Mythology
October 4, 2006
The Third Generation
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Rheia tricks Kronos, hides the baby Zeus in a cave on Crete (symbolic of being
hidden in the body of the Earth)
Rheia is also an Earth Mother goddess
Gives Kronos a stone in swaddling clothes
Zeus grows up and overthrows his father, tricking him into vomiting up his
siblings
Come out in the opposite order as they were born
Hestia, the first child, came up last – sometimes called the First and Last Born
The stone (omphalos) is placed at Pytho (Delphi).
Omphalos means the navel; Zeus places it here because he thinks this is the center
of the world
Tests this by having two birds fly around the world – meet at Delphi
Zeus Establishes his Rule
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Inherits Kingship of Universe from his father; needs to establish a more stable
rule
Frees Cyclopes and Hundred-handed Ones who were imprisoned by Ouranos;
gains them as his allies
Cyclopes (thought to be forgers of lightening) give Zeus lightening-bolts
Punishment of Prometheus and eventual glorification of Herakles
o Punished for tricking Zeus; shows that you cannot trick Zeus unlike his
father and grandfather
Titanomachy (Battle with the Titans); between Titans and first-generation
Olympians; uses weapons given to him by Cyclopes, Hundred-handed Ones come
to his aid as well; overthrows the Titans, shows his military superiority; puts them
in prison in Tartarus
Typhonomachy (Battle with Typhoios)
o (Greek mythology) son of Gaea and Tartarus who created the whirlwinds;
had a terrifying voice and 100 dragon heads that spurted fire
o Previously had championed Zeus
o Single enemy and Zeus
o Other gods ran away to Egypt
o Using his lightning bolt to defeat Typhoios; buries him under Mount Etna
(volcano in Sicily)
o Military victory, not a victory of cunning
As king of immortals, Zeus distributes responsibilities and privileges
Dynastic Succession
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1st Generation: Ouranos (Sky) and Gaia (Earth)
2nd Generation: Kronos and Rheia
3rd Generation: Zeus and Hera (1st generation Olympians)
4th Generation: Children of Zeus (2nd generation Olympians)
o Made Metis his first wife; means cunning intelligence
o By marrying her, makes her subordinate to him
o No longer needs to worry about a son overthrowing him by the help of his
wife
o When she gets pregnant, he swallows her
o She is a shape shifter, prides herself on this, showing off to Zeus, he dares
her to turn into a fly, he swallows her
o Months lather Zeus gets a horrible headache, Hephaistos opens Zeus’ head
and Athena comes out fully armed
The Divine Wives and Children of Zeus
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Metis
o Swallowed by Zeus, who then produces Athena from his head
Themis: (Greek mythology) the Titaness who was goddess of justice in ancient
mythology
o Seasons, Justice, Fates
Eurynome
o Graces: (Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of
beauty and charm; a favourite subject for sculptors
Demeter: (Greek mythology) goddess of fertility and protector of marriage in
ancient mythology; counterpart of Roman Ceres
o Persephone: (Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made
queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with
Roman Proserpina
Mnemosyne: (Greek mythology) the Titaness who was goddess of memory;
mother of the Muses
o Muses: In ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and
Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science
Leto: Wife or mistress of Zeus and mother of Apollo and Artemis in ancient
mythology; called Latona in Roman mythology
o Apollo: (Greek mythology) Greek god of light; god of prophesy and
poetry and music and healing; son of Zeus and Leto; twin brother of
Artemis
o Artemis: (Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon;
daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana
Hera: Queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology; sister and wife of
Zeus remembered for her jealously of the many mortal women Zeus fell in love
with; identified with Roman Juno
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o Ares: (Greek mythology) Greek god of war; son of Zeus and Hera;
identified with Roman Mars
o Hebe: (Greek mythology) the goddess of youth and spring; wife of
Hercules; daughter of Zeus and Hera; cupbearer to the Olympian gods
o Eileithyia
o Hera produces Hephaistos asexually: (Greek mythology) the lame god of
fire and metalworking in ancient mythology; identified with Roman
Vulcan
Maia
o Hermes: (Greek mythology) messenger and herald of the gods; god of
commerce and cunning and invention and theft; identified with Roman
Mercury
Semele
o Dionysus: (Greek mythology) god of wine and fertility and drama; the
Greek name of Bacchus
The Fourth Generation
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Athena
Persephone
Apollo
Artemis
Ares
Hephaistos
Hermes
Dionysus