Zeus is the god of the sky in ancient Greek mythology . As the chief Greek deity, Zeus is considered the ruler, protector, and father of all gods and humans. Zeus is often depicted as an older man with a beard and is represented by symbols such as the lightning bolt and the eagle.

Zeus

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Europa being abducted by Zeus disguised as a bull

Zeus

Q: Where does Zeus’s name come from?

Zeus’s name shares a similar origin with the sky god Dyaus of Hinduism, mentioned in the Rigveda . It is believed that many proto-Indo-European mythologies (e.g., Greek , Hindu , and Norse ) have distinct similarities and may share an origin.

Q: Who are Zeus’s children?

Zeus fathered many children. Among the most well-known are Athena , the goddess of war; Perseus , the hero known for slaying Medusa ; and Persephone , Demeter ’s daughter and wife to Hades . Zeus is known for his many sexual (and oftentimes nonconsensual) relationships outside of his marriage to his wife and sister Hera .

Q: Why did Zeus eat his wife?

In some versions of Greek mythology, Zeus ate his wife Metis because it was known that their second child would be more powerful than him. After Metis’s demise, their first child Athena was born when Hephaestus cleaved Zeus’s head open and the goddess of war emerged, fully grown and armed.

Greek god

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 13, 2024 • Article History

Category: History & Society

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Who is Zeus?

Where does Zeus’s name come from?

Who are Zeus’s children?

Why did Zeus eat his wife?

Zeus, in ancient Greek religion, chief deity of the pantheon, a sky and weather god who was identical with the Roman god Jupiter. His name may be related to that of the sky god Dyaus of the ancient Hindu Rigveda. Zeus was regarded as the sender of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds, and his traditional weapon was the thunderbolt. He was called the father (i.e., the ruler and protector) of both gods and men. According to a Cretan myth that was later adopted by the Greeks, Cronus, king of the Titans, upon learning that one of his children was ...(100 of 557 words)

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