The god of ancient Greece Zeus - what the god of thunder looked like, the myth of the birth of Zeus. Zeus (Diy), the supreme god of the ancient Greeks

Name: Zeus

A country: Greece

Creator: ancient greek mythology

Activity: god of the sky, thunder and lightning, in charge of the whole world

Family status: married

Zeus: character story

The mythology of Ancient Greece, which is closely intertwined with the religion of this people, originated on the path of the formation of humanity, but is still popular today, which was facilitated by cultural monuments.

Famous directors and talented writers are inspired by the titans, Olympians, muses, cyclops and other fictional characters, and legends involving gods and incredibly strong heroes captivate the spirit. Zeus, the head of the ancient Greek Pantheon, who is in charge of the whole world, appears quite often in ancient texts. The name of this thunderer is perhaps familiar to everyone.

Mythology

A person looks very weak compared to the surrounding world; a representative of the Homosapiens species does not have the same physical strength as, for example, a bear; people cannot run fast like lions or cheetahs, and also do not have sharp teeth and strong claws.

But by nature, a person tries to explain what he feels and observes. No wonder he discovered physical laws, came up with a chemical table, and wondered about philosophy. But earlier, when scientific knowledge was not so strong, people explained this or that natural phenomenon through myths and believed that the gods were able to bring prosperity to the house, help win a war and protect the harvest from drought.

According to history, from the first half of the second millennium BC, the third generation of gods led by Zeus began to reign in the world, who overthrew the Titans. The chief of the Olympian gods became the third son of the titan Kronos and his wife Rhea. The fact is that the seer predicted to Kronos that his own son would take his father’s crown. The Time Lord did not want to accept such a fate, so without a twinge of conscience he ate newborn children, swallowing even daughters just in case.

Rhea did not intend to put up with her husband’s arbitrariness, therefore, like a wise woman, she decided to act with cunning. The pregnant titanite went to a deep cave in Crete, where she gave birth to the future usurper of power.

So that Kronos would not notice the trick, his beloved substituted the Baitil stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of the baby, which the giant immediately swallowed. And when the enraged titan found out about his wife’s tricks, he went to look for little Zeus. The boy was saved by the Kuretes: they knocked with spears and swords when the baby cried, so that Kronos would not guess where his son was.

The fateful prediction that Kronos learned came true: when Zeus matured, he began a war against his father, winning a crushing victory and sending his parent into the abyss located under the kingdom of Hades - Tartarus. According to another legend, the Thunderer gave Kronos a honey drink, and when he fell asleep, he castrated him. Next, Zeus forced his ancestor, using a potion, to spit out his brothers and sisters, whom he made gods and settled on Olympus. According to other sources, the Olympian ripped open the titan's stomach.

The war between the gods and the Titans lasted ten years, and the Cyclopes were called to help. But, since the forces were equal, the opponents could not determine the winner for a long time. Then Zeus freed the hundred-armed giants from the abyss, who swore allegiance to him, and they helped send the former rulers to Tartarus. In despair, the earth goddess Gaia gave birth to a terrible monster with a hundred dragon heads - Typhon, but he was also defeated by Zeus.

When peace reigned, Zeus and his brothers divided power by drawing lots. Poseidon became the ruler of the sea, Hades began to rule over the gloomy and frightening kingdom of the dead, and Zeus gained dominance in the sky.

Scientists even made an assumption: it is likely that the Greeks presented human sacrifices to the owner of Olympus, but others refute these speculations. Perhaps only a few and few tribes were involved in killings for the sake of the master of the sky in order to ask for a stop to the volcanic eruptions. Basically, in Ancient Greece, animals and food were given to the gods during holidays.

Image

The Thunderer, who scares the inhabitants of the Earth with lightning and dark clouds, appears in mythology as the father of gods and people. Zeus tried to make this world the most harmonious, distributing good and evil, and also put shame and conscience into man. The powerful god sits on his throne and oversees the city order, protecting the weak and offended and granting protection to those who pray.

Zeus, who monitored laws throughout the world, could not only send rain and punish guilty people with lightning, but also foresaw the future, predicting the future with the help of dreams. But sometimes Zeus himself depends on the goddesses Moira - women who weave the threads of fate.

