Son of Zeus goddess. The god of ancient Greece Zeus - what the thunder god looked like, the myth of the birth of 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 descended from 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 emerged, the local gods merged into the image of Zevs, who was in charge of the change of seasons, sent a fair wind and granted clear days. When he shook the 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 with 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 ancient times, Greece was called Hellas. It was a beautiful country with an excellent climate, washed on three sides by waters Mediterranean Sea. Greece's highest mountain, Olympus, is located in the northern part of the country. By Greek legends Since ancient times, great gods reigned on Olympus, building palaces on the steep mountain top. In the main palace lived the ruler of gods and people, the thunderer Zeus.

Zeus (Zευς), in Greek mythology supreme god. Having overthrown his father the titan Kronos into Tartarus, Zeus became the ruler of all gods and people. Initially, Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology) is a universal deity, the king of all nature. He and God have a clear day and the sky, and the god of storms, thunderstorms and rain, and the father of other gods and people, the royal and other noble families of which traced their descent from him. The attributes of Zeus were a shield (aegis), a scepter, and sometimes an eagle.

Zeus was born on the distant island of Crete on the shortest day of the year - December 22. The goat Amalthea gave him her milk, and his nannies were two nymphs - Idea and Adrastea. Zeus grew up and became a young man of powerful physique. Having overthrown his father Kronos - the god of Time - from the Olympian throne, Zeus himself became the great god of Olympus. When he was angry, he threw golden lightning arrows, which caused thunderclaps, so they called him the Thunderer. However, his reign was prosperous for the time being - there was a Golden Age on Earth.

Having finally reigned over the world, Zeus takes Metis (Metis) as his first wife, whom, however, he eats when she was preparing to give birth to Pallas Athena. After this, Zeus himself produced Pallas from his head, from where she emerged fully armed. The feogony calls the second wife of Zeus Themis, who gave birth to Horus and Moira, and the third - Eurinome, who gave birth to Charites (Graces). Then Zeus has Persephone from Demeter, Apollo and Artemis from Lethe, and nine muses from Mnemosyne. Other sources also mention the union of Zeus with Dione, who gave birth to Aphrodite, and with Semele, who gave birth to Dionysus.

Zeus gave each of his brothers and sisters a small throne. Poseidon became the god of the seas, Hades - the god of the underworld, Demeter - the goddess of fertility and agriculture, Hestia - the goddess of the hearth. Finally, Zeus took his pretty sister Hera as his wife.
All other unions of Zeus with goddesses, originally identical with Hera in mythological significance, were relegated to the level of temporary hobbies, partly with the nature of romantic love affairs. Often Zeus achieves possession of some goddess or woman through deception or transformation. So, Zeus appeared to Alkmene as her husband, Amphitryon, descended to Danae in the form of a golden shower, seduced Leda, taking the form of a swan, kidnapped Europa, turning into a white bull; Even Hera Zeus sometimes appeared in the form of a cuckoo.

These legends contain traces of ancient zoomorphic and cosmic myths, which were partly influenced by Eastern religions. With the development of individual and moral traits in the Greek gods, Zeus began to be considered the supreme guardian of laws and the punisher for their violation, the patron of state and family life, and the protector of the offended and wanderers. As the supreme master of the world, Zeus sometimes reveals to people the secrets of the future.

Star atlas "Uranography" by John Hevelius, 1690

Zeus and Hera had two sons - Ares and Hephaestus and two daughters - Hebe and Iletia. WITH early childhood Ares became interested in the bow and javelin, played war, learned to drive a war chariot, so that when he grew up, with the consent of his father, he became the god of war. Hephaestus was a craftsman and inventor, he invented wheels and built chariots, and his daughters learned to dance and sing. Hebe (the Romans called her Maia) became the goddess of eternal youth. The children of Zeus from other goddesses and earthly women became junior gods or titans - heroes of ancient Hellas. Each of them was endowed with some kind of talent and controlled the elements or craft. Thus, Apollo was the god of light and the patron of the arts, personified by the muses. Hermes (the Romans called him Mercury) was the god of trade and cattle breeding, Dionysus (Bacchus) was the god of winemaking, and Artemis (Diana) was the goddess of hunting. Many famous heroes of Hellas - Perseus, Hercules, Polydeuces, Helen the Beautiful and all the muses, including the muse of astronomy Urania, were his children. We will meet them again on the pages of our column dedicated to the mythology of the starry sky.

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' 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 assigned 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.

