![]() ![]() Heracles famously battled against Alcyoneus, a giant whose immortality was dependent on him being in his homeland. This time the Olympians were unable to defeat the giants without the help of a mortal, and Zeus had the perfect candidate in his son, the demigod Heracles. As with most Greek myths, the story had a moral. The battle that followed was known as the Gigantomachy. Angered by the way Zeus had treated his father, Gaia gave birth to the Giants. Zeus became the ruler of the sky, remembered as the Sky Father, whilst Hades and Poseidon became the rulers of the underworld and the seas respectively. After the battle, Zeus divided the world between himself and his older brothers, Hades and Poseidon, by drawing lots. Zeus freed the Cyclopes, who ended up forging his iconic thunder and powerful lightning. Having forced Cronus to free his other children from the depths of his stomach, the siblings joined forces against their father and the other Titans in an epic ten-year war remembered as the Titanomachy. In any event, unbeknown to his father, Zeus grew up to be a formidable force and ultimately overthrew his father, becoming king of the gods. ( Public domain ) Zeus and the Olympians Overthrow the Titans The Fall of the Titans, whereby the Greek god Zeus and his siblings overthrew his father Cronos and the other Titans, by Cornelis van Haarlem. In Metamorphoses, Rhea gave birth within a cave and Zeus was nursed by sacred bees. Other versions claim that Zeus was raised by Gaia, or by one of the nymphs. In order to cover up the baby’s cries, a group of Kourete dancers made noise and clapped their hands in order to protect the infant Greek god Zeus. In several versions, Zeus’ foster-mother is said to be a goat named Amalthea. Zeus was therefore raised in secret by a foster-mother. Rhea then hid her son in a cave (either on Mount Ida or Mount Dikteon), on the island of Crete. Instead of handing the infant over to her husband, Rhea decided to give Cronus a stone wrapped in cloth, which he swallowed. Zeus, however, escaped the fate of his siblings through deception. Wonder of the Ancient World: The Grand and Powerful Statue of Zeus.His five older siblings ( Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon) were swallowed by their father as soon as they were born, as Cronus was aware that one of his children was destined to overthrow him and take his place as the king of the gods. In this ancient Greek poem, Zeus is said to be the youngest child of Cronus and Rhea. ![]() ( Public domain ) The Birth of a Greek God: ZeusĪ version of the story of Zeus’ birth can be found in Hesiod’s Theogony. ![]() Rhea giving Cronos a stone, disguised as the infant Greek god Zeus. He also loved to meddle in the lives of mere mortals, and had passionate affairs with many gods and mortal women. In this role, he acted as their all-knowing ruler, ensuring they fulfilled their role, managing the frequent conflicts that ensued. The most memorable of the deities of Greek mythology, Zeus was the Greek god of lightning, thunder, the sky, law, order and justice, as well as being the king of the gods from his throne on Mount Olympus. From Heaven and from Olympus he came forthwith, hurling his lightning: the bolts flew thick and fast from his strong hand together with thunder and lightning, whirling an awesome flame.” (The Theogony of Hesiod, ll. “Then Zeus no longer held back his might but straight his heart was filled with fury and he showed forth all his strength. ![]()
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