Greek mythology is a very complex and interesting science. Unfortunately, not every person who knows its main points is familiar with the beginning of the beginnings of deities.
Like many other peoples, the Greeks talk about the original chaos that reigned in the Universe. Afterwards, the future progenitors of all divine characters appear from it - the first titans, Uranus and Gaia. Dominating the living world, they constantly produce offspring. Uranus turns out to be a very passionate husband, but he clearly lacks love for children; his first sons - Hecatoncheires and Cyclops - fall out of favor: fearful of the power of his own children, he sends them to Tartarus. Of course, the mother, Gaia, is upset by this, and therefore she teaches her next offspring, Crohn, to overthrow his father and deprive him of the opportunity to have descendants through castration.
The future father of Zeus obeys his parent in everything and achieves success. But his mother suddenly predicts to him that he will fall at the hands of his own son.
Now myths tell about the next divine couple - Krona and Rhea. Having taken after his father through fertility, the unfortunate man is obsessed with fear, and therefore devours his own children. But this is precisely what causes the trouble - Rhea, yearning for her descendants, saves one of her sons by feeding her beloved husband an ordinary cobblestone instead.
The young god was born in one of the caves of Crete - where, according to his mother, Cronus would not have looked for him. According to legend, she endured the torment in silence, digging her fingers into the ground, and at that time the entrance was guarded by kuretes. Leaving her son in the care of these amazing creatures, Rhea returned to her husband. Over time, the Cave of Zeus became famous and popular among people. Today, any tourist who comes to Greece can visit it.
The unsuspecting father of Zeus lives as before, while one of his children accumulates strength and hatred to get even with the murderer of his siblings.
And now the time has come. Having grown and become stronger, Zeus feeds his father a special potion, forcing him to vomit the children he had previously swallowed (who, by the way, managed to grow right in his womb). Of course, the saved gods and goddesses are grateful to the savior, and therefore together with him they go to war against the tyrant, who was the father of Zeus - Kron the child killer.
However, the war was much more complex and long than everyone expected. The Titans turned out to be extremely strong and cunning opponents. But, in the end, the young gods were still able to gain the upper hand, and Zeus's father was sent to Tartarus by his own son.
Well, Zeus himself remained with his brothers and sisters on Olympus - high mountain, with its peak reaching into the sky. Wise and childish, cunning and merciful, beautiful and hot-tempered, they began their own lives, and the god Zeus - the great Thunderer - became the eldest among them.
What is most interesting is that the Greeks themselves, despite their seemingly even attitude towards all stages of their mythological history, consider the golden age to be the period when Cronus and Rhea ruled everything. According to legends, people then themselves were in many ways similar to gods - they did not know grief and loss, time did not have such power over them, there was no need to work, the souls of all living people had purity, and their minds had extraordinary clarity and piercingness.
Greece is unthinkable without mythology. When we talk about this state, the name Olympus naturally comes to mind - sacred mountain, where Zeus and other supreme deities ruled. Almighty Gods of Ancient Greece- they are immortal, capricious, endowed with the advantages and disadvantages of people. They sin, they love, they take revenge like mere mortals, but at the same time they are formidable, cruel, and sometimes generous.
Legends and myths of Olympus: list and description of 12 gods
Legends about the Olympian gods passed from generation to generation and had a huge influence on world culture. Stories from ancient Greek mythology were present in literature, poetry, painting, sculpture, and music. They “exerted” influence on almost all spheres of human life, as they reflected people’s ideas about the structure of the world.
The information that has reached our times about the legends and tales of Ancient Greece came from the works of Homer, Ovid, Nonnus, and Euripides. Thus, by the “Olympic” period of the development of society, all myths were associated with Mount Olympus, where 12 deities headed by Zeus sat (although their number does not always coincide).
According to ancient Greek myths, before the “central” Gods ascended to Olympus, Chaos existed on Earth, which gave birth to Eternal Darkness and Dark Night. From them came the Eternal Light and the bright Day. So, night began to give way to day, and day to night, forever and ever.
The mighty Goddess Gaia (Earth), also emerging from Chaos, gave birth to Sky (Uranus), Mountains and Sea. And then Uranus took Gaia as his wife. From this union six Titans and six Daughters were born. From their connection with each other, rivers, winds, stars, rains, and the Moon appeared in the world.
In addition, Gaia gave birth to three Cyclops giants and three giants, each of whom had 50 heads and 100 arms. Uranus saw these monsters and hated them, since they had a violent character and powerful strength. Uranus imprisoned them in the bowels of the Earth, but she secretly rescued them and persuaded them to rebel against their father. Only one, the youngest of the brothers named Kronos, managed to take power from Uranus.
Then the goddess Night gave birth to death, discord, deception, nightmares, destruction and revenge. Kronos began to rule in a world where struggle, horror and misfortune reigned. This is how Night punished the cunning Kronos.
Most of all, he was afraid that his children could do away with him at any moment, just like he did with his father. And then he called his wife Rhea to him and ordered her to bring the children that were born. The merciless Kronos swallowed all of them - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. But there was also a sixth child - Zeus. Instead, Rhea gave her husband a stone wrapped in cloth, as if it were a baby in swaddling clothes. And secretly from her ruthless husband, she went to the island of Crete, where she gave birth to a baby in a dark cave.