The story of Zeus, the supreme god of Greek mythology.
Many believed in Zeus as the only and main god even before the advent of Christianity, and the most terrible natural disasters explained by his anger.
Heaven in Greek mythology personified a very important part of the world, and the one who controls the sky is the master of everything. Zeus was revered in every possible way as a fair ruler of both people and gods.

Among the gods, Zeus occupied the highest level of the hierarchy, that is, in fact, he was a king among the gods.

As the lord of the heavens, Zeus could control lightning and thunder. It was lightning that became a symbol of the power and might of Zeus. This explains another name of Zeus - the Thunderer, as the Greeks tried to explain such a natural phenomenon as lightning.

The myth of the birth of Zeus

The first mentions of Zeus were found in the records of the ancient Greek author Hesiod (Hesiod lived in the 7th century BC) he wrote the book of theogony (for the Greeks this book was something like the book of Genesis.)
According to legend, Zeus was not a god from the very beginning, but myth of the birth of Zeus, begin with Zeus challenging his father, Kronos. Kronos was very powerful, he commanded the most powerful of the deities - the Titans. (The Titans were considered the very first deities who populated the earth, but they were not particularly smart, aggressive, they only wanted to take and consume.) When Kronos decides to extend his family, he is forced to enter into a relationship with his sister from the Titan family, Reya.

Initially, all gods are relatives, and therefore incest in myths is quite common.

Kronos and his wife Rhea have the next generation of gods. In the future, this generation will be called Olympians. These include Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.

Kronos initially did not want to have children, as he did not want to give up the status of supreme ruler. He was afraid that his son would be stronger and better, that in the end he would overthrow him. For fear of losing everything, Kronos decided to take drastic action. Immediately after birth, he swallowed his children alive. Of course, the children could not die (since they were immortal gods), but they no longer posed a threat to Kronos.

At that time, cannibalism in ancient Greece was something out of the ordinary; this act was considered the lot of savages.

Rhea was horrified, Kronos had already devoured five of her children, and now she was pregnant again. To ensure that her children remain free, Rhea comes up with a plan. She runs away to a secret hideout and gives birth to a son there. It is this son who will become the king of the gods - Zeus. But Kronos was already waiting for his wife at home to devour the newly born child. Therefore, Rhea wraps a stone in a swaddling cloth and carries it to Kronos. Kronos immediately swallows the package without realizing anything.

Rhea decides to hide his son on the island of Crete in a secret cave. (Afterwards, this cave will become a sanctuary for the worship of Zeus.) But it is difficult to hide someone from Kronos himself; every time little Zeus cried, the people who guarded him beat the special shields that hung along the walls of the cave. The ringing of these shields prevented Kronos from hearing his son's cry.

The myth of the birth of Zeus says that the little god lived in a cave until maturity. Growing up, Zeus undergoes training, gains wisdom and strength - he becomes a real man. All this is done to achieve his goal, which Zeus set for himself - to overthrow his cruel father and seize power over the world.

A brief myth about Zeus - the overthrow of Kronos

Zeus knows that the stakes are very high; if he wins, he will become the supreme ruler of the world, and if he loses, he will go to Tartarus forever.

(Tartarus is the lower level of the kingdom of Hades, it was here that the damned, that is, those who somehow offended the gods, were thrown down.)

Kronos sat on Mount Olympus.

Mount Olympus in ancient Greek mythology was the home of the gods. However, it actually exists. This is the highest point in Greece, the mountain rises almost 3 kilometers above sea level. The Greeks themselves truly believed that gods lived on this mountain.

It is on the top of Olympus that Zeus develops a plan to recapture the throne from his father Kronos and his mighty Titans. Zeus decides to free his brothers, swallowed by Kronos, and enlist their help. During this time, the brothers of Zeus, being in the stomach of Kronos, also matured and gained the power of the gods. To free his brothers, Zeus brewed a poisonous potion. Having entered Kronos's chambers, Zeus pours poison into his cup. After drinking it, Kronos begins to feel unwell, and soon he vomits the stone that Rhea gave him instead of Zeus.

According to legend, this stone formed the basis of the most revered place in ancient Greece - the Delphic temple, the haven of the oracle. Delphi is a sanctuary where people from all over Greece came to worship and ask for help from the gods. This stone, which Kronos cast down from himself, remains to this day in the very center of the Delphic temple.

According to legend, after the stone, Kronos vomited out five previously eaten children. Zeus like good ruler, had an excellent mind and skills to inspire and convince others. Thanks to these skills, he was able to unite his relatives and create a coalition. But even together they were not strong enough to fight the Titans.

