Zeus and his alliances. Wives and children of the thunderer

Zeus is one of the main gods in Ancient Greek mythology. Many myths and legends are written about him. The thunderer is the patron saint of family ties and home. Zeus is the father of many gods, demigods and other heroes of myths.

The King of Olympus was amorous, he had several wives and many lovers among other goddesses as well as among mortal women. Several myths of Ancient Greece are devoted to Zeus' adventures. More about Zeus on the Web site https://whoiszeus.ca/. 

The first wife of the thunderer - Metida

The first wife of the ruler of Olympus was Metida. She helped the future ruler to defeat the titan Cronus and ascend to the throne. Metida gave Zeus a potion, drinking which Cronus spewed out his swallowed children, older brothers and sisters of the thunderer. Zeus, like his father once was, was prophesied that his son would overthrow him. According to the prophecy, it was Metida who was to bear him this child. Zeus did not want to repeat the fate of Cronus and swallowed Metida. The wisdom that his wife possessed passed to the thunderer. At that moment, Metida was already pregnant. After a while Zeus felt a severe headache and asked for a blow on the head. According to some myths this was done by Prometheus, according to others by Hephaestus. This is how Athena was born. She was born as an adult in armor glittering with gold, astonishing the gods present with her appearance. Athena became Zeus' firstborn and his favorite.

Zeus' second wife was Themis

 The next wife of the thunderer was the daughter of Gaea and Uranus. Themis was the goddess of justice, she had the gift of divination and insight. She helped the ruler of Olympus to do justice, monitored the implementation of laws both in heaven and on earth. It was Themis who convened the councils that decided crucial issues. According to myths, the supreme deity is in control of the seasons and human destinies. From this marriage were born three oras - goddesses of the seasons, who were responsible for peace and order on earth, and three moira - goddesses of fate. Each of the moira was in charge of different stages of human life. Klotho gave life and determined the time of birth of a child, she could also resurrect the dead. Also her gift was the prediction of fate. The second sister, Lachesis, followed the life of man, she could bestow him with happiness, good luck or vice versa grief and bad luck. The third moira, Atropos, cut the thread of life, ended the earthly path of man. She embodied death and let a man live as long as he was allotted and came for him in due time. Atropos was a stranger to pleas and requests to prolong life. Each of the sisters had different duties, but they were united in their work.

Zeus' third wife, Hera

Hera was the most favorite wife of the thunderer. She was the patroness of marriage and family. However, Hera was characterized by a difficult character, showed herself as a jealous wife and took revenge on the lovers of her spouse. Hera was the sister of Zeus. She captivated his heart and after much persuasion agreed to become his wife. Their family life was not easy. Zeus valued his wife and admired her beauty, but quarrels between them were frequent. Hera, unlike previous wives, did not put up with the numerous infidelities of her husband, who swore to her in eternal love. She cruelly punished his mistresses and children. Several children were born to this union - Ares, Geba and Ilithyia. Ares was the god of war, he strove for conquest, brutalized his opponents. Ares had a fiery temper and more than once came into conflict with other gods. However, at any moment he could enter into battle and protect his family. Geba, a girl of extraordinary beauty, was the goddess of youth. On Olympus, she served as the cupbearer of the gods and played an important role at feasts. She also granted freedom to slaves. Ilithyia was a minor goddess in the Ancient Greek pantheon. However, she was worshipped. Ilithyia helped to cope with difficult labor, to endure pain and to produce a child. She was a faithful helper and patroness of women in labor. Hera and Zeus also had a fourth child. Hephaestus (god of fire) was born weak, so Hera decided to get rid of him by throwing him off a cliff, but he did not die. He was raised on earth and later Hephaestus became a skilled blacksmith.

Zeus' children out of wedlock

History counts about three hundred children of the king of Olympus. Among those born out of wedlock, Heracles received special attention. His mother was a mortal woman, Alcmene. Zeus was enchanted by her beauty, turned into Alcmene's husband and entered into a relationship with her, resulting in Heracles. Myths tell us that this half-god half-man managed to defeat the thunderer with the help of the bone of Cronus.   Zeus had many lovers and children. All these stories are reflected in the myths and legends of ancient Greece. Such stories connect the world of gods and the world of people. And in our time, interest in these legends does not stop.