How did Zeus appear? Myths of ancient Greece Zeus

Supreme god, ruler of gods and men; the son of the titans Kronos and Rhea, hence one of his names - Kronid. Having overthrown the dominance of Cronus and the gods of the older generation - the Titans, Zeus ceded power over the sea and the underworld to his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus left for himself supreme power over the world and control of all celestial phenomena, primarily thunder and lightning, hence his epithets Zeus the Thunderer, Zeus the Cloud Chaser.

J. Jordaens. Zeus's childhood

Zeus was revered as the guardian of social order and family; he was credited with establishing laws and customs. Olympus was considered the permanent residence of Zeus, hence the epithet Zeus the Olympian. The attributes of Zeus were an aegis, a scepter, and sometimes an eagle. As the giver of victory in wars and competitions, Zeus was depicted with the goddess of victory Nike (Roman Victoria) in his hand. Zeus was considered the father of the younger generation of Olympic gods: Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Hebe, Iris, Persephone, as well as muses, charites and a number of heroes: Hercules, Perseus. The noble families of Ancient Greece traced their origins to Zeus. The most important places of the cult of Znus were Dodona (Epirus) and Olympia (Elis), where the Olympic Games were held in honor of Zeus. Individual episodes of the myths about Zeus are given in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, in Hesiod's Theogony, and Apollodorus's Mythological Library. IN ancient roman mythology Jupiter corresponded to Zeus.

Initially, in each region of Greece a special deity was revered, in charge of celestial phenomena - thunder and lightning. When pan-Greek culture took shape, the local gods merged into the image of 3eus, who was in charge of the change of seasons, sent a fair wind and granted clear days. When he shook his aegis, storms and rains came. Sometimes Zeus is identified with fate, sometimes he himself was subject to the moiras - the goddesses of fate. Zeus announced the destinies of fate through dreams, lightning and thunder, with the help of the flight of birds and the rustling of leaves sacred trees. He gave people laws, established state power, patronized public meetings. Zevs protected the family and home, monitored the implementation of customs and rituals.

The main sanctuary of 3eus was Olympia in Elis, where the temple of 3eus was located and the Olympic Games were held in his honor. According to the main version of the myth, Zevs was saved by his mother from Cronus, who swallowed his children, and was hidden by her in a safe shelter. When Zevs grew up and matured, he rebelled against his father and overthrew his rule over the world. Zevs forced Kronus to vomit the swallowed children - his brothers and sisters.
Having overthrown the Titans into Tartarus, Zeus shared dominion over the world with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Hera became the wife of 3eus, who gave birth to Ares, Hebe and, according to some versions, Hephaestus. In addition, 3eus had many children from other goddesses: from Lethe - Apollo and Artemis, from Demeter - Persephone, from Maya - Hermes, from Dione - Aphrodite, from Themis - Ora and Moira, from Eurynome - Charita. Zeus also had children from mortal women: Semele gave birth to Dionysus from Zeus, Alcmene - Hercules, Leda - Helen and Polydeuces, Danae - Perseus. In Dodona, 3eus was revered as the god of fertility, the lord of the ether, who revealed his will by the rustling of the leaves of the sacred oak. Here Dione was considered the wife of 3eus.

In Crete, 3evs was revered as the god of the secret forces of nature. The Cretans believed that 3eus was born by Rhea in secret from Cronus on Crete. Rhea hid Zeus in Crete, the nymphs Adrastea and Ida fed him with the milk of the goat Amalthea. In Crete, the grave of 3eus was shown; he was honored in orgies as the dying and resurrecting god of vegetation. In Rome, the cult of 3eus merged with the cult of Jupiter. In ancient art, 3eus was depicted as an omnipotent ruler, seated on a throne with a scepter and Nike in his hands, with an eagle near the throne.

In terms of the number of gods, the ancient Greeks cannot compare with any people on our planet. The inhabitants of Hellas were guided at almost every step by the advice of some deity. However, the most important among them was Zeus. Who is this character? This is the god of lightning and thunder, as well as the ruler of the whole world.

Who was Zeus, according to ancient myths?

