Metamorphoses and love affairs of Zeus. Gods of Ancient Greece – Hestia

All ancient sources are unanimous in calling Mount Olympus, located on the border between Macedonia and Thessaly, the abode of the gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. At this peak, which became a symbol of the conclave of the celestials, the Olympians majestically ruled the world, remaining, nevertheless, not indifferent to human passions and stories and sometimes taking one side or another in earthly passions. The passions and even the whims of the gods were the starting point of many mythological tales.

Zeus, the son of Rhea and Kronos, fed on the milk of the goat Amalthea under the protection of the nymphs and Coryvantes, defeating the giants and titans, won absolute dominance not only over people, but also over the immortals. He sat majestically on the throne with his attributes: lightning - the personification of both light and destruction; a scepter - a symbol of the monarchy; eagle - messenger; aegis - the skin of Amalthea, which served as indestructible protection. Zeus was subject to everything that happened in heaven, in nature, in human society. He distributed good and evil on Earth, the future was revealed to him. The entire social order was established by him, the king and father of gods and people. From the union of Zeus with Hero, his sister and wife, were born Ares, god of war; Hebe, deity of youth; Ilithyia, goddess of childbirth, capable of reproducing without assistance masculinity.

In addition, Zeus entered into countless love unions with many women, both celestials and mortals. From these connections other gods, demigods and brilliant heroes of Hellas were born.

One of the passionately beloved goddesses of Zeus was Metis, goddess of wisdom, his first wife. After several unsuccessful attempts to reject the advances of Zeus, Metis agreed to become his wife: as a result of the marriage, Athena was conceived. However, Zeus, fearing that Metis would give birth to a child who would be stronger than him (Gaia, the Earth, prophesied this to him), swallowed his wife, and only then, from his own head, gave birth to Athena.

Meanwhile, the new wife, Hera, jealous of the extramarital affairs of Zeus and his ability to give birth without the participation of a woman, gave birth, without masculinity, to the son of Hephaestus - the deity of fire. When it's time to give birth Athens, exactly her step-brother Hephaestus smashed Zeus's head with his huge hammer. Thus was born in fully armed, one of the most revered Greek goddesses.

No less famous in mythology is the union between Zeus and Summer, from whom descended Apollo, the deity of light, and Artemis, the deity of the hunt. And this love story jealous Hera intervened, because of whom the pregnant Leto had to wander the Earth for a long time.

Hera forbade any place on land or sea to receive the persecuted goddess. Just a small rocky island Business with in the center Aegean Sea, difficult to access due to strong undercurrents and therefore considered a floating island, gave shelter to Leto. It was here, neither on land nor on water, that Summer gave birth Apollo And Artemis. As a token of gratitude, Delos received from the persecuted goddess four columns - supports that stopped his voyage forever. Over time, the most important temple in the ancient world, dedicated to Apollo, arose on Delos.

Diona, the daughter of Uranus (according to another version - Ocean) brought Zeus Aphrodite, goddess of love.

From a union with his other sister Demeter, goddess of fertility and agriculture, Zeus gave birth to Persephone, future goddess of the underworld and wife of Hades.

She married Zeus and Themis, goddess of justice and eternal order - in chronological order she became his second wife. In addition, Themis played the role of advisor to the Thunderer: at her suggestion during Gigantomachia Zeus covered himself with an aegis.

Themis brought the Olympic ruler numerous offspring, including three Ory, goddesses who were in charge of the change of seasons and order in nature, as well as three Moira, goddesses of human destiny, bearers of inevitable situations - life itself, good luck, happiness. It was believed that each person had his own “moira” (fate) with which his planid was associated. The Moiras were represented as women who spun the thread of human life: one of them began to spin, the other carried the thread through all the vicissitudes of fate, and the third, cutting it, broke off the earthly path at the fatal hour.

For nine consecutive nights in the pleasant region of Pieria in Thrace, Zeus copulated with the goddess of memory Mnemosyne. As a result, a year later the young Titanide, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, gave birth to nine daughters Moose.

Three Charites (in the Roman version - Graces) were born as a result of the marriage of Zeus with the Titanide Eurynoma, the lower half of whose body was fishy, like our mermaids.