Zeus
Kronos, the king of the Titans, learned about the forgery and began to look for his son throughout the Earth. The boy was protected by curetes - according to one version, these creatures were born from the tears of little Zeus. They made an incredible noise when he cried, because with his loud voice he could attract the attention of a cruel parent.
Zeus grew up, went to war against his father, overthrew him from the throne and imprisoned him in Tartarus - an abyss from which one cannot escape. But first he made him vomit up all the swallowed children, made his brothers and sisters Gods and reigned over the world, sitting on Olympus.
Zeus is the supreme God, patron of Sky, Thunder and Lightning. Artists depict him as a strong and powerful man in years, with rich hair and a gray beard. He sits on a throne and holds a shield and a labrys (double-sided axe) in his hands. The wife of the Thunderer was Hera.
Zeus is often presented as punitive and cruel, but he “arranged” the lives of people, gave them fate, law, conscience and goodness, and in contrast to them - evil and shamelessness. He is the defender of the offended and humiliated, the patron of kings, the formidable guardian of traditions, order in the world and family.
Hera
Wife of Zeus, chief of the Goddesses of Olympus. She patronizes family ties, preserves family relationships, helps women during childbirth.
Hera is also the daughter of Kronos and Rhea. When she was still a girl, Zeus fell in love with her, and so that she would pay attention to him, he turned into a cuckoo, and Hera caught her. However, in family life she experienced painful jealousy of her husband, who satisfied his sexual hunger with both goddesses and earthly women. She constantly sent disasters and misfortunes to her husband's mistresses.
Hera is the beauty of beauties. Every year she bathed in magical springs to become a virgin again. The Goddess was depicted as a stately and noble lady, with a diadem or crown on her head, with a cuckoo or peacock, sometimes with the head of a horse.
Poseidon
God of the water element, son of Kronos and Rhea, brother of Zeus, patron of fishermen and horse breeders. In character and appearance, Poseidon was similar to his brother the Thunderer. In painting and sculpture he was depicted as a powerful man with strong arms and legs, and a powerful torso.
His face is never calm, but angry and menacing. Poseidon's constant attribute is the trident. By waving it, the ruler of the seas could cause a storm or, conversely, force the water element to calm down in an instant. Poseidon moves across the sea in a chariot with white horses. His wife is Amphitrite.
Hades
The god of the underworld Hades was the eldest son of Kronos and Rhea. At the same time, he was revered as the patron of the harvest, because everything that grows comes from the depths of the earth. Hades was called “hospitable” because he “waited” and “welcomed” every mortal in his kingdom. Hades was one of the 3 main gods, along with the brothers Zeus and Poseidon, who defeated the Titans.
The god of the underworld was rarely depicted. If the image did exist, then he looked like this: a gloomy man of mature age in dark clothes, mighty, on a golden throne, with the three-headed dog Cerberus at his feet, guarding the entrance to the kingdom of the dead. Next to Hades was depicted his beautiful wife, the daughter of Demeter and the queen of the dead Persephone, whom he once kidnapped from a flowering meadow. Hades held a bident in his hands (sometimes it was a rod or a cornucopia).
Demeter
The beginning of Spring was associated with her, the goddess of prosperity and fertility. Demeter's parents are Zeus and Rhea. Demeter has a beautiful appearance and thick light curls. She was mainly revered as the guardian of life and the goddess of agriculture. She was depicted with a basket full of fruits, a cornucopia and a poppy.
The most famous legend is about Demeter and her daughter Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades. The mother left Olympus and wandered the Earth in search of her missing daughter. Demeter grieved greatly for Persephone, even the crops stopped sprouting. Famine set in, people began to die. The gods wondered why people stopped making sacrifices to them, and complained about this to Zeus. Then he sent for Demeter to Earth so that she could be found and returned to Olympus. But she did not want to return to the Gods. Then Zeus ordered Hades to present his daughter to Demeter.
Hades could not disobey his formidable brother, but he came up with a trick so that Persephone would return back to him by adding pomegranate seeds to her. Demeter, seeing her daughter, rejoiced. Zeus ordered Persephone to spend a third of the year with her mother, and the rest of the time with her husband. Mourning for the Mother ended forever, and she decorated her head with a cornflower blue wreath. In honor of the joyful event, the Goddess taught people to sow grain and cultivate wheat. In painting, Demeter was depicted as a girl with a wreath of ears of grain or as a grieving mother.
Apollo
The most beautiful god of Olympus, Apollo, was the son of Zeus and the Titanide Leto. He was incredibly revered in Greece, because he was the patron of art, muses and healing. He is an excellent marksman and a virtuoso musician, which is why he was depicted with a bow and a lyre.
Apollo is young, beautiful and strong: at the Olympic Games he won a fist fight against Ares himself (the God of War). He had no wife, and more than 70 children. Mythology attributes him with numerous relationships with goddesses, mortal women and even young men.
Athena
There was also the goddess of war on Olympus - Athena. She personified faith in victory, wisdom and the power of military strategy. Athena patronized the arts, crafts, science and knowledge.
Thanks to her unusual appearance, the goddess of war is easy to distinguish in paintings and sculptures. Her clothes are a linen dress, armor, and a helmet. In her hands there must be a spear, and next to her is a chariot. Athena has a strong-willed face, clear gaze and gray expressive eyes, fair-haired long hair. Her appearance expresses calm and determination.