The Thunderer is often depicted in paintings and sculptures as a middle-aged man with kind features, framed by thick curls and a luxuriant beard. In the hands of Zeus is a lightning bolt, which is a three-pronged fork with jagged edges. From legends it is known that lightning for God was made by one-eyed Cyclops. The deity also has a scepter, and is sometimes depicted with a labrys or hammer-like weapon.

God cuts in a chariot drawn by eagles: as you know, this noble bird is associated with greatness and power. It was the eagle that pecked the liver of the unfortunate Prometheus - thus Zeus punished his cousin for stealing fire from Hephaestus, passing it on to people.

Among other things, Zeus can transform into any earthly creature: once an Olympian turned into a bull in order to kidnap a princess. However, the owner of the sky was not distinguished by constancy. Hundreds of beauties visited his bed, whom he seduced in different guises: either he would appear to the girl in the form of a cloud, or he would appear as a white swan. And in order to take possession of Danae, Zeus turned into golden rain.

Family

As you know, in ancient Greek mythology all the gods are in some sense relatives of each other, who descended from the Titans. In addition, judging by the legends, some married their sisters. The Thunderer was not an exemplary family man and seduced more than one beauty; Wide-eyed Europa, Leda, Antelope, Io and other enchantresses became victims of Zeus's spell.

But three women were considered “official” wives. The first is the wise Metis, who predicted to her husband that the son of Zeus born from her would surpass his father. The distressed keeper of lightning followed the example of Kronos, only he swallowed not a newborn baby, but his wife. After this, the patroness of organized war, Athena, was born from the head of the god, and Metis, sitting in her husband’s womb, became his adviser.

The second wife of Zeus, the goddess of justice Themis, gave her husband three daughters: Eunomia, Dike and Eirene (according to other sources, Themis is the mother of Moira or Prometheus). The last lover of the Olympian was the patroness of marriage, Hera, who was distinguished by her cruelty and jealous disposition.

Movies

Zeus can be seen on TV screens; the Thunderer appeared before viewers in several cinematic works:

• 1969 – “Hercules in New York”
• 1981 – “Clash of the Titans”
• 2010 – “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief”
• 2010 – “Clash of the Titans”
• 2011 – “War of the Gods: Immortals”
• 2012 – “Wrath of the Titans”

Actors

In the adventure film "Hercules in New York", where he starred, the little-known actor Ernest Graves appeared in the image of the Thunderer. Then, in 1981, Desmond Davis' adventure film Clash of the Titans was released.

This time, the image of the Lord of Olympus was taken on by a Briton, familiar to viewers from the films "" (1986), "King Lear" (1983), "" (1979) and other remarkable film works.

In 2010, the family film Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was released. They played in this film. In 2011, the film “War of the Gods: Immortals” was released, he reincarnated as the main god, sharing the set with, and.

• Zeus kidnapped not only the fairer sex. Reincarnating in the guise of a giant eagle, the arbiter of destinies stole a beautiful young man, the son of the Trojan Tros - Ganymede. The Thunderer gifted the father of this young man with a golden vine, and Ganymede received eternal youth, becoming a “cupbearer” who served nectar and ambrosia to the gods.
• Zeus owns a magical cape made of goatskin - the Aegis, which, like a shield, has protective properties. Legends say that the daughter of the owner of lightning, Athena, wore this skin as a robe, attaching a brooch with an image of the gorgon Medusa to it.

• In the 5th century BC, Olympia was home to the third of the Seven Wonders of the World - a marble statue of Zeus, which was larger than even temples. The construction of the monument was carried out by the sculptor Phidias, who was picky about materials, especially ivory. According to rumors, 200 kg of pure gold and precious stones were brought to the feet of Zeus. Unfortunately, the giant statue of the Thunderer died after wars and robberies.
• Zeus appears both in cinematic works and on computer screens, for example, in the game Dota2 there is a hero who bears the name of the son of Kronos and kills opponents with lightning.
• Zeus was raised by the nymph Kinosura. After the Thunderer became the ruler of the sky, he placed her among the stars as a sign of gratitude. According to other legends, the titan's son was raised by Melissa, feeding the boy with honey and goat's milk, as well as by the shepherd's family, with an ultimatum that all the sheep would be saved from the wolves.

Zeus (Diy), Greek, Lat. Jupiter is the son of Kronos and Rhea, the supreme deity of the ancient Greeks.

