AETERNA PLAY

In ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the chief god of Olympus and ruled over the other deities. He was associated with the sky, storms, thunderbolts and rain. His most recognisable attribute was the thunderbolt, a symbol of his power.

According to Hesiod’s Theogony, his father, the Titan Cronus, swallowed his children for fear of being overthrown. Rhea managed to save Zeus, who, when grown, freed his siblings and led the struggle against the Titans to establish a new divine order.

Zeus represented more than strength. The Greeks also invoked him as protector of oaths, those seeking help and the rules of hospitality. Welcoming a stranger properly could be understood as a duty under the god’s protection.

His worship was widespread across many cities. Games were held in his honour at Olympia, where a celebrated statue of Zeus by Phidias stood, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The stories portray Zeus as a powerful deity, but also one with flaws and conflicts. This complexity reveals how the Greeks used their gods to explain the order of the world and the tensions of human experience.