It is not entirely clear who Athena’s parents are. According to one version, he was Zeus, who gave birth to her single-handedly.
Hermes
Even the gods of Olympus were no strangers to deceit and deceit. One very handsome, judging by ancient images, a god named Hermes was known as a famous cheat and thief. He was born to the Maya galaxy from Zeus. Being just a baby, Hermes committed his first theft - he stole 50 cows from Apollo. After a good “bashing” from dad, the kid pointed out where he hid the cattle. True, subsequently Zeus more than once turned to the clever child to carry out his orders. One day he asked Hermes to steal a cow from Hera: Io, the beloved of the Thunderer, turned into her.
Hermes is very inventive: he invented writing, patronizes trade and banking, astrology, alchemy and magic. He conveys “important” messages to people from the gods through dreams. Hermes is young and efficient. He showed signs of attention to Aphrodite, but she rejected him. Hermes has many children, as well as lovers, but no wife. IN fine arts and in sculpture he was depicted wearing a hat with wings and winged sandals.
Hephaestus
It's not easy with this god. There are several versions of his birth, one of which says that Hera, the wife of Zeus, gave birth to him from her thigh. And she became pregnant herself, not from her husband. So she wanted to take revenge on him for the birth of Athena. However, the baby was born frail, weak and lame. Then Hera, in despair, threw the boy into the depths of the sea, where the sea goddess Thetis sheltered him.
Since childhood, Hephaestus loved to forge: his metal products had no equal either on Earth or on Olympus. Hephaestus is the god of fire and blacksmithing. The most famous legend is about him and about Prometheus, whom the best blacksmith in the world had to chain to a rock by order of Zeus. Hephaestus' wives were Aglaia and Aphrodite.
Aphrodite
As you know, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility was born from sea foam near the island of Cythera, but was transported by the winds to the shores of the island of Cyprus. One legend says that Aphrodite was conceived by Zeus and Dione, another and more popular that she was born from the seed of castrated Uranus.
Aphrodite is the patroness of family ties and childbirth. She was obliged to create love and severely punished those who rejected her. The all-powerful Hera could not forgive Aphrodite for her incomparable beauty and made the ugly Hephaestus become her husband. However, the goddess cheated on her spouse more than once. The most sensational story about Aphrodite was her love for the earthly hunter Adonis.
Aphrodite is a “popular” mythological character in the works of ancient sculptors and artists. She is almost never alone in them, for her beauty captivated not only people and gods, but birds and animals. Her companions are nymphs, Eros, harites, dolphins and oras. Sometimes she was portrayed as a naked modesty, sometimes as a flirtatious girl, sometimes as a passionate woman.
Ares
The god of war, Ares, is distinguished by treachery and deceit. If he fought, it was for the sake of war, rather than for justice and honor. Hera and Zeus are considered his parents, although according to one version, Hera gave birth to him without the participation of her husband, but with the help of the power of a magic flower.
Zeus did not have paternal feelings for Ares and even hated him. On sacred Olympus, he had difficulty “pushing through” his authority. Ares took part in the Trojan War, but fair Athena defeated him.
In art he was depicted as young and strong man. Ares was accompanied by dogs and a kite, and in his hands he held a spear and a torch with fire. Ares's wife is Aphrodite.
Artemis
12th place belongs to the goddess of hunting Artemis. She was the protector of virgins, and she herself was innocent, but she patronized those who were married and helped women during childbirth. Artemis was also considered the goddess of fertility and everything that grows on Earth.
Artemis was born from the relationship of Zeus with the Titanide Leto. Oceanids and nymphs served her. Despite the fact that she was the patroness of childbirth, Artemis herself was unmarried and childless. Artists and sculptors depicted her as a young woman, dressed in a chiton convenient for hunting, with a spear in her hand, with a bow and quiver on her back. When Artemis appeared naked on Houdon’s canvas, a real scandal broke out. It was the end of the 18th century.
According to some sources, the list of 12 gods of Olympus was somewhat different: it included Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Dionysus (god of winemaking and fun), Persephone (goddess of Spring, she is also the queen of the Kingdom of the Dead).
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Gods of Olympus of Ancient Greece
Names are ancient greek gods, which everyone knows - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hephaestus - are actually the descendants of the main inhabitants of heaven - the Titans. Having defeated them, the younger gods, led by Zeus, became the inhabitants of Mount Olympus. The Greeks worshiped, revered and paid tribute to the 12 gods of Olympus, personifying in Ancient Greece elements, virtue or the most important areas of social and cultural life.
Worshiped Ancient Greeks and Hades, but he did not live on Olympus, but lived underground, in the kingdom of the dead.
Who is more important? Gods of Ancient Greece
They got along well with each other, but sometimes there were clashes between them. From their life, which is described in Ancient Greek treatises, the legends and myths of this country emerged. Among the celestials there were those who occupied the high steps of the podium, while others were content with glory, being at the feet of the rulers. The list of gods of Olympia is as follows:
Zeus.
Hera.
Hephaestus.
Athena.
Poseidon.
Apollo.
Artemis.
Ares.
Demeter.
Hermes.
Aphrodite.
Hestia.