Zeus was not always the supreme god and did not rule forever: he achieved power over gods and people by rebelling against his father Kronos, who had previously overthrown his father Uranus, the first ruler of the world after the initial Chaos, from the throne. Unlike the highest (or only) gods of many religions, Zeus had his own individual biography; he did not embody only the highest virtues and did not freeze in numb immutability. The Greeks created it in their own image and likeness and in the image of the then earthly rulers. Therefore, Zeus has human properties and human character traits - naturally, exaggerated and exalted, as befits the ruler of earthly rulers and immortal gods.

Zeus was born in a cave on Mount Dikta on the island of Crete. The birth was surrounded by mystery, because his mother Rhea was afraid that her husband Kronos would swallow the baby, true to his custom, borrowed from his father Uranus. This time, Kronos swallowed an oblong stone, wrapped in swaddling clothes and slipped to him by Rhea. Thus, Zeus avoided the fate of his older brothers and sisters - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades (Hades) and Poseidon, who continued to exist in the womb of their father. Rhea could not stay with Zeus, so she entrusted him to the care of the nymphs, who fed him with the milk of the divine goat Amalthea and honey from bees. Zeus's safety was ensured by the mountain demons Kureta. When Zeus cried, they hit their shields with their swords and danced to wild screams, so Kronos did not hear him. On Mount Dikta and the even higher Mount Ida, Zeus grew up, matured and came to the decision to overthrow Kronos.

The first thing Zeus did was make Kronos disgorge his sisters and brothers by giving him a sickening potion. He sent Hestia, Demeter and Hera to the ends of the world, and called Hades and Poseidon to join him, and they immediately launched an attack on Kronos with their joint forces. He called for help from his brothers and sisters, the titans, and although not all of them came, the attack of the young people was repelled and they were gradually pushed back to the very top of Mount Olympus. But, as they say, at five minutes to twelve Zeus was rescued by the one-eyed giants Cyclops. They forged lightning and thunder for him, with the help of which he fought back and then launched a counterattack. Zeus' chances increased significantly when tensions arose between the Titans. Ocean, Styx, Prometheus and some others, dissatisfied with the dictates of Kronos, went over to the side of Zeus. However, for ten whole years, a fierce struggle could not lead to victory for either side. With the help of his allies, Zeus eventually won, overthrew Kronos and his allied Titans into the eternal darkness of Tartarus and proclaimed himself the ruler of all that exists and will exist.

However, declaring oneself a ruler and becoming one are far from the same thing, and Zeus soon had to be convinced of this. Firstly, there remained his older brothers Hades and Poseidon, who, thanks to their origin and merits in the fight against Kronos, could lay claim to their share of power. However, the emergence of a new enemy united the brothers. The earth goddess Gaia was angry with Zeus for the severe punishment of the Titans, entered into an alliance with the god of the dark underground depths Tartarus and gave birth to the hundred-headed monster Typhon - specifically to destroy Zeus. Typhon was so huge that the earth caved in under him, he howled with the voices of all wild animals and spewed flames from his dragon mouths. However, Zeus, in a difficult battle, defeated Typhon with his thunder and lightning and also threw him into Tartarus. Then he invited the brothers to divide their spheres of influence by lot, and they agreed. Here Zeus tried to make him lucky: as a result, Poseidon got the sea, Hades got the afterlife, and Zeus got heaven and earth.

At first, Zeus ruled as a tyrant and even tried to destroy the human race twice. The first time he wanted to do this because people seemed too weak and helpless to him. But he was prevented by the titan Prometheus, the creator of people.

Taking care of his creations, Prometheus brought fire and knowledge to people. The second time, Zeus decided to destroy all people because, after receiving the gifts of Prometheus, they seemed too powerful to him. He sent a flood to the world, but Prometheus gave his son Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha the opportunity to escape, and they then populated the world with people again. And Zeus strengthened his power, felt confident and loosened the reins of his rule - and even released some of his former enemies. However, he still retained absolute power not only thanks to his leadership of the victorious uprising and lucky lot, but mainly due to his power.

