God of the sky, thunder, lightning, weather, law, order and justice. From his throne on Mount Olympus, mighty Zeus rules over god and man alike, maintaining order and justice in the universe as the king of the gods. His domain is the sky, and his weapon is a lightning bolt, the most powerful and feared weapon on Earth and in the Heavens. His influence on the affairs of both god and man is ubiquitous.
He was a son of Cronus and Rhea, the youngest of his siblings to be born, though sometimes reckoned the eldest, as the others required disgorging from Cronus' stomach. He overthrew Cronus and gained the sovereignty of heaven for himself.
And in addition to being the brother of Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia and Poseidon, he has fathered many great champions and heroes of history. Such as the heroes, Heracles and Perseus. As combat raged at Troy, other gods picked favorites among the warriors. But Zeus refused to take sides, using his golden scales instead to balance the destinies of Troy's heroes. Yet, it was he who bestowed upon Paris the fateful task of judging which goddess was the fairest, and as fate would have it, was also the father of Helen.
But this god of gods was no paragon of virtue, the most disloyal of husbands, his pursuit of goddesses and mortal women alike left a trail of deception, heartbreak and violence across the ancient world. Yet, from the global celebration of the Olympic Games to the all inducing temples and monuments erected in his honor, Zeus' legend remains as strong as the god himself. His symbols include the thunderbolt, eagle, oak tree, lion, scepter, and scales. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter, also known as Jove.
Deities in Greek mythology | |
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Protogenoi | Chaos • Gaia • Tartarus • Uranus • Erebos • Nyx • Aether • Hemera • Eros • Oceanus • Pontus • Thalassa |
Titans | Atlas • Cronus • Mnemosyne • Prometheus • Rhea • Tethys • Themis • Metis • Hecate • Eos • Helios • Selene |
Twelve Olympians | Zeus • Hera • Demeter • Hestia • Poseidon • Ares • Artemis • Apollo • Athena • Hermes • Hephaestus • Aphrodite • Dionysus |
Daemones | Bia • Dike • Eris • Hebe • Hygieia • Hypnos • Nemesis • Nike • Phobos • Poena • Soteria • Thanatos |
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