Zeus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zeus |
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| God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice | |
Zeus de Smyrne, discovered in Smyrna in 1680
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| Abode | Mount Olympus |
| Symbol | Thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak |
| Personal information | |
| Consort | Hera and various others |
| Children | Aeacus, Agdistis, Angelos, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Dionysus, Eileithyia, Enyo, Epaphus Eris, Ersa, Hebe, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Heracles, Hermes, Lacedaemon Minos, Pandia, Persephone, Perseus, Rhadamanthus, the Graces, the Horae, the Litae, the Muses, the Moirai |
| Parents | Cronus and Rhea |
| Siblings | Hestia, Hades, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Chiron |
| Roman equivalent | Jupiter |
| Norse equivalent | Thor or Odin |
| Slavic equivalent | Perun |
Zeus is the most powerful god in Greek mythology. He is known as the god of the sky, lightning, and thunder. Zeus rules over all the other gods on Mount Olympus.
Zeus was the sixth child of Cronus and Rhea, who were the king and queen of the Titans. Cronus was afraid that one of his children would take his place, so he swallowed them as soon as they were born. But when Zeus was born, Rhea hid him in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. She gave Cronus a stone wrapped in baby clothes to swallow instead.
When Zeus grew up, he went to free his brothers and sisters. With the help of allies like the Hekatonkheires and the Elder Cyclopes, Zeus and his siblings fought the Titans. This big war, called the Titanomachy, lasted for ten years. After the war, Zeus defeated Cronus and became the king of the gods.
Zeus was highly respected throughout Ancient Greece. The ancient Olympic Games were held every four years to honor him. Zeus was known for his strong temper and his powerful weapon: the thunderbolt. It was said to be the strongest weapon among all the gods.
Zeus was married to his sister, Hera. He was also known for throwing thunderbolts at people. As the god of honor and justice, Zeus created and upheld laws. He was a role model for kings, making sure they used their power wisely. His symbols were the thunderbolt, a royal staff, and the oak tree. The eagle and bull were his special animals. In Roman myths, he is known as Jupiter. In Norse myths, he is similar to Odin.
Contents
Greek Myths About Zeus
Zeus's Birth Story
Cronus and Rhea had several children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. But Cronus swallowed each child right after they were born. He had learned from Gaia and Uranus that his own son would overthrow him, just as he had overthrown his father, Uranus. Rhea wanted to stop this from happening.
When Zeus was about to be born, Rhea asked Gaia for help. They made a plan to save Zeus so that Cronus would finally pay for his actions. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete. She then gave Cronus a rock wrapped in baby clothes, and he quickly swallowed it, thinking it was his new son.
Zeus and Humans
From his home on Mount Olympus, Zeus saw that humans were living very luxurious lives. He decided to wipe out humankind. With the help of his brother Poseidon, he flooded the entire world. After the flood, only Deucalion and Pyrrha survived. This story of a great flood is found in many myths.
Throughout history, Zeus has been shown using force, sometimes to scare humans. As the god of the sky, he can throw lightning bolts as a weapon. Since lightning is very powerful and can be deadly, a lightning strike is often seen as a clear sign that Zeus has acted.
Zeus in the Iliad
The Iliad is a famous poem by Homer about the Trojan War. Zeus plays a very important part in this battle over the city of Troy.
Here are some times Zeus appears in the Iliad:
- Book 2: Zeus sends Agamemnon a dream. This dream partly controls Agamemnon's choices.
- Book 4: Zeus promises Hera that the city of Troy will be destroyed at the end of the war.
- Book 7: Zeus and Poseidon destroy the fortress of the Achaeans.
- Book 8: Zeus stops the other gods from fighting each other. He then goes to Mount Ida to think about his decision that the Greeks will lose the war.
- Book 15: Zeus wakes up and realizes his brother, Poseidon, has been helping the Greeks. He then sends Hector and Apollo to help the Trojans, making sure Troy will fall.
- Book 16: Zeus is sad that he could not save Sarpedon's life. Saving him would have gone against his earlier decisions.
- Book 17: Zeus feels emotional pain about Hector's fate.
- Book 20: Zeus allows the other gods to help their favorite sides in the war.
- Book 24: Zeus demands that Achilles release Hector's body so it can be buried with honor.
Related pages
- Tinia - The Etruscan mythology version of Zeus.
- Odin - The Norse mythology version of Zeus.
- Jupiter - The Roman mythology version of Zeus.
Images for kids
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Zeus, at the Getty Villa, A.D. 1 – 100 by unknown.
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Colossal seated Marnas from Gaza portrayed in the style of Zeus. Roman period Marnas was the chief divinity of Gaza (Istanbul Archaeology Museum).
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Roman marble colossal head of Zeus, 2nd century AD (British Museum)
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Marble eagle from the sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistos, Archaeological Museum of Dion.
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Roman cast terracotta of ram-horned Jupiter Ammon, 1st century AD (Museo Barracco, Rome).
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Evolution of Zeus Nikephoros ("Zeus holding Nike") on Indo-Greek coinage: from the Classical motif of Nike handing the wreath of victory to Zeus himself (left, coin of Heliocles I 145-130 BC), then to a baby elephant (middle, coin of Antialcidas 115-95 BC), and then to the Wheel of the Law, symbol of Buddhism (right, coin of Menander II 90–85 BC).
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A statue of Zeus in a drawing.
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A bust of Zeus.
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See also
In Spanish: Zeus para niños