The gods were aware of the power of Zeus and therefore obeyed him, although not always willingly, and sometimes even tried to rebel. Once they even tried to overthrow him from the throne, but the hundred-armed giant Briareus rescued Zeus. Only one uprising during the entire reign of Zeus posed a serious threat - it was the rebellion of the hairy giants, but Zeus mercilessly suppressed it with the help of the other gods and his earthly son Hercules. But in general, the gods believed that it was better to live on good terms with the supreme god; Most people were of the same opinion. In the era of heroes, Zeus almost no longer abused power and might, and although he had many human weaknesses, he was still much better than all the previous rulers of the world.

Zeus was an absolute, but not omnipotent, ruler. In this he differed from the gods of other religions, without whose will not even a hair could fall from a person’s head. Something higher, inscrutable and inviolable reigned over him, as well as over the rest of the gods and people: fate. It was believed, however, that Zeus was the ruler of destinies; but this was just a metaphor: just like any other god or man, Zeus could command fate only insofar as he acted in accordance with its destiny. Zeus could not go against fate, even if he wanted to. He was not the master of fate, but only its guardian and executor. Let us remember the duel between Achilles and Hector: at the decisive moment, Zeus cast the heroes' lots on the golden scales of fate, Hector's lot fell down - and his fate was decided, he was doomed, and Zeus could only state this.

As the supreme ruler of gods and men, Zeus was the creator and guardian of divine and human orders. He brought kings into possession, protected public assemblies, strengthened order and law, was a witness and keeper of the oath, punished violations of justice, protected everyone who turned to him for help (although he was not always consistent). He saw everything, heard everything, knew everything (if not immediately, then at least retroactively). And he knew the future, and sometimes he made people aware of it through various signs: natural phenomena, dreams and predictions (especially if people asked him about it by making appropriate sacrifices). Zeus distributed good and evil to people, choosing these gifts at his discretion from two large vessels installed in his palace. His most destructive weapons were thunder and lightning. He himself had an indestructible shield (egis - “goatskin”), made from the skin of the Amalthea goat.

The main residence of Zeus was the forked peak of Mount Olympus in Greek Thessaly, lost in the clouds and reaching into the sky. There stood his magnificent golden palace, built by Hephaestus. In addition, Zeus willingly spent time on the Cretan Mount Ida, on another Ida - in Troas, on the Phokian Parnassus, the Boeotian Kiferon and on other mountains. When Zeus, under the name of Jupiter, also became the god of the Romans, one of his places of residence was the Roman Capitol. Zeus made his trips from Olympus in a golden chariot, but he could also resort to more modest methods of transportation. In practice, he was omnipresent, and one could call on him for help not only in his temple, but anywhere. Sometimes Zeus came into the world, changing his likeness; he could appear in the form of a man, an animal, or a natural phenomenon - however, any god had this privilege.

Zeus did not burden himself too much with his leadership functions. He mostly spent his time at magnificent feasts in the company of the other Olympian gods, where ambrosia was served as the main dish and nectar as a drink. These delicacies, the recipe of which, alas, is unknown to us, provided the gods with immortality and eternal freshness of strength, without which there would be little joy in immortality. At feasts, which were also meetings of the gods, Zeus sat on a golden throne. He was served by the cupbearer of the gods, Ganymede, and the goddess of youth, Hebe; the lovely Charites and the goddess of the arts, the Muses, entertained him with dances and songs. When Zeus exercised his sovereign functions, he was accompanied by the gods and goddesses Kratos, Zelos, Bia and Nike, personifying power, zeal, strength and victory. When Zeus acted as the supreme judge, Themis, the goddess of legal order, and Dike, the goddess of justice, stood at his throne. The goddesses of the seasons, the Mountains, helped him ensure order in nature. The inseparable companions of Zeus were also Tikha - the goddess of a happy occasion, the goddess of peace Eirene and the goddess of the rainbow Iris, who simultaneously served as the messenger of Zeus, as well as Hermes.