The chief of all gods was considered the third son of Rhea and the titan Kronos (Homer described him as the eldest son). In addition, he was the brother of Demeter, Aida, Poseidon, Hestia and Hera. The attributes of the main deity were a double ax (labrys) and a shield. Sometimes an eagle was depicted next to Zeus. And Olympus was considered the residence of the Thunderer.

What did the god of thunder and lightning identify?

So, Zeus. Who is this almighty ruler of the world? It was believed that he was able to distribute evil and good throughout the earth. In some myths, he is associated with fate itself. In some legends, the main one, on the contrary, acts as a creature that is in the power of fate. Mythology gives Zeus the ability to foresee the future. At the same time, he announces the destiny of fate through lightning, thunder, and dreams.

They believed that the creation of social order was the direct merit of Zeus. It was he, in their opinion, who gave laws to people and power to kings. It was believed that the main deity ensures that all the customs and traditions of the people are strictly observed, and that the home and family are preserved.

Birth

Zeus - who is this main god? This is a representative of the third generation of deities who overthrew their predecessors.

The post of the main deity was not so easy for Zeus. His father, the cunning and treacherous Kronos, was most afraid that his own children would take power over the world from him. And he decided to destroy them. To do this, Kronos began to swallow his offspring alive. When Zeus's turn came, Rhea hid her son on the island of Crete in one of the deep caves. At the same time, she gave her husband a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed, mistaking it for a baby. Only after this did Kronos calm down, believing that no one else could threaten his throne.

Childhood years

Meanwhile, in the cave of Crete, the hidden Zeus was slowly growing up. The mythology of ancient Greece assigns a large role in his upbringing to the goat Amalthea and the nymph Melissa. The first fed the divine child with her milk. goats provided Zeus with everything he needed. The nymph Melissa also showed great care for the baby. She provided him with everything he might need. The nymph gave him nutritious honey, which helps rapid growth. According to legend, faithful guards guarded the cave in which the divine offspring was located. When the baby cried, they loudly knocked on their shields with spears so that Kronos would not hear anything.

Clash of the Titans

Years have passed. Zeus grew up and matured. In the end, events unfolded exactly as promised to Kronos. The son overthrew his cruel father, forcing him to bring all the swallowed children back to life. The six of them defeated the tyrant.

The most powerful Zeus began to reign in the sky. His brother Hades inherited the underworld, and Poseidon the sea. At the same time, they decided that they would manage the land together.

Kingdom of the Gods

Olympus and Zeus in the mythology of Ancient Greece are inseparable concepts. On this high mountain the powerful ruler ruled the destinies of people and all life on earth, surrounded by other gods who unquestioningly obeyed him.

The gates of Olympus were closed by a thick, lush cloud. Near him were the goddesses of the Mountain. Their duties were to remove the cloud, allowing the golden chariots to pass through.
The kingdom of Zeus was distinguished by the fact that affectionate and warm summer. On earth, on the contrary, thunderstorms and heavy rains were quite common. People believed that the Greek god Zeus was angry with them for some reason. That's why he sends lightning and thunder as punishment. It is not for nothing that in ancient Greek myths and legends the main ruler of Olympus was called the cloud suppressor and the thunderer.

Zeus in Olympia lived in a luxurious palace, at the gate of which there were certainly two vessels. One of them contained the gifts of Good, and the other - Evil. At times, Zeus drew the contents of these vessels, sending them to people.

Ancient Greek myths gave a special place to the Moirai. Despite the omnipotence of Zeus, it was these three goddesses who determined the destinies of both people and gods.

Reign period

Ancient Greek mythology names people and gods. However, it also says that his power over the gods of Olympus is weak, and fateful paths are often unknown to him. On the advice of Uranus-Heaven and Gaia-Earth, Zeus swallowed Metis, his first wife. By this he avoided the birth of a son, who was supposed to become stronger than his father.

Gaia's daughter, Themis, revealed a secret to Zeus: Thetis would give birth to exactly the same son. Then the ruler of all gods refused to marry her and married the goddess to the hero Peleus.
And so Themis, the goddess of justice, became the second wife of Zeus. Their daughters are Ora. Thanks to them, there is order and regularity in the lives of people and gods.

