Who was the Greek god Zeus and what was his importance?

Zeus in Greek mythology

History of the god Zeus

The name Zeus comes from Di̯ēus or Di̯eus phatēr (Sky Father), the Proto-Indo-European god who represented the sky during the day. Since Zeus was also called “Zeus pater” (Zeus Father), it is believed that the name of the god Jupiter, his Roman counterpart, is the union of the words Zeus + Pater (father).

Birth and childhood of Zeus

The god Zeus was the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea . Both belonged to the first generation of Titans and were descendants of Gea (earth) and Uranus (sky). Before Zeus, Cronus and Rhea had other children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. But as soon as they were born, Crono devoured them to prevent them from revolting. To save Zeus, his mother Rhea took refuge on the island of Crete. In exchange for her child, she gave Cronus a swaddled stone which he swallowed without noticing the difference.

Some sources suggest that Zeus grew up on Crete and was raised by Amalthea, supposedly a nymph or goat. According to Hyginus, a Latin writer, Amalthea hung Zeus’s cradle on a tree so that it would be invisible to her father, as she was suspended between earth, water, and sky.

Zeus and the Titan War

Years later, Zeus decided to face his father and save his brothers. To do this, he formed an alliance with the Cyclops , who were one-eyed giants. They were also joined by the hecatonchires , giants with fifty faces and a hundred arms. Throughout ten years they fought against the titans, in the so-called titanomaquia , or war of the titans. To defeat his father, Zeus also received the help of Metis, his first wife. She gave him a special potion and with it Zeus made Crono vomit his other children. So Zeus got his brothers back and became king.

From then on, Zeus and his brothers divided up Crono’s domains. Zeus became the god of the sky, Poseidon the god of the sea, and Hades the god of the underworld.

Zeus then married his sister Hera, a goddess who would later become famous for her jealousy and cunning. Despite being married, Zeus was also known for his countless love affairs. He was a great seducer of goddesses, demigoddesses, women, men and animals. Because of this, he had many children, some of whom became very important and revered characters in the Greek pantheon.

Characteristics and powers of the god Zeus

Representations of Zeus show him with an imposing and strong figure. He usually has a beard and long hair. He is shown holding the thunderbolt in his right hand and the scepter in his left. He is sometimes standing with his right hand raised, and other times, sitting on his throne. Next to him is always the golden eagle, a symbol of justice, courage and strength. In addition, Zeus possessed other attributes, such as the oak and the bull. Another interesting feature of Zeus was his ability to transform into any person or animal.

Zeus, also known as “the cloud collector”, was the omnipotent god of the sky who controlled the weather, rain, lightning and thunder. He was the king of the gods and god of oracles, especially in the oracle of the sacred oak of Dodona. He was also considered the father of other Greek gods and of men. He was the supreme god who could be turned to for help.

Zeus: lovers and descendants

Another of the most interesting characteristics of Zeus were his love affairs with different women and goddesses, with whom he had a large offspring. Some of his children had important roles, becoming revered as much or more than his father. Some of Zeus’s partners were:

• Metis . It is believed that she was the first wife of Zeus. According to legend, Zeus devours her and Athena is born from her head .
• Hera . The sister and official wife of Zeus. With her he had Ares , god of war; Hebe , goddess of youth; Enio , goddess of war; Illithia , goddess of births; and Hephaestus , god of fire and the forge. However, some sources indicate that Hera had Hephaestus alone, without the intervention of Zeus.
• Demeter . Goddess of agriculture who gave birth to Persephone .
• Leto . Daughter of the titans Ceo and Phoebe, she was the mother of the twins Apollo and Artemis .
• dione . According to some versions, mother of Aphrodite .
• Mnemosyne . Titan daughter of Gaia and Urano. She gave birth to the muses: Calliope, Erato, Urania, Clio, Euterpe, Melpomene, Thalia, Polyhymnia, and Terpsichore.
• maya . Mother of Hermes .
• europe . Mother of Minos , Radamantis , and Sarpedon .
• semele . Mother of Dionysus .
• alcmene . Mortal woman, mother of Hercules .
• Leda . Queen of Sparta and mother of Helen of Troy .

Myths about Zeus

There are many myths and legends about Zeus, mainly based on his amorous conquests or the punishments he imposed to deliver justice:

• Supposedly, Hera , before accepting Zeus as her husband, rejected him three hundred times, over three hundred years.
• He punished Prometheus for using fire from Olympus , by having his liver bitten by an eagle every day.
• To seduce, she used to transform into a bird or another animal. In the case of Leda , he seduced her transformed into a swan. To seduce the Trojan prince Ganymede , she transformed into an eagle. She kidnapped him and made him the cupbearer of the gods. To conquer the goddess Europa, Zeus transformed into a white bull.
• It is said that Athena and Hercules were her favorite children.
• He decided that Aphrodite , goddess of beauty, should marry her son Hephaestus, to prevent other gods from fighting over her.
• He transformed the nymph Quelona into a turtle, for refusing to attend his wedding with Hera.
• He drowned the telquines , nine brothers with the head of a dog and the body of a fish, for having manipulated the rain, the wind and the hail.

Zeus in the Iliad

In the Iliad , Homer’s book about the Trojan War, we can also see Zeus with a secondary but important role. He is generally a bystander and in most cases remains neutral. On other occasions, he appears in the dreams of the protagonists and influences their decisions. He also steps in to show compassion and allows other gods to support his allies.

Zeus Cult Sites

As the most important god of Ancient Greece, Zeus was worshiped and revered in different places, throughout history. The places where he was worshiped were:

• crete . Home of Zeus, and without a doubt, the most important place of worship in all of Greece. Zeus was worshiped in the Ida, Knossos and Palaicastro caves. In addition there was a sanctuary in Hagia Triada, where Zeus Velcanos was honored.
• Olympia . It is believed that the Olympic games initially began as a festival in honor of Zeus.
• Etna . He was worshiped under the name of Zeus Etneo. There was a statue dedicated to the god and the local festival was known as Etnea.
• Kefalonia Island . Temple on Mount Aenos where Zeus Aeneius was venerated.
• Eleutherian Festivities . They were celebrated in several Greek cities, to honor Zeus Eleuterio.
• Samos . Cult of Zeus Eleutherius.
• Athens . Portico dedicated to Zeus Eleutherius in the Agora of Athens.
• Platea . In the Agora of Plataea, sacrifices were made to Zeus Eleutherius.
• syracuse . Temple of Zeus Eleutherius.
• Arcadia . Temple dedicated to Zeus Lyceum.
• Epirus . Place where the oracle of Dodona was located, where his wife was the goddess Dione instead of Hera. The prophecies were messages that the priests of the oracle interpreted by listening to the sound of the branches of the trees and the wind.
• Siwa, Egypt . Where the oracle of Siwa was and Zeus Amun was venerated since before the conquest of Alexander the Great.

Cult of Zeus today

In recent years, Ancient Greek beliefs are making a comeback. As of 2017, the practice of Hellenism , the religion that worships Zeus and the Olympian gods, has been accepted. Since then, its faithful can carry out their celebrations in the ancient places of worship just as it was done in ancient times.

Bibliography

• Homer (2014a). iliad . Madrid. Editorial Gredos.
• Homer (2014b). odyssey . Madrid. Editorial Gredos.
• Hard, R. (2009). The great book of Greek mythology (14th Edition). Editorial The sphere of books.