Zeus's wife was his sister, the beautiful and majestic Hera. She bore Zeus three children: the god of war Ares, the blacksmith and gunsmith of the gods Hephaestus, and the goddess of eternal youth Hebe. Zeus gave Hera all kinds of honors and highly valued her. But this did not stop him from sometimes looking at other women. To be honest, “sometimes” is not the right word: Zeus was a terrible lover and with equal willingness chose his lovers among goddesses and among mortal women. The goddess Demeter gave birth to Persephone, Mnemosyne - the Muses, Eurynome - Charit, Themis - Horus and Moira, Maya - Hermes, Leto - the twins Apollo and Artemis; Dione is said to have given birth to Aphrodite. He was not always able to immediately achieve reciprocity; even mortal women sometimes shied away from such a high honor. In such cases, Zeus did not hesitate to turn into their spouses, into a bull, a swan, rain - into anything in order to achieve his goal. The list of Zeus's descendants from mortal women looks very solid: Alcmene gave birth to Hercules, Semele - Dionysus, Danae - Perseus, Europa - Minos, Sarpedon and Radamanthos, Antiope - the twins Amphion and Zetas, Leda - Polydeuces and Helen. We don’t really know about many of his descendants - what immortal or mortal woman is their mother? But there were also cases when women attributed paternity to Zeus in order to boast or get out of a sticky situation. But Zeus created his most beloved daughter, Athena, without female help: he gave birth to her himself, from his head, from where she immediately jumped out in full armor. Zeus took good care of all his children, in many cases better than he took care of his beloved ones. All of them also played an important role in the world of myths (this is discussed in the corresponding articles).

It is clear that Hera disapproved of Zeus' hobbies. She pursued his mistresses and their children and staged such scenes of jealousy for him that Olympus shook and storms arose on earth. However, Zeus managed to calm her down: after all, he was not only a husband, but also a god. In addition to his weakness for women (if you can call it that), Zeus was not without other shortcomings. Sometimes he was short-sighted, especially under the influence of the goddess of delusion and clouding of the mind Ata; several times his vigilance was literally lulled by the god of sleep Hypnos; in addition, Zeus loved to brag, although he had absolutely no need for it. The other gods skillfully used these shortcomings of his, as well as his affection and aversion to quarrels. The greatest master in this area was, of course, Hera.

However, Zeus was the most powerful and noble of the gods. He owned titles and epithets that sound much better in ancient Greek than in translation: “all-powerful”, “all-wise”, “cloud-catcher”, “thunderer”, “high-thundering”, “clearly shining”, etc. But most often people just they called him “Olympian” or “Almighty”, and on especially solemn occasions - “Father of gods and kings”. His symbol was thunder and lightning, of birds - mainly the eagle, of trees - oak. The Greeks (and Romans) imagined him as a majestic man with a thick, wavy beard and mustache; his calm gaze reflected the proud consciousness of indestructible strength.

At the modern level of research, Zeus is considered an ancient god of Indo-European origin, a site related to the Indian Dyaus, the Etruscan Tin (Tinia) and the Roman Jupiter. The Greeks brought Zeus with them from their previous places of residence. Initially they revered him as the god of the sky and celestial phenomena, the lord of the weather. He became the supreme god only in the process of anthropomorphizing the ancient gods, that is, their transformation into creatures similar to people in appearance and properties. At the same time (obviously under the influence of the ancient population of Greece) Zeus acquired a variety of new functions, which were designated by individualizing attributes. Ultimately, the Greeks integrated Zeus, along with the other gods, into a clan system that corresponded to the ideas of clan society, and gave him the appearance of an earthly ruler of those times, only more powerful in all respects. We meet Zeus under his own name already on tablets written in Crete-Mycenaean Linear B (14th-13th centuries BC). As we know Zeus today, he was first described by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey, and then by Hesiod in his Theogony.

The Greeks revered Zeus above all their other gods, despite the weaknesses and shortcomings that are attributed to him in myth. They built temples, altars and statues for him throughout their world, which was not limited to the territory of present-day Greece, but included the coastal regions of modern Turkey and southern Italy with nearby islands, and in some places reached the mouth of the Don in the north, to the Lower Nile in the south, to the river Ebro in the west, in the east its branches went far beyond the Tigris.

All the temples dedicated to Zeus lie in ruins today. The most significant of these were the temples at Olympia, Athens and Akragante in Sicily. The first was built in 460-450. BC e. designed by Libo of Elis. The Athenian Temple of Olympion was the largest in what is now Greece (108 x 41 m in plan, 104 columns 17.5 m high - fifteen of them still stand). The foundations of this temple were laid by the Pisistratids ca. 515 BC e., and it was completed only under Emperor Hadrian in 132 AD. e. An even larger temple was built by the Sicilian Greeks in Akraganta at the beginning of the 5th century. BC e.: its area in plan was 113 x 56 m, and in the façade the columns alternated with telamons. Of the altars of Zeus, the most famous is the Pergamon altar (180-160 BC); After it was discovered by Humann, the altar was transported to Berlin, reconstructed and housed in the specially built Pergamon Museum, which is now part of the State Museums in Berlin.

