Zeus — Ancient Greek God

Zeus, King of the Gods
Roman name: Jupiter

Zeus was the king of all the gods. Zeus ruled the entire universe - no one was mightier than the mighty Zeus. Zeus was not afraid of anything except possibly his wife, the horrible Hera.

As king, he had powers that came from being king of all the gods. These were powers of government. He could give other gods titles and jobs. He could take those titles and jobs away. He could direct other gods, like any leader. His was an elected position. There were 12 gods on the council. They could have voted someone else king. But they never did.

Zeus' Name
Zeus’ name is thought to have originated from the Ancient Greek word for “bright.” The word has a close connection with dies, which is the Latin word for “day” and has a very ancient history. Therefore, many mythologists believe that Zeus is one of the oldest Greek gods.

Zeus' Family
Soon after the Creation of the world, the then-ruler of the Gods Cronus – who had learned that one of his children would overthrow him – swallowed Zeus’ three sisters and two brothers at birth: Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Hades, and Poseidon. Zeus would have been eaten himself if Rhea hadn’t slipped Cronus a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes in his place, hiding her youngest child in a cave on the Cretan Mount Ida.

Zeus' Infancy
There, Zeus was raised by nymphs and met his first wife, Metis – or Wisdom. On her advice, he masked himself as an Olympian cupbearer and tricked his father into drinking poisoned wine. The wine made Cronus vomit so much that he ultimately disgorged Zeus’ siblings – intact and ready for revenge. This, their second birth, made the youngest among them – Zeus – actually their oldest brother.

Zeus’ Wives
According to Hesiod, Zeus had the very same problem with his first wife, Metis. Warned that their child may be a threat to him, Zeus decided to swallow his pregnant wife. Nevertheless, the child, fully grown and armored, was eventually born – but from the forehead of Zeus. It was none other than Athena, the goddess of wisdom herself.
Afterward, Zeus married Themis, who bore him the Horae and the Fates. His third wife was Eurynome, who brought the Charites to the world. His sister Demeter followed; she gave birth to Persephone. With his fifth wife, Mnemosyne, Zeus begot the Muses. After becoming Zeus’ sixth wife, Leto became the mother of Apollo and Artemis.
Zeus’ seventh and final wife was his sister, Hera.