The main characteristics of Zeus

Most of the classical mythologies have a primordial god, the most important god we could say. In some cases he is the king of the main gods, in others the creator god of the universe, or he may also be the god associated with the most important element of the culture that idolizes him. An example of main god is Zeus, who is associated with Greek mythology, although he is also the main god in other cultures with different names. To get to know you better in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about the main characteristics of Zeus.

Index

1. Who is Zeus in Greek mythology?
2. The 9 main characteristics of the god Zeus
3. Origin and arrival to the throne of Zeus
4. Descendants of Zeus: sons and daughters

Zeus is the father and king of the gods and goddesses of the Greek pantheon, ruling Mount Olympus, and being considered a father both by his children and by gods who are not his descendants. He is also considered the god of the sky and thunder, being represented on numerous occasions with lightning in his hand.

Like all greek gods, it has a series of elements related to it, the so-called attributes. The crown and the center, which are used to represent his role as governor and leader of the gods, the center being a clear example of a certain oriental influence in the figure of Zeus. Other attributes were lightning, which represented his power over thunder, the eagle that was his sacred animal, and the bull that he sometimes transformed into to kidnap mortal women.

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To understand Zeus in a better way, we must talk about some of the main characteristics of him, since being such an important god these are very numerous. Some of the main characteristics of it are the following:

1. His sacred animal is a Golden Eagle, with which he is usually represented.
2. He was a god very vindictive, as evidenced by the condemnation of Prometheus and Pandora.
3. Used to kidnap mortals to have children, many of whom became demigods. Some of his children had vital roles in Greek mythology, such as Helen of Troy or Heracles.
4. He appears in other mythologies under a different name, the main example being Roman mythology where he is called Jupiter.
5. There were some oracles dedicated to Zeus, such as that of Siwa.
6. He was the most praised god during the ancient Greek Olympics.
7. He had many fits of anger, these being the ones that caused the storms in the sky.
8. From the myths we know that he was not a great father or a great husband. Being very few the occasions in which he helped his children.
9. He was fair at times, helping human beings at times when he thought the result was unfair.

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Zeus's parents were Cronos and Rhea, two titans who ruled the world before the arrival of the Olympian gods. The parents of Cronos had predicted to the titan that he would lose the throne at the hands of one of his sons, so as soon as Cronos was born he swallowed his children, some of these being Poseidon, Hera or Hades.

The wife of Cronos, Rea, did not agree with all this so before the birth of Zeus, she asked Gea, mother of Cronos and Rea, for help with a plan to save the last of her children. The plan was to trade Zeus for a rock, so Kronos would swallow the rock and Zeus would grow away from his father. The plan was a success and Zeus was educated away from his father.

Upon reaching adulthood Zeus faced Cronos, forcing him to regurgitate all the children he had eaten, and starting the war between gods and Titans, the so-called Titanomachy. The Olympian gods won the war, locking some Titans in Tartarus, and punishing others with very hard tasks, like Atlas who had to hold the Earth for his entire life.

After the war, Zeus divided the world with his two older brothers, Poseidon and Hades. The first was left with the seas, the second with the Underworld, and Zeus with the heavens, and the land that was owned by Gaia was divided among the three. After this Zeus married Hera and was named king of Olympus and of all the gods.

To conclude this lesson on the characteristics of Zeus, we must talk about the main sons of the king of the gods, since one of the main characteristics of Zeus is that he had a very long line. We are not going to comment on all the children, since there are too many, but we must talk about the most important ones, dividing them into two groups, those born with Hera, his wifeand the illegitimate.

The children of Hera and Zeus

Hera and Zeus were married after the war, having numerous children among which were several of the Olympian gods. Hera she was queen of the gods, goddess of marriageher, and she used to be depicted as jealous and vindictive for the loves of Zeus. Some of the couple's children were as follows:

• Ares: Dios war olympic and brutality. He was not the only god linked to war, but he was the one most related to it. In Roman mythology he was called Mars, being one of their main gods.
• Hephaestus:Olympian god of fire and blacksmiths. He is known as the blacksmith of the gods, creating numerous mythological elements. He was quite ugly, and it is said that he was lame due to Hera throwing him from the top of Olympus.
• Hebe: The personification of youth, it is said that he was the helper of the gods.

Other important sons of Zeus

The abductions of Zeus they made the supreme god have numerous descendants, although not all are sons of mortals, including illegitimate sons even Olympian gods. Some of Zeus' sons with other women are as follows:

• Aphrodite:Olympic goddess of loveher, she being considered the most beautiful being in all of Ancient Greece. She is generally not considered the daughter of Zeus, but in some versions it is said that she is a descendant of Zeus and Thalassa.
• Apollo: The second most revered god in Greece, being that Olympian god related to the arts and the sun, along with many other attributes. He was the son of Leto and Zeus, and brother of Artemis.
• Sagebrush: Olympian Goddess of the hunting and wild animals, daughter of Zeus and Leto, and sister of Apollo.
• Hermes: The Olympian god of the messengers, thieves and travelers. The main characteristic of him is the function of him as messenger of the gods. He was the son of Zeus and Maya.
• Athena: One of the most respected Olympian goddesses in Greek mythology, she being the goddess of wisdom, war and justice. It is said that she was born from the head of Zeus, after devouring Metis.
• Heracles: One of the most famous characters in Greek mythology, he was a hero born from the relationship between Zeus and a human named Alcmena.
• Perseus: Another of the Greek heroes born to Zeus, in this case due to a relationship between the supreme god and a mortal named Danae. Among his exploits are the founding of Mycenae, the rescue of Andromeda, and the murder of Medusa.

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