Zeus, the Father and Leader
Zeus' rise to power and his supreme role as the "father of gods and men" is a cornerstone in the study of classical Greek mythology. Dating back to the first Linear B tablets in early Mycenea, Zeus was worshipped as the chief, central god, often being tied to the weather. On this account, one of the first poems (the first dedicated to the story of the gods) was written by the Greek farmer poet, Hesiod. The Theogony tells the story of Zeus' birth and rise to power, overcoming the greatest beasts and gods alike on his way to the throne of the heavens. While Zeus established his role as the King of the gods with a heavy fist and determined will as told in Hesiod's poem, his manner is more that of a "father" and peacemaker in texts such as the Homeric Hymn to Demeter in which his position as leader is established. An obvious distinction is made between Zeus' role during his rise to power and his role as the "father of gods and men." Hesiod's Theogony tells both of the creation of the world and the origin of the gods. The poem follows Zeus' rise to power from when, the then ruler, Kronos and Rhea gave birth to the future "Thunder-god" to his place as the ruler himself. Knowing that one of his sons would overthrow his power, Kr
While initially this appears to be a totally unjust example of a masculine "conspiracy" in a patriarchal world, the union of a good, pure virgin with the lord of the underworld would be a way for Zeus to keep a tab on his brother, an ever imminent threat to power. Both Hesiod's Theogony and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter give us great insight into the character of Zeus and allow us to follow his rise to power. In return for fire, he quickly made an evil for men. Both are equally valuable to the study of classical Greek mythology yet they differ in their purpose. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Zeus authorizes the abduction of Persephone as a favor to his brother Hades without consulting her mother, Demeter. Quickly he became more than any king or god had been. Realizing the strength and determination of Demeter's love, Zeus comes to a compromise allowing Persephone to return from the land of the dead for a portion of each year. These stories have helped to develop the current picture of Zeus by showing the way he deals with other gods and what he does to maintain harmony among them. However motherly instinct is not easily cast aside and Demeter scoured the land for her daughter and eventually blighted the earth in a last-ditch effort to get Zeus attention and help; and she did. (Hesiod's Theogony, lines 567-570) This "evil" was woman and for Prometheus, he was chained to a rock where an eagle ate at his liver daily. onos swallowed all of his children at birth, except for Zeus who Rhea replaced with a stone so that he would be spared (Hesiod's Theogony, lines 459-488). As the "father," he holds the groups together by creating bonds within and between the worlds of gods and men. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter clearly depicts Zeus as the father-figure among the gods.
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