Charites, at first fertility deities, later became goddesses of beauty, joy and the personification of female charms. They lived with the muses on Mount Olympus, joining them in a charming choir. In art they were often depicted as beautiful naked girls with their hands touching each other (the two side figures usually facing in one direction, and the central one in the opposite direction). The Charites, in addition, were in charge of the mental and artistic creativity. In late antiquity, their cult was supplanted by the cult of Aphrodite.

Zeus conquered the celestials, using his undoubted charms, but sometimes, in more difficult cases, he resorted to the indisputable authority of the Lord of Olympus. His successes among earthly women, who attracted him no less than the goddesses, often required various kinds of metamorphosis.

For example, the wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus captivated Zeus with her beauty. Leda.

Zeus appeared to her in the form of a modest swan. From intercourse with the ruler of Olympus, Leda laid an egg, from which four children hatched: Clytemnestra, who later became the wife of King Agamemnon and the mother of Orestes and Electra; beautiful Elena, who married Menelaus and caused the Trojan War with her frivolity; as well as two Dioscuri ("children of Zeus") - Castor And Polidevk(in Roman mythology - Pollux).

Zeus's love for Danae. According to one of the most popular myths, an oracle predicted to the Argive king Acrisius that his daughter Danae would give birth to a boy who would overthrow and kill his grandfather. Acrisius imprisoned his daughter in a copper tower, but Zeus, who fell in love with her, entered there in the form of golden rain.

As a result, he was born Perseus. Hearing the cries of the newborn Perseus, Acrisius ordered his daughter and grandson to be put in a wooden box and thrown into the sea (wasn’t this the myth that became the basis of Pushkin’s “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”?). The waves carried the ark to the island of Sirif, where Danae and Perseus were saved by a local fisherman. However, I will tell you about Perseus and his story some other time.

Another love affair of Zeus is associated with Alkmena, wife of the Tirinthian king Amphitryon, belonging to the family of Perseus. Inflamed by passion for the beautiful queen, Zeus, during the absence of his husband, took on his appearance. Thus Alcmene conceived Hercules.

Probably the most known history Zeus's metamorphosis is myth of Europe.
One day, Europa, the daughter of Phoenix, king of Sedon (or Tire), was playing with her friends on the seashore when Zeus noticed the beauty. Turning into a bull, the Olympian appeared in front of the girl. Frightened at first, the girl then grew bolder, began to play with the bull and saddled him.

Suddenly the bull rushed to the sea, and the girl, fearing to fall, grabbed his horns. The voyage with Europe on its back ended on the island of Crete. There, at a cool spring under a plane tree, Zeus took possession of the girl, as a result of which she gave birth Minos, who became the king of Crete, as well as Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus. A silent witness to this act of love, the plane tree received from Zeus the privilege of always having a green crown.

Sometimes the loving Zeus fell under the spell of young handsome boys. We know about this from the myth of Ganymede, a descendant of Dardanus, the first king of Troy.
Ganymede, considered the most handsome young man among mortals, was tending his father's flocks in the mountains near Troy when Zeus appeared before him in the form of an eagle. Zeus attracted Ganymede with signs of attention - a cockerel and a hoop, and then took him to Olympus, where he gave him the gift of eternal youth and made him the cupbearer of the gods.

Because the ancient mythology for the people who created it, it was a kind of model and model of behavior, is it any wonder that in those days morality was very different from ours. Take, for example, the supreme Olympian - Zeus. From a modern point of view, he was subject to all sorts of perversions, not to mention polygamy, from incest to sodomy.
However, it is not for us to judge the ancient Greeks, and especially the gods created by their imagination. Let us better thank them for the fact that ancient mythology served as one of the main sources of inspiration for the great artists whose works are presented to your attention in this and my other stories on the topic of mythology.

Thank you for attention.

Sergey Vorobiev.

In addition, Zeus entered into countless love unions with many women, both celestials and mortals. From these connections other gods, demigods and brilliant heroes of Hellas were born.