Third legal wife Zeus is Hera. But in fact, it was this goddess, who patronizes marriage, who became the first wife in terms of her importance.
The reign of Zeus significantly changes the world of all the Olympians. Thanks to the daughters of the main deity from Eurynome - Charitam - grace, joy and fun are brought into life. From Mnemosyne, Zeus gives birth to nine Muses. This fact predetermines that the Thunderer in Greek mythology is called the source that inspires servants of science and art.

This is how Zeus gradually transforms the whole world. He gives birth to gods who bring order and law, and science, art, etc. into people's lives.

The importance of Zeus in the mythology of Ancient Greece is enormous. The main Olympian deity in the texts that have reached us is identified with the patron of city life and community of people, and also acts as a protector of the offended.

Olympic Games

Answering the question: “Who is Zeus?”, it is impossible not to mention Olympic Games. After all, it was he who was the founder of this spectacle, he lit the first Olympic flame, and it was in his honor that competitions began to be held in 776 BC, in which ancient Greek men demonstrated their strength, dexterity and beauty. The significance of these games for people was so great that wars stopped during the period they were held. The city-states that took part in the fighting concluded a temporary truce.

Name: Zeus

Country: Greece

Creator: ancient greek mythology

Activity: god of the sky, thunder and lightning, in charge of the whole world

Marital status: married

Zeus: character story

The mythology of Ancient Greece, which is closely intertwined with the religion of this people, originated on the path of the formation of humanity, but is still popular today, which was facilitated by cultural monuments.

Famous directors and talented writers are inspired by titans, Olympians, muses, cyclops and other fictional characters, and legends involving gods and incredibly strong heroes captivate the spirit. Zeus, the head of the ancient Greek Pantheon, who is in charge of the whole world, appears quite often in ancient texts. The name of this thunderer is perhaps familiar to everyone.

Mythology

A person looks very weak compared to the surrounding world; a representative of the Homosapiens species does not have the same physical strength as, for example, a bear; humans cannot run fast like lions or cheetahs, and also do not have sharp teeth and strong claws.

But by nature, a person tries to explain what he feels and observes. No wonder he discovered physical laws, came up with chemical table, but wondered about philosophy. But earlier, when scientific knowledge were not so strong, people explained this or that natural phenomenon through myths and believed that the gods were able to bring prosperity to the house, help win the war and protect the harvest from drought.

According to history, from the first half of the second millennium BC, the third generation of gods led by Zeus began to reign in the world, who overthrew the Titans. The chief of the Olympian gods became the third son of the titan Kronos and his wife Rhea. The fact is that the seer predicted to Kronos that his own son would take his father’s crown. The Time Lord did not want to accept such a fate, so without a twinge of conscience he ate newborn children, swallowing even daughters just in case.

Rhea did not intend to put up with her husband’s arbitrariness, therefore, like a wise woman, she decided to act with cunning. Pregnant titanite went to deep cave in Crete, where she gave birth to the future usurper of power.

So that Kronos would not notice the trick, his beloved placed a Baitil stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of the baby, which the giant immediately swallowed. And when the enraged titan found out about his wife’s tricks, he went to look for little Zeus. The boy was saved by the Kuretes: they knocked with spears and swords when the baby cried, so that Kronos would not guess where his son was.

The fateful prediction that Kronos learned came true: when Zeus matured, he began a war against his father, winning a crushing victory and sending his parent into the abyss located under the kingdom of Hades - Tartarus. According to another legend, the Thunderer gave Kronos a honey drink, and when he fell asleep, he castrated him. Next, Zeus forced his ancestor, using a potion, to spit out his brothers and sisters, whom he made gods and settled on Olympus. According to other sources, the Olympian ripped open the titan's stomach.

The war between the gods and the Titans lasted ten years, and the Cyclopes were called to help. But, since the forces were equal, the opponents for a long time could not determine the winner. Then Zeus freed the hundred-armed giants from the abyss, who swore allegiance to him, and they helped send former rulers to Tartarus. In despair, the earth goddess Gaia gave birth to terrible monster with a hundred dragon heads - Typhon, but he was also defeated by Zeus.

