Preview

What Is Zeus Role In Greek Mythology

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1195 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Is Zeus Role In Greek Mythology
Zeus is known as the most powerful god in Greek mythology. He is the central figure of the Greek gods as he is not only the god of the sky but also the king of the gods. He ruled over the Olympian gods in the tallest mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus where he lived. Being the most feared god of all gave him the liberty of doing and having anything that he desired. Zeus played a key role in many of the Greek mythologies.
Zeus was the king of the gods, but like every Greek myth, nothing came easy. Zeus was the 6th and youngest child of Cronos and Rhea. Cronos had learned from his parents, Uranus and Gaia that he was destined to be overthrown by his own son. As a result, he swallowed every child that his wife gave birth to. This really angered Rhea so when she was pregnant with Zeus, she sought help from Gaia to help her find a way. Following her advice, Rhea gave birth to Zeus secretly in a cave on Mount Dicte in Crete and gave her husband a stone wrapped in a blanket to swallow thinking it was his son. There have been many speculations in who raised Zeus on the island of Crete whether he was raised by the Curetes and nymphs, or he was raised by his own grandmother Gaia. According to Bryan Hill, the Curetes and the nymphs took care of Zeus. The Curetes covered the sounds of infant Zeus’s crying with the sound of the dance of clashing spears and shields, while the nymphs nurtured Zeus with his upbringing.
Once Zeus grew old enough, he was ready to rescue his siblings, so he went to Metis, a Titan goddess and in return, she created a drink that would help get his siblings back. He returned back to Mount Olympus in disguise as a cup bearer and gave Cronos a drink that made him vomit all the children that he had swallowed. This angered Cronos, so with the help of his Titan brothers, he waged war against his children which became known as the Titanomachy that lasted for 10 years. Zeus and his siblings which included Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia were

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Zeus was the god of the sky. He was ruled as king of the gods. He is the youngest in his family. Zeus’s name means “Shine” or “Sky”. He was respected as an allfather who was chief of the gods and assigned the others to their roles.…

    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Zeus was the god of Olympus. He had always been a good god. HE had many children like his brother. But all of his children but one he had ate. Rhea had not wanted there last child to be eaten. Zeus didn't know nothing about his last child.…

    • 175 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Zeus And Hera Research Paper

    • 4659 Words
    • 19 Pages

    1. METIS, his first wife, was one of the Oceanides or sea-nymphs. She was the personification of prudence and wisdom, a convincing proof of which she displayed in her successful administration of the potion which caused Cronus to yield up his children. She was endowed with the gift of prophecy, and foretold to Zeus that one of their children would gain ascendency over him. In order, therefore, to avert the possibility of the prediction being fulfilled he swallowed her before any children were born to them. Feeling afterwards violent pains in his head, he sent for Hephæstus, and ordered him to open it with an axe. His command was obeyed,…

    • 4659 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Zeus Research Paper

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Zeus, ruler of the sky, is the son of Rhea and Cronus. He was the youngest out of the 6 children. His father was threatened by the fact he knew he would be overthrown one day by his son that he tried to swallow him. The thunderbolt is his weapon and symbol. He can use this thunderbolt to throw at anything or anyone. Other symbols for him include the eagle, bull and the oak tree. He later married his sister, Hera. It is said he has the ability to shapeshift, this may be why he has been able to have other children and many affairs with others, easily. He cannot die, either, he is immortal.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story of her birth comes in several versions. In the one most commonly cited, Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of crafty thought and wisdom, but he immediately feared the consequences. It had been prophesied that Metis would bear children more powerful than the sire, even Zeus himself. In order to forestall these dire consequences, after lying with Metis, Zeus "put her away inside his own belly;" he "swallowed her down all of a sudden." He was too late: Metis had already conceived.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Paper on Hades

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    It is believed that Cronus devoured five of his own children, when Gaia and Ouranos made the prophecy that Cronus would be overcome by one of his sons just like he did to his father. The youngest son Zeus escaped this wrath with his mother's help, and went on to become a powerful warrior forcing Cronus to disgorge his siblings. Then Zeus teamed up with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, raged a war against the Titans, and defeated them. The three brothers chose their realms after this win. Zeus got the sky, Poseidon got the sea and Hades got the underworld.…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    . The roles of Zeus, Athena, and Poseidon in the Odyssey either aid or hinder Odysseus’ journey home. First off, when Odysseus was held captive from Calypso,”Hermes explains that he has brought with an order from Zeus that Calypso must not detain Odysseus any longer but send him on his way home.”(Homer 1208). Zeus is considered to be helping Odysseus by agreeing to let him out of the island. Poseidon has been a burden because he heard his son, Polyphemus’ curse towards Odysseus, “O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands...grant that Odysseus..[shall] never see his home...dark the years between...Let him lose all his companions”(Homer 1223). Poseidon ends up cursing Odysseus and his crew by sending many storms, delaying the trip, therefore…

