If you missed my article on Set, you can find it here.

Zeus is the King of the Greek gods and Mt. Olympus. He rules over the sky, air, weather, and everything that goes with it. He also governs mortals (kings and peasants alike), wisdom, fate, and justice. His Roman equivalent is Jupiter and has also been compared to Odin in Norse beliefs.

Zeus’s father is Cronus, the youngest titan of Uranus and Gaia. His mother is Rhea, Cronus’s sister. Zeus is the youngest of Uranus and Gaia’s children. Uranus had swallowed Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, and Posideon. Cronus was told a prophecy that one of his children would overthrow him. Chiron is also his brother, but only half and Uranus didn’t swallow him. Rhea hid Zeus away from Cronus and gave him a stone to swallow instead. When Zeus grew up, he took a job as Cronus’s cupbearer, and Cronus didn’t recognize him. Why would he? Zeus poisoned Cronus, and he threw up his siblings. Together they overthrew the titans in the Titanomachy.

Zeus is known to be married to Hera, the goddess of marriage and monogamy, but he was not a faithful husband whatsoever. Some sources say he had other wives, such as Metis and Leto, before Hera. However, everyone agreed that Zeus was all about sexing with everyone he fancied. He generally didn’t take no for an answer and has changed into women’s husbands, animals, and even a golden rainfall to have who he wanted. Because of all these dalliances, he has countless children. Some of his children are Heracles, Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, and even Helen of Troy.

Zeus is often depicted as young and powerful with long curly hair and a short beard. Oak trees were considered to be Zeus’s sacred tree, so art shows him with a crown of oak leaves. You will see him most with either a scepter, a lightning bolt, or an aegis (which is a massive shield, I think it is called a tower shield). Eagles and bulls are sacred to Zeus as well.

Once the Titan War was over, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon divided the universe into three realms. Zeus took the sky and weather, Posideon chose the ocean, and Hades got the Underworld. Some works said that Zeus is a merciful, fair, prudent, and wise god. However, he is also jealous and unpredictable, with a temper to go with his free love policy. Apparently, everyone may worship Hera as is her due, but gods forbid any man to lust after her. Just as Porphyrion and Ixion.

I think Hera needs a new husband. What do you think of Zeus? Have you played him on Smite? How is he? I think he should have a seduction spell, though, that might shut the game down. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!