When peace reigned, Zeus and his brothers divided power by drawing lots. Poseidon became the ruler of the sea, Hades began to rule over the gloomy and frightening kingdom of the dead, and Zeus gained dominance in the sky.

Scientists even made an assumption: it is likely that the Greeks presented human sacrifices to the owner of Olympus, but others refute these speculations. Perhaps only a few and few tribes were involved in killings for the sake of the master of the sky in order to ask for a stop to the volcanic eruptions. Basically, in Ancient Greece, animals and food were given to the gods during holidays.

Image

The Thunderer, who scares the inhabitants of the Earth with lightning and dark clouds, appears in mythology as the father of gods and people. Zeus tried to make this world the most harmonious, distributing good and evil, and also put shame and conscience into man. The powerful god sits on his throne and oversees the city order, protecting the weak and offended and granting protection to those who pray.

Zeus, who monitored laws throughout the world, could not only send rain and punish guilty people with lightning, but also foresaw the future, predicting the future with the help of dreams. But sometimes Zeus himself depends on the goddesses Moira - women who weave the threads of fate.

Often the Thunderer is depicted in paintings and sculptures as a middle-aged man with good traits a face framed by thick curls and a luxuriant beard. In the hands of Zeus is a lightning bolt, which is a three-pronged fork with jagged edges. From legends it is known that lightning for God was made by one-eyed Cyclops. The deity also has a scepter, and is sometimes depicted with a labrys or hammer-like weapon.

God cuts in a chariot drawn by eagles: as you know, this noble bird is associated with greatness and power. It was the eagle that pecked the liver of the unfortunate Prometheus - thus Zeus punished his cousin for stealing fire from Hephaestus, passing it on to people.

Among other things, Zeus can transform into any earthly creature: once an Olympian turned into a bull in order to kidnap a princess. However, the owner of the sky was not distinguished by constancy. Hundreds of beauties visited his bed, whom he seduced in different guises: either he would appear to the girl in the form of a cloud, or he would appear as a white swan. And in order to take possession of Danae, Zeus turned into golden rain.

Family

As you know, in ancient Greek mythology all the gods are in some sense relatives of each other, who descended from the Titans. In addition, judging by the legends, some married their sisters. The Thunderer was not an exemplary family man and seduced more than one beauty; Wide-eyed Europa, Leda, Antelope, Io and other enchantresses became victims of Zeus's spell.

But three women were considered “official” wives. The first is the wise Metis, who predicted to her husband that the son of Zeus born from her would surpass his father. The distressed keeper of lightning followed the example of Kronos, only he swallowed not a newborn baby, but his wife. After this, the patroness of organized war, Athena, was born from the head of the god, and Metis, sitting in her husband’s womb, became his adviser.

The second wife of Zeus, the goddess of justice Themis, gave her husband three daughters: Eunomia, Dike and Eirene (according to other sources, Themis is the mother of Moira or Prometheus). The last lover of the Olympian was the patroness of marriage, Hera, who was distinguished by her cruelty and jealous disposition.

Movies

Zeus can be seen on TV screens; the Thunderer appeared before viewers in several cinematic works:

1969 – “Hercules in New York”
1981 – “Clash of the Titans”
2010 – “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief”
2010 – “Clash of the Titans”
2011 – “War of the Gods: Immortals”
2012 – “Wrath of the Titans”

Actors

In the adventure film “Hercules in New York,” where he starred, little-known actor Ernest Graves appeared as the Thunderer. Then, in 1981, Desmond Davis' adventure film Clash of the Titans was released.

This time, the image of the Lord of Olympus was taken on by a Briton, familiar to viewers from the films "" (1986), "King Lear" (1983), "" (1979) and other remarkable film works.

Released in 2010 family film"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief." They played in this film. In 2011, the film “War of the Gods: Immortals” was released, he reincarnated as the main god, dividing film set with , and .

Zeus kidnapped not only the fairer sex. Reincarnating in the guise of a giant eagle, the arbiter of destinies stole a beautiful young man, the son of the Trojan Tros - Ganymede. The Thunderer bestowed upon this father young man a golden vine, and Ganymede received eternal youth, becoming a “cupbearer” who served nectar and ambrosia to the gods.
Zeus owns a magical cape made of goatskin - the Aegis, which, like a shield, has protective properties. Legends say that the daughter of the owner of the lightning, Athena, wore this skin as a robe, attaching a brooch with an image of the gorgon Medusa to it.