Meanwhile, the new wife, Hera, jealous of the extramarital affairs of Zeus and his ability to give birth without the participation of a woman, gave birth, without masculinity, to the son of Hephaestus - the deity of fire. When it's time to give birth Athens, it is her half-brother Hephaestus smashed Zeus's head with his huge hammer. Thus was born, fully armed, one of the most revered Greek goddesses.

No less famous in mythology is the union between Zeus and Summer, from whom descended Apollo, the deity of light, and Artemis, the deity of the hunt. And the jealous Hera intervened in this love story, because of whom the pregnant Leto had to wander the Earth for a long time.

Hera forbade any place on land or sea to receive the persecuted goddess. Just a small rocky island Business with in the center of the Aegean Sea, difficult to access due to strong undercurrents and therefore considered a floating island, gave shelter to Leto. It was here, neither on land nor on water, that Summer gave birth Apollo And Artemis. As a token of gratitude, Delos received from the persecuted goddess four columns - supports that stopped his voyage forever. Over time, the most important temple in the ancient world, dedicated to Apollo, arose on Delos.

Diona, the daughter of Uranus (according to another version - Ocean) brought Zeus Aphrodite, goddess of love.

From a union with his other sister Demeter, goddess of fertility and agriculture, Zeus gave birth to Persephone, future goddess of the underworld and wife of Hades.

She married Zeus and Themis, goddess of justice and eternal order - chronologically she became his second wife. In addition, Themis played the role of advisor to the Thunderer: at her suggestion during Gigantomachia Zeus covered himself with an aegis.

Three Charites (in the Roman version - Graces) were born as a result of the marriage of Zeus with the Titanide Eurynoma, the lower half of whose body was fishy, like our mermaids.

Charites, at first fertility deities, later became goddesses of beauty, joy and the personification of female charms. They lived with the muses on Mount Olympus, joining them in a charming choir. In art they were often depicted as beautiful naked girls with their hands touching each other (the two side figures usually facing in one direction, and the central one in the opposite direction). The Kharites, in addition, were in charge of mental and artistic creativity. In late antiquity, their cult was supplanted by the cult of Aphrodite.

For example, the wife of the Spartan king Tyndareus captivated Zeus with her beauty. Leda.

Probably the most famous story of Zeus's metamorphosis is myth of Europe.
One day, Europa, the daughter of Phoenix, king of Sedon (or Tire), was playing with her friends on the seashore when Zeus noticed the beauty. Turning into a bull, the Olympian appeared in front of the girl. Frightened at first, the girl then grew bolder, began to play with the bull and saddled him.

Since ancient mythology was a kind of model and pattern of behavior for the people who created it, is it any wonder that in those days morality was very different from ours. Take, for example, the supreme Olympian - Zeus. From a modern point of view, he was subject to all sorts of perversions, not to mention polygamy, from incest to sodomy.
However, it is not for us to judge the ancient Greeks, and especially the gods created by their imagination. Let us better thank them for the fact that ancient mythology served as one of the main sources of inspiration for the great artists whose works are presented to your attention in this and my other stories on the topic of mythology.

Thank you for attention.

Sergey Vorobiev.

God Zeus

Chain of Zeus. Zeus, the father of gods and men, immortals and mortals, reigns over the whole world and Olympus. He is the strongest of the gods. With whom his servants are inseparable - Power, Strength and Victory-Nick. None of the gods can compare with him in power. If a strong golden chain were lowered from Olympus, one end was given into the hands of Zeus, the other - to all the gods, then even then they would not only be able to throw Zeus to Earth, but even slightly shake him on the golden throne. But if Zeus had pulled the chain, he would have raised all the gods on it, along with the earth and the sea, wound the chain around the top of Olympus and left the whole world suspended among the heavenly expanses.

Aegis of Zeus. Zeus is the owner of the aegis, so he is called “Egiokh”, “Aegis-holder”. But no one knows exactly what an aegis is. Some say that it is a shield made of goatskin, others that it is a cloak, but everyone agrees that the fearsome head of the Gorgon Medusa is attached to the aegis. When Zeus shakes his aegis over two troops engaged in battle, the sky is shrouded in heavy clouds, lightning flashes, thunder rumbles, instilling terror in the souls of one army, filling the hearts of the other with vigor and courage. In this way, Zeus brings victory in battle, which is why one of his names is Zeus the Victorious.

