The+King+of+the+Universe

By Brad
Zeus, the most powerful of all the Greek Gods, was the supreme ruler of the entire universe. As king, he was able to do whatever he pleased including deciding the roles of each god, banishing his enemies to Tarturus, having intercourse with anyone he desired, and punishing anyone who displeased him. Zeus was able to become the supreme ruler of all the Gods because he was able to free his siblings trapped within their father Cronos and overthrow the ruling Titans. (Mass)

Zeus was the youngest son of the Titan king Cronos and his wife Rhea. Cronos came to power when he castrated and then overthrew his father, Uranus. The conflict that arises between Zeus and his father begins when Cronos is warned that one of his children would overthrow him and take his thrown. Knowing this, Cronos devoured all of his newborn children, who were Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, before they could mature. When Zeus was born however, Rhea and her mother, Gaia, wrapped a stone in infant's clothing and tricked Cronos into swallowing it. Baby Zeus was then taken to the island of Crete by Rhea and was hid in the caves of Mt. Dicte. He was then nurtured and cared for by the divine goat Amaltheia until he was mature. When Zeus had become a grown man, he returned to the heavens and there Gaia helped him to force Cronos to regurgitate his five children. Because Zeus' siblings were all immortal, they emerged from their father’s stomach fully formed. Zeus then led the war against the Titans and eventually defeated and banished them to Tarturus, the lowest part of the underworld ( Leadbetter). When Zeus and his siblings defeated the titans, Zeus was crowned king of the gods. On Mt Olympus, he created a marvelous and beautiful place for him and the other Gods to live. Because Zeus was the Supreme ruler, he decided the roles of each God. Zeus gained control of the sky, Poseidon was given the control of the oceans, and Hades was given control of the underworld. To keep his title as King, Zeus had to defend his throne against three different attacks. The first came from the Giants. The Giants were a group of 24 immense monsters that were as tall as mountains. They were led by the Titanesse Gaia after the victory of Zeus over the titans. The Olympian gods were helped by the demigod Hercules and defeated the Giants in battle. Zeus banished them all to Tarturus. The second attack came from the monster Typhoon. Zeus defeated him with his lightning bolt and also banished him to Tarturus. The final assault came from the Aloadae. The Aloadae were twin brothers that wanted to enter Mt Olympus by stacking several mountains on top of each other. They placed Mt Pelion on Mt Ossa and Mt. Ossa on Mt Olympus in hopes that it would be tall enough. They were unsuccessful in their attempt and were banished to Taturus by Zeus. (Elliot) (// Greek Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece) // ( Leadbetter).

While being married to his wife Hera, Zeus had many affairs with many other deities, mortals and immortals alike. The myth of how he made Hera his wife is very interesting. By being ruler of the gods, Zeus was used to getting his way and what he wanted. When Hera refused to take his side at his throne, Zeus became enraged. He soon came up with a plan to achieve his goal. When Hera was walking one day, Zeus made it rain and storm. He transformed himself into a rooster and placed himself in her path so Hera would eventually find him. Seeing the rooster, Hera took pity on it and pressed it close against her body to heat it up. When this happened, Zeus transformed himself back into his original form and raped her where she stood. Ashamed and dishonored Hera agreed to be his wife. Zeus also took many human lovers. He used his power and charm to seduce whomever he pleased. The offspring of Zeus and a human is called a demigod. The most famous demigod was the Greek hero Hercules. (Elliot) ( Leadbetter)

In Greek mythology, the creator of man was not Zeus, but the Titan Prometheus. The myth states that he combined a portion of every animal to create a new creature, Man. At first, Zeus did not like the new creatures and did not head their complaints. They complained about the harsh winters and the lack of food in the lands below Mt. Olympus. Fire and the ability to cook and prepare food were rights that only the gods were allowed to take pleasure in. when Prometheus took pity on his new creation, he stole an ember from Mt Olympus and gave it to man. This improved their lives greatly as they were able to use the fire to keep warm and prepare foods just like the gods. Zeus became enraged at Prometheus when he discovered about man's new ability and quickly chained him to a mountainside as punishment. This unfortunate start to the relationship between man and Zeus did not prevent man from eventually worshipping the gods. (Elliot)

After Zeus chained the creator of man, Prometheus, to a mountainside, he wanted to add further insult to him. He commanded the god Hephaestus to construct a beautiful, seductive, and treacherous being called Pandora, the first woman. This creature was supposed to counteract the new power that man had gained from fire. After Pandora was created, the Olympian gods gave her a marvelous and precious box. The gift she was given was known as Pandora's Box. She was warned not to open her gift but her imagination and curiosity of what could be inside was too overwhelming for her. When she finally opened it, all the evils of the world were able to escape. Frightened, she regretfully closed the box and trapped the only thing left inside, Hope. ([|Elliot])

Because Zeus was the only son of Cronos not to be devoured, he was able to become stronger than his brothers who were forced to mature inside of their father’s stomach. This gave him a distinct advantage that allowed Zeus to become dominant over his siblings after they defeated the Titans. Becoming supreme ruler, Zeus gained immense power that allowed him to defend his throne, seduce his lovers, banish his enemies to Tarturus, and punish anyone who had displeased him. With all this power, Zeus was able to bring order out of the chaos of the universe. (Leadbetter)

Works Cited

Ardagh, Philip. //Ancient Greek Myths and Legends//. Parsippany, NJ: Dillon, 1999. Print.

Elliott, Daphne. "Greek Creation Myths." //Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion.// Web. 10 Dec. 2010. . 

"Giants in Greek Mythology-Giants and the Olympian Gods." //Greek-Gods.Info- Greek Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece//. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. .

Leadbetter, Ron "Zeus." //Encyclopedia Mythica: Mythology, Folklore, and Religion.// Web. 10 Dec. 2010. .

Mass, Wendy. //Gods and Goddesses//. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2002. Print.