Zeus- the most important of all. He is the king of all gods. This thunderer personifies the endless firmament. Led by lightning. It is this ruler who distributes good and evil on the planet, the Greeks believed. The son of the titans married his own sister. Their four children were named Ilithyia, Hebe, Hephaestus and Ares. Zeus is a terrible traitor. He constantly engaged in adultery with other goddesses. He did not neglect earthly girls either. Zeus had something to surprise them with. He appeared to the Greek women either in the form of rain, or as a swan or a bull. Symbols of Zeus are eagle, thunder, oak.
Poseidon. This god ruled over the sea elements. In importance he was in second place after Zeus. In addition to oceans, seas and rivers, storms and sea monsters, Poseidon was “responsible” for earthquakes and volcanoes. In ancient Greek mythology, he was the brother of Zeus. Poseidon lived in a palace underwater. He rode around in a rich chariot drawn by white horses. The trident is the symbol of this Greek god.
Hera. She is the main of the female goddesses. This celestial goddess patronizes family traditions, marriage and love unions. Hera is jealous. She cruelly punishes people for adultery.
Apollo- son of Zeus. He is the twin brother of Artemis. Initially, this god was the personification of light, the sun. But gradually his cult expanded its borders. This god turned into the patron of the beauty of the soul, mastery of art, and everything beautiful. The muses were under his influence. Before the Greeks, he appeared in a rather refined image of a man with aristocratic features. Apollo played excellent music and was engaged in healing and divination. He is the father of the god Asclepius, the patron saint of doctors. At one time, Apollo destroyed the terrible monster that occupied Delphi. For this he was exiled for 8 years. Later he created his own oracle, the symbol of which was the laurel.
Without Artemis The ancient Greeks did not imagine hunting. The patroness of forests personifies fertility, birth and high relations between the sexes.
Athena. Everything related to wisdom, spiritual beauty and harmony is under the auspices of this goddess. She is a great inventor, lover of science and art. Artisans and farmers are subordinate to her. Athena “gives the go-ahead” for the construction of cities and buildings. Thanks to her it flows smoothly public life. This goddess is called upon to protect the walls of fortresses and castles.
Hermes. This ancient Greek god is quite mischievous and has earned the reputation of being a fidget. Hermes is the patron of travelers and traders. He is also the messenger of the gods on earth. It was on his heels that charming wings began to shine for the first time. The Greeks attribute traits of resourcefulness to Hermes. He is cunning, smart and knows everything foreign languages. When Hermes stole a dozen cows from Apollo, earning his wrath. But he was forgiven, because Apollo was captivated by the invention of Hermes - the lyre, which he presented to the god of beauty.
Ares. This god personifies war and everything connected with it. All kinds of battles and battles - under the representation of Ares. He is always young, strong and handsome. The Greeks painted him as powerful and warlike.
Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love and sensuality. Aphrodite constantly incites her son Eros to shoot arrows that ignite the fire of love in the hearts of people. Eros is the prototype of the Roman Cupid, a boy with a bow and quiver.
Hymen- god of marriage. Its bonds bind the hearts of people who met and fell in love with each other at first sight. Ancient Greek wedding chants were called "hymens".
Hephaestus- god of volcanoes and fire. Potters and blacksmiths are under his patronage. This is a hardworking and kind god. His fate did not turn out very well. He was born with a limp because his mother Hera threw him from Mount Olympus. Hephaestus was educated by the goddesses - the queens of the sea. On Olympus he returned and generously rewarded Achilles, presenting him with a shield and Helios with a chariot.
Demeter. She personifies the forces of nature that people have conquered. This is agriculture. A person’s entire life is under the watchful control of Demeter - from birth to deathbed.
Hestia. This goddess patronizes family ties, protects the hearth and comfort. The Greeks took care of offerings to Hestia by setting up altars in their homes. All residents of one city are one big community-family, the Greeks are sure. Even in the main city building there was a symbol of Hestia's sacrifices.
Hades- ruler of the kingdom of the dead. In his underground world dark creatures, dark shadows, demon monsters rejoice. Hades is considered one of the most powerful gods. He moved around the kingdom of Hades in a chariot made of gold. His horses are black. Hades - owns untold wealth. All the gems and ores that are contained in the depths belong to him. The Greeks feared him more than fire and even Zeus himself.
Except 12 gods of Olympus and Hades, the Greeks also have a lot of gods and even demigods. All of them are descendants and brothers of the main celestials. Each of them has its own legends or myths.
Rhodes. Valley of the Butterflies.
Greek standard of beauty
Athens in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek Athens is a majestic and revered city. It had a huge number of inhabitants. The area was distinguished by beautiful architecture. Athens is also the center of the arts and culture of the Greeks. The main city of Attica is located not on the seashore, as was customary since ancient times, but several kilometers from the body of water. The settlement was founded around a large hill, on the top of which in a picturesque area stood a fortress of unprecedented beauty - the Acropolis.
Peloponnesian War
It lasted almost 30 years. It was not just very long, but exhausting and very bloody. It was a brutal internal feud. The Athenians fought to the death with the Spartans. The clash between the city states took place under the auspices of two alliances: the Peloponnesian, under the leadership of Sparta. Athenian with a very strong fleet.