Zeus and people. As the owner of thunder and lightning, the god who sends thunderstorms, Zeus is called the Thunderer, the Cloud-Buster, the High-Thunderer. With his lightning he incinerates the wicked, people who violate the laws he established in the world. The punishment of Zeus is terrible for people, but Zeus treats those who honor the gods with mercy. He is “Helper in trouble”, “Protector”, “Savior”, “Friendly”. He is a deity who was revered by all Hellenes, which is why he was called Panhellenic Zeus.

God Zeus on the throne. Fragment of a Greek crater

Zeus is the king over the Universe. Both gods and people honor Zeus. When he enters his palace on Olympus, all the gods and goddesses stand respectfully before him. Expressing his will, Zeus moves his blue-black eyebrows and confirms his words with a nod of his head. At this moment Olympus oscillates from the base to the summit. The word given by Zeus in this way is inviolable.

All people living on earth are subject to Zeus, from him their troubles and successes, happiness and misfortunes. As the Greek poet Hesiod wrote:

To give strength to the powerless and to plunge the strong into insignificance, to take away happiness from the lucky, to suddenly exalt the unknown, to straighten a hunched figure or to hunch the back of the arrogant - It is very easy for the thunderer who lives in the highest.

Vessels of good and evil. At the throne of Zeus there are two large vessels: in one of them there are gifts of good, in the other - evil. Zeus draws good and evil from them and sends them to people. If a person is very dear to him, he receives only gifts of goodness, and his life passes happily and serenely. [But the Greeks understood that there is no life without sorrows, as the Greek tragedian Sophocles said, “both in the future and in the past, only one law is omnipotent - it does not pass carelessly human life!»] Sadness is a sign of Zeus's displeasure. Those who anger the Thunderer are attacked with his evil gifts: misfortune, illness, poverty, hunger! Therefore, it is best for life to be as it is for most people: for there to be approximately equal amounts of good and evil, and for joy and sorrow to alternate in life.

Themis, assistant of Zeus. Great, stern deities help Zeus control the destinies of the world: the keeper of the laws, Themis, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, ensures that laws are not violated either on earth or on Olympus.

She was depicted with scales and a sword in her hands, and sometimes blindfolded. The meaning of these symbols was as follows: the scales served to weigh the guilt of the defendant, the sword - to punish the guilty, and the eyes were blindfolded because a fair judge should not succumb to sympathy for the one he is judging, as if he should not “see” him, but only listen to what is said for and against the defendant.

Dike and Nemesis. If Themis made sure that everything was according to the law, then her and Zeus’s daughter Dike - “Justice” - made sure that everything was fair. She was a defender of truth and an enemy of deception. [It is no coincidence that in one of the images she was shown beating Adikiya - “Injustice.”]

Nemesis, the formidable goddess of fair retribution with a punishing sword in her hand, ensures that the measure of good and evil is never violated in the world. No criminal escapes punishment; even if the crime was committed secretly and there are no witnesses, Nemesis will take care of retribution.

Revenge for the poet Ivik. This is how, for example, the murder of the poet Ivik was avenged. When Ibycus was heading to a singing competition in the city of Corinth, where the Isthmian Games were celebrated in honor of Poseidon, he was robbed and killed on a deserted road. No one saw the atrocity, not a single person was around, only a crane wedge flew across the sky. The dying poet turned to the cranes with his last request: let them help expose the murderers. Ivik was never seen at the festival, and soon his body was found, and no one could say who was responsible for his death. And so, when there was a performance in the theater in Corinth [Greek theaters were under open air and accommodated tens of thousands of people], cranes flew low over the theater, humming their sad songs. Then all the people heard a cry full of horror: “Look at the sky! The damned Ivik called the cranes!” It was one of the killers who turned to his accomplice, remembering the dying words of his victim. Both of them were immediately captured, confessed to their crime and suffered a well-deserved punishment. Not a single Hellene would doubt that Nemesis herself identified and punished the murderers.