Then Zeus remembered the Cyclopes and the hundred-armed Hecatoncheires, forgotten by Kronos. Kronos was afraid of their power, and therefore hid them in Tartarus.
Zeus understood that by enlisting their help, victory would be his. Descending to Tartarus, he finds the Hecatoncheires and speaks with them as equals and with respect, he asks them for help in overthrowing his father. Touched by such respect, the Hecatoncheires agreed to help young Zeus.

Afterwards, Zeus also freed the Cyclopes. In return, they gave Zeus the power to command lightning and thunder.

The forces have been determined, the battle itself will take place in Thessaly, a plain lying between the mountains Othrys and Olympus.
A grandiose battle begins, Zeus with lightning in his hands, his brothers, Cyclops and Hecatoncheires fight with the most powerful deities - the Titans.

(Traces of grandiose battles are still found in the Thessalian Valley.)

Soon the decisive moment comes, a battle between father and son. From the top of Mount Olympus, Zeus defeats his father's army with strong blows lightning The hundred-armed Hecatoncheires chopped off huge pieces of mountains and threw them at the titans. The ground cracked under their feet, and the sounds of battle were heard throughout the world.

Scientists have found that ancient world at that time, experienced a real catastrophe. On the island of Santorini there are about 3 t.l. ago there was a strong volcanic eruption. Its power can be compared to five tens of thousands of Hiroshima bombs. An eruption of such magnitude destroyed much of the Greek world, and survivors could explain the disaster as the wrath of the gods.

The battle of the gods continues, and Zeus begins to win. But the Titans had something to do. From the depths of Tartarus they summon Typhon.

Typhon – terrifying monster incredible sizes.

The battle between Zeus and Typhon was not long; the monster cannot withstand such powerful lightning strikes and is thrown back into Tartarus along with the remaining titans. They will spend eternity there.

The victory of Zeus made him the ruler of the world and king among the other gods. However, the calm and peace did not last long; soon Zeus had a new enemy in the person of a loved one.

Zeus and his wife Metis

The myths of ancient Greece say that greek gods are not at all sinless, everyone has both strengths and weaknesses, and the gods are no exception.

One of the most weaknesses Zeus was his love of love and passion for women. According to legends, Zeus turned into various animals, people, and husbands of women. All this was done in order to seduce young beauties and get in touch with them.

The first to attract the attention of Zeus was the young goddess Metis. Soon Zeus took her as his wife.

Metis is the wife of Zeus; according to legend, she is incredibly beautiful, and her name itself means “wise”

But his feelings are overshadowed by a terrible prophecy that should deprive him of power. Zeus was predicted that his wife would give birth to a child who would take the throne from him. Like his father, Zeus was afraid of his future heir. But Zeus didn't want to be like his father, he swore that this time everything would be different. To keep his vow, he swallows his wife. And again love lost to the thirst for power.

While Metis was in captivity, Zev could use all of her intellectual abilities. Zeus became smarter, wiser and more cunning than he was before.

Zeus and Hera - Zeus's new wife

Since Metis was gone, Zeus needed new wife. Like his father, Zeus decides to take a wife from his own family. She became his sister, the goddess Hera.
Hera was not like the others, she was very powerful. It can be said that Zeus and Hera were more equal.
But Hera was also quite jealous. Zeus continued to increase the number of his lovers.
The myth of Zeus says that his lovers included both mortals and goddesses. Every relationship between Zeus and his lovers ended in pregnancy. They gave birth to more than a hundred children from Zeus.

Such promiscuity of Zeus could be explained by the secret desire of the Greeks themselves. Dreaming of many girls, they thought that the almighty god would certainly not miss such an opportunity.

Soon, more and more cities of ancient Greece wanted to become related to God himself. They announced that in their city there was a girl pregnant from Zeus himself. As a result of this, the founders of local ruling dynasties. The cities themselves began to be named in honor of the born children of Zeus: Athens, Thebes, Magnesia, Macedonia.

However , I’m not happy about my husband’s love affairs. Hera did not like the fact that she was humiliated in front of the other gods; one day she could not stand it and swore that she would take revenge on Zeus for his numerous betrayals.

Gathering the rest of the Olympians, Hera persuades them to rebel against Zeus. She said that it was unfair that Zeus was in charge and if all the Olympians united, they could overthrow him.
The Olympians gather and chain Zeus while he sleeps. Waking up, Zeus discovers that he is chained. He did not expect such meanness from the relatives whom he had previously saved.

