Zeus is the primordial god in Greek mythology and likely the most interesting one as a result. The god Zeus was created as the Greek version of the Indo-European sky god, related to other patriarchal sky gods such as Thor and Odin in the Norse Pantheon.  The religion of Zeus very likely came about as the result of a merger of the religions of various Mediterranean and northern peoples (Leeming 95).

I think Zeus was made the chief god of the Greek pantheon because the Greeks saw the sky as the most important part of the world, and they also probably believed that thunder was the mightiest element and that only an extremely powerful otherworldly force could create it. When thunderstorms occurred, the Greeks may have looked up at it in awe and fear, and they obviously did not have the science to explain it, so they believed that a high being created it instead. Zeus’ patriarchal aspect may also reflect the patriarchal Greek society during the classical period, with men holding all the power and women not being allowed to enter politics even in the Athenian democracy. With his patriarchal and ruling qualities Zeus may have influenced great Greek rulers like Solon and Cleisthenes of Athens, and perhaps even Alexander the Great. Alexander himself believed that he was the son of Zeus.

The Greek hierarchy itself is modelled on human families, with Zeus and the official Olympian gods simply being members of the most powerful Greek families. Thus, the Olympians, like real people in the rich and powerful classes of ancient Greece, were flawed by instances of immorality, arrogance and stubbornness. The Greeks may have made their gods more human and given them such flaws due to their great emphasis on realism, which is also reflected in the many statues that they created, realistically although idealistically depicting the human body. The Greeks approached their gods carefully rather than in a familial or loving manner due to their fear for them (Leeming 95). The Greeks fear of their gods may reflect their fear and respect for their own rulers. Thus, Zeus and his qualities are very representative of aspects of ancient Greek culture.

 

 

Works Cited

Leeming, David A. The World of Myth: An Anthology. New York: Oxford University Press, 2019.