In the 5th century BC, Olympia was home to the third of the Seven Wonders of the World - a marble statue of Zeus, which was larger than even temples. The construction of the monument was carried out by the sculptor Phidias, who was picky about materials, especially ivory. According to rumors, 200 kg of pure gold and gems. Unfortunately, the giant statue of the Thunderer died after wars and robberies.
Zeus appears both in cinematic works and on computer screens, for example, in the game Dota2 there is a hero who bears the name of the son of Kronos and kills opponents with lightning.
Zeus was raised by the nymph Kinosura. After the Thunderer became the ruler of the sky, he placed her among the stars as a sign of gratitude. According to other legends, the titan's son was raised by Melissa, feeding the boy with honey and goat's milk, as well as by the shepherd's family, with an ultimatum that all the sheep would be saved from the wolves.

Zeus, the mythological god of ancient Hellas, is known in modern times by literary works, paintings by artists, statues of those times. He looks like a man of fairly heavy build in adulthood.

Despite his mythical title of the Thunderer, won over centuries, in many portraits he does not have an evil expression on his face, noble features are visible; dense overgrown wavy hair and beard.

Apparently, the Greeks spared him because of his age, not depicting him completely naked, as in the Roman version, or as Apollo, by the way, his own son. He usually wore a cloth cape and always had an open, powerful torso - this is what the god Zeus looks like.

Statue of Zeus - one of the seven wonders of the world

Zeus here and there

IN Slavic mythology greek god Zeus is known as Perun - the thunder god, patron of the rulers of Russian lands and their military squads in the ancient Russian pagan pantheon. In ancient Roman mythology, he is Jupiter, the god of blue space, bright light and, of course, the same thunderer. He, only much younger, is the god of thunder and storms in German-Scandinavian myths.

Perun - the ancient Slavic analogue of Zeus

In love stories and in later images, usually by modern masters, one can see what Zeus looked like: the description of his appearance often differed. He was depicted as a young man or in the reincarnated form of a bull, swan, eagle, golden raindrops, cloud or satyr. Zeus had many lovers, and each one required a certain approach. Here are some of these women: Eurynome, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Leto (Latona) - the mother of the gods Apollo and Artemis, Io, Europa, Leda.

The lightning of Zeus can be depicted materially - these are ordinary pitchforks with notches, but double-sided, or with several teeth. In modern military phraseology, this is a flamethrower.

Therefore, the pitchfork was depicted in the form of a bunch of flames, often held in its claws by an eagle - one of the attributes of Zeus. This god also harnessed eagles to his chariot, and his chariot was not rolling, but flying.

Jupiter - the ancient Roman God of Thunder

Tree of Life of Zeus

He dominated among the deities on Mount Olympus, came from a family of titans. According to the mythical gradation, the Titans are the deities of the previous generation, which were replaced by the Olympians. There were six brothers and the same number of Titanide sisters, who married (incest) with each other and gave birth to a new generation of gods. For example, Themis or the father of the god Helios.

The mythical wife of Zeus is the supreme goddess of the Olympian Twelve Gods by marriage. In addition to fulfilling her divine destiny for the female environment and obstetrics, she had a harsh and unjustifiably cruel disposition, was vindictive and jealous. The latter is on the conscience of the Thunderer. It was he who gave reasons for jealousy.

Hera was not the only wife. There were other women married to Zeus, at least two known were goddesses: one of the ocean, the other of law and order on earth. One can only guess about the unknown, judging by the succession of children of Zeus. In mythical reality, Zeus and some spouses were related by blood. That's why last wife God, while her husband’s father ruled for three centuries, for some reason kept her marriage relationship with the Thunderer secret.

Zeus had the same mythical brothers and fifty-six sons (according to this indicator, Apollo “jumped” twice as far as his father). Among them are a host of deities: Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, Helen the Beautiful, Terpsichore, Melpomene, Hermes and others.

