Greek Mythology Research Paper

Mythology is the study of myths, and throughout the ages there have been plenty of myths, from Egyptian mythology to Greek to Norse to new age religion. Mythology helps to explain our world around us. Usually from mythology comes religions, and all religions have gods. Each culture has a religion and each religion has gods that explain every aspect of life in the mortal world. One of the best known gods from all mythology is the Greek god Zeus. Zeus has a long history full of devious plots, vicious wars, scandalous adultery, and a difficult rising to power. Before Zeus was born, his grandmother, Gaia, gave a prophecy to Zeus’s father, Cronus, the second ruler of the universe and a titan. The prophecy said that one of Cronus’s children
would rise up and overthrow Cronus. So in order to prevent his prophesized dethroning, Cronus ate each of his children as they were born. Cronus had five children before Zeus was born, these being: Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. Rhea, Zeus’s mother, wanted to stop Cronus from eating her children. So when Zeus was to be born, Rhea went to the island of Crete and in a cave on Mount Dicte gave birth to Zeus. In place of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes and gave it to Cronus. Cronus did not think about it twice and ate the stone, thinking it was Zeus. Back on the island of Crete, Zeus grew up in a golden cradle that hung from the trees so that Cronus would not be able to find Zeus on the earth, in the seas, or in the air. Zeus was nursed by the divine goat Almathea and protected by the Curetes. The Curetes were young boys in military outfits that performed a war dance so that Cronus would not hear baby Zeus’s cries (Leadbetter) (“From Myth to Eternity”) (Zeus Publications). Zeus grew up bitter and wanting revenge on his father and freedom for his brothers and sisters. So in order to win his brothers and sisters freedom, Zeus received help from Metis. Metis gave Cronus a potion that made him regurgitate Zeus’s brothers and sisters. Now with his brothers and sisters free, Zeus waged war on the titans. The war was about even, until Gaia gave another prophecy. This time the prophecy would destroy the titans. It said that Zeus would win the war if and only if Zeus freed the beings that Cronus had locked up in Tartarus. Zeus listened to the prophecy and freed from Tartarus, the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires (hundred-handed ones). The Cyclopes were thankful and bestowed gifts upon Zeus and his two brothers. Zeus gained the control over lightening; Hades gained a helmet, that when worn, turned him invisible; and Poseidon gained the trident (“From Myth to Eternity”). With the help of his new allies and his newly received powers, Zeus won the war and punished the Titans by locking them up in Tartarus. Now that Zeus had won the war, Zeus and his brothers had to decide how to divide the universe amongst them. Zeus received the heavens, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the underworld (“From Myth to Eternity”). Now with the war with the titans over and Zeus at the rule, Zeus was able to settle down and start making children.
His wife was Hera, who was also his sister, but his first lover was Metis, and there were more issues than just the affair with this sexual interaction. Gaia said that Metis would first bear a daughter and then she would bear a son, who would rise up and overthrow Zeus. So to prevent his dethroning, and being smarter than his father Cronus, Zeus did not wait for his daughter to be born, he instead swallowed Metis while she was still pregnant (“From Myth to Eternity”). He did this so that he, himself, would carry out his daughter’s birth. Hera was extremely angered by the fact that Zeus had cheated and by the fact that he was able to give birth without female participation, so she bore her own child without male participation. This child was Hephaestus, and when the time came, he was the one who split open Zeus’s head, from which Athena jumped out fully armed (Leadbetter). Zeus had many other lovers, these including: Hera, who bore Hebe, Eilithyia, and Ares; Themis, who bore the Horae, or Eunomia, Dike, and Eirene, and the Moirae or Fates; Eurynome, who bore the three Charities or Graces; Mnemosyne, who bore the nine Muses; Leto, who bore Apollo and Artemis; Demeter, who bore Persephone; Aegina, who bore Aeacus; Antiope, who bore Amphion and Zethus; Callisto, who bore Arcas; Niobe, who bore Argos and Pelasgus; Danae, who bore Perseus; Io; Europa, who
bore Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon; Leda, who bore Castor, Polydeuces, Clytemnestra, and Helen; Alcmene, who bore Heracles; and Semele, who bore Dionysus. All of these affairs that Zeus had angered Hera, so she punished his lovers and their children, but Zeus did not mind and continued with more affairs (Leadbetter) (“From Myth to Eternity”) (Zeus Publications). Because of all of Zeus’s affairs, he produced all that man would need in order to keep life ordered and moral (Leadbetter).
Mythology helps to explain our world around us.
Usually from mythology comes religions, and all religions have gods. One of the best known gods from all mythology is the Greek god Zeus. Zeus has a long history full of devious plots, vicious wars, scandalous adultery, and a difficult rising to power. Zeus grew up with a difficult childhood, from almost being eaten to rescuing his siblings to dethroning his father to becoming ruler of the universe. Zeus grew up on Crete, fed by the divine goat Almathea and protected by the Curetes. When grown up, Zeus dethroned his father in a furious clash, during which he released the Cyclopes, who gave him the lightning bolt. He also had many affairs that led to many children that gave mankind all that they would need to lead an ordered and moral life (Leadbetter). Zeus was the supreme god, the god of all gods; he was stronger than all the god’s put together. He was the god of light, the god of the sky, and the god of atmospheric phenomena: clouds, lightning, and rain (“From Myth to Eternity”). Zeus was always portrayed in art as a bearded, middle-aged man with a youthful figure
(Leadbetter).

Works Cited

“Information about the Greek God Zeus.” Zeus Publications. Zeus Publications, 2002. Web. 28 Mar 2010. <http://www.zeus-publications.com/zeusgod.htm>.
Leadbetter, Ron. “Zeus.” Encyclopedia Mythica. Encyclopedia Mythica Online, 20 Jul 2005. Web. 28 Mar 2010. <http://www.pantheon.org/articles/z/zeus.html>. “Zeus.” From Myth to Eternity. Milica Pty Ltd., 1998. Web. 28 Mar 2010.<http://www.milica.com.au/ greek_myths/olymp/zeus.htm>.