What is the most popular antique god Zeus known for?

Zeus is an ancient Greek thunder god, the third son of the titan Kronos and the titaness Rhea, brother of Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Poseidon, husband of Hera. Zeus is the main god of Olympus, as he overthrew his tyrant father and saved his brothers and sisters, whom Cronus was devouring. Subsequently, the god of thunder and lightning asserted his power over the world by defeating the gods and titans in a great battle and casting the latter into the subterranean realm of Hades.

The name of the ancient Greek god is by no means forgotten and is often referred to. Myths about gods and heroes are popular reading among children and teenagers, successfully replacing fairy tales and fantasy. Also, Greek mythology is a rich source of stories and inspiration for artists, so Zeus has become the hero of many paintings, books, films, etc.

The character of Zeus

The image of Zeus in the myths is complex and contradictory. Zeus is a fierce warrior, but at the same time he is cunning, which is why he defeated Cronus by giving him a potion which made him spit out his children.

Zeus is also cunning and very afraid of losing his power. He swallowed his first wife, the goddess of wisdom Metida, who made a potion for Cronus, fearing the prophecy that his and Metida's son would overthrow him as he did his father.

It can also be said about Zeus that he is very jealous. He could not bear the fact that the titan Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to men to make their lives better. The god severely punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock and only released him in exchange for a prophecy about who would take away his power. When Zeus learns that the goddess Thetis will give birth to a son who will be more powerful than his father, he changes his mind about marrying her and gives her to the human hero Peleus. And Zeus again filled human life with misery by commissioning the gods to create the beautiful but treacherous girl Pandora, who out of curiosity opened the forbidden box and released evil, misery and disease scattered across the earth.

However, Zeus does patronise righteous people who follow his laws. Thus he rewarded the good old men Philemon and Bavkida, who did not refuse him, disguised as a wanderer, a bed and food, unlike the other inhabitants of the town. Zeus flooded the unfriendly settlement, but spared Philemon and Bavkida, making them priests of the magnificent temple into which their old man's hovel had been converted.

Zeus was regarded as the patron saint of family ties among other things, but was himself constantly unfaithful to his lawful wife Hera, the supreme goddess.

Zeus' wives and children

Zeus' first wife was Metida, whose potion-making skills helped the thunderer defeat Cronus. However, Zeus, fearful of the prophecy of Metide's powerful son, cunningly forces her to turn into a drop of water and swallows her. After a while Zeus suffers a terrible headache and Hephaestus, the smith god, has to split it open. From Zeus's head emerged Athena, the goddess of wisdom, the daughter of the thunderer and Metida.

Zeus' second wife was the daughter of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth), Themis, the goddess of justice. Zeus' children by this marriage were Ory, the goddesses of seasons, whose names were Eunomia, Dike and Eirene. Zeus had three other daughters, Moira, i.e. the goddess of destiny, to whom both humans and gods were subject. The names of the Moira were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Zeus and Themis did not marry for long, but even after their dissolution the goddess remained by the side of Olympus as an advisor.

The third wife of Zeus is Hera, the supreme goddess, guardian of marriage and guardian of the mother during childbirth. According to the myths, Hera is defined by authority, ruthlessness and a jealous temper that drives her to take revenge on the lovers of her unfaithful husband. Their children, together with Zeus, were the gods Ares, Hephaestus and Hebe.

The amorous god had a large number of illegitimate wives, among whom the following should be mentioned:

1. Eurynoma, Oceanides (who bore Zeus three Charitas, goddesses of grace and amusement);
2. Demeter, goddess of fertility (gave birth to Persephone, wife of the god of the underworld Hades);
3. Mnemosyne, titaness (gave birth to nine muses, patrons of the arts);
4. Leto, titanid, mother of Artemis and Apollo;
5. Europa, mortal girl, mother of Minos, Radamante and Sarpedon, judges of the underworld;
6. Io, daughter of the river god (gave birth to Epaph, the first ruler of Egypt);
7. Danaya, a mortal girl (gave birth to the hero Perseus);
8. Alcmene, mortal girl, mother of Heracles;
9. Semele, an earthly girl, mother of the god Dionysus, etc.

The cult of Zeus in the world

Zeus had many sanctuaries throughout ancient Greece. They were often located on the tops of mountains and hills: it was customary to make offerings there to the god who provided the blessing of rain. 

The most famous place of worship of Zeus is the temple at Olympia, a great architectural creation. It was adorned by a grandiose statue of the thunderer by the great artist Phidias. This sculpture was included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the World. 

On the island of Crete, the place of worship of Zeus was the sacred cave of Ideon on Mount Ida, where the supreme god was believed to have been born. 

The ancient Greek city of Dodona was famous for its temple of Zeus, home to an oracle, considered the most ancient of the diviners. Homer, Hesiod and Herodotus all mentioned him in their works. 

The most famous sanctuary of Zeus was also located in Arcadia, on Lycaion Mountain. Here athletic competitions were held and human sacrifices may also have been made. 

Zeus was depicted by a number of sculptors. Besides the sculpture by Phidias (now lost) a bronze statue from Dodona is very famous. Also everyone must have seen a photo of the statue of Zeus in Rome's "Fountain of the Four Rivers" by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.

The love affair of the thunderer has inspired many painters. It is impossible to name all the famous paintings with such a subject, so here are a few examples: "The Abduction of Europe" by Titian, "Jupiter and Antion" by Charles Vanloo, "Jupiter and Callisto" by François Boucher. 

Movies, games and TV series

The mighty god has become a popular character in contemporary culture. His image can be found in many films (Hercules, Thor, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Snatcher, War of the Gods: The Immortals, etc.) and TV series (The Blood of Zeus, Kaos, Jason and the Argonauts, Weapon of Zeus, etc.). Games such as Titan Quest, Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Hades, Zeus: Master of Olympus, Age of Mythology, etc. are also not without the character of Zeus.