Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Hades

8/17/2019 Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Hades

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Zeus:

Father of Gods andMen

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• Derived from an Indo-European Sky God: di– cf. Germanic Tiu and Indic Dyaus Pitar – Roman Jupiter.

• “Cloud gatherer”

• aegis-bearing Zeus – “goat skin” (!"#) a magical object thatrepresented Zeus’ power. It is often represented as a shield

with snake-headed tassels. Zeus lent it to Athena.

• Many lovers: (e.g. Eurynome (Graces); Mnemosyne (Muses);Ganymede (cup-bearer to the gods); Themis (rules and order)

• Many offspring (e.g. Sarpedon, Zeus’ son, Minos’ brother; Moerae “Fates”: Clotho “spinner”, Lachesis “apportioner” and

Atropos “she who cannot be turned aside”; Horae “Seasons”.

Zeus

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• Zeus is renowned for his physical strength whichguarantees his preeminence over all beings

• Signature weapon is the lightning-bolt: Zeuskataibates – “Zeus who descends”

• Zeus is associated with the bull (Crete, power,fertility) and the Eagle

•God of law and justice Dike – from the root “to

point out”.

• Xenia – (formal guest friendship) cf. Xenophobia

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• As “father of gods and men”, Zeus is a figurative fatherwho oversees all that occurs on earth and in the heavens.

• He is also a literal father to a large number of gods andheroes – famous for his numerous consorts andparamours. 115 at some counts.

• Sexual procreation as a metaphor for agriculturalproduction – rain as semen, earth as the womb

• Famous story from Iliad associates Zeus’ sexual exploitsand the growth of vegetation – Aphrodite’s girdle/belt (asymbol of sexuality and sexual consent) & Hera’s use of itleads to grasses, flowers and plants springing from theearth on which they reclined.

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Hera:

She who sits on aGolden Throne

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Hera (Juno)

• Zeus’ wife• Marriage & childbirth

• Mother of Ares (by Zeus), Eileithyia, Hebe &Hephaestus (two versions of parentage)

• Persecutes Zeus’ mistresses & illegitimate children

• Quarrels with Zeus incessantly• Seduces Zeus to turn tide of Trojan war – Zeus:

“remember when I strung you up...”

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Poseidon:

Dark-Haired Lord ofthe Deep

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The Earthshaker

•God of the sea & earthquakes

• Associated with the horse (drowned in apool in sacrifice to Poseidon)

•Produced Pegasus with the Gorgon Medusa

(grotesque offspring: Polyphemus)

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Hades:Receiver of Many

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Ploutos

“the wealth one”• Name means “invisible” – the unseen dead

and the facelessness of death (helmet of

invisibility)

• never willingly allows anyone who comes tohis ‘house’ to leave

• although an immortal god, not anOlympian.

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Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Hades

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