Lycabettos - "Wolf Hill"
No matter where you are in Athens, you will always, looking around the surroundings, see a high hill that proudly rises above the city, like an eternal sentinel, looking into the distance and protecting your native land from enemy invasion. This elevation is named Lykabettos - “Wolf Hill”. In ancient times, many wolves lived here and the Athenians did not like this place and tried to avoid it.
Zeus (Diy), Greek, Lat. Jupiter is the son of Kronos and Rhea, the supreme deity of the ancient Greeks.
Zeus was not always the supreme god and did not rule forever: he achieved power over gods and people by rebelling against his father Kronos, who had previously overthrown his father Uranus, the first ruler of the world after the initial Chaos, from the throne. Unlike the highest (or only) gods of many religions, Zeus had his own individual biography; he did not embody only highest virtues and did not freeze in numb immutability. The Greeks created it in their own image and likeness and in the image of the then earthly rulers. Therefore, Zeus has human properties and human character traits - naturally, exaggerated and exalted, as befits the ruler of earthly rulers and immortal gods.
Zeus was born in a cave on Mount Dikta on the island of Crete. The birth was surrounded by mystery, because his mother Rhea was afraid that her husband Kronos would swallow the baby, true to his custom, borrowed from his father Uranus. This time, Kronos swallowed an oblong stone, wrapped in swaddling clothes and slipped to him by Rhea. Thus, Zeus avoided the fate of his older brothers and sisters - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades (Hades) and Poseidon, who continued to exist in the womb of their father. Rhea could not stay with Zeus, so she entrusted him to the care of the nymphs, who fed him with the milk of the divine goat Amalthea and honey from bees. Zeus's safety was ensured by the mountain demons Kureta. When Zeus cried, they hit their shields with their swords and danced to wild screams, so Kronos did not hear him. On Mount Dikta and the even higher Mount Ida, Zeus grew up, matured and came to the decision to overthrow Kronos.
The first thing Zeus did was make Kronos disgorge his sisters and brothers by giving him a sickening potion. He sent Hestia, Demeter and Hera to the ends of the world, and called Hades and Poseidon to join him, and they immediately launched an attack on Kronos with their joint forces. He called for help from his brothers and sisters, the titans, and although not all of them came, the attack of the young people was repelled and they were gradually pushed back to the very top of Mount Olympus. But, as they say, at five minutes to twelve Zeus was rescued by the one-eyed giants Cyclopes. They forged lightning and thunder for him, with the help of which he fought back and then launched a counterattack. Zeus' chances increased significantly when tensions arose between the Titans. Ocean, Styx, Prometheus and some others, dissatisfied with the dictates of Kronos, went over to the side of Zeus. However, for ten whole years, a fierce struggle could not lead to victory for either side. With the help of his allies, Zeus eventually won, overthrew Kronos and his allied Titans into the eternal darkness of Tartarus and proclaimed himself the ruler of all that exists and will exist.
However, declaring oneself a ruler and becoming one are far from the same thing, and Zeus soon had to be convinced of this. Firstly, there remained his older brothers Hades and Poseidon, who, thanks to their origin and merits in the fight against Kronos, could lay claim to their share of power. However, the emergence of a new enemy united the brothers. The earth goddess Gaia was angry with Zeus for the severe punishment of the Titans, entered into an alliance with the god of the dark underground depths Tartarus and gave birth to the hundred-headed monster Typhon - specifically to destroy Zeus. Typhon was so huge that the earth caved in under him, he howled with the voices of all wild animals and spewed flames from his dragon mouths. However, Zeus, in a difficult battle, defeated Typhon with his thunder and lightning and also threw him into Tartarus. Then he invited the brothers to divide their spheres of influence by lot, and they agreed. Here Zeus tried to make him lucky: as a result, Poseidon got the sea, Hades got the afterlife, and Zeus got heaven and earth.
At first, Zeus ruled as a tyrant and even tried to destroy the human race twice. The first time he wanted to do this because people seemed too weak and helpless to him. But he was prevented by the titan Prometheus, the creator of people.
Taking care of his creations, Prometheus brought fire and knowledge to people. The second time, Zeus decided to destroy all people because, after receiving the gifts of Prometheus, they seemed too powerful to him. He sent a flood to the world, but Prometheus gave his son Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha the opportunity to escape, and they then populated the world with people again. And Zeus strengthened his power, felt confident and loosened the reins of his rule - and even released some of his former enemies. However, he still retained absolute power not only thanks to his leadership of the victorious uprising and lucky fate, but mainly due to his power.
The gods were aware of the power of Zeus and therefore obeyed him, although not always willingly, and sometimes even tried to rebel. Once they even tried to overthrow him from the throne, but the hundred-armed giant Briareus rescued Zeus. Only one uprising during the entire reign of Zeus posed a serious threat - it was the rebellion of the hairy giants, but Zeus mercilessly suppressed it with the help of the other gods and his earthly son Hercules. But in general, the gods believed that it was better to live on good terms with the supreme god; Most people were of the same opinion. In the era of heroes, Zeus almost no longer abused power and might, and although he had many human weaknesses, he was still much better than all the previous rulers of the world.