Moira goddesses. The fate of people and gods, according to the ideas of the ancient Greeks, is determined by three inexorable goddesses, the sisters of Moira [their name has the same origin as the Russian word “mera”]. Moira, named Clotho (“The Spinner”), spins the thread of a person’s life: if the thread breaks, life is over. Her sister Lachesis (“Measuring Lots”) takes out, without looking, the lot that is intended for a person in life. The third moira, Atropos ("Inevitable"), cuts the thread of life spun by Clotho; no one can avoid death, no one can avert it, which is why Atropos received such a name. The Moira are harsh and unforgiving, even Zeus himself is subject to them, and nothing in the world can escape the fate they have assigned to him.

Oracle of Zeus in Dodona and Olympic Games. As the ruler of the world, who is himself subject to Fate, but has power over the destinies of people, Zeus knows the future, and if asked about it, he can give an answer.

In the city of Dodona there was a temple of Zeus, famous throughout Greece, with an oracle to which people turned for predictions. They received the answer in the form of the rustling of leaves on the sacred oak of Zeus or the murmur of a stream that flowed under this oak.

Once every four years, all the Hellenes gathered to honor Zeus in the city dedicated to him, located in the south of Greece - Olympia. The Olympic Games, the most famous of the pan-Greek holidays, were held here. For a time, a sacred truce was declared in Greece, wars stopped, and no one dared to interfere with the people going to Olympia - they were under the protection of Zeus. The holiday lasted five days, and the winners in the Olympic competitions were considered people marked by the mercy of Zeus himself. Their reward was not any valuable things, but an olive wreath, and there was nothing more honorable than this reward.

Zeus statue

Temple of Zeus and his figure.

Here, in Olympia, one could see the image of the supreme god, which was known throughout Hellas and was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. In the temple of Zeus there was a statue of him, made of gold and ivory by the great sculptor Phidias. God was depicted sitting on a throne made of gold, ivory and ebony. Zeus calmly looks ahead, his figure is full of greatness, his golden hair falls over his shoulders. IN right hand he held an ivory figurine of the goddess Nike, and in his left was a scepter, a sign of his power. The god's hair, clothes and shoes were made of gold, and his body was made of ivory.

Question from Phidias.

In the twilight of the temple, this statue made a stunning impression. The Greek legend says that Phidias, having finished his work, said while looking at the statue: “Well, Zeus, are you satisfied?” - and at the same moment thunder struck and lightning struck the floor of the temple next to the statue: Zeus expressed his approval. Expressing admiration for the work of Phidias, one of the Greek poets wrote:

Did Zeus descend to earth to show you his image, Phidias, or did you ascend to heaven to see God yourself?

Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the statue of Olympian Zeus, and we know it only from descriptions made by ancient authors.

At first sight, 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 that he would 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.

Thus, the young god becomes the most important king among the gods, having the gift of throwing thunder and lightning when angry.

You can read about his love adventures in another article. He had a lot of descendants. The most famous among them:,.

The ancient Greeks loved to fight and considered battle a complex matter, and therefore they had different gods in charge of it. True, they invented a special god for each type of war (offensive, defensive, fair, unfair). But Athena ruled over the fighting, conducted wisely and ending in victory, and the son of Zeus, Ares, led the blind, furious battle with an incomprehensible outcome.

Introduction

This god ruled over a bloodthirsty war, gripped by rage, where people killed each other on the battlefield with particular cruelty. The son of Zeus and Hera adored the process and the action itself, he was not interested in the reasons and ending of the battle. Ares was brought joy by the screams of the warriors and the sounds of weapons, and he received true pleasure both from the courage of the fighters and from their death. All these characteristics of his did not cause positive emotions neither among people nor among other gods. He is the unloved son of Zeus, whom he wanted to throw into Tartarus, but could not because of family ties.

Alas, the facts telling about Ares are fragmentary and contradictory. For most historians and other scientists, the son of Zeus was not of particular interest, since the ancient Greeks were not inclined to revere this god, they were simply afraid of him. But the poets Ancient Greece glorified Ares in their poems and odes. In this article we will try to collect a holistic image of a strong and aggressive god of war.

Who is this Ares?

