Greek Mythology: Zeus

Zeus is the youngest son of Rhea and Cronus...
He was the Greek God of the Sky, and the King of the Gods...

Symbols: Eagle, Bull, Oak Tree, Thunderbolts, Olive Tree

How Zeus ended the cycle of Children overthrowing their fathers: The story of Metis & Zeus
Metis was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys and was Zeus' first wife. When she got pregnant Zeus feared the cycle of children overthrowing their fathers would repeat. So to end the cycle he swallowed Metis instead of just the child... When Metis gave birth it was inside Zeus began to have a "splitting headache" and Athena to spare you the details was born out of Zeus' head. (Making Athena one of the only Goddesses to be considered wise and not driven by the irrational emotion that most women are driven by) and by giving birth to Athena ended the cycle of mother allegiances killing the father... By this time Zeus had remarried to Hera and Hera was angry that Zeus had a child "without the need of a woman" and decided to have her own child by herself... Hephaestus (who I will talk about in a different post)...

www.crystalinks.com/zeus.html

*really don't like the cherubs in this picture I'll explain later... but this is a famous painting of Zeus and Hera... despite what others may post it as... you can tell by the eagle under Zeus' feet (one of his symbols) and the peacock behind Hera (one of her symbols)...

Zeus had many children with many different people... Some of them were:
(First Wife Titan) Metis: Athena
(Goddess) Demeter: Persephone
(Titan) Leto: Artemis and Apollo
(Titan) Mnemosyne: The Muses
(Titan) Themis: the Seasons and the Fates
(Oceanid) Eurynome: the Graces
(Goddess) Maia: Hermes
(Goddess) (Wife) Hera: Hebe (Youth), Eileithyia (Childbirth), Ares (Offensive War and Bloodlust *and yes there is a reason for the distinction)
(Goddess) Nemesis: Helen (of Troy)
(Mortal) Alcmene: Heracles (Demi-God)
(Moral) Danae: Perseus (Demi-God)
(Mortal) Semele: Dionysus (God)
(Mortal) Europa: Minos

Zeus and one of his Consorts... can you see jealous Hera in the upper left corner?

If there was one thing Zeus was very known for besides his affairs it was his punishments:
I have already posted about Prometheus...
There was also though Tantalus who killed his son as a sacrifice (food) for the gods: He was charged to be in Tartarus for all eternity having food and drink just out of his reach... what does his name sound like I wonder... lol
King Salmoneus made his subjects worship him as Zeus: He was condemned to riding around in a bronze chariot loudly imitating thunder...