Of the statues of Zeus, perhaps the most famous is “Zeus of Otricoli” - a Roman copy of a Greek original attributed to Briaxis (4th century BC). The most valuable is the bronze “Zeus of Artemisium”, attributed to the Athenian sculptor Kalamis (5th century BC) and caught from the sea in 1926-1928. off Cape Artemisia in northern Euboea; it was found among the wreckage of an antique ship transporting looted works of Greek art to Italy. Some art historians saw Poseidon in him; but in any case, this is one of the best works of ancient sculpture. The original is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, and an exact copy adorns the lobby of the UN building in New York, next to a model of the first Soviet satellite. However, the most famous was the statue of Zeus at Olympia, made by Phidias in gold and ivory c. 430 BC e. The ancients considered it one of the “seven wonders of the world,” but at the beginning of the 5th century. n. e. By order of Emperor Theodosius II, she was taken as a pagan idol to Constantinople, where she subsequently disappeared without a trace. She was written off as a victim of the fire of 475.

If we decided to list the European artists who depicted Zeus, we would actually get a list of almost all the masters of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism and many artists of a later time. In all paintings depicting a host of Greek gods, Zeus occupies a central place - for example, in Rubens's painting “The Assembly of the Olympian Gods” (c. 1602, Prague Castle Picture Gallery).

The message about Zeus for children can be used in preparation for the lesson. The story about Zeus for children can be supplemented with stories from myths and legends.

Report about Zeus

Zeus is the main and most powerful god of Ancient Greece. Zeus is the god of the sky, thunder and lightning, the father of gods and people. Zeus was the son of Kronos and Rhea and belonged to the third generation of gods who overthrew the second generation - the Titans. The attributes of Zeus were an aegis (shield), a scepter, and sometimes an eagle, and his place of residence was Olympus.

Kronos mercilessly devoured all his children, fearing that they would rebel against him. Rhea saved Zeus, her sixth child, by allowing Kronos to swallow a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead of the baby. The matured Zeus forced his father to return the children he had swallowed.

As a sign of gratitude, the brothers and sisters gave thunder and lightning to their savior. And a little later, Zeus fought with Kronos and other titans to gain unlimited power. When the Titans were defeated, Zeus and his two brothers Poseidon and Hades divided power among themselves.

Zeus kept the sky for himself, Poseidon got the sea, and Hades got the underground kingdom of the souls of the dead. And Zeus began to reign on Olympus, surrounded by a host of gods. Next to Zeus on the throne sits his wife, the majestic goddess Hera.

In addition, Zeus distributed good and evil on earth, put shame and conscience into people. He can foresee the future. He announces the destinies of fate with the help of dreams, as well as thunder and lightning. The entire social order was built by Zeus, he is the patron of city life, the protector of the offended and the patron of those who pray, he gave laws to people, established the power of kings, he also protects the family and home, and monitors the observance of traditions and customs. Other gods obey him.

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. The traditional description of 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.

1. The first and one of the main symbols of power is the eagle, which is associated with Zeus.
2. The shield of Zeus is a symbol of anger and rage.
3. A chariot drawn by eagles.
4. Scepter.
5. 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 the savvy Zeus the Thunderer found a way out, freeing the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed 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 of the strongest sons, who 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 of the goddesses known to the world. Based on their number, they were divided into groups according to the tasks performed.

1. 9 muses of Zeus led by Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania and Calliope. The goddesses were responsible for science, poetry, and art.
2. Charites responsible for fun, joy and pleasure in life.
3. The Moirai, including Clotho, Atropos, Lachesis, were responsible for.
4. The Orami controlled the seasons.
5. The Erinyes committed acts of revenge and rebellion.
6. The senior muses include Telxiope, Aeda, Arhu and Meleta.

The Greek god Zeus was the ruler of the earth and the underground, and 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.