The son of Zeus personifies fierce warlikeness, primal savagery and ferocious cruelty. Ares' attributes include a fiery torch, and weapons such as a spear or animals (a dog or a kite). On Mount Olympus, a council of twelve gods took place from time to time, and the son of Zeus, Ares, was the third in it.

God's childhood

Ares bore little resemblance to other inhabitants of Olympus, distinguished by wisdom and prudence. The origin of God was shrouded in mystery and controversy. It was believed that the son of Zeus and Hera was born in Thrace, where a harsh climate prevailed and harsh people lived. He spent his childhood in this country. Young Ares was not as handsome and charming as Apollo. The son of Zeus had his special beauty. Dark hair, fair skin, a burning gaze, the correct oval of the face - all this created an image of sternness and equanimity.

Character of Ares

The son of god (Zeus) took care of his appearance and dressed exquisitely in elegant outfits. Hera's capricious pet did not know refusal; he was allowed everything or almost everything. Such improper maternal upbringing influenced the fact that they manifested themselves in full.

Boasting, aggressiveness, authoritarianism, rudeness, intemperance, cruelty towards human weaknesses and defenselessness, fear of pain - all these qualities were possessed by the unloved son of Zeus. One can draw an analogy of this god with a feisty dog, whose hair stands on end, has a terrible grin, loud barking and who is ready to instantly bite the victim to death, but as soon as he feels rebuff, he immediately tucks his tail and runs away.

The Story of Ares' Disgraceful Flight

The most unloved son of Zeus preferred birds as victims. When he was a child, he lay in wait for his father's eagle or his mother's peacock, Apollo's raven, Athena's owl or Aphrodite's dove and wanted to shoot the bird with a slingshot. And the other sons of Zeus came up with a punishment for Ares. The names of Apollo, Dionysus and Hephaestus made the supreme god proud.

Apollo offered the young Ares a bet that he would not be able to climb onto the western slope of Mount Olympus and break at least one egg of the seagulls nesting there. The martial god accepted the bet, since the slope, in his opinion, was not very steep and difficult to climb, and the seagulls seemed nice and not at all aggressive. Ares quickly climbed to the top, but the cute and calm seagulls were not so defenseless. Hearing the cry of one bird, whose egg was stolen by Ares, the whole flock flocked around the young god. The seagulls screamed shrilly and pelted the kidnapper with thin white droppings. Ares was choking on the foul smell, blinded by the flapping of thousands of bird wings. He could not do anything, and therefore escape was, although shameful, the only option. Apollo accompanied the escape with caustic ridicule.

Zeus could not figure out what to do with such a hooligan son who did not have any talents and did not want to study at all. The boy's mother stood up for her beloved son and asked the ruler of Olympus for the position of Minister of Military Affairs, because her son was an ideal candidate. So Ares (son of Zeus) became the god of war, cutting through space on a shiny chariot with a couple of magnificent horses that breathed fire.

The Maturity of a Warlike God

The ferocious Ares rejoices only when cruelty flourishes on the battlefield. They say that he, in sparkling clothes and with a huge shield, rushes with great fury in the thick of the battle, where the air is filled with screams, groans, and the roar of weapons.

On the battlefield, the god of war is accompanied by Deimos and Phobos. These are the two sons of Ares. Deimos represents horror, and Phobos represents fear. Also in the retinue of this god you can see Eris (goddess of discord) and Enyo (goddess who sows murder). Here such brethren fly among the warriors, they fall, die, and the god of war rejoices and rejoices. Ares receives ecstasy when a warrior hit by his weapon dies, and blood flows from the wound to the ground. Fear, horror, disgust - all these emotions were evoked by God among the ancient Greeks.

Ares's hatred for the goddess of the world, Eirene, was terrible. But his friendship with Eris was also not smooth, because he rejected that part of the goddess that was revered by people as a force that forces them to compete in peaceful labor. Even the son of Zeus and Leda, Polydeuces, succumbed to the influence of Ares on the battlefield. The gods loved to watch the lives of mortals, watch battles, and when they were bored, they themselves could organize the reasons for wars. Some of them even descended from Olympus to help their favorites. But for Ares, war was the main meaning of life, he did not think about its reasons, about whether it was fair or not. The sight of blood made God mad, and he began to kill fighters on both sides, without understanding who was right and who was wrong.