Zeus was an absolute, but not omnipotent, ruler. In this he differed from the gods of other religions, without whose will not even a hair could fall from a person’s head. Something higher, inscrutable and inviolable reigned over him, as well as over the rest of the gods and people: fate. It was believed, however, that Zeus was the ruler of destinies; but this was just a metaphor: just like any other god or man, Zeus could command fate only insofar as he acted in accordance with its destiny. Zeus could not go against fate, even if he wanted to. He was not the master of fate, but only its guardian and executor. Let us remember the duel between Achilles and Hector: at the decisive moment, Zeus cast the heroes' lots on the golden scales of fate, Hector's lot fell down - and his fate was decided, he was doomed, and Zeus could only state this.
As the supreme ruler of gods and men, Zeus was the creator and guardian of divine and human orders. He brought kings into possession, protected public assemblies, strengthened order and law, was a witness and keeper of the oath, punished violations of justice, protected everyone who turned to him for help (although he was not always consistent). He saw everything, heard everything, knew everything (if not immediately, then at least retroactively). And he knew the future, and sometimes he made people aware of it through various signs: natural phenomena, dreams and predictions (especially if people asked him about it by making appropriate sacrifices). Zeus distributed good and evil to people, choosing these gifts at his discretion from two large vessels installed in his palace. His most destructive weapons were thunder and lightning. He himself had an indestructible shield (egis - “goatskin”), made from the skin of the Amalthea goat.
The main residence of Zeus was the forked peak of Mount Olympus in Greek Thessaly, lost in the clouds and reaching into the sky. There stood his magnificent golden palace, built by Hephaestus. In addition, Zeus willingly spent time on the Cretan Mount Ida, on another Ida - in Troas, on the Phokian Parnassus, the Boeotian Kiferon and on other mountains. When Zeus, under the name of Jupiter, also became the god of the Romans, one of his places of residence was the Roman Capitol. Zeus made his trips from Olympus in a golden chariot, but he could also resort to more modest methods of transportation. In practice, he was omnipresent, and one could call on him for help not only in his temple, but anywhere. Sometimes Zeus came into the world, changing his likeness; he could appear in the form of a man, an animal, or a natural phenomenon - however, any god had this privilege.
Zeus did not burden himself too much with his leadership functions. He mostly spent his time at magnificent feasts in the company of the other Olympian gods, where ambrosia was served as the main dish and nectar as a drink. These delicacies, the recipe of which, alas, is unknown to us, provided the gods with immortality and eternal freshness of strength, without which there would be little joy in immortality. At feasts, which were also meetings of the gods, Zeus sat on a golden throne. He was served by the cupbearer of the gods, Ganymede, and the goddess of youth, Hebe; the lovely Charites and the goddess of the arts, the Muses, entertained him with dances and songs. When Zeus exercised his sovereign functions, he was accompanied by the gods and goddesses Kratos, Zelos, Bia and Nike, personifying power, zeal, strength and victory. When Zeus acted as the supreme judge, Themis, the goddess of legal order, and Dike, the goddess of justice, stood at his throne. The goddesses of the seasons, the Mountains, helped him ensure order in nature. The inseparable companions of Zeus were also Tikha - the goddess of a happy occasion, the goddess of peace Eirene and the goddess of the rainbow Iris, who at the same time served as the messenger of Zeus, as well as Hermes.
Zeus's wife was his sister, the beautiful and majestic Hera. She bore Zeus three children: the god of war Ares, the blacksmith and gunsmith of the gods Hephaestus, and the goddess of eternal youth Hebe. Zeus gave Hera all kinds of honors and highly valued her. But this did not stop him from sometimes looking at other women. To be honest, “sometimes” is not the right word: Zeus was a terrible lover and with equal willingness chose his lovers among goddesses and among mortal women. The goddess Demeter gave birth to Persephone, Mnemosyne - the Muses, Eurynome - Charit, Themis - Horus and Moira, Maya - Hermes, Leto - the twins Apollo and Artemis; Dione is said to have given birth to Aphrodite. He was not always able to immediately achieve reciprocity; even mortal women sometimes shied away from such a high honor. In such cases, Zeus did not hesitate to turn into their spouses, into a bull, a swan, rain - into anything in order to achieve his goal. The list of Zeus's descendants from mortal women looks very solid: Alcmene gave birth to Hercules, Semele - Dionysus, Danae - Perseus, Europa - Minos, Sarpedon and Radamanthos, Antiope - the twins Amphion and Zetas, Leda - Polydeuces and Helen. We don’t really know about many of his descendants - which immortal or mortal woman is their mother? But there were also cases when women attributed paternity to Zeus in order to boast or get out of a sticky situation. But Zeus created his most beloved daughter, Athena, without women's aid: he gave birth to her himself, from his head, from where she immediately jumped out in full armor. Zeus took good care of all his children, in many cases better than he took care of his beloved ones. They all also played important role in the world of myths (this is discussed in the relevant articles).
It is clear that Hera disapproved of Zeus' hobbies. She pursued his mistresses and their children and staged such scenes of jealousy for him that Olympus shook and storms arose on earth. However, Zeus managed to calm her down: after all, he was not only a husband, but also a god. In addition to his weakness for women (if you can call it that), Zeus was not without other shortcomings. Sometimes he was short-sighted, especially under the influence of the goddess of delusion and clouding of the mind Ata; several times his vigilance was literally lulled by the god of sleep Hypnos; in addition, Zeus loved to brag, although he had absolutely no need for it. The other gods skillfully used these shortcomings of his, as well as his affection and aversion to quarrels. The greatest master in this area was, of course, Hera.
