Zeus

## **Summary**

Zeus is the god of sky and thunder, ruler of the Olympians of Mount Olympus. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. He is married to Herra, although he has many partners. Humans considered him the King of the Gods, who oversaw the universe.

## **Zeus' Birth**

Cronus sired several children with his wife, Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, but swallowed them all as they were born to prevent his foretold destiny of being overthrown by his own son, as he had previously overthrown his own father Uranus. When Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia's help and devised a plan to save her youngest son. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed.

Rhea then hid Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. There are varying stories as to his upbringing, however, the most popular are:

1. He was then raised by Gaia
2. He was raised by a goat named Amalthea, while a company of soldiers danced and shouted so Cronus would not hear the baby cry.
3. He was raised by a nympth named Adamanthea. Since Cronus ruled over the Earth, the heavens and the seas, she hid him by dangling him on a rope from a tree so he was suspended between the earth, sea and sky, therefore, invisible to his father.
4. He was raised by a nymph named Cynosura. In gratitude, Zeus placed her among the stars.
5. He was raised by Melissa, who nursed him with goat's milk and honey
6. He was raised by a human shepherd family under the promise that their sheep would be saved from wolves.

## **King of the Gods**

After reaching manhood, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge first the stone, then his siblings in reverse order of swallowing. Zeus then released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their prison in Tartarus, killing their guard, Campe.

As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt and lightning. Together, Zeus and his siblings, along with the Gigantes, Heecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other Titans, in the combat called the Titanomachy. The defeated Titans were then cast into Tartarus, where they were imprisoned. Atlas, one of the Titans who fought against Zeus, was punished by having to hold up the sky.

After the battle was over, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (underworld). The ancient Earth, Gaia, could not be claimed so she was left to all three, each according to their abilities, Poseidon became the god of earthquakes and Hades claimed the souls of humans that died.

Gaia resented the way Zeus had treated the Titans, because they were her children. Soon after taking the throne as king of the gods, Zeus had to fight some of Gaia's other children, the monsters Typhon and Echidna. He vanquished Typhon and trapped him under Mount Etna, but left Echidna and her children alive.

## **Divine Children of Zeus**

Zeus was both brother and husband to Hera. By Hera, Zeus sired three children: Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. His conquests with other goddesses and mortals alike produced numerous other children.

1. Aegipan, with Aega
2. The Moirai (Fates), with Themis
	1. Atropos
	2. Clotho
	3. Lachesis
3. Tyche (possibly) with Aphrodite
4. Persephone, with Demeter
5. Aphrodite, with Dione
6. Limos, with Eris
7. The Charites (Graces), with Eurynome
	1. Algaea
	2. Euphrosyne
	3. Thalia
8. Manes, with Gaia
9. Ares, Eileithyia, Eris, Hebe, Hephaestus, and Angelos, with Hera
10. Apollo and Artemis, with Leto
11. Hermes, with Maia
12. Athena, with Metis
13. The Muses (all twelve), with Mnemosyne
	1. Aoide
	2. Melete
	3. Mneme
	4. Calliope
	5. Clio
	6. Euterpe
	7. Erato
	8. Melpomene
	9. Polyhymnia
	10. Terpsichore
	11. Thalia
	12. Urania
14. Helen of Troy (possibly), with Nemesis
15. Zagreus and Melinoe, with Persephone
16. Palici, with Thalia
17. Astaea, the Nymphs of Eridanos, Nemesis, and the Horae (all three generations), with Themis
18. Carae, with Eos
19. Aletheia, with an unknown mother
20. Ate, with an unknown mother
21. Caerus, with an unknown mother
22. Litae, with an unknown mother

## **Semi-Divine or Mortal Chidren of Zeus**

Zeus was well known to interact with mortals, producing numerous children.

1. Aeacus and Damocrateia, with Aegina
2. Heracles, with Alcmene
3. Amphion and Zethus, with Antiope
4. Olenus, with Anaxithea
5. Acragas, with Asterope (or Oceanid)
6. Arcas, with Callisto
7. Aethlius (possibly), with Calyce
8. Britomartis, with Carme
9. Atymnius, with Cassiopeia
10. Solymus and Milye, with Chaldene
11. Perseus, with Danae
12. Pirithous, with Dia
13. Tityos, with Elara
14. Dardanus, Iasion, and Harmonia, with Electra
15. Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon, Alagonia, Carnus, and Dodon, with Europa
16. Myrmidon, with Eurymedousa
17. Arcesius, with Euryodeia
18. Kronios, Spartaios, and Kytos, wtih Himalia
19. Cres, with Idaea (a nymph)
20. Epaphus and Keroessa, with Io
21. Orchomenus, with Isonoe
22. Achilleus and Herophile, with Lamia
23. Sarpedon, with Laodamia
24. Pollux and Helen of Troy, with Leda
25. Locrus, with Maera
26. Argus and Pelasgus, with Niobe
27. Meliteus, with Othreis
28. Graecus and Latinus, with Pandora
29. Achaeus (possibly), with Phthia, daughter of Phoroneus
30. Tantalus, with Plouto
31. Balius and Xanthus, with Podarge
32. Aethlius (possibly) and Opus, with Protogeneia
33. Hellen, with Pyrrha
34. Dionysus, with Semele
35. Lacedaemon, with Taygete
36. Magnes and Makednos, with Thyia
37. Carus, with Torrhebia
38. Iarbas, with an African nymph
39. Saon (possibly) with a Samothracian nymph
40. Megarus, with a Sithnid nymph
41. Calabrus, Geraestus, and Taenarus, with an unknown mother
42. Corinthus, with an unknown mother
43. Crinacus, with an unknown mother