Zeus, the King of the Gods in the Greek Pantheon, was revered as the most important figure when it comes to Greek mythology. Many kings and heroes are mentioned in Greek mythology but none is as important as Zeus. What is the reason behind the importance of this one God over the others?
Zeus wasn’t just the King of the Gods to the Greeks but was worshipped as the King of ALL Gods and Men. He is the deciding factor of what happens to all beings and all of the events of Greek Mythology are either connected or directly caused by him.
Most, if not all, of Greek mythology, was spawned from the actions of Zeus, and without him, there won’t be anything memorable about Greek mythology. There is none other than the King of the Gods that plays such a huge role in the entirety of Greek mythology.
The Great Titanomachy
Back before the Olympians ruled on Mount Olympus as the reigning Gods of the world, the Titans were the ones who ruled as kings. Cronus was the King of the Gods and reigned during the Golden Age in Greek history.
He was told of a prophecy that he would be overthrown by his offspring who will be born by his sister, Rhea, and this instilled fear into the Titan. He swallowed his children, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon to prevent his own demise from surfacing.
When it came time for his youngest son, Zeus, to be devoured, Rhea and Gaia devised a plan to disguise the infant and replace him with a rock for Cronus to devour. The plan worked and Zeus was hidden on the island of Crete, growing up to be a very strong being.
When he was of age, he set off to overthrow his father, Cronus, but first, he had to free his siblings from their imprisonment. He employed the help of the Titaness, Metis, who helped Zeus by forcing Cronus to regurgitate his children.
Zeus then freed the Cyclops and Hecatonchires with his siblings, Hades and Poseidon, to help them win the war against the Titans. The Cyclops were exceptionally gifted forgers who created a powerful artifact for each of the Olympians, the Lightning Bolt, Poseidon’s Trident, and the Helm of Darkness.
With their newfound strength, Zeus and the Olympians won the war against the Titans and ruled the world as Gods from Mount Olympus. The Titans who fought in the war were all banished into Tartarus, preventing any sort of retaliation from them.
Atlas, the Titan who led the attack, was punished to shoulder the skies forever, preventing it from collapsing onto the world below. This story sparked the entire Greek mythology.
The First Flood
The Greeks believed that long ago, a great flood killed most of the earth’s population, restarting the earth as a whole. This flood was believed to have been started by none other than the King of the Gods himself, Zeus.
The legend goes that long ago, there was a King named Lycaon who ruled over the land of Pelasgia. He and his sons were known to be very proud and impious men, so Zeus decided to test them by visiting their land while being disguised as a laborer.
Not long after, the God’s divinity started to show and everyone worshipped him as they realized that he was none other than Zeus. Lycaon and his sons decided to hold a banquet for the God, inviting him over for a feast.
They then proceeded to disrespect the God by serving him a child whose parts were roasted, boiled, and served to the God as food. This infuriated Zeus which prompted him to announce his vengeance against the King and his sons.
Zeus struck the three men down with his Lightning Bolts, smiting them into nothing but ashes as a reminder to everyone else. This act of vengeance alone wasn’t enough to satisfy Zeus though as he felt the terrors that the human race was capable of.
The King of the Gods was so disgusted by the act that he wanted to wipe all humans from the face of the earth, restarting the population anew. He ordered his brother, Poseidon, to flood the world and drown everything on it.
Fortunately, King Deucalion, who was the son of Prometheus, and his wife, Pyrrha, survived the flood as the Titan God of Fire foretold of this flood long ago and prepared a boat for them. They eventually managed to repopulate the earth, restarting life itself.
The Trojan War
One of the most legendary stories among all of Greek mythology, the Trojan War was a direct result of the King of the Gods’ manipulation as well. This war birthed many stories in Greek mythology and cost the lives of many heroes as well.
Years before the war even began, Zeus and his brother, Poseidon, were fighting over the love of the sea-nymph, Thetis, who both wanted to wed for themselves. Unbeknown to them, this would come with dire consequences.
A prophecy given by the Titan God of Fire, Prometheus, foretold that the son of Thetis would be more powerful than his father, and own a weapon that far surpasses that of anything that his father would possess.
This frightened the Gods and Zeus decided to marry off Thetis to the elderly mortal, King Peleus, to prevent the prophecy from causing his own demise. With this, Zeus saw an opportunity to rid the world of the products of his adultery and deal with the overpopulation.
He arranged a feast for the joining of Thetis and Peleus. At the feast, a quarrel between Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite caused a ruckus which prompted Zeus to use Paris, the Prince of Troy, as a deal-breaker for the Goddesses.
The three goddesses offered Paris each their own unique gift, and Paris chose that from Aphrodite which was the most beautiful woman of the time, Helena. Unfortunately, Helana was married to King Menelaus of Sparta, which prompted Paris to kidnap her from Sparta.
This caused a chain of events that led to the Trojan War which devastated the lands and killed off many of the population. Not only that, but many heroes from Troy and Sparta perished and suffered for many years even after the war. Zeus was the centerpiece of it all.
Conclusion
Zeus was the most important figure in Greek mythology as many stories within the mythos were spawned directly from the King of the Gods’ doing. He manipulated the Gods and the mortals to his own end which created many fascinating events recorded in Greek mythology.
The Great Titanomachy was started by Zeus to fight the Titans over the supremacy of the cosmos. This was the start of all Greek mythology as the Olympians were born, reigning supreme over the earth from their base on Mount Olympus.
A devastating flood that killed most of the population happened long ago due to the wrath of Zeus as well. He was disrespected and felt that the world was nothing but evil, and decided to wipe out most of humanity, save for two who would later repopulate the earth.
Last but not least, we have the great Trojan War which sparked many stories within Greek mythology, birthing the stories of many heroes that we know today. This all wouldn’t have happened if not for Zeus’ fear of being overthrown and his uncontrollable lust. There is no doubt that Zeus was the centerpiece of Greek mythology. Without him, Greek mythology may not be as interesting as it is today.