Zeus was always afraid of such an uprising, because not one mortal could challenge him. But having united, the Olympian gods could well have overthrown him.

Soon help came to the chained Zeus in the form of old allies - Hecatoncheires. Hearing that Zeus is in trouble, they come to Zeus to help. They break the chains that bind them, and the Olympians run away in fear.

Having survived this conspiracy, Zeus begins to take revenge. He hung his wife Hera on golden chains, between heaven and earth. Son Apollo and brother Poseidon were sentenced to hard work(they needed to build the impenetrable walls of Troy.)

The ancient Greeks could not explain the emergence of Troy (it was impossible to build a building of this level at that time), but myth explained its emergence.

The Wrath of Zeus and the Flood

According to legend, everyone who rebelled against Zeus received a well-deserved punishment, but God’s wrath also fell on people. Flood attributed to the wrath of Zeus.

In ancient Greece, people were very afraid of the wrath of Zeus. After all, when doing a bad deed, Zeus could strike them with his lightning.
Hesiod wrote that if it were not for the fear of Zeus, people would turn into animals, and the weak would submit to the strong. Thus, Zeus brought order and justice to the world.

When natural disasters occurred in the world, the Greeks believed that Zeus sent them to punish the villains. Often, stories were invented about what angered God so much.

According to legend, Zeus went berserk if people ate their own kind. Once he saw how people were eating their own kind, Zeus flew into a rage and vowed to destroy all of humanity with a global flood.

Heavy rain pours for nine days and nights, flooding the entire earth. The water reaches the top of Mount Parnassus, which rose two and a half kilometers. People are dying all over the earth. When the rain finally stopped, only two mortals remained. They survived because they built the ark.

These stories are surprisingly intertwined with each other, a parallel with old testament more than obvious. Thus we can say that different peoples the world explained such a terrible natural phenomenon differently.

The Overthrow of Zeus – the Coming of Christianity

The myth of Zeus says that he was able to cope with the revolt of the Olympians, but could not cope with another rival, Jesus Christ.
In the 1st century AD, the teachings of Jesus Christ would spread throughout the world, overthrowing the power of the supreme Greek deity.
Christianity gave people hope. Hope for salvation after death. People began to believe that what awaits them after death eternal life. That's why Christianity had so many followers.
The power of Zeus over people with the spread of the new religion throughout the Mediterranean countries gradually faded away. The people who revered him, in the end, rejected him themselves.

In ancient Greece, only the force of fate was more powerful than Zeus. Even the supreme god himself could not resist fate. No matter how much he wants to change her or avoid her, he still submits to her will.

Before the advent of Christianity myth of Zeus ruled the entire Greek world for thousands of years. Zeus was the most formidable and revered among all the Olympian gods. He is one of the few deities who left a big mark on the history of mankind: Hercules, Hades, Medusa - stories about them open a window into a long-forgotten world.

The god of Ancient Greece Zeus is known to us as the main Olympian god, ruling the entire world, sky, thunder and lightning. The god of Ancient Greece, Zeus, is associated with real rock and fate. This is justified by the fact that people were protected by it: asking and pleading. Not only subjects, but also kings and other gods obeyed Zeus.

Ancient Greek God Zeus

The Greek god distinguished between good and evil and introduced people to the concepts of shame and conscience. Zeus, the supreme god of Olympus, had three brothers with whom he shared power. The location of the god was Mount Olympus, which is why the patriarchy of Zeus was called Olympian. The power of the patron did not satisfy the other gods, so they tried to overthrow him from the throne. They failed to carry out a coup d'état, so all violators were punished.

What does the god Zeus look like?

The god of Ancient Greece Zeus was the father of all people and gods, and Roman mythology identified him with Jupiter. Thanks to Zeus, Greece had an established social order. Traditional description The god Zeus is an image of a mature man with a noble face, thick snow-white curls, a beard and a strong powerful figure, strong slender arms. Later artists depict God in a huge variety of guises, among which Zeus appears as a deceiver of women, a character in love affairs.

What did Zeus patronize?

The third son of Kronos was different from the rest of the Gods. He was not only a fair, honest and decent leader, but also responsible for the welfare of the entire population. The main tasks of Zeus were:

protect city life;
avoid disorder and chaos;
direct life in the right direction;
protect all those offended;
protect the family hearth;
monitor the implementation of laws and observance of customs.

This is not the entire list of what Zeus was responsible for. The ancient Greek god of sky and thunder was able to solve any pressing issue, calm and pacify everyone who needed help at a certain point in their life. Thanks to his “power”, everyone was confident that justice would always triumph. The energy of God spread to the entire Olympus and delighted with its purity.