However, Zeus was the most powerful and noble of the gods. He owned titles and epithets that sound much better in ancient Greek than in translation: “all-powerful”, “all-wise”, “cloud-catcher”, “thunderer”, “high-thundering”, “clearly shining”, etc. But most often people just they called him “Olympian” or “Almighty”, and on especially solemn occasions - “Father of gods and kings”. His symbol was thunder and lightning, of birds - mainly the eagle, of trees - oak. The Greeks (and Romans) imagined him as a majestic man with a thick, wavy beard and mustache; his calm gaze reflected the proud consciousness of indestructible strength.
On modern level According to research, Zeus is considered an ancient god of Indo-European origin, a relative of the Indian Dyaus, the Etruscan Tina (Tinia) and the Roman Jupiter. The Greeks brought Zeus with them from their previous places of residence. Initially they revered him as the god of the sky and celestial phenomena, the lord of the weather. He became the supreme god only in the process of anthropomorphizing the ancient gods, i.e., their transformation into creatures similar to people in their own way appearance and properties. At the same time (obviously under the influence of the ancient population of Greece) Zeus acquired a variety of new functions, which were designated by individualizing attributes. Ultimately, the Greeks integrated Zeus, along with the other gods, into a clan system that corresponded to the ideas of clan society, and gave him the appearance of an earthly ruler of those times, only more powerful in all respects. We meet Zeus under his own name already on tablets written in Crete-Mycenaean Linear B (14th-13th centuries BC). As we know Zeus today, he was first described by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey, and then by Hesiod in his Theogony.
The Greeks revered Zeus above all their other gods, despite the weaknesses and shortcomings that are attributed to him in myth. They built temples, altars and statues for him throughout their world, which was not limited to the territory of present-day Greece, but included the coastal regions of modern Turkey and southern Italy with nearby islands, and in some places reached the mouth of the Don in the north, to the Lower Nile in the south, to the river Ebro in the west, in the east its branches went far beyond the Tigris.
All the temples dedicated to Zeus lie in ruins today. The most significant of these were the temples at Olympia, Athens and Akragante in Sicily. The first was built in 460-450. BC e. designed by Libo of Elis. The Athenian Temple of Olympion was the largest in what is now Greece (108 x 41 m in plan, 104 columns 17.5 m high - fifteen of them still stand). The foundations of this temple were laid by the Pisistratids ca. 515 BC e., and it was completed only under Emperor Hadrian in 132 AD. e. An even larger temple was built by the Sicilian Greeks in Akraganta at the beginning of the 5th century. BC BC: its area in plan was 113 x 56 m, and in the façade the columns alternated with telamons. Of the altars of Zeus, the most famous is the Pergamon altar (180-160 BC); after it was discovered by Humann, the altar was transported to Berlin, reconstructed and housed in the specially built Pergamon Museum, which is now integral part State Museums in Berlin.
Of the statues of Zeus, perhaps the most famous is “Zeus of Otricoli” - a Roman copy of a Greek original attributed to Briaxis (4th century BC). The most valuable is the bronze “Zeus of Artemisium”, attributed to the Athenian sculptor Kalamis (5th century BC) and caught from the sea in 1926-1928. off Cape Artemisia in northern Euboea; it was found among the wreckage of an antique ship transporting looted works of Greek art to Italy. Some art historians saw Poseidon in him; but anyway this is one of the best works antique plastic. The original is in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, and exact copy decorates the lobby of the UN building in New York, next to a model of the first Soviet satellite. However, the most famous was the statue of Zeus at Olympia, made by Phidias in gold and ivory c. 430 BC e. The ancients considered it one of the “seven wonders of the world,” but at the beginning of the 5th century. n. e. By order of Emperor Theodosius II, she was taken as a pagan idol to Constantinople, where she subsequently disappeared without a trace. She was written off as a victim of the fire of 475.
If we decided to list the European artists who depicted Zeus, we would actually get a list of almost all the masters of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism and many artists of a later time. In all paintings depicting a host of Greek gods, Zeus occupies a central place - for example, in Rubens's painting “The Assembly of the Olympian Gods” (c. 1602, Prague Castle Picture Gallery).
The god of Ancient Greece Zeus is known to us as the main Olympian god, ruling the entire world, sky, thunder and lightning. The god of Ancient Greece, Zeus, is associated with real rock and fate. This is justified by the fact that people were protected by it: asking and pleading. Not only subjects, but also kings and other gods obeyed Zeus.
Ancient Greek God Zeus
The Greek god distinguished between good and evil and introduced people to the concepts of shame and conscience. Zeus, the supreme god of Olympus, had three brothers with whom he shared power. The location of the god was Mount Olympus, which is why the patriarchy of Zeus was called Olympian. The power of the patron did not satisfy the other gods, so they tried to overthrow him from the throne. They failed to carry out a coup d'état, so all violators were punished.
What does the god Zeus look like?
The god of Ancient Greece Zeus was the father of all people and gods, and Roman mythology identified him with Jupiter. Thanks to Zeus, Greece had an established social order. The traditional description of the god Zeus is an image of a mature man with a noble face, thick snow-white curls, a beard and a strong powerful figure, strong slender arms. Later artists depict God in a huge variety of guises, among which Zeus appears as a deceiver of women, a character in love affairs.
What did Zeus patronize?
The third son of Kronos was different from the rest of the Gods. He was not only a fair, honest and decent leader, but also responsible for the welfare of the entire population. The main tasks of Zeus were:
- protect city life;
- avoid disorder and chaos;
- direct life in the right direction;
- protect all those offended;
- protect the family hearth;
- monitor the implementation of laws and observance of customs.
This is not the entire list of what Zeus was responsible for. Ancient Greek god Sky and Thunder was able to solve any pressing issue, calm and pacify everyone who needed help at a certain point in their life. Thanks to his “power”, everyone was confident that justice would always triumph. The energy of God spread to the entire Olympus and delighted with its purity.
Attributes of the god Zeus
Each attribute gave Zeus the Thunderer strength and was an integral part of the overall image. The main association with Zeus is lightning, which is in the hands of the patron and serves as a material weapon. However, these are not all the attributes of God.
- The first and one of the main symbols of power is the eagle, which is associated with Zeus.
- The shield of Zeus is a symbol of anger and rage.
- A chariot drawn by eagles.
- Scepter.
- Hammer or labrys.
Zeus Family
Zeus belongs to the generation of titans. His father Kronos knew even before birth that his own son would overthrow his father’s power, so he swallowed every baby born to Rhea. As the myth of the birth of Zeus testifies, his mother deceived Kronos and gave birth to a baby, hiding it. It is impossible to find out the exact place of birth of the child, but the island of Crete is considered the leader among all versions. So that the clever Kronos did not notice the birth of his son, he had to absorb a stone in a diaper. The born Zeus laughed for a week - after which the number 7 began to be considered sacred.
The Cretan version of the myth insists that Zeus was raised by the Curetes and Corybantes, fed on goat's milk, and fed on bee honey. It is difficult to consider this information the only correct one. Another version of the legend says that the boy, fed on goat's milk, was guarded by guards every minute. On occasions when a child cried, the guards would bang their spears on their shields to deceive Kronos' ears.
The grown god created a potion with which he freed his brothers from Kronos. The mighty brothers started a fight with their father that lasted 9 years. After some time, it was still not possible to determine the winner. But the savvy Zeus the Thunderer found a way out, freeing the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Men. They helped bring down the titan and bring him down. After a protracted struggle, the three brothers finally began to rule the island.
Father of Zeus
According to ancient Greek mythology, Kronos was the supreme deity. Another version insists that Kronos is the Titan god, the father of Zeus, the god of agriculture, and was identified with Chronos. The reign of Kronos is considered the golden age in Greece. The main attribute of Kronos is the sickle. Kronos was the supreme god, and due to his seniority, he became king.
Mother of Zeus
The mother of the god Zeus, Rhea, was considered the goddess of the earth, was a Titanide and the daughter of Gaia and Uranus. Rhea was the mother of Hestia - the goddess of the hearth, Demeter - the goddess of fertility, - the goddess of families, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus. Rhea is remembered by mythology as a brave and courageous Titanide who was able to go against her husband’s will by secretly giving birth to a child. Rhea had the power of healing, which was useful to her to save the life of Dionysus.
Zeus's wife
According to some myths, Zeus was very attached to Thetis and wanted to leave his wife for her sake. The only obstacle to this was a prophecy. Zeus seduced his chosen ones, taking on various forms: a swan, a bull, a snake, rain, an ant, a bird, a beetle. Zeus was not distinguished by constancy and had many wives and lovers, among whom:
- Metis is the only wife of Zeus who was swallowed;
- Themis;
- Hera is the last wife of God;
- Demeter;
- Thebe;
- Phthia;
- Aytos;
- Ganymede.
- Callirhoe.
Son of Zeus
Zeus contributed to the birth strongest sons, which made their mark in the history of ancient Greek mythology. But strong and brave sons are contrasted with the gentle, intelligent and fertile daughters of Zeus. The sons of Zeus were:
- the love god Eros, born of Aphrodite;
- god of struggle Ares;
- the fire god Hephaestus, who patronized blacksmithing;
- Hermes, patron of trade;
- horned baby Sabazius;
- wine god Dionysus;
- Apollo is the son of Zeus, the god of light, music, and medicine.
- Egipan;
- patron of the herd Pan;
- Karpos.
Daughters of God Zeus
Zeus is the father of most known to the world goddesses. Based on their number, they were divided into groups according to the tasks performed.
- 9 muses of Zeus led by Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia, Urania and Calliope. The goddesses were responsible for science, poetry, and art.
- Charites responsible for fun, joy and pleasure in life.
- The Moirai, including Clotho, Atropos, Lachesis, were responsible for.
- The Orami controlled the seasons.
- The Erinyes committed acts of revenge and rebellion.
- The senior muses include Telxiope, Aeda, Arhu and Meleta.
The Greek god Zeus was the ruler of the earth and the underground, and judged the dead. The fair and strong Zeus accomplished both good deeds and real feats in the name of the common good. Zeus is not only the real supreme god, patron and leader, he was a symbol of brotherly love, intelligence and logic. From an early age, Zeus differed from his peers in his thirst to live, fight for justice, and win. The legendary titan was a true fighter and builder of the general order.