Zeus the God of Sky
#Zeus is the god of the #sky in ancient #Greek #mythology. As the chief Greek deity, Zeus is considered the ruler, #protector, and father of all gods and humans. Zeus is often depicted as an older man with a beard and is represented by symbols such as the #lightning bolt and the #eagle”
Zeus is identified with #Jupiter by the #Romans, the greatest of the Olympian gods, was a son of Cronus and Rhes, and a brother of Poseidon Hades (also called Pluto), #Hestia, #Demete
and #Hera. He was married to his sister Hera. When Zeus and his brothers overthrew #Cronus one of the #Titans, and distributed among themselves the government of the world by lot,
#Poseidon obtained the sea, #Hades the lower world, and Zeus the heavens and the upper regions, but the earth became common to all. According to the Homeric account, Zeus dwelt on Mt. #Olympus. in £Thessaly. This mountain was believed to penetrate
with it lofty summit, into heaven itself. Zeus is called the father of gods and men, the most powerful among the immortals. He is the supreme ruler, the founder of kingly power and of law an
order, whence ice, #Themis and #Nemesis are his assistants. Fate is subordinate to him. He is armed with thunder and lightning, and the shaking of his
aegis #shield produces storm and tempest a number of epithets of Zeus in the Homeric poems, describe
him as the thurnderer the gatherer of clouds, and the like. By Hera he had two sons, Ares and Hephaestus. and one daughter, Hebe. Oak, with its
eatable fruit and the prolifc doves, were sacred to him
Having been foretold by Ge (earth) and #Uranus, that he would be dethroned by one of his own children, Cronus swallowed successively his children.
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Pluto and Poseidon. Rhea therefore, conceled the new born Zeus in a cave of
Mt Aegaeon and gave to coronus a stone wrapped up in cloth, which he swallowed in the belief that it was his son. Traditions vary about his birth place eg #Zeus was born and brought up on Mt. Dicte or Ida (also the #Trojan Ida), Ithome in Messenia, Thebes in Boeotia, Aegion Achaia, or Olenos in
Aetolia. According to the common account, however Zeus grew up in Crete. In the meantime Cronus, by
a device of #Metis, was made to bring up the children, he had swallowed, and first of all the stone, which
was afterwards set up by Zeus at Delphi. #Zeus now overthrew Cronus, and obtained the dominion of
the world, and chose Metis for wife. When she was pregnant with Athena, he took the child out of her body and concealed it in his head, on the advice
of Uranus and Ge, who told him that if Metis gave birth to a son. this son would acquire the sovereignty. After this Zeus became the father
of the Horae and Moerae by his second wife #Themis of the #Charities or Graces by Eurynome, of Persephone by Demeter of the Muses by Mnemo-
syne, of Apollo and Artmis by Leto, and of Hebe, Ares and Ilithyia by era. Athena was born out of the head of Zeus while Hera gave birth to Hephaestus without the co-operation of Zeus.
The #family of the #Cronidae accordingly embraces the 12 great gods of Olympus, namely, Zeus (the
head of them all), Poseidon, Apollo, #Ares, #Hermes, #Hephaestus, #Hestia, #Demeter, #Hera, #Athena, #Aphrodite and #Artemis.The eagle, the oak, and the summits of mountains were sacred to him, and his sacrifices consisted of goats bulls and cows.
His attributes are, the ssceptre, #eagle, #thunderbot and a figure of Nike (Victory) in his hand, and
sometimes also cornucopia (the horn of plenty).
The Olympian Zeus sometimes wears a #wreath of #Olive, and the Dodonaeen Zeus a wreath of oak leaves.
Zeus figures very frequently on the Indo-Greek coins. He is portrayed either standing or seated on throne. He generally holds thunderbolt, which
sometimes he is on the point of hurling. He holds sceptre and thunderbolt or sceptre and eagle or Wreath and palm. On his outstretched hand he generally holds Nike #Victory and on one issue of #Amyntas, Pallas.
As thunderer he was known as
Zeus Ombrios, and was identiied with the Indian god #Indra #Vajrapini. When holding Nike he was known as Zeus #Nikephoros.