During Antiquity, mythology had a huge influence on people, closely fitting into everyday life and religious customs. The main religion of this period was pagan polytheism, which was based on a large pantheon of gods. The gods of ancient Greece had a special meaning and each played their role. In different regions there was a cult of one or another god, which was largely determined by the peculiarities of life and way of life. This article provides a list and description of the gods.

The gods were humanized, endowed with anthropomorphic behavior. Ancient Greek mythology had a clear hierarchy - the Titans, Titanides and the younger generation of gods stood out, giving rise to the Olympians. The Olympian gods are the supreme celestial beings who lived on Mount Olympus. They were the ones who had the greatest influence on the ancient Greeks.

The ancient Greek gods of the first generation - ancient entities that gave rise to all living and nonliving things, are considered the creators of the world. They entered into a relationship, thanks to which other gods were born, who also belong to the first generation, as well as the titans. The progenitors of all the ancient Greek gods were Skotos (Mist) and Chaos. It was these two entities that gave rise to the entire primary pantheon of Ancient Greece.

The primary pantheon of gods of ancient Greece:

• Nyukta (Nikta);
• Erebus (Darkness);
• Eros (Love);
• Gaia (Earth);
• Tartarus (Abyss);
• Uranus (Sky).

Almost no descriptions of each of these deities have survived, since the Olympians later became key to the mythology of Ancient Greece.

Gods, unlike people, were allowed to enter into family relationships, so children were often the fruits of incest.

The deities of the second generation are the titans, thanks to whom the Olympian gods were born. These are 6 sisters and 6 brothers who actively married each other and fought for power. The most revered titans are Kronos and Rhea.

Olympian gods of Greece

These are the children and descendants of the children of Kronos and his wife Rhea. The Titan Kronos was originally considered the god of agriculture, and later of time. He had a harsh disposition and a thirst for power, for which he was overthrown, castrated and sent to Tartarus. His reign was replaced by the Olympian gods, led by Zeus. The lives and relationships of the Olympians are detailed in ancient Greek legends and myths, and they were worshiped, respected, and given gifts. There are 12 main gods.

Zeus

The youngest son of Rhea and Kronos, considered the father and patron of people and gods, personified good and evil. He opposed his father, overthrowing him into Tartarus. After this, power on earth was divided between him and his brothers - Poseidon and Hades. He is the patron of lightning and thunder. His attributes were a shield and an axe, and later an eagle began to be depicted next to him. They loved Zeus, but they were also afraid of his punishment, so they offered valuable gifts.

People imagined Zeus as a strong and robust middle-aged man. He had noble features, thick hair and a beard. In myths, Zeus was portrayed as a character in love stories who deceived earthly women, as a result of which he gave rise to many demigods.

Hades

The eldest son of Kronos and Rhea, after the overthrow of the rule of the Titans, became the god of the underworld of the dead. He was personified by people as a man over 40 years old who rode a golden chariot drawn by golden horses. He is credited with terrifying surroundings, such as Cerberus, a dog with three heads. They believed that he owned the untold riches of the underworld, so they feared and respected him, sometimes more than Zeus. Married to Persephone, whom he kidnapped, thereby causing the wrath of Zeus and the inconsolable grief of Demeter.

Among people they were afraid to say his name out loud, replacing it with various epithets. One of the few gods whose cult was practically not widespread. During the rituals, black-skinned cattle, most often bulls, were sacrificed to him.

Poseidon

The middle son of Kronos and Rhea, after defeating the Titans, gained possession of the water element. According to myths, he lives in a majestic palace in the underwater depths, along with his wife Amphitrite and son Triton. Moves across the sea in a chariot drawn by seahorses. Wields a trident that has enormous power. Its impacts led to the formation of springs and underwater springs. In ancient drawings he is depicted as a powerful man with blue eyes, like the color of the sea.

The Greeks believed that he had a difficult temper and a hot temper, which contrasted with the calmness of Zeus. The cult of Poseidon was widespread in many coastal cities of Ancient Greece, where they brought him rich gifts, including girls.

Hera

One of the most revered goddesses of Ancient Greece. She was the patroness of marriage and marriage. She had a tough character, jealousy and a great love of power. She is the wife and sister of her brother Zeus.

In myths, Hera is portrayed as a power-hungry woman who sends disasters and curses on Zeus's many lovers and their children, which leads to grins and funny antics on the part of her husband. She bathes annually in the Kanaf spring, after which she becomes a virgin again.

