The History of Zeus

​Most Powerful God,

Ruler of Mount Olympus,

Lord of Sky,

Rain God, Cloud-Gatherer,

Zeus of the Thunderbolt,

Also known as Roman God Jupiter or Jove



​​Birth of Zeus

Titans were the ruler of the universe before the existence of the Greek gods we familiar with. Among all Titans, Cronus was the ruler. He was the only one who dare to risk when his mother, Gaia asking her sons to revenge on what his father, Uranus did to her. He managed to cut of his father genitals and claimed the throne, became the ruler of universe. For what he had done to his father, he received a prophecy from his father that he would be overcome by one of his offspring. Some version said that this prophecy was given by his mother, Gaia. Doesn't matter who give the prophecy, Cronus started to swallow his own children as soon as they were born by their mother, Rhea. His wife and sister, Rhea  seek advice from her mother, Gaia when her youngest child, Zeus was about to be born. With Gaia help, she managed to give birth in Crete, some version said Zeus was born elsewhere and then brought to Crete, and was hid in a cave beneath the Aegean Mountains. She then tricked Cronus with a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes. Cronus did not realize and swallowed it. Here, there were various versions about the raising of Zeus:

1. He was raised by Gaia.
2. He was raised a nymph named Adamanthea. Cronus supposedly able see everything that occurred in earth, sea and heavens, but Adamanthea prevented it by hanging the baby from a tree with rope, thus invisible to his father.
3. He was raised by a goat named Amalthea, with a company of Kouretes (smaller gods) who make noisy sound to prevent Cronus from hearing the sound of baby crying.
4. He was raised by Melissa, a nymph who nursed Zeus with goat-milk and honey.

Regardless, all sources agreed Zeus was successfully grown up without his father knowledge.  



Titanomachy

After Zeus reaching manhood, he managed to get back to the gods and hid father, Cronus employed him as a cupbearer, not realizing that he was his son. There are also different version of narratives about the encounter between Zeus an Cronus. Some say Zeus was given a wine by Metis, the Titan goddess of Wisdom which could cause Cronus vomited all Zeus' siblings. While other say that Zeus cut Cronus' stomach open. The war between Titans and Zeus and his brothers and sisters started, known as Titanomachy This was one of the major war Zeus need to face. First, Zeus and his brothers and sisters need weapons. First, they travelled to Tartarus to free Cyclpoes, Zeus' uncle and Cronus' brother, who had been imprisoned by Cronus. In return, Cyclopes forged three excellent and powerful weapons for Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Hades gained a cape of darkness, Poseidon got a trident and Zeus grabbed the most powerful, thunderbolt. Along with Cyclopes, they also freed Cronus other siblings, Gigantes and Hecatonchires. With the help of Zeus' uncle, Cronus and other Titans were finally overthrew and imprisoned in Tartaras because of Titans immortality. Atlas was the only Titan who not imprisoned in Tartarus, forced to hold up the sky as a punishment. Now, Olympian ruler was succeeded by Zeus and the world was divided into three power, where Zeus held the sky as his dominion, Poseidon as ruler of the sea and Hades as the ruler of the Underworld. 

 

Gigantomachy & Typhonomachy

After the defeat of Titans, Gaia was unpleasant at how Zeus treated her children and cast down the monster Giants and Typhon. Giants was believed as son of Gaia from Uranus' blood while Typhon was the offspring of Earth and Tartarus. In Hesiod's account, Typhon was described as a monster that had hundreds snake heads with powerful arms and tireless legs. Both of the monsters were threatening the Olympian gods and once again, a war started. A prophecy appeared to Zeus that only with the help of a mortal, he could win the war. Heracles or Hercules in Romans mythology was the mortal that help Zeus defeated the monsters by striking a final blow to Alcoyoneus, giants' leader. Both monsters were defeated and faced the same fate as Cronus, imprisoned in Tartarus forever.



Zeus' Wife

Finally, after the three struggles, Titanomachy, Gigantomachy and Typhonomachy, he had the absolute control as the king of the gods and no one dare to challenge him.  Being the king of Mount Olympus, he decided to choose a queen and Metis became his first wife. At first Metis denied Zeus proposal by changing to different form but Zeus did not give up and Metis was tired of transformation and accepted Zeus as her husband. Gaia again intercepted the life of Zeus, feeling maybe was not interesting enough, cast a prophecy that he would meet the same destiny as his father, Cronus and grandfather, Uranos, which is usurp by his son born by Metis. So, when Metis pregnant, he was so afraid and made a solution, which is swallowed Metis and unborn child whole (like father like son). However, Metis was actually carrying a daughter, not a son. She was began to make armor for her daughter while she was in Zeus stomach. During this period, Zeus felt extremely headache and asked Hermes for help. Immediately, Hermes took an axe made by Hephaestus and used it to split the forehead of Zeus wide open. From the forehead, fully-grown Athena popped out, wearing armor made by her mother. Later, she became one of the Zeus favourite children. Second lady who caught his eye was Hera, his sister. Again, Hera did not fond with Zeus and tried her best to run away from approaching Zeus but Zeus never gave up. Finally Hera became his second wife after Metis. Zeus never stopped finding lover, he pursued whatever caught his eye, including goddess, nymphs and mortals. Hera was rendered as a jealousy character in many myths. Though she did not dared to released her rage upon Zeus as she was punished once before when she did so, she directed her anger against his lovers and children. For example, she drove Heracles mad and killed his wife and children. 

 

​Note: You can get a list of Zeus' lovers and offspring through this link.