In Greek mythology, Zeus had a son, Hercules (at birth he had the name Alcides) - half-man, half-god. He didn’t have much intelligence, he was considered the most strong man on the ground.

Hercules is very confident in himself.

Mythical ruler

What distinguished Zeus, besides throwing lightning? The supreme god is entrusted with dominion in heaven and the distribution of virtue and negative actions on earth, balancing the parties. Zeus defeated the Titans.

At first glance, Greek mythology seems complex and confusing, which is very difficult to understand. Of course, you won’t find so many gods, their wives and children anywhere else. Our task is to figure out who Zeus is, so without going into unnecessary details, we will try to do this.

Birth

In order to continue his family, the supreme god of all gods, Kronos, was forced to enter into a relationship with his sister Reya. The latter came from a family of titans, who were considered the very first gods who settled on earth.

Zeus was born from this union. The birth took place in an atmosphere of secrecy and secrecy, because the father killed his previous five children, swallowing them as soon as they were born. He initially did not want to have children, and especially sons, because he was afraid that his son would grow up stronger than himself and could encroach on the status of the main ruler. It was predicted for him to die from his own offspring.

The mother did not want to put up with this state of affairs and, on the advice of her parents, she decides to leave her son and runs away to a secret place to give birth to the future king of the gods. Kronos knew about his wife's pregnancy and imminent birth, so I waited at home to enroll in a known way. Rhea deceives her husband and takes him a stone wrapped in a swaddling cloth. Suspecting nothing, he swallows the package and calms down for a while. But that's only half the battle. How to save life, raise and raise a son?

His mother decides to hide him in one of the caves on the island of Crete and assigns people to guard him. This is how the life of the young god goes. He grows up, learns, gains experience, not forgetting the goal he has set for himself - overthrowing his father's despot and seizing all power. Everyone is on his side. The guards, drowning out the baby's cries, knock loudly on their shields. They feed only selected products. Prepare for great achievements.

Overthrow of the King of Kings Kronos

Zeus understood the seriousness of his plans, realizing that if he won, he would receive everything. But if he loses, he will forever find himself in the kingdom of Hades at the lowest level. This place was called Tartarus, where everyone who dared to offend the gods was exiled. Knowing that he himself cannot defeat his powerful father, Zeus decides to free the brothers who were swallowed earlier. All this time, those in the stomach grew, developed and accumulated strength. Subsequently, Prometheus and Hades helped him climb to the throne.

To carry out his plan, he prepares a poisoned drink, sneaks into the bedroom and pours the potion into the goblet with the drink. Kronos is getting sick and he vomits out the stone handed over to Rhea, and after him all the brothers.

Now all that remains is to convince and unite all relatives into one powerful, strong group capable of resisting the supreme ruler. The brave young man manages to do this. Having assessed their capabilities, the latter understand that the available forces are not enough for a complete and final victory. We urgently need to make a decision and attract even more powerful supporters to our side.

The solution is found very quickly. The young god remembers his father’s old enemies, who were kept in the lower world. These were Cyclopes and hundred-armed creatures called Hecatoncheires. By hook or by crook, he manages to free him, and then attract new allies to his side. Now, the united coalition is becoming a real force.

Decisive Battle

The plain, located between the mountains Othrys and, was called Thessaly and it was in this place that the battle was supposed to take place. Everything starts as expected. Zeus and his army begin to fight the titans that Kronos has deployed. Thunder and lightning, fragments of rocks fly towards the giant giants, splitting the ground under their feet with a roar. Such strength and power forces you to retreat. It is becoming more and more difficult to contain the onslaught. Victory is closer than ever, but not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance.

The giants decide on a last, desperate attempt and present their remaining trump card. From the lower world, the titans call for help the most terrible monster of enormous size, which was called Typhon.

The battle begins with renewed vigor. For a while, it seems that the scales are tipping towards the losers, but this is only for a short time. Gathering all his strength and power into a fist, Zeus, with new fierce rage, strikes the enemy with powerful bolts of lightning. As a result, unable to withstand such an onslaught, the titans, along with their monster, are cast into Tartarus, where they will remain for eternity.