In Greece, the cult of Hera was widespread, she was the protector of women, they worshiped her and brought gifts to help during childbirth. One of the first deities to whom a sanctuary was built.

Demeter

Second daughter of Kronos and Rhea, sister of Hera. The goddess of fertility and patroness of agriculture, therefore enjoyed great respect among the Greeks. There were large cults throughout the country; it was believed that it was impossible to get a harvest without bringing a gift to Demeter. It was she who taught people to cultivate the land. She appeared to be a young woman of beautiful appearance with curls the color of ripe wheat. The most famous myth is about the abduction of her daughter by Hades.

Descendants and children of Zeus

In the mythology of Ancient Greece, the born sons of Zeus are of great importance. These are gods of the second order, each of whom was the patron of one or another human activity. According to legends, they often came into contact with earthly inhabitants, where they weaved intrigues and built relationships. Key ones:

Apollo

People called him “radiant” or “shining.” He appeared to be a golden-haired young man, endowed with extraterrestrial beauty of appearance. He was a patron of the arts, a patron of new settlements and a healer. Widely revered by the Greeks, large cults and shrines were found at Delos and Delphi. He is the patron and mentor of muses.

Ares (Ares)

The god of bloody and brutal war, which is why he was often opposed to Athena. The Greeks imagined him as a mighty warrior with a sword in his hand. In later sources, he is depicted next to a griffin and two companions - Eris and Enio, who sowed discord and anger among people. In myths he is described as the lover of Aphrodite, in whose relationship many deities and demigods were born.

Artemis

Patron of hunting and female chastity. It was believed that bringing gifts to Artemis would bring happiness in marriage and make childbirth easier. She was often depicted next to a deer and a bear. The most famous temple was located in Ephesus, and later she was the patroness of the Amazons.

Athena (Pallas)

Highly revered goddess in Ancient Greece. She was the patroness of organized war, wisdom and strategy. Later it became a symbol of knowledge and crafts. She was depicted by the ancient Greeks as a tall and well-proportioned woman, with a spear in her hand. Temples to Athena were erected everywhere, and the cult of veneration was widespread.

Aphrodite

The ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love, later considered the patron of fertility and life. She had a huge influence on the entire pantheon; she had both people and gods in her power (except for Athens, Artemis and Hestia). She was the wife of Hephaestus, but she is credited with love affairs with Ares and Dionysus. Depicted with flowers of roses, myrtle or poppy, apple. Her retinue included doves, sparrows and dolphins, and her companions were Eros and numerous nymphs. The largest cult was located in the city of Paphos, located on the territory of modern Cyprus.

Hermes

An extremely controversial god of the ancient Greek pantheon. He patronized trade, eloquence and dexterity. He was depicted with a winged staff, around which two snakes were entwined. According to legends, he was able to use it to reconcile, wake up and put people to sleep. Hermes is often depicted wearing sandals and a wide-brimmed hat, as well as carrying a lamb on his shoulder. Often he not only helped earthly inhabitants, but also weaved intrigues, bringing citizens together.

Hephaestus

The blacksmith god, who is the patron of blacksmithing and construction. It was he who made the attributes of most of the gods, and also made lightning for Zeus. According to legends, Hera gave birth to him without the participation of her husband, from her thigh in revenge for the birth of Athena. He was often depicted as a broad-shouldered and ugly-looking man, lame on both legs. He was the legal husband of Aphrodite.

Dionysus

The youngest Olympian god, widely loved by the ancient Greeks. He is the patron saint of winemaking, vegetation, fun and madness. His mother is the earthly woman Semele, who was killed by Hera. Zeus personally carried the child from the age of 6 months, giving birth to him from the thigh. According to myths, this son of Zeus invented wine and beer. Dionysus was revered not only by the Greeks, but also by the Arabs. Often depicted with a staff with a hop pommel and a bunch of grapes in his hand. The main retinue is satyrs.

The ancient Greek pantheon is represented by several dozen major gods, deities, mythical creatures, monsters and demigods. The legends and myths of Antiquity have many interpretations, since different sources were used in the description. The ancient Greeks loved and respected all gods, worshiped them, brought gifts and turned to them for blessings and curses. Ancient Greek mythology was described in detail by Homer, who described all the major events and the appearance of the gods.