Ancient Greek God Zeus(Jupiter)God of the Sky, Laws, and Justice
The ancient Greek god Zeus reigns supreme over gods and men. His realm is the sky while his brother Poseidon takes over the sea and his brother Hades rules the underworld. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea and the husband to his sister Hera. He has four children with Hera (Hebe, Hephaestus, Eileithyia, and Ares) and many more children with other goddesses and mortals. Famous attributes of the ancient Greek god Zeus are thunder and lightning, in literary works like the Iliad he is called the cloud-gatherer. He is also associated with the eagle, the oak tree and is usually depicted holding a scepter. Another epithet he has is aegis-bearing. Aegis literally refers to a goat-skin, in this case it is a cloak that acts like his shield and is said to have protective powers. Birth of ZeusThe ancient Greek god Zeus is the son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea. Cronus feared that one of his children might try and usurp his power as he did his own fathers. So as Rhea gave birth to each of their children he swallowed them. This depressed Rhea and so when she was about to give birth to her last child, Zeus, she consulted with her parents about how to save her son and stop Cronus. She traveled to Crete and when Rhea gave birth Gaia hid Zeus and gave Cronus a stone wrapped in a blanket instead. Cronus swallowed the stone unaware that his son still lived. Zeus grew to maturity and then returned to his parents and tricked Cronus into regurgitating his brothers and sisters. And after this began the Titanomachy.The god gives birthZeus' first wife was named Metis (meaning wisdom) and was destined to give birth to a maiden that was equal to her father in wisdom and to a son who might overthrow his father. Fearing that he might be overthrown, Zeus swallowed Metis while she was pregnant with Athena. Sometime later Zeus has a horrible headache and he ask Hephaestus to help ease his pain by splitting his head open with an ax. When he does so out pops a full grown Athena, dressed in full armor. Love AffairsA list of Zeus's unions with other goddesses and mortals and the offspring they produced. Zeus + Leto = Apollo and Artemis Zeus + Selene = Pandia Zeus + Demeter = Persephone Zeus + Alcmene = Herakles (Hercules) Zeus + Metis = Athena Zeus + Eurynome = the 3 Graces Zeus + Themis = 3 Horae (Hours/Seasons) + 3 Moerae (Fates) Zeus + Mnemosyne = 3 Muses Zeus + Maia = Hermes Zeus + Semele = Dionysus Zeus + Io = Epaphus Zeus + Dione = Aphrodite (one of two myths about her birth) Zeus + Callisto = Arcas Zeus + Leda = Castor Zeus + Antiope = Amphion and Zethus
Confrontation with Prometheus and the birth of PandoraI'm working on this one right now so it will be up soon. LinksAncient Greek God Zeus Experience Ancient Greece Home Page Ancient Greek Gods Jenny Ervin Contact Me
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