EL 112 – MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE

September 15, 2022 Discussion – PRELIMS # 2

ZEUS' LOVERS
1. ZEUS AND METIS
His first and favorite lover was Metis, a Titan goddess and mother of Athena.
Zeus had had other wives before Hera. The first was Metis (Wisdom), whom Zeus swallowed just
before she gave birth to Athena because he knew that her second child would dethrone him. Yet in
order to allow Athena to live, as Metis' firstborn, Zeus (in some Greek sources) had Hephaestus
take an axe and cleave his forehead open, and from Zeus's head sprang Athena, fully armed. By
swallowing Metis, however, Zeus had gained wisdom as part of his intrinsic nature.

2. Zeus and Themis

He later married Themis, Titan goddess of tradition, with whom he had six children; the three Horai
(Hours) and the three Moirai (Fates); according to some myths, the three Nymphai (Nymphs) were
also children of Zeus and Themis. Afterwards, he was interested in Demeter, but she resisted him.

3. Zeus and Mnemosyne

His third wife was Mnemosyne, who gave birth to the nine Muses.
Zeus went to Pieria and stayed with her nine consecutive nights.

4. Zeus and Leto

He has also married Leto and had Apollo and Artemis with her.
The wanderings of Leto were ascribed to the jealousy of Zeus’s wife, Hera, who was enraged at
Leto’s bearing Zeus’s children. The foundation of Delphi followed immediately upon the birth of
Apollo

5. Zeus and Hera

Zeus finally became enamored of the goddess who was to become his permanent wife — Hera.
After courting her unsuccessfully, he changed himself into a disheveled cuckoo. When Hera
took pity on the bird and held it to her breast, Zeus resumed his true form and ravished her.
Hera then decided to marry him to cover her shame, and the two had a brilliant wedding
worthy of the
gods. It took no great foresight to see that their marriage was bound to be quarrelsome and unhappy, given
Zeus's lust and Hera's jealousy.

Their union brought forth four children: Hebe, the cupbearer to the gods; Ares, the god of war; Ilithyia, a
goddess of childbearing; and Hephaestus, the craftsman of the gods. Perhaps in vengeance for Zeus's giving
birth to Athena. Hera claimed that Hephaestus was virgin-born. Zeus never cared much for his two legitimate
sons, Ares and Hephaestus. And his two legitimate daughters were almost nonentities. One time Hephaestus
interfered in a quarrel between Zeus and Hera, siding with his mother. In a rage Zeus hurled his ugly son down
from Olympus to the isle of Lemnos, crippling him forever.

The arguments between Zeus and Hera were fairly frequent As Zeus continued to have one affair after another,
Hera could not punish him because he was much stronger than she was. But she could avenge herself on the
females with whom Zeus lingered, and she often took full advantage of this.

6. Zeus and Europa

The beauty of any mortal would quickly become known to one or more deities in the Greek
pantheon, and from his throne of Mount Olympus, it was Zeus who first spied the beautiful
Europa. Despite being married at that time to the goddess Hera, Zeus was overwhelmed with
desire for the princess of Tyre. Acting on his desire, Zeus transformed himself into a magnificent
white bull and transported himself to Tyre.

Europa and her attendants were down by the shore gathering flowers when the white bull wandered up to them.
Zeus made sure that the bull appeared totally tame, and he laid down at the feet of Europa. Initially, a little bit
scared, Europa would eventually start to place flowers upon the white bull, before eventually deciding that the
bull was tame enough for her to sit upon.

That was of course just what Zeus wanted, and with Europa on his back he entered the water and swam off into
the sea. Europa was too frightened to jump off, and eventually, Zeus and Europa arrive on the shores of Crete.

Zeus then reveals himself to Europa and transforms into human form. Europa then readily agrees to be his lover
beneath a cypress tree, and from the coupling, three sons were born, Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon.
Zeus then left Europa on Crete, rather than returning her to tyre. Europa though prospered on Crete and married
the Cretan king, Asterion; Europa becoming the first Queen of Crete.

7. Zeus and Semele

One important god, however, had Zeus as a father and a mortal woman as a mother. This was
Dionysus, the vine god of ecstasy, who was never granted Olympian status. His mother was the
Theban princess, Semele. Zeus visited her one night in the darkness, and she knew a divine being
was present and she slept with him. When it turned out that Semele was pregnant she boasted
that Zeus was the father.

Hera learned of this and came to Semele disguised as her nurse. Hera asked how she knew the father was Zeus,
and Semele had no proof. So Hera suggested that Semele ask to see this god in his full glory. The next time
Zeus visited the girl he was so delighted with her that he promised her anything she wanted. She wanted to see
Zeus fully revealed. Since Zeus never broke his word, he sadly showed himself forth in his true essence, a burst
of glory that utterly destroyed Semele, burning her up. Yet Zeus spared her unborn infant, sewing it up inside
his thigh until it was able to emerge as the god Dionysus. His birth from Zeus's thigh alone conferred
immortality on him.

8. Zeus and Leda

On occasion their mothers were notable for something besides merely attracting Zeus with their
beauty. Leda, for example, after being visited by Zeus in the form of a swan, gave birth to an egg
from which came Helen and Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux. But since Leda's husband
Tyndarus also made love to her shortly after Zeus, the exact paternity of these quadruplets was
subject to question. It was generally considered that Helen and Pollux were children of Zeus and
Leda, whilst Clytemnestra and Castor, were the offspring of Tyndareus and Leda; although this view
was by no means universal in antiquity.

