Zeus - the ancient Greek god of heaven and king of the gods

Ancient Greece is famous for its ancient Greek myths and gods. The key role here is played by the most important god, Zeus. The Greeks used to think that it was thanks to him that people learned what law and order were, thanks to him people changed their outlook on life.

In the myths Zeus appears as a great warrior. He had a strong body and a long beard. Also, the Greeks believed that he loved lovemaking. He was married several times and had many extramarital affairs.

Zeus' father was Cronus. When he found out that one of his children would be dethroned, he began to devour every baby his wife Rhea bore him. But Zeus escaped this terrible fate. His mother took him to the island of Crete and slipped Cronus a stone wrapped in diapers. When Zeus grew up, he freed the children swallowed by Cronus. Zeus gave him a potion prepared by his first wife Metida, from which Cronus regurgitated all the brothers and sisters of Zeus. Site about Zeus http://www.sigeneration.ca/.

Mythology

According to ancient lore, Zeus' weapons were lightning and thunder. He is able to control the weather. In times of drought, people pray to him for rain.

Zeus is able to turn into different animals, as well as different phenomena. For example, he could turn into rain.

The Greeks pictured him sitting on his throne and ruling everyone. He had a scepter in one hand and a bundle of lightning in the other.

The people regarded him as their stern father, who watched over the order of the world. He severely punished the guilty. When Prometheus stole fire for the people punished by Zeus, he was chained to a rock. Every day an eagle flew to this rock to fight Prometheus' liver.

Zeus had three official wives. The first was the oceanid Metida. She was notable for her special intelligence. Metida helped prepare a potion that made Cronus regurgitate his swallowed children. A sad end awaited Metis. When Zeus was foretold that Metida would bear him a child who would dethrone him, he turned her into a fly and swallowed her. Metida grew Athena in his head, who later came out of him.

Zeus' next wife was Themis. She had the gift of divination. She was the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. From Zeus she bore three goddesses of the seasons.

The last, third marriage Zeus had with Hera. She was very jealous and had a hard time with her husband's infidelity. She sent various trials on Zeus's mistresses and on the illegitimate children she illegitimately gave birth to. However, the hardships made them even stronger. From Zeus, Hera gave birth to Hephaestus. The boy was born ugly and Hera decided to throw him off a cliff. But Hephaestus survived. He became a great blacksmith in the future. Hephaestus dug out Zeus' lightning bolts.

Zeus had many extramarital love affairs. Of these, we can highlight:

  • A liaison with Demeter, the goddess of fertility. She gave birth to Persephone by Zeus. Persephone would later become the wife of Hades.
  • Cadma: Hera made Zeus' thunderbolts burn her. Cadma was pregnant. Zeus managed to save the child. He took the child out of the dead woman's womb and sewed it into his thigh. Subsequently, Dionysus was born from Zeus' thigh.

Zeus had an attraction to earthly women as well. Among them:

  1. Niobe: gave birth to him Argos and Pelasgus.
  2. Europa: bore him Minos and Sarpedon.
  3. Leda: wife of King Sarpedon. This provoked the Trojan War.

The Cult of Zeus in the World

The main symbol of Zeus is a stylized lightning bolt. He waved it like a spear. Other symbols of Zeus were the royal scepter, the eagle, and the shield (a symbol of anger and fury).

The ancient Greeks greatly honored and worshiped Zeus. In honor of Zeus, as a sign of worship, a temple, unique in its grandeur, was erected in 471-456 BC. It was designed by Libonus, the architect of ancient Greece. People came here to confess their sins to Zeus. Today only some fragments of the temple are preserved. Scientists and archaeologists have recreated the look that once had the temple of Zeus the Olympian. The building was impressive in its grandeur, it was impossible to take your eyes away from it. In the temple were paintings depicting the victory of civilization over illiteracy and savagery.

In 406 BC the ruling Theodosius gave orders to destroy all the temples of Olympia because it was a sign of pagan worship. The remains of the temple were destroyed by earthquakes in 522 and 551. Fragments of the temple have survived to this day. They are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia and in the Louvre in Paris.

There are many holy places that are dedicated to Zeus. The most popular are:The cave on Mount Ida. It is located in Psiloritis. Ida is the highest mountain in Crete. This place was developed in ancient Greece. According to legends, it is believed that Zeus was born and raised in this cave.

Dodona. This is an ancient Greek city in Epirus. This place was created to worship Zeus and also to honor the oracle who lived there.

Arcadia is a historical site in Greece, in the central part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Previously there was a cult of Zeus. Sacrifices were made here, including human sacrifices. Some ate human meat here.

Movies, Games, and TV Series

Today, the name Zeus is often used for the names of gambling games and clubs. This is due to the fact that the theme of the game is based on ancient Greek mythology, particularly with the god Zeus. This helps to get through the game without various problems. Among the symbols of these games can also be found the god Zeus, Pegasus, and many other symbols of ancient Greece.

In the modern world there are also a lot of feature films dedicated to Zeus or which feature Zeus "Jupiter by Jorden" by Axel Ringwall: this is the first movie that was dedicated to Zeus.Jason and the Argonauts by Niall McGinnis.

  • Lawrence Olivier's "Battle of the Titans" and the sequel "Wrath of the Titans."
  • The "Hercules" cartoon

"Thor: Love and Thunder" by Russell Crowe. Famous series about Zeus:

Famous TV series that feature Zeus:

  1. "Hercules": the 1990 series. The role of Zeus was played by Corey Burton.
  2. Netflix animated series "The Blood of Zeus."
  3. The series Three: The Fall of the City.