HISTORY
Zeus had his golden
throne and was the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. Zeus
overthrew his Father Cronus, and won the draw with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. This is when he became the supreme ruler of the gods. As 'the rain god and the cloud gatherer' his weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who
displease him. He is also known to punish those that lie or break oaths. He is
represented as the god of justice and mercy, the protector of the weak, and the
punisher of the wicked.
THE FAMILY OF ZEUS
Zeus was the last
child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and had five older brothers and sisters. He
had many children, Agditis was a Hermaphroditic God born when Zeus accidentally
impregnated Gaia the Earth. He had 41 divine offspring and 51 mortal offsprings
all of who were very powerful kings, queens, gods and goddess’s.
RELATIONSHIPS
Zeus married his own
sister Hera, the goddess of marriage and monogamy, but was giving her plenty of
reasons to be jealous, since Zeus was known for his numerous love affairs.
ADVENTURES
Zeus forced Cronus to
disgorge a stone (a sign to mortal men, the Omphalos) then his siblings in
reverse order of swallowing. Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or
lightning as a token of appreciation.
Zeus and his brothers
and sisters, along with the Gigantes, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew
Cronus and the other Titans, in the combat called the Titanomachy. They
defeated Titans were then cast into a shadowy underworld region known as
Tartarus.
After the battle with
the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades.
Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead.
Soon after taking the
throne as king of the gods, Zeus had to fight some of Gaia's other children,
the monsters Typhon and Echidna. He vanquished Typhon and trapped him under
Mount Etna, but left Echidna and her children alive.
APPEARANCE
Zeus was said to look
like a very tall muscular man, strong and imposing. He had long flowing white curly hair and a white beard.
PERSONALITY
Zeus was carefree and
loved to laugh out loud. He possessed the perfect knowledge and was just merciful and prudent. He was unpredictable, and no one could guess the
decisions he would make.
SYMBOL AND IMAGERING
- Thunder bolt and lightning.
- Clouds and sky.
- A scepter
- His breastplate was the aegis.
- His bird the eagle and tree symbol was the oak.
EVOLUTION
Through history and
pop culture his image and story’s have changed. He was known as a courageous
fighter for the good, represented as the god of justice and mercy, the
protector of the weak. But over time his actions haven't been portrayed as not
so good, more selfish and unpredictable.
SPORTS ZEUS COULD
SYMBOLISE
- Javelin: The aim of the sport is to throws the long sharp object as far as he can. Zeus was known for his scepter and lightning bold which he used to throw down at people.
- Fencing: This sport is between two people, they have swords and fight. It’s reminiscent of Zeus’s weapon the lightning bolt
- Pole vault: The pole vaulter holds the long pole while running at a fast pace to use it as an elevation. The body posture, action, precision and accuracy of how the pole is used, is reminiscent to how Zeus used his weapon.
- Gladiator: Zeus is a large, strong masculine man. His power and strength are similar to the gladiators. They also have a shield like Zeus's breastplate, and a sword, symbolic of his sceptre. It's a very aggressive sport and only one winner concours.
Bibliography:
Information:
http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/zeus/
http://www.zeus-publications.com/zeusgod.htm
http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/p/Zeus.htm
Images:
http://www.pantheon.org/images/hotlinking.gif
http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Zeus--greek-mythology-687267_1024_768.jpg
http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/21510-55.jpg
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