Greek Mythology: Zeus

Zeus, his name is synonymous with Greek mythology and religion. God of the weather and sky he used his powers of wind, lightning, and thunder to uphold the law and keep order. He ruled Mount Olympus as well as the pantheon of gods who lived there. Watching over mankind he would punish those who defied him and help those who were wronged. However, Zeus did have his flaws. His quick tempered nature combined with his lust for women made him relatable to the common man. From his coming to power until the beginning of Christianity, this complex god would have no equal.

Zeus was not always the gray haired muscular man that he is seen as today. The first conception of the sky god did not have any form at all. The sky god was created by nomadic hunters in the Russian steppes, a treeless expanse above the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains (Stone, 8). Each tribe had a different name for him including Dyaus, Dies, Dios, Deus, and Deu Pater. Although the names changed they all referred to the brightness of the sky. The name Zeus was not used until the migration to Greece (Stone, 8). These proto-Greeks are believed to have migrated and taken over this land around 1700 B.C. (Stone, 10). The people already living there did not put up much of a fight. These natives worshipped small clay and wooden figures which was there goddess, an earth mother whom they called Ge and later Gaia (Stone, 11). The Greeks could not believe that a god could be reduced to the form of a man. It was not long before they realized they used these figures to pray for rain (Stone, 12). The natives also told elaborate stories about their gods as well as the creation of the earth. The Greeks were very envious of these stories and wanted Zeus to have stories of his own. A...

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...Kronos and forced him into submission. He cursed Zeus saying he would suffer the same fate as him and his father before him. The Titans were forced into exile and sealed behind a bronze door in Tartarus where they could never be a threat to Zeus again. Atlas received a special punishment for his role in the war being forced to bear the weight of the sky on his shoulders (Stone 54). With the universe in the palm of his hand Zeus would begin to build his pantheon but first he would need a wife.

His first choice would be the Titaness Mitis would had helped Zeus assume his position. Mitis, just like Zeus, was a shape shifter. She was not ready to give herself to Zeus but he did eventually get his way. Before he had a chance to enjoy his victory Gaia

Works Cited

Stone, Tom. Zeus: A Journey through Greece in the Footsteps of a God. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008. Print.