Greek: Greek Mythology and Zeus Essay

During the Greek times, there were many gods and goddesses who brought something towards life. Each god, and goddesses had a meaning to him or her such as earth, love, wisdom, heaven, and war etc. The Greeks used gods, and goddesses to answer questions about their universe. This would then explain many things as to why things occurred , and why things did not occur. Some of the myths that they used from the gods would answer questions like the “origin of natural events but also about the important aspects of human cultural practice”. The book we have read called Hesiod’s Theogony, was written by Hesiod, and was composed at the end of the 8th century B.C. He was a Greek farmer-poet from Boiotia, this was one of his earliest works. The Theogony means “the origin of the gods” . In the book we learn about the different gods, and goddesses and the conflicts that follow each one and their families. The two important gods, and goddesses that I will be discussing will be Athena: god of wisdom, and Zeus king of the gods. Zeus was the father of the Olympians; his mother was Rhea and his father was Kronos. The myth is that Zeus’s father Kronos would eat, all of his siblings each time Rhea would give birth. “ Great Kronos would swallow these, as each would come from the holy womb…..”. Kronos ate his children because he did not want to be overthrown by one of his children. Zeus would be the fortunate sibling because, Rhea wanted to keep her son. She asked for help from Gaia, and gave her advice to help keep her baby safe. “ Rhea wrapped a huge stone in baby’s robe, and fed it to Ouranos’ wide-ruling son, king of the earlier gods; he took it in his hands and put it down his belly, he fool; he did not think in his mind that instead of a stone his own son…”. Zeus was then protected, in a rich land called Crete. It took about a year for him to become a man, this is when his father had “first he vomited out the stone, he had swallowed last…”. Kronos also vomited his other children up, and this is when Zeus became a leader. Zeus would never be overthrown. Zeus is very popular with the ladies, he was able to have numerous wives. He had many human qualities; he was the king of the mortals and immortals. Zeus had many relationships with many different goddesses and mortal women. He had five wives, and his offspring’s were from both human and divine mothers. The most important wife I believe that he had married was Metis. She was the goddesses of wisdom, and she was gifted to give birth to wise children that could overthrown there own father; Zeus. Gaia and Ouranos, had warned Zeus about Metris. This was because she can produce a powerful child that will be very powerful and equal to Zeus. Zeus did not listen and Metis had become pregnant with there child Athena. Like father like son, Zeus became scared that his child would now overthrown him. Zeus decide to swallow his wife Metis, while she was pregnant with there child, Athena. “But when she was about to bear the owl-eyed goddess Athena, then he deceived her mind with a trick of wily words, and put her down in his belly…..”. Zeus goes through many other wives, and has affairs with many other women, while Metis and “Athena” are in his belly. But it will all soon backfire for Zeus the king

Show More

Zeus In Greek Mythology

Greek Mythology and Gods Zeus Essay

Similarities Between Norse And Greek Mythology

Similarities Between Greek And Roman Mythology

How Did Prometheus Influence Greek Mythology

Compare And Contrast Star Wars And Greek Mythology

Ancient Greeks lacked knowledge on why certain things happened Essay

Why Are Greek Myths Important

Sex In Greek Mythology

Muses, Charybdis And Olympus In Greek Mythology