10 Interesting Facts about Zeus

If you are interested in reading Greek mythology or are on research on that, then you must have known one of these following facts about Zeus. If you watch him on television, you will describe him as one of the Greek strongest gods. But, how much do you know about him? This article will show you how strong and kind he is. Zeus, as you know, is the “Father of Gods and men” who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family. He is the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology and is the youngest child of Cronus and Rhea. To get to know more about him, here are some other facts about Zeus you may consider interesting.

Facts about Zeus 1: Youngest Child

Cronus and Rhea had several children whom they swallowed as soon as the children were born. Cronus was afraid that his children would overthrown his throne. Therefore, when Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Cronus would get his retribution for his acts against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Cronus a rock wrapped in clothes which he promptly swallowed.

Facts about Zeus 2: Raised by Few Things

Among them, he was raised by a goat named Amalthea while “Kouretes” (soldiers, or smaller gods) dancing, shouting and clashing their spears against their shields so that Cronus would not hear the baby’s cry. He was also raised by a nymph named Adamanthea. Cronus ruled over the Earth, the heavens and the sea. Adamanthea hid him by dangling him on a rope from a tree so he was suspended between earth, sea and sky and thus invisible to his father.

Facts about Zeus 3: Saving His Brothers and Sisters

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

Facts about Zeus 4: Zeus’ Women

In most ancient mythologies the very first beings had to marry each other despite being such close relatives because there was no one else with whom to propagate their kind. So Zeus was married to his sister Hera (who in some versions was also his twin). A nymph named Pluto was the mother by Zeus of King Tantalos of Lydia, and since Pluto’s father is supposed to have been Kronos, then that means that Pluto was Zeus’ sister (or half-sister at least). Zeus cheated on Hera with one of his sisters, but it was not Demeter. According to Hesiodos’ Theogoneia (Theogony) Zeus was married six times before he married Hera.

Facts about Zeus 5: Children

Since he married several times with several women, he had many children from divine wives and Semi-divine/mortal wives for a total of almost 70 women, therefore generating lot of offsprings.

Facts about Zeus 6: Names

Zeus has several names, including Zeus Olympios, Zeus Panhellenios, Zeus Horkios, Zeus Agoraeus, Zeus Xenios, Philoxenon or Hospites (the patron of hospitality), Zeus Aegiduchos or Aegiochos which was as an allusion to the legend of Zeus’ suckling at the breast of Amalthea.

Facts about Zeus 7: Mountains

Many mountains were dedicated to him: in the Tessaglia region, the Olymps, the Pelius and Eta; Lyceum in Arcadia and the mount Itome in Messenia; the Parnete and Imetto in Attica; the Citerone in Beozia; il Parnaso in Focide; the mount Ida in Troia, another mountain named Ida in the Creta Island, and many others.

Facts about Zeus 8: Representation

Zeus was represented in many ways, but there was a constant element that was always present:  he was never without the symbol of kings and gods which is the scepter, the same one that mortal kings received from him to administer power and justice.

Facts about Zeus 9: Different Way of God

Zeus was venerated also as a multiple god with a double-sided soul, therefore as a good god and an angry god.

Facts about Zeus 10: Character

The character of Zeus, with all his vicissitudes, doesn’t match with any other Indo-European divinities with the same powers or names (like Varuna or Vodan gods). The feature of universal father expressed with the epic formula “father of all men and gods” traces back to prehistoric era, as well as the supremacy on weather “Gather of clouds and storms”.

For those who like Greek mythology, those following facts about Zeus will probably help them know much more about him. Also for those who aren’t really interested in it, hope you found those Zeus facts really interesting and useful for you knowledge.