Attributes of the god Zeus

Each attribute gave Zeus the thunderer strength and was an integral part of the overall image. The main association with Zeus is lightning, which is in the hands of the patron and serves as a material weapon. However, these are not all the attributes of God.

The first and one of the main symbols of power is the eagle, which is associated with Zeus.
The shield of Zeus is a symbol of anger and rage.
A chariot drawn by eagles.
Scepter.
Hammer or labrys.

Zeus Family

Zeus belongs to the generation of titans. His father Kronos knew even before birth that his own son would overthrow his father’s power, so he swallowed every baby born to Rhea. As the myth of the birth of Zeus testifies, his mother deceived Kronos and gave birth to a baby, hiding it. It is impossible to find out the exact place of birth of the child, but the island of Crete is considered the leader among all versions. So that the clever Kronos did not notice the birth of his son, he had to absorb a stone in a diaper. The born Zeus laughed for a week - after which the number 7 began to be considered sacred.

The Cretan version of the myth insists that Zeus was raised by the Curetes and Corybantes, fed on goat's milk, and fed on bee honey. It is difficult to consider this information the only correct one. Another version of the legend says that the boy, fed on goat's milk, was guarded by guards every minute. On occasions when a child cried, the guards would bang their spears on their shields to deceive Kronos' ears.

The grown god created a potion with which he freed his brothers from Kronos. The mighty brothers started a fight with their father that lasted 9 years. After some time, it was still not possible to determine the winner. But, savvy Zeus the thunderer found a way out by freeing the Cyclops and the Hundred-Armed Men. They helped bring down the titan and bring him down. After a protracted struggle, the three brothers finally began to rule the island.

Father of Zeus

According to ancient Greek mythology, Kronos was the supreme deity. Another version insists that Kronos is the Titan god, the father of Zeus, the god of agriculture, and was identified with Chronos. The reign of Kronos is considered the golden age in Greece. The main attribute of Kronos is the sickle. Kronos was the supreme god, and due to his seniority, he became king.

Mother of Zeus

The mother of the god Zeus, Rhea, was considered the goddess of the earth, was a Titanide and the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. Rhea was the mother of Hestia - the goddess of the hearth, Demeter - the goddess of fertility, - the goddess of families, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus. Rhea is remembered by mythology as a brave and courageous Titanide who was able to go against her husband’s will by secretly giving birth to a child. Rhea had the power of healing, which was useful to her to save the life of Dionysus.

Zeus's wife

According to some myths, Zeus was very attached to Thetis and wanted to leave his wife for her sake. The only obstacle to this was a prophecy. Zeus seduced his chosen ones, taking on various forms: a swan, a bull, a snake, rain, an ant, a bird, a beetle. Zeus was not distinguished by constancy and had many wives and lovers, among whom:

Metis is the only wife of Zeus who was swallowed;
Themis;
Hera is the last wife of God;
Demeter;
Thebe;
Phthia;
Aytos;
Ganymede.
Callirhoe.

Son of Zeus

Zeus contributed to the birth strongest sons, which made their mark in the history of ancient Greek mythology. But strong and brave sons are contrasted with the gentle, intelligent and fertile daughters of Zeus. The sons of Zeus were:

the love god Eros, born of Aphrodite;
god of struggle Ares;
the fire god Hephaestus, who patronized blacksmithing;
Hermes, patron of trade;
horned baby Sabazius;
wine god Dionysus;
Apollo is the son of Zeus, the god of light, music, and medicine.
Egipan;
patron of the herd Pan;
Karpos.

Daughters of God Zeus

Zeus is the father of most known to the world goddesses. Based on their number, they were divided into groups according to the tasks performed.

9 muses of Zeus led by Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania and Calliope. The goddesses were responsible for science, poetry, and art.
Charites responsible for fun, joy and pleasure in life.
The Moirai, including Clotho, Atropos, Lachesis, were responsible for.
The Orami controlled the seasons.
The Erinyes committed acts of revenge and rebellion.
The senior muses include Telxiope, Aeda, Arhu and Meleta.

Greek god Zeus was the ruler of the earth and the underground, judged the dead. The fair and strong Zeus accomplished both good deeds and real feats in the name of the common good. Zeus is not only the real supreme god, patron and leader, he was a symbol of brotherly love, intelligence and logic. From an early age, Zeus differed from his peers in his thirst to live, fight for justice, and win. The legendary titan was a true fighter and builder of the general order.