The Thunderer and Lightning: The Meaning of the Symbols and Their Role in the Making of Zeus as Supreme Leader

Zeus is a well-known mythical character in ancient Greece. Of course, the religion in his honor has long been a thing of the past. However, there are still debates among scholars about the mythology and the character himself. In particular, there is an opinion that Zeus is a collective image, because he is not considered the only thunder god. Other known prototypes:

• Perun in Slavic mythology - the possessor of the sky;
• Shu - god of air in ancient Egypt.

There is another version that Zeus could be the ancient king of Crete, but so far there is no confirmation of this theory.

However, Zeus gained great popularity, because his biography was described by Greek scientists and philosophers, and the places where he was (according to legends) became places of worship and archaeologists still find valuable artifacts when they excavate there.

Places in Greece that are directly or indirectly known because of the thunderer:

• Crete Cave, the birthplace of Zeus;
• Lucius River in Arcadia, the place where the infant was first bathed;
• Mount Olympus, the pantheon of gods;
• the temple of Zeus at Olympia, built between 470-456 B.C., was a model of the classical temples of the Doric order.

The temple also housed a statue of the thunderer, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Such great attention to a mythical personage only fuels the interest of the public.

Symbols and associations

Zeus is often called the thunderer, and it's not just because of his power - thunder and lightning. He was not always strong and invincible. As we know, the future leader was born to the titanid Rhea and the boy was cared for by his mother's servants until he came of age, while the sacred goat Amalthea nursed him with milk so that the child would grow faster. When he grew up, he joined with his siblings to challenge his father.

The struggle lasted ten years. It was later called the Titanomachy, a confrontation between the Titans and the third-generation Olympian gods. It was that battle, or rather the help of the allies, the Cyclopes freed from Tartarus, and some of the Titans, that brought victory.

Zeus, in particular, had his weapons manufactured:

• The lightning bolts were forged by the Cyclopes Brontes, Steropus, and Arg;
• the one-eyed Cyclopes made and presented the trident to Poseidon and the scepter to Zeus.

The allies coiled the lightning bolts into a bundle to make it easy for him to reach. The lightning bolts were supplied by the winged horse Pegasus. The trident is a symbol of power over the sea. However, Zeus is the supreme god, he directs all spheres (water, earth, sky and mankind), so he was often described with a trident in his hands.

It is known that the god often reincarnated into animals, elements or objects for personal gain, most often for romantic adventures and the seduction of goddesses or mortal women. The cuckoo, the rain-drop ram, the bull - this is only a small part of what is described in the legends, but each reincarnation characterized the thunderer. However, we suggest dwelling on the most popular symbols:

1. Lightning is Zeus' calling card, his legendary weapon. He can control the weather, but it is much more effective to send ready-made lightning bolts at once to his enemies. They were often depicted as curved arrows with tongues of flame. Three lightning bolts symbolized chance, fate and foresight, and subsequently a punishment from heaven, from which one could die.
2. The eagle flies higher than other birds and has a keen eye. The Hellenes associated the proud bird with a legendary leader who is more nimble and better than his enemies and detractors.
3. The oak is the first tree to appear on earth and symbolizes the power and might of the Olympian god. With the rustling of its leaves Zeus communicated his will to people. The shrines of the supreme one were often built in the forests where the oaks grew.

Superpower

Of course, the ability to reincarnate and throw lightning bolts at his enemies is not the only thing Zeus is capable of. He differs from other celestials and demigods in superpowers, speed, and other abilities:

1. Influencing weather conditions (e.g., storm on the sea, tempest, etc.);
2. suggestion through dreams (influenced Metida);
3. Can foresee the future and has great wisdom, thanks to which he invented a set of laws for the gods and mankind;
4. uses other people's unique abilities to his own advantage.

It was these characteristics that allowed Zeus to be superior to the other gods.

Of course, myths have nothing in common with reality, but the narratives invented by the Hellenes many centuries ago still attract the public, so scientists continue to study the culture of ancient Greece, and filmmakers make feature films and TV series devoted to Zeus.