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home | greek | gods | olympians | Zeus
| Zeus at a Glance |
name | Zeus (ZeuV)
role | god of the sky; ruler of Olympus
symbols | thunderbolt, eagle, oak
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| Zeus in Greek Mythology |
As the ruler of the Olympian gods, Zeus wielded enormous power and almost absolute authority. He appears in Homer's Iliad in the role of imperious leader, a grandiose father figure to a pantheon of bickering deities. And although he is often portrayed as an omniscient, omnipotent being, even the mighty Zeus could be tricked (or, to put it more gently, distracted). This is indeed the case in the Iliad, in that wonderful scene where he is seduced by his wife Hera and consequently led to ignore the events taking place on the battlefield of Troy.
There are certainly other instances where Zeus is deceived (the incident with Prometheus being but one more good example). These examples only demonstrate that although he was the god who ruled Olympus and its divine denizens, he was subject to the laws of Fate and was not in fact all-powerful. And just as the other deities had their own personal foibles, Zeus too had a weakness - he was passionately fond of female charms. Many stories about Zeus recount his insatiable lust and notorious wandering eye, an eye that fell upon goddess and mortal woman alike.
Some of the paramours of Zeus are:
Alcmene | mother of Herakles
Danae | mother of Perseus
Europa | mother of Minos, Rhadamanthys, & Sarpedon
Io | mother of Epaphus
Leda | mother of Helen
Leto | mother of Apollo and Artemis
Maia | mother of Hermes
Metis | mother of Athena
Mnemosyne | mother of the Muses
Semele | mother of Dionysos
In Roman mythology, Zeus was identified with the god Jupiter.
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| Zeus in Art History |
Gallery | For pictures and information about Zeus in art, visit the Mythography gallery!
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I shall sing of Zeus, the best and the greatest of gods, far-seeing, mighty, fulfiller of designs who confides his tight-knit schemes to Themis as she sits leaning upon him.
- Homeric Hymn to Zeus
Who's Who in Classical Mythology
This book is a great source for information about Greek and Roman mythology! Organized alphabetically, this who's who features information about over 1200 of the most intriguing characters from Classical myth and legend. And there is a good entry on Zeus.
Bulfinch's Mythology
Mythology
The Oxford Classical Dictionary
The Bibliography
If you want more recommended resources for information about Greek myths, visit the books section - it lists books about mythology, art, literature, and more.
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