9. Zeus and Io
Poor Io was famous for her long persecution at the hands of Hera. Zeus fell in love with Io and
seduced her under a thick blanket of cloud to keep Hera from learning of it. But Hera was no fool;
she flew down from Olympus, dispersed the cloud, and found Zeus standing by a white heifer, who
of course was Io. Hera calmly asked Zeus if she could have this animal, and Zeus gave it to her,
reluctant to go into an explanation. But Hera knew it was Io, so she put her under guard.

The watchman Argus with a hundred eyes was put in charge. Eventually Zeus sent his son Hermes to deliver lo
from Argus, which was very difficult because Argus never slept. In disguise Hermes managed to put Argus to
sleep with stories and flute-playing, and then Hermes killed him. As a memorial to Argus, Hera set his eyes in
the tail of her pet bird, the peacock. But Hera was furious and sent a gadfly to chase Io over the earth.

Still in the form of a heifer, Io ran madly from country to country, tormented by the stinging insect. At one point
she came across Prometheus chained to his rock in the Caucasus, and the two victims of divine injustice
discussed her plight. Prometheus pointed out that her sufferings were far from over, but that after long
journeying she would reach the Nile, be changed back into human shape, give birth to Epaphus, the son of Zeus,
and receive many honors. And from her descendants would come Heracles, (Hercules) the man who would set
Prometheus free.

But who is Prometheus?

Prometheus, in Greek religion, one of the Titans, the supreme trickster, and a god of fire. His
intellectual side was emphasized by the apparent meaning of his name, Fore thinker.
Prometheus is credited with the creation of humanity from clay, and of defying the gods by
stealing fire and giving it to humanity as civilization. Prometheus is known for his intelligence and
for being a champion of humankind.
He tricked Zeus and as a punishment, Zeus avenged himself on Prometheus by having him nailed to a mountain
in the Caucasus and then sent an eagle to eat his immortal liver, which constantly replenished itself.
And from that being said, only a descendant from Io would bore Heracles, the man who would set Prometheus
free.
10. Zeus and Persephone
Demeter hid her gorgeous young daughter, in a cave deep under ground and two dragons were
placed to guard the cave. Zeus was captivated by Persephone’s beauty and somehow found out the
cave where Demeter had concealed her. Zeus transformed himself into a dragon, lulled the two
dragons into sleep, who were guarding the cave, and managed to get inside the cave. Where he
seduce, his own daughter, Persephone’s virgin body in form of dragon. With their union, Zagreus
was born.

Later when Persephone became queen of underworld, she was again seduce by Zeus but this time disguised as
her husband, Hades. Melinoe was said to be born from this union.

11. Zeus and Callisto

Callisto was one of the goddess Artemis' huntress companions and swore to remain unwed.
But she was loved by Zeus and, in several variations of the legend, was turned into a she-bear
either by Zeus (to conceal his deed from Hera) or by Artemis or Hera (who were enraged at
her unchastity).

Despite being married to Hera, Zeus was not above taking the virtue of a beautiful maiden, and so one day Zeus
descended to earth from Mount Olympus. Zeus located Callisto whilst separated from Artemis and the rest of
the retinue, and the god approached her; some say Zeus approached in male form, and some say that he
disguised himself as Artemis so as not to alarm Callisto.

Zeus then gave Arcas, his child with Callisto, to the Titaness Maia to raise. He then placed Callisto among the
stars as the constellation Ursa Major (Great Bear).

It was said that Artemis is a lesbian that she falls in love with girls that is why she never wanted the to be
touched by a man/god.

DID ZEUS FALL IN LOVE WITH A BOY?

12. Zeus and Ganymede

In Greek Mythology, Ganymede was the embodiment of beauty. He was a handsome, young Trojan
who was, as Homer describes, “the most beautiful of mortals.” In the myth of Ganymede and Zeus,
Ganymeds is herding his flock on the mountainside when Zeus sees him and is determined to make
Gaynmede his lover. Zeus, in the form of an eagle, abducts the young Ganymede and carries him off
to Mount Olympus to be the god’s lover and cupbearer. Hera, Goddess of Women and Marriage, and
wife of Zeus, upon hearing that Ganymede was to be cupbearer as well as Zeus’ lover, became
enraged with jealousy.

Her own daughter Hebe, Goddess of Youth, previously held the favored position of cupbearer. The omnipotent
Zeus did not waiver in his affection for Ganymede who would carry a golden cup as he accompanied the
powerful god on his travels. Eventually, Ganymede, recognizing the thirst of the mortals, no longer coveted his
role and, refusing his position as Zeus’ cupbearer, decided to pour out all the wine, ambrosia, and water of the
gods. Although Zeus, a notoriously angry god, first wanted to punish Ganymede, he eventually realized he had
been unkind to the boy. Instead, Zeus set Ganymede’s image among the stars as the constellation and God
Aquarius, making him immortal and fulfilling Ganymede’s wish of sending rain down to the people of the earth
who were in need.

Greek mythology often portrays Ganymedes as the God of Homosexuality.