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| Zeus holding a thunder. |
Birth
Cronus, his father, was swallowing his children because he was told that one of his children would overthrow him. When Rhea gave birth to Zeus, asked Gaia and Uranus for help in saving him by sending her to Crete to bear Zeus. After the birth, instead of giving Zeus to Cronus she gave him a huge stone to swallow thinking that it was one of Rhea's children. Cronus later was tricked from Rhea and Zeus and vomited up his five children and the stone which he had swallowed last. The five children joined Zeus and they waged a great war on the Titans for control of the Cosmos and overthrow Cronus.
Great War on the Titans (Titan War)
The war lasted ten years, with the Olympian gods, Cyclopes, Prometheus and Epimetheus, on one side, and the Titans and the Giants on the other. Although Epimetheus and Prometheus are Titan they fought with Zeus against the other Titans. In many mythological stories Prometheus is characterized as ingenious and clever, and Epimetheus as foolish. Zeus was struggling with the war and asked help from the Hundred-Handed ones. He asked them to shake the earth, allowing him to gain the upper hand. After the Hundred-Handed ones freed, they were so thankful to Zeus that they gave him the glowing thunderbolt and lightning. Zeus used his thunderbolts at the Titans, throwing them into Tartarus. Zeus later battled Typhon, a son of Gaia and Tartarus, created because Gaia was angry that the Titans were defeated, and was victorious again.
Ruler of the World
After the great war with Titan, Zeus was shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots. Zeus took the sky and air, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the waters. Gaia (Earth) could not be claimed; he was left to all three, each according to their capabilities. Symbols include the thunderbolt, eagle, scepter, and scales. He is the Brother of Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia.Personal Life
In most Greek Myth variations, he is married to goddess Hera. With her they three children Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. Other variations in Greek Mythology says that he also had Eileithyia, Eris, and Angelos. In addition Zeus had many affairs with various women, both mortal and immortal. We must note that of all the children Zeus spawned, Hercules was often described as his favorite. Most Greek myths say that Hera as jealous of Zeus affairs, making her a consistent enemy of Zeus' mistresses and their children by him, including Hercules.
Another famous immortal that had children is Mnemosyne, that was a Titaness, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia. She born the nine Muses: Calliope, Clio, Euterpe, Erato, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania. Furthermore, Zeus mate also with Themis, another Titaness. She is the personification of divine order, law, natural law and custom. They had many children, including Astraea, the Nymphs of Eridanos, Nemesis, and the Horae (or Hours), the goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time.
