The Story of Zeus
Zeus was the youngest child of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Cronus had been warned that one of his children would overthrow him, so he swallowed each baby as soon as it was born. When Zeus arrived, Rhea hid him in a cave on Crete and handed Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed without noticing.
On Crete, the young god was raised in secret. The goat Amalthea fed him with her milk, while warriors called the Kouretes clashed their spears and shields outside the cave so Cronus would never hear him cry.
Once grown, Zeus tricked his father into drinking a potion that made him cough up Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. The siblings then went to war with the Titans for ten years. Zeus freed the Cyclopes from the underworld, and in thanks they forged the thunderbolt that became his signature weapon.
After the Titans were defeated and locked away in Tartarus, Zeus and his brothers drew lots to divide the world. Poseidon took the sea, Hades the underworld, and Zeus the sky, ruling over gods and mortals from his throne on Mount Olympus.
As king, Zeus was the guardian of justice, oaths and hospitality. He punished anyone who broke those laws, from King Lycaon, whom he turned into a wolf, to the Titan Prometheus, who was chained to a rock for stealing fire.
He was married to Hera, but his many affairs fill the myths. He took the form of a bull, a swan and even a shower of gold, and fathered Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Heracles and Perseus.
The Greeks honored him above all other gods. The ancient Olympic Games were held in his name at Olympia, where his giant gold and ivory statue was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and his oracle at Dodona was the oldest in Greece.
Famous Myths About Zeus
The Overthrow of Cronus
Cronus swallowed each of his children at birth, so Rhea hid baby Zeus in a cave on Crete and handed Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes instead. Once grown, Zeus forced his father to cough up his siblings, and together they defeated the Titans in a ten year war.
Dividing the World
After the war, Zeus and his brothers drew lots to split the universe. Zeus won the sky, Poseidon took the sea, and Hades got the Underworld, while the earth and Mount Olympus were shared by all.
Prometheus and the Gift of Fire
When the Titan Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans, Zeus was furious. He chained Prometheus to a rock where an eagle ate his liver every day, and sent Pandora and her jar of troubles to mankind.
The Birth of Athena
Warned that a child of his first wife Metis would overthrow him, Zeus swallowed her whole. Soon after he suffered a splitting headache, and when Hephaestus opened his head with an axe, Athena sprang out fully grown and in armor.
Europa and the Bull
Zeus fell for the Phoenician princess Europa and turned himself into a gentle white bull to win her trust. When she climbed on his back, he swam off with her to Crete, where their son Minos later became king.
Zeus's Family Tree
Wives and Partners of Zeus
Children of Zeus
Frequently Asked Questions About Zeus
Who is Zeus in Greek mythology?
Zeus is the king of the Olympian gods and the god of the sky, thunder and justice. He ruled from Mount Olympus and kept order among gods and mortals.
Who are Zeus's parents?
Zeus is the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Rhea hid him in a cave on Crete so Cronus could not swallow him like his other children.
Who was Zeus's wife?
Zeus's wife was Hera, goddess of marriage, though he had many other partners, including Leto, Demeter, Maia and Semele.
What are Zeus's symbols?
Zeus's main symbols are the thunderbolt, the eagle, the oak tree and the scepter.
What is Zeus's Roman name?
The Romans called Zeus Jupiter.
Where can you see Zeus in Greece today?
You can visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, the sanctuary of Dodona, Mount Olympus and the Idaean Cave on Crete, where myth says he grew up.
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