    • 885 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Greek Mythology consist of various gods, goddesses, heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins of religious beliefs and practices. Even though Hades is best known for ruling the underworld, he is also known for an act of destruction and his influence of a moral lesson on today's society.…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Zeus Facts

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Fact 5: Cronus, his father, believed that he would be betrayed and replaced by his own children. He therefore kept eating his children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus and tricked her husband by substituting the baby with a swaddled rock. Cronus ate the rock believing he had disposed of another threat to his rule.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    olympic gods

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Zeus - King of the Gods, god of the sky, symbolized by the thunderbolt. As the ruler of the Olympian gods, Zeus held enormous power and almost absolute authority. His role was primarily to watch over the activities of the other gods, and make sure they weren't exceeding their powers.…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Kronus In Greek Mythology

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and youngest of the first generation of Titans, the divine descendants of Uranus, the sky, and Gaia, the earth. He overthrew his father and ruled during the mythological Golden Age, until he was overthrown by his own son Zeus and imprisoned in Tartarus.…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Ancient Greeks believed that before Zeus there was two other ruling gods. First was Ouranos, god of the sky, who was married to Gaia, goddess of earth (Gill). Second was Cronus, god of time and the youngest of the Titans, who were children of Ouranos and Gaia. Cronus later married Rhea, the mother of the gods, who was his sister and who helped him sire Zeus. The stories of Ouranos and Cronus and of Cronus and Zeus are strangely similar, to the point where a message is obvious. Both Ouranos and Cronus abused their children—the former by imprisoning three Hecatoncheires and three Cyclopes in the place of torment in the underworld, Tartaros; the latter by devouring five of the six children Rhea gave birth to (Gill). In the stories of Cronus and Zeus, both gods dethroned their father upon instruction from their mother (“Cronus and Zeus”). As Cronus was the youngest of the Titans, Zeus was similarly the youngest of Rhea’s offspring. Both Cronus and Zeus freed the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes from Tartaros, though the former re-imprisoned them (Gill). Both Cronus and Zeus devoured in fear of being overthrown (Gill; Tuccinardi). Ouranos, Cronus, and Zeus used Tartaros as a prison, as well (Gill). But that is where the similarities end for all three gods. Ouranos was not known to ever return to power, but Cronus, after being imprisoned in Tartaros by Zeus, was allowed by Zeus…

    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apollo In Greek Mythology

    • 1600 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Zeus had many affairs with other women, and Hera never failed to punish these women. (Hamilton, 22) When Leto became pregnant, Zeus left her because he was afraid of Hera's anger. (Hamilton 433) Leto wandered from place to place looking for somewhere to have your child until she arrived at Delos. (Hamilton, 433) Delos was an unstable, "small, waterless Greek island,".(Bleiberg) When Leto arrived at Delos, the island became stable. (Hamilton 433) Before allowing Leto to stay at Delos, the goddess of the island made Leto swear on the River Styx that her child would keep his temple at Delos. Leto agreed and was allowed to stay. ("Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant.") As punishment from Hera, she did not allow the goddess of childbirth Eileithya to assist Leto and her labor lasted nine days. The other gods had pity on Leto and bribed Eileithya to assist Leto without Hera's knowledge. (Bleiberg) Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born and Apollo was often called Delian from Delos after his birthplace. (Hamilton, 26) Apollo was fed the food of the gods, nectar and ambrosia ("Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant"), and grew into an adult in four days. (Wickersham) He burst out of his crib…

    • 1600 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Greek Mythology Analysis

    • 1911 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Zeus is the god of the sky, and the closest figure to an all-powerful ruler. However, he has some flaws, which makes him seem more mortal. He is not omniscient, as he was able to be easily deceived. His weapon is the thunderbolt, and his animal is the eagle. Zeus is the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, and grew up in a cave in Crete. After defeating Cronus, Zeus became the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods, and becomes the supreme ruler of the gods. Although married to Hera, Zeus had many affairs with goddesses and raped mortal…

    • 1911 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Odyssey

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Zeus is the king of the gods. All of the other gods and mortals look up to him. If anybody needs approval of something, they go to Zeus for the answer. For example, when Odysseus was trapped on Calypso’s island, Athena went to Zeus to get him to help Odysseus off of the island. So Zeus sent Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to Calypso to tell her to release Odysseus form her island. Zeus is very important in Greek literature, and culture.…

    • 1147 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays