We explain who Zeus was in Greek mythology and how he was worshiped. In addition, we tell you what other Greek gods were like.
Who was Zeus?
Zeus was the name of the god supreme of the religion Y ancient greek mythology. He was considered the father of the gods and of the Humans, and the supreme ruler of Olympus, the mountain top in which the gods lived. He was represented as a bearded man carrying a crown and a sceptre, and sometimes lightning, since the sky, thunder and energy were consecrated to him, as well as the eagle, the bull and the oak.
In Greek mythology, Zeus had been the youngest son of the gods Rhea and Cronos. Cronos ruled the universe after having defeated and castrated his father, the god Uranus, and a prophecy predicted that he would suffer a similar fate at the hands of one of his children.
For that reason, Cronus devoured his children as soon as they were born, until her wife, wishing to keep her youngest child, gave him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead. It was thus that Rhea was able to give birth to Zeus in secret and hide him in a cave on Mount Ida, in Crete, until the god was old enough to challenge his father.
Then Zeus opened Cronos's stomach and freed his brothers from inside him, with whom he undertook an epic war against the ancient gods (called "titans"), whom they defeated and imprisoned in the abyss of Tartarus. . This war is called Titanomachy and represents the advent of the modern Greek gods, that is, the Olympian gods, reigned by Zeus, along with his wife and sister Hera.
Zeus, on the other hand, was famous in the great Greek myths for his frequent and numerous infidelities, for which he was the father of various deities (such as Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Persephone and Hephaestus, depending on the story consulted ) and many other classical heroes (such as Hercules, Orion, Corinth, Alexander the Great or Helen of Troy). His eventual consorts and lovers included goddesses, nymphs, and mortals, many of whom were later hunted down and punished by Zeus's jealous wife.
cult of zeus
In the religion of Ancient Greece, Zeus was the archetypal, omnipotent and supreme god, who played a solar role (he was nicknamed "cloud gatherer") in the culture, in charge of commanding the universe and imparting the Justice supreme among the gods. But, although he was considered the main god of the Olympian pantheon throughout Ancient Greece and its colonies (from Sicily to Asia Minor), his worship It was never as popular as that of other minor divinities, considered local patrons in different cities and regions.
It was common, for example, to find statues of Zeus in government buildings, domestic altars and the tops of various mountains, but there was not a temple dedicated to this god in Athens until well into the 6th century BC. C., and even the main temple of the cult of him, located in the ancient city of Olympia, was later than that of Hera. Even so, in his honor numerous animals were sacrificed, and celebrations were celebrated. Olympic Games every four years.
The cult of Zeus, therefore, could vary depending on the geography and also the role that the god was given. Thus he had numerous epithets or invocations, each with a proper name, which represented a particular aspect of his authority. Some examples of this are:
- Zeus Olympius.In his role as father and ruler of Olympus, god of gods and patron of the Panhellenic festival (in which all of Ancient Greece gathered) in the city of Olympia.
- Zeus Xenius. In his role as generous host and patron of guests (xenos, "Stranger"), he ensured compliance with ancient laws of hospitality.
- Zeus Agoreo. In his role as caretaker of the agora, that is, of the public square and commercial affairs, to punish the citizens dishonest
- Zeus Horquio. In his role as guarantor of the oaths, since those who broke the word pledged in oath were forced to erect a statue to Zeus in compensation.
- Zeus Memactes. In his role as ruler of the winds and winter storms, especially during the month of Memacterión (approx. November) in the city of Athens.
- Zeus Eleutherius. In his role as guarantor of the freedom of Greek citizens, he was honored in different cities with the Eleutherian festivals.
- Zeus Polyeus. In his role as caretaker of the polis, that is, of the State, to whom he worshiped during the Dipolias festivities in the city of Athens during the month of Scirophorion (at the end of spring).
For his part, in the Roman cult, Zeus was called Jupiter (dyeu-piter, "father of the day"). In other cultures he received the names of Diaus Pitar (India), Amun (Egypt) and Baal (Canaan).
Other gods of Greek mythology
In addition to Zeus, the pantheon of the Greek gods was made up of:
- Hera (Juno for the Romans). greek goddess of marriage, housework, motherhood and familyshe, sister and wife of Zeus, she was often depicted as a jealous and vindictive consort against the descendants of her husband's numerous infidelities.
- Athena (Minerva for the Romans).Also known as Pallas Athena, she was a warrior and virginal goddess, associated with human knowledge: civilization, wisdom, justice, science and science. freedom. She was the daughter of Zeus only, for she was born from her head, after the father god swallowed one of his many lovers.
- Poseidon (Neptune for the Romans). Greek god of the seas and earthquakes, whose rage spawned storms, tidal waves, sea monsters, and shipwrecks. Brother of Zeus, he was associated with horses and was represented as a bearded man wielding a trident, accompanied by some fish, lizard, dolphin or hippocampus, or in the company of sea nymphs, the Nereas.
- Aphrodite (Venus for the Romans). greek goddess of love erotic, sensuality and unbridled passion, represented as a fickle, capricious, moody and terribly beautiful woman. She was the unfaithful wife of the god Hephaestus, whom she especially cheated on with Ares, god of war, and even with mortals from whom she conceived mythical heroes.
- Hephaestus (Vulcan for the Romans). Greek god of fire, forging and metallurgy, patron of artisans and blacksmiths, he was depicted as a bearded man with ugly features, disheveled and lame or with backwards feet, leaning over his anvil with a hammer. His forge was inside Mount Olympus and the metal he forged was the best in all of Greece.
- Ares (Mars for the Romans). Greek god of war, embodiment of bravery, tenacity, strength and virility. He was protector of armies, rebels, and just men, and helper of the weak, though he too took credit for the brutality of war. He was the son of Zeus and Hera.
- Apollo (Delicus for the Romans). god of the Arts, divination and the bow and arrow, he was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. They were also attributed the beauty, balance, perfection, healing, the initiation of young people to adulthood, shepherding and music.
- Artemis (Diana for the Romans). Also called Artemis or Delia, she was a hunting goddess, associated with wild animals, wilderness, female virginity, and childbirth. Twin sister of Apollo, she was represented as a young woman with a bow and a quiver full of arrows, accompanied by a deer, a cypress and even game animals, such as dogs.