When Zeus himself did not have the power to accomplish a task, he could call upon another god that did. Among the Greek gods he was the highest authority, but that did not mean that his power was absolute.
Thunderbolts were his weapon of choice. When Zeus overtly used supernatural abilities rather than more subtle displays of power, it was almost always in the form of thunder and lightning. Whether against a mighty foe like the giant Typhon or to punish the wrongdoing of humans, Zeus hurled a thunderbolt to smite his enemies. In a few myths, the children of the gods themselves were struck down by such bolts. Along with his thunder, Zeus also had the power to call up storms.
Often he shared this ability with his brother Poseidon , and the two worked together to send wind and waves that would wreck ships or drive them off course. This was not uncommon among the Olympians, but the king of the gods used it often in his myths. Specifically, Zeus used his shapeshifting powers to gain access to those he desired. He became a bull to abduct Europa, a swan to seduce Leta, an eagle to fly away with Ganymede, and even a shower of gold to reach Danae in her prison.
In one myth, his pursuit of Callisto, he even took on the form of his own daughter. Some writers occasionally gave Zeus powers that were less impressive, but no less powerful. In the Iliad , for example, Zeus is able to influence the actions of Menelaus by sending him a dream. One of these less obvious powers was his role as the keeper of laws. Zeus was a witness to all oaths and the origin of law, so anyone found to be violating either would be instantly punished.
Zeus, however, did not have to control abilities himself to make an impact. As the king of the gods, he had the power to command other deities to use their own powers as he wished. While the Furies attacked those who broke laws, they acted as agents of Zeus.
Zeus certainly had impressive powers, but among the members of the Greek pantheon they were hardly unique. His ability to cast down thunderbolts was his most defining ability.
It was used to great effect in battle and to punish others, but even this was not especially powerful for an Olympian. The most important of these civilizations, for our purposes, are the following:. Sumerian, Babylonian, and Akkadian myths tell, like Hesiod, of order arising out of disorder, without an intelligent creator cf.
These creation accounts, by their very nature, include myths of Succession, the Flood, and the creation and recreation of man. Enuma Elish. Marduk, a god of the younger generation, usurps the rule of the god Enlil and battles Tiamat, much as Zeus battles Typhoeus.
Tiamat is blown up like an enormous balloon and rent in two. After the death of Tiamat, Marduk creates in the sky Esharra as a home for the gods.
Marduk brings order to the world and creates human beings from the blood of Kingu, who by this time has been killed. Human beings are to serve the gods. Both are akin to the Hebrew Noah and the Greek Prometheus god of wisdom and crafts and Deucalion survivor of the flood. Enlil will later order the destruction of human beings by flood, but Atrahasis, who is favored by Enki, will survive.
Eventually there is a reconciliation between Enlil and Enki. Epic of Gilgamesh. The Epic of Gilgamesh contains the best known of the early flood myths.
Enkidu wrestles Gilgamesh but is defeated, after which the two become fast friends. Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay the bull, but one of them must atone for this sacrilege with his life. The gods decide that Enkidu must die. Gilgamesh will be unsuccessful in his quest and eventually will return to Uruk. This brief sketch of the main elements in the Epic of Gilgamesh will serve to highlight a few observations.
Gilgamesh himself was an historical figure, king of Sumerian Uruk, ca. His legends were refashioned into various Assyrian versions dating from about He stands as a figure akin to Odysseus or Heracles, a wise hero and slayer of beasts.
Like Odysseus, his quest for immortality requires a descent to the Underworld. Like the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu serves as a major theme. Kingship in Heaven.
The Hittite-Hurrian poem Kingship in Heaven recounts myths of succession and of the separation of earth and sky. After his birth, Teshub plots with Anu to overthrow Kumarbi.
Though the poem is fragmentary, Teshub appears to have been successful. The Descent of Ishtar to the Underworld. Ishtar has many of the same associations of Aphrodite, including love and sexual procreation. Ereshkigal corresponds to Persephone. Ishtar, like Persephone and Eurydice wife of Orpheus , must depart from and later return to the Underworld. In both versions of the story Ishtar decides to visit the Underworld; she leaves instructions to help her return to the world of the living, should she die there.
Ereshkigal orders her death, but she is restored to life through the advice of Enki Sumerian version or the help of her vizier Akkadian version.
The Akkadian narrative ends with Ishtar mourning the death of Damuzi. In the Sumerian version Ishtar is angry with Damuzi for failing to mourn her later return to the world, and she hands him over to demons to suffer death. About the Book. Instructor Resources. Student Resources. Chapter Materials. Chapter Audio Flashcards.
Comparative Myth. Learning Objectives. Representations in Art. Classical Mythology in Art. Comparative Myth Bibliography. Primary Source Abbrevations. His reign was considered a Golden Age when men did not require laws and where everything was shared equally.
However, Cronus heard a prophecy made by his father Uranus and his mother Gaia He was told that he too would be deposed by his son. This prophecy naturally threatened Cronus, and he decided to remove all his children so that they could not threaten him.
Now the King of the gods had six children with his queen, who was also his half-sister. Zeus, the future King of Olympus, was the youngest of the children. Mindful of the prophecy Cronus came up with a strategy to ensure that his children could never threaten or depose him. When they were born, he swallowed them all whole.
When Rhea was pregnant with Zeus, he also intended to swallow him, so he would not be a threat. Naturally, Rhea was enraged by Cronus' plan to murder her child, so she came up with a plan. She sought the help of Gaia, who told her what to do. When she was about to give birth to Zeus, she secretly went to the island of Crete. Here she delivered the future King of the Olympians in a cave in Mount Ida.
This was a well-known pilgrimage site in Ancient Greece and can still be visited to this day. Now Cronus was aware that Zeus was born, and he demanded that the infant be handed over to him.
Rhea and Gaia had devised a clever strategy. She found a huge stone and wrapped it in swaddling clothes and they present this to the Cronus and told him that this was the infant.
Cronus swallowed the stone and was satisfied that Zeus was no longer a threat. In reality, he grew up in Crete, according to a popular version of the myth by the 7th century BC poet Hesiod. In some sources, it was a nymph, and in others, it was his grandmother Gaia. Zeus grew up to be a mighty god in Crete.
Zeus was desperate to overthrow his father, and he was guided by his grandmother Gaia. Cronus did not know that his youngest son with Rhea was still alive. In some myths, Zeus became the cupbearer of his father. His mother gave him a powerful potion, and Zeus was able to give it to his father, secretly.
Well, the potion acted as an enema, and Cronus threw up his five children whom he had swallowed. Immediately they rallied to the cause of their younger brother. From this time on, there was a war for control of the world. Zeus and his brothers and sister were known as the Olympians and opposed the Titans. The Olympians were at a disadvantage because the Titans outnumbered them. However, Zeus was ever-resourceful and had the secret support of his mother and grandmother.
Then he freed some of the monsters and the Cyclopes that had been imprisoned by Cronus many years before. The Cyclopes were grateful and, in return, forged thunderbolts for Zeus. They also made a trident for Poseidon and a helmet for Hades. The future King of Olympus also released the Hecatonchires. The best sources that we have for this myth are Hesiod, sadly several epics that were composed of the events were lost.
Zeus began the war with his father, who was portrayed as increasingly old and feeble. The future ruler of Olympus was able to persuade two of the Titans, Prometheus, and his mother to join him and his sisters and brothers.
Zeus had a definite battle plan. He ordered the Hecatonchires, who had a hundred hands each to bombard the Titans with stones.
Zeus then used his mighty bolts to strike the Titans.
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