The Greek gods

[Senbecc]

ZEUS

The King of the Gods, greatest of the twelve Olympians. He was the god of the heavens, weather, fate, and kings. His weapon was the fiery thunderbolt.


Zeus was the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, and grew to be the king of the Gods and men. Cronus and Rhea had several children who included Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Zeus was a god of law, justice and order, as well as a spiritual leader within Mt. Olympus. Zeus however was originally a god over the weather by the people who came down from the Balkans in or around 2100 bce. This idea of Zeus carried over as well I think into later times as his main weapon was the thunderbolt. He controlled Thunder, lightening, and the rains.

"Sometimes Zeus is clear, sometimes he rains."

Theocritus (Circa 265 BCE)

One of his more famous tales was told by Hesiod in his Theogony, of how Zeus usurped the kingdom of the immortals from his father. This mythological tale of Zeus' struggle against the Titans (Titanomachy) had been caused by Cronus, after he had been warned that one of his children would depose him. Cronus knowing the consequences, as he had overthrown his father Uranus. To prevent this from happening Cronus swallowed his newborn children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, but his wife Rhea (who was also his sister) and Gaia her mother, wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes in place of the infant Zeus. Cronus thinking it was the newborn baby swallowed the stone. Meanwhile Rhea had her baby taken to Crete, and there, in a cave on Mount Dicte, the divine goat Amaltheia suckled and raised the infant Zeus.

Some names of Zeus might be:

*God
*Zeus of the Aegis
*Zeus the cloud gatherer
*Zeus of the wide brows
*Father Zeus
*Son of Kronos
*Lord of Hera
*Zeus of the thunderbolt
*father of gods and men
*The Olympian
*Zeus on high
*the sky dweller

www.theoi.com/Encyc_T.html#Z
www.pantheon.org/articles/z/zeus.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus
messagenet.com/myths/bios/zeus.html#NamesOfZeus

[theoccultchrist]

This is what www.godchecker.com/ has to say about the Greek Pantheon. * I personally like God Checker - because it tells stories in a humorus way that can be remembered*

www.godchecker.com/pantheon/greek-mythology.php

The Classical Gods Of Greek Mythology

Introduction
What can we say about the Greeks that they haven't already said about themselves? Consumate tall story tellers, they have classy classic Gods for all situations.

Greek Mythology is a veritable blockbusting soap opera. What can ZEUS possibly get up to next - and with whom? How will HERA take her next revenge? Where will APHRODITE discard her nightie? Who has been barred from Olympus lately - and why? When is the next big punch-up? And will HERMES be sued for selling counterfeit sheep?

Full of twists, turns, plots within plots, wit, humor, satire, belly laughs, blood-curdling thrills, Greek Gods have beginnings, middles, and ends without end. Coming soon to a temple near you! And they are all big stars - brawnier, more beautiful, and larger than any life you have ever known.

The Romans couldn't improve upon them. So they just gave them a quick makeover and turned the whole pantheon into a spin-off sequel.

REGIONS COVERED: Greece, Greek islands, Athens, Argos, Attica, Corinth, Thessaly, Lesbos, Aegean, Arcadia, Rhodes, Sparta, Delphi, Lemnos, Thebes, Mycenae, Aechaea, Troy.

Many Gods are spread across different regions, cultures and tribes. We've tried to pin them down to a particular area if possible. But amendments and corrections are always welcome, especially from people with first-hand knowledge. So if you live in the region and would like to comment, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us here. www.godchecker.com/oracle/contact.php

[Newlyn]

While what you write is true (and funny) - the Greek gods were a lot more than that. The myths were basically allegory and symbolism, explaining not only how things worked in the world but the Ancient Greek philosophy, which imo was directly tied in to their spirituality.

[Senbecc]

newlyn said:

While what you write is true (and funny) - the Greek gods were a lot more than that. The myths were basically allegory and symbolism, explaining not only how things worked in the world but the Ancient Greek philosophy, which imo was directly tied in to their spirituality.

Nicely stated! I agree, also I think the mythologies of just about any given pantheon could be compared to dramatic soap operas, action movies etc. etc. Though I also think it may be important to give mythologies a certain element of truth as well, the ancients (the Celts at least, and I'd imagine the Greeks and Romans as well) saw their mythologies as hard fact and law, seldom questioning the deeds of the gods.

It is important IMO to believe the myths, as they are a part of the truth of spirit.

[Newlyn]

And they explain a lot of things - how the ancient greeks felt about beauty, death, the afterlife, humility, stoicism, etc.

[rowanashmore]

Another really interesting greek god was Phobos The god of fear He was the son of areies and aphrodite. If anyone would like more information of hiim I will be happy to post just let me know.

[Der Trommler]

It's always like a Greek tragedy....not a Roman one.....lol