightning and, in addition to commanding the Universe, he also commanded the gods. The Greek poet Hesiod he understood that Zeus was also the maintainer of justice.
This Greek god also received a series of titles that highlighted his powers and qualities, such as:
Zeus Xenio: refers to his great hospitality.
Zeus Orchio: he was seen as a god, protector of oaths and punisher of those who did not keep promises
Zeus Polyeus: He was considered a protective god of cities.
There were other titles besides those mentioned, such as Zeus Olimpius, Zeus Herceus, Zeus Agoreus, etc. Zeus was also seen as the creator of certain races, such as the Macedonians, and had like a god who strictly punished all behavior that he did not consider appropriate.
Furthermore, interit saw in a series of conflicts between Greek gods, as was the case with the conflict between Hades and Demeter. Hades had kidnapped Demeter's daughter, named Persephone, and Zeus brokered a deal that allowed Persephone to spend part of the year with Hades and another part of the year with Demeter.
Greek myths narrate that Zeus if croasted twice. Firstly, he married Métis, goddess of health, with whom he had a daughter named Athena. Afterwards, he married Hera, goddess of marriage and women, and with her he had Ares, Illytia, Éris, Hebe, Hephaestus and Angelos. Zeus and Hera's relationship was quite troubled because Hera was very jealous of her husband.
His wife's jealousy was justified, as Zeus was constantly unfaithful, cheating on Hera with other goddesses, with mortal women and with beings, such as nymphs. Zeus's extramarital affairs caused him to have dozens of children. Among the children he had outside of his marriage are Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Heracles, Perseus, Minos and Myrmidon.
Zeus, like many Greek gods, was part of Roman religiosity and was venerated by the Romans. These people knew Zeus by the name Jupiter.
Zeus' fight against the titan Cronos, his own father
Zeus's trajectory is marked by the fight against his own father, the titan Cronos. Zeus's father ruled the Universe because he had dethroned his father, Uranus, after fighting against him. When he commanded the Universe, Cronos received a prophecy that one of his sons would dethrone him, just as he had done with his father.
That's why, Kronos devoured all your children so they were born. When Zeus was born, his mother and wife of Kronos, Rhea, tricked her husband by giving him a stone to swallow. He then sent Zeus to the island of Crete, where he was raised by the goddess Gaia. Other versions of the myth narrate that it was created by nymphs.
When he became an adult, Zeus returned to rescue his brothers. Zeus made his father vomit all his brothers, which were Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. After this, a fight was fought between Zeus and his brothers against the titans. In this fight, Zeus had the support of beings such as the Cyclopes, who gave him lightning as a gift.
The fight against Kronos caused Zeus was recognized as king of the gods. With their defeat, the titans were imprisoned in Tartarus. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades divided the command of their kingdoms among themselves: Zeus received the heavens, Poseidon received the seas and Hades, the underworld. The war against the titans became known as the “Titanomachy”.
Subsequently, the gods had to wage war against the giants, who were instigated to fight by Gaia, mother of the titans. This war between the gods and the giants became known as the “Gigantomachy”. During this war, the gods had the support of Heracles, a demigod who was the son of Zeus.
Cult of Zeus
The cult of Zeus was a widespread practice in Greece. Havia statues, temples, oracles and even festivals held in his honor. One of the places where the worship of Zeus was most significant was the city of Olympia. In this Greek city, every four years, the Olympic Games were held.
The games brought together participants from all over the Greece and were performed in honor of Zeus. They were first performed in 776 BC on the first full moon after the summer solstice. The city of Olympia also had a giant statue of Zeus that was made of ivory, wood and gold. This statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Furthermore, there was a famous oracle of Zeus in Dodona, in northern Greece, who made his predictions through the sound of the wind in the branches of a tree considered sacred. There were also a number of temples built in honor of Zeus, one of the most famous of which was in Athens