Biography Zeus

Zeus (ZeuV = Indo-European, dyau – s, CP. Lat. Juppiter, divus). Chief god of ancient Greek religion. Honoring it is common to all Greeks, as well as all Italians general reverence welcoming him Jupiter. Originally Zeus – the universal deity, the king of all nature.

He and the god of daylight and the sky, and the storm god, thunderstorms and rain, and the father of other gods and men, royal and other eminent birth which led to him its origin. In it, the primordial indoevrop. religious belief, embodied masculine, active side of the creative nature. Women perceiving, found himself in a female incarnation of the Supreme Deity, which became, with antropomorfizatsii religious beliefs, the wife of Z. This female deity was of a different locations different names, partly originating from the same root as Z. (Diwnh = Lat. Diana Danah), some had initially different meaning.

Of the many names of the supreme goddess of the most widely addressed to Hera, the legitimate wife of Z. All the other unions AZ of goddesses, originally identical with the hero of mythological significance, have been relegated to the level of temporary passions, partly with the nature of romantic love affairs. Often, Z. reaches a sort of possession of a goddess or a woman through deception or transformation. So Alkmene he was her husband her – Amphitryon, went to Danae in the form of golden rain, Ledoux deceive, taking the form swan, Europe stole turning white bull, and even Hera, he was in the form of an eagle. In these tales lie the traces of ancient zoomorphic and cosmic myths, which partly reflected the influence of Eastern religions.

With the development of individual and moral traits in Greek. gods, Z. was considered the supreme guardian of the laws and chastise us for their violation, the patron of the public and family life and the protector of the wronged, and wanderers. As the supreme master of the world, he reveals the secrets of some people of the future. Apollo himself as a prophet, there is only vicarious Geziodovskaya Z. Z. Theogony is the youngest son of titanium crown and his sister Rhea. Crone, fearful because of prophecy, that will be overthrown by his son, devoured all his children. With the help of his mother, the Earth, Reeh could secretly produce a Z., on the island of Crete, in the cave of the mountain Ida, or, on the other legends, Mount dictates. Kron, instead Z., gave the stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Taller, Z., using the Earth, caused his father to return the sequestered brothers and sisters. Then, these younger gods had to put up a stubborn struggle against the Titans at what they helped W storukie giant Cott, energies and Briard. The Titans were defeated and cast down into Tartarus, deep underground. Then the earth, for fear of force Z., made the monster Typhon, but. and Z. burned his lightning. Prometheus had deceived the gods, Z., first punished those that had taken fire from the human race, to whom Prometheus patronized. When Prometheus stole fire from the spark of heaven, and bring it to people, Z. chained him to the Caucasus mountains.

Finally prevail over the world, SZ first wife takes Metis (Wisdom), which is, however, eats, when she was preparing to give birth to Pallas Athena. Then he fired Z. Pallas from his head, where she went in full armor. Second wife Z. theogony called Themis, borne him Gore and Moira, the third – Evrinomu that bare the Graces. Then he has to Demeter – Persephone, Lethe – Apollo and Artemis, of Mnemosyne (Memory) – 9 Muses. Other sources mention even of alliance with H. Dion, gave birth to Aphrodite, and Semele, gave birth to Dionysus. Finally, Z. marries his sister, Hera, from which a Hebe, Area and Eileithyia. Honoring Z. occurred most frequently on the mountain tops.

Especially famous cult Z. were the following areas:

1) Olympus with the surroundings, in Thessaly. Here the cult Z., perhaps the oldest, originating in the days before the Greek occupation. tribes of all the Balkan Islands. Since shifting the center of Greek political life in the Peloponnese, the most important place of worship became the Olympic Z.

2) Olympia, in Elis, on the river Alfee. This occurred after Z. famous Olympic games and was an oracle Z., to which in particular often resorted Spartans. The Cult of the Olympic Z. was still in Athens, where her sanctuary was begun construction at Pizistrate. Great success achieved this cult only at the Imperial. Adriana.

3) Dodona, where the cult Z. goes also back to antiquity. SZ conceived lived here in the ether, a close friend.

4) Likeyskaya mountain in Arcadia. Z., in epit., Revered here as the light source in the sanctuary, which was not an idol. They said that this shrine objects are not throwing shadows. The entrance was forbidden under pain of death, here, as indeed in other places (in Crete, Alos Foiotskom) in honor of the ancient Z. human sacrifices were established according to legend, Lycaon, for it transformed into a wolf Z. . Z. Likeyskogo prayed for termination of drought. Arcadian tradition also tells of the birth here Z. and the origin of the first man – Pelasgians.

5) Athens. Here Z. venerated it as a gracious (MeilicioV), then how angry (MaimacthV). On the Acropolis was a cult Z. city ruler (NomeuV). Kekrop founded the cult of the Imperial Z. (ѓpatoV). At the end of winter in honor Z. committed Diaz, middle of summer – Bufonii or Diopolii, with the sacrifice of working oxen.

6) Crete. It has evolved under the influence of the East, a whole cycle of tales about Z., in connection with stories about the mother of the gods – Reeh. Opinion birth Z. is here received superiority over all other sites. It is fed by bees and goat Amalfeya. Gard over him kept Kuretem to muffle the noise of weapons vagitus not to be heard Krohn. Cretan saga even talked about the death of Z., in confirmation of what Crete appeared his tomb. The assumption of the death of god general Cretans with many other ancient religions, especially Eastern (Osiris, Attis, Adonis), and reflects the recurrent nature of death from cold and drought, while the birth corresponds to the spring coming to life. Birth and death Z. celebrated by priests, also nosivshimi name Kuretem, with relevant joyous or sad rites. Form a face, beneath which, apparently, originally revered Cretan Z., very definitely points to the East.

7) Rhodes, where he was a cult Z. Atobiriya (Mount Atobiry), Phoenician origin.

Asia Minor. Here Z. revered by many peaks, especially in the Phrygian Ida, where there was a cycle of tales, like Crete. Mother Z. called here Adrastea and was identical with the Phrygian goddess of the Great Mother – Tsibeloy. Acolytes her Korybantes resemble Cretan Kuretem. See Preller, "Griechische Mythologie" (AND, BA, 1887); AP Leont'ev, "On the worship in ancient Greece, Z." (Wiley, 1850).