It happened that Ares, hiding in a crowd of warriors, uttered a terrible scream, as if several thousand people were screaming. This cry made an indelible impression on the fighters, and with great rage they began to kill everyone, regardless of gender and age. The warriors did not even take into account the value of the lives of people from the enemy side, who could become slaves. Even the animals were not spared. Warriors simply turned into killers.

Is it any wonder that the ancient Greeks considered the god Ares to blame for all their troubles and misfortunes? Then they came to a decision. They wanted to get rid of the bloodthirsty god so that happiness and peace could finally come to the mortal world. But ordinary people it was impossible to cope with the deity. The giants Ephialtes and Otos agreed to help. They captured Ares and put him in a copper prison. For thirteen months, the bloodthirsty god was imprisoned in terrible chains and probably could have died there, but the stepmother of the giants, Eribeia, gave the message to Hermes, and he freed the half-dead Ares. All this time there was peace and quiet on earth. Thirteen months were the happiest and most fruitful for mortals.

Pallas Athena hated Ares no less than the devastated people. Goddess helped Greek heroes For example, Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae, received her attention. She personified a fair and just war, was a craftswoman and skillfully mastered military affairs, because she twice defeated Ares in battle.
The ancient Greek hero Hercules - the son of Zeus - also fought with the god of war, and he fled in fear to the inhabitants of heaven.

War and Love - Ares and Aphrodite

Beautiful Aphrodite was the wife of the limping blacksmith god Hephaestus. But she gave birth to four children (Phobos, Deimos, Harmony, Eros) from Ares, a passionate, pugnacious and frantic god. An explosive mixture that is unlikely to bring anything good - crazy love and crazy war.

The secretive and hardworking Hephaestus had no idea about Aphrodite’s betrayal. But one day a couple in love lingered in bed and met together the appearance of the sun (Helios), who told the blacksmith about the betrayal. Offended and angry, Hephaestus forged a strange thing in his forge - the finest and at the same time very strong web, which he attached to the family bed. When a satisfied Aphrodite returned home, her husband informed her of his journey to the island of Lemnos. The wife did not want to go with him, and as soon as Hephaestus left the threshold, she called Ares to her, who appeared very quickly in the halls of Aphrodite.

The lovers enjoyed each other all night, and the next morning they saw that the bed and they themselves were under the thinnest web. Naked and helpless, they were caught by Hephaestus, who set it all up. He called all the gods to show the betrayal of Aphrodite and Ares. The goddesses stayed at home, and the gods decided to watch such an action. The blacksmith god gave an ultimatum to Zeus (her father) to return all the wedding gifts, and only then would he release his wife. Many gods - both Apollo and Hermes - would like to be in the place of Ares, even in such a web, but next to Aphrodite. This is the conversation that the sons of Zeus had, whose names were mentioned. But the supreme god was angered by such talk, he refused to return Hephaestus’s wedding gifts and said that it was not good to interfere in a family conflict. Still present at this demonstration, Poseidon, seeing the naked body of Aphrodite, immediately fell in love with the charming goddess and was inflamed with acute envy of Ares. The sea god pretended to sympathize with Hephaestus and offered to help. He claimed that he would do everything to ensure that Ares paid for his freedom a price no less than the wedding gifts of Hephaestus. If the god of war does not do this, then Poseidon himself will give the required amount and marry the beautiful goddess.

After the release of the captives, Ares did not even think about repaying the debt, because if the supreme god does not pay, then why should he do it. Nobody paid Hephaestus the ransom, but he was not very upset, because he loved his wife and did not want to let her go anywhere, much less get a divorce.

After this adventure, Ares returned to his homeland, and Aphrodite settled in Cyprus, where she again became a virgin after swimming in the sea. The situation described did not affect the goddess in any way, because she continued to feel a strong passionate attraction to the warlike god and always protected him, which is why Athena constantly joked and mocked Aphrodite. Ares also experienced insane jealousy and love.

Ares' Jealousy

The myths of the ancient Greeks describe one story when the flighty Aphrodite fell in love with the wonderful young man Adonis. He also attracted Persephone, the wife of the underground patron - Hades. The dispute between the two goddesses was supposed to be resolved by Zeus, but he refused to carry out such an obscene trial and entrusted the matter to the muses. They decided that Adonis would live with Aphrodite for two seasons a year, one season with Persephone, and one season as he wanted. But the intelligent one, by hook or by crook, convinced Adonis to spend the season intended for the young man himself with her. Thus, the young lover spent more time with Aphrodite. It turns out that the music did not adhere to the court’s decision. Persephone, having learned about this, became indignant and went to talk to Ares. She talked about love affairs Aphrodite to the god of war. Blinded by jealousy, Ares turned into a wild boar and killed Adonis during a hunt right in front of the goddess of love. This is what Ares was all about! The son of Zeus and Callisto also felt the wrath of the god of war.

Children of the Warlike God

Ares became the father of four offspring, whose mother was Aphrodite. We were always with our father on the battlefield, in the thick of the battle. Daughter Harmony was somewhat similar to her mother and brought people happiness even more than the goddess of love. Son Eros had his father’s character and was engaged in his mother’s specialty in kindling love. This boy with shiny wings, a golden bow and arrows was distinguished by playfulness, cunning and sometimes even cruelty. It was light like a summer breeze. No one could hide from his arrows of love. Eros is very dexterous and is not inferior in the art of shooting to the god Apollo himself. The arrows of a sweet boy bring people not only love and joy, but often also suffering, perhaps even death. After birth of Zeus wanted to kill the baby, knowing about the troubles and sorrows that Eros would bring to the gods and people.

Mother Aphrodite did not give offense to her son and hid him in a dense forest, where he was raised by lionesses. And Eros remained safe and sound. Now he flies around the world and brings peace and love, and grief, and good, and evil, conquering with his arrows both the very young and even the old. The son of Aphrodite and Ares activates the force that attracts people to each other, gods or gods to people. It's not that important anymore.

Historians include the goddess of bloody vengeance Erinyes and the terrible dragon among the offspring of Ares. Cadmus, whose sister was kidnapped, fought him in a duel. He and several other young men gathered to search. On the way, they lost each other, and Cadmus ended up in Delphi, where the oracle advised him to follow the cow and build a city where she stopped. With only a few servants, he was unable to fulfill this prediction. But then it got even worse, because a dragon came out of the cave and ate all the servants.

Seeing all this, the young man began an impossible battle with the dragon and, thanks to incredible efforts, defeated him. Lying on the grass, without any strength, Cadmus heard the authoritative voice of a woman. He helped the young man get up and pull out the dragon's teeth, with which Cadmus later littered the field. From the teeth grew warriors who fought each other, some of them died, and with those that remained, the young man founded the city. It was named after the hero - Cadmeus.

After Cadmus killed the dragon, he was to become a servant of the bloodthirsty god Ares for many years. At the end of his service, the young man married the daughter of Ares and the goddess of love Aphrodite - Harmony.

Conclusion

In the presented article, an attempt was made to collect a holistic image of the warlike man. Born in harsh Thrace, he was ferocious and cruel. This is the beloved son of his mother Hera, but hated by his own father. Ares struck fear into mortal people and disgusted the immortal gods. The meaning of this god’s life was war, its process itself, battles and battles, the screams of warriors, the clang of weapons, the screams of victims. But before greater strength Ares gave in and walked away, although, of course, he didn’t like that at all.

Another element into which Ares completely immersed himself was love for the incredibly beautiful and feminine goddess Aphrodite. Jealousy for her incinerated God, and he, captivated by this frantic feeling, swept away everything in his path. Fury, deceit, cruelty are the qualities of the bloodthirsty Ares, who will stop at nothing. Blood and death are what attract the god of war most.

It is simply impossible to list all the sons of Zeus; even historians cannot do this. Let's name the most famous of them. These are Ammon, Hercules, Dardan, Dodon, Carius, Locrus, Meliteus, Perseus, Tantalus, Epaphus, etc.