Greek Mythology: Zeus, Athena, and the Divine Reigns
The Reign of Divine Chronos: 2nd Generation
Uranus hated his monstrous children and kept them locked in Tartarus. Gaia (Earth) was angry with Uranus and asked the Titans to avenge their father. Only Cronus accepted, receiving a sickle from his mother to castrate Uranus. From the blood of Uranus that fell to Earth, a new generation of monsters, the Gigantes, were born. Cronus then overthrew his father and seized power on Mount Olympus. He married his sister Rhea, with whom he had three children: Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, as well as Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus, forming the 2nd divine generation.
The Reign of Zeus
Cronus had an oracle that foretold one of his children would dethrone him, so he swallowed them at birth. When Rhea was about to give birth to Zeus, she went to Crete in secret and handed Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed without suspecting. Zeus grew up in secret. When he was older, he gave Cronus a drug delivered by Metis that forced him to return the children he had swallowed. With these siblings and the help of the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, after a bitter war against Cronus, Zeus seized power on Mount Olympus. Shortly after starting his reign, Zeus faced a rebellion of the giants, beings of great size and strength with snakes instead of legs. The giants, born from the blood of Uranus after being wounded by Cronus, sought revenge for the Titans. This confrontation, called the Gigantomachy, ended with the destruction of all the giants, with the collaboration of Heracles.
Myth of the Four Ages
After the creation of humanity, the land passed through four generations of humans, distinguished by the metal associated with their era and their living arrangements. The 1st was the Golden Age, coinciding with the reign of Cronus on Mount Olympus. It was a happy time in which men lived without government, wars, or authority. The land gave all without cultivation, because they lived in eternal spring. When Zeus began to reign after the expulsion of Cronus, the Silver Age began. Time was divided into seasons, and man began to work the land to get their food and search for refuge. In the Bronze Age, men became harder in character but without being criminals. In the Iron Age, wars and crime spread among humankind, treachery became common, and justice left the land, which was divided into unequal parts.
Zeus
The universal order was headed by Zeus (Roman Jupiter), surpassed only by destiny. Son of Cronus and Rhea, and brother of Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, and Hera, whom he married. With Hera, he had Ares and Hephaestus, but from his illicit relationships, many gods and heroes were born. He is the father of the Muses, Hermes, Persephone (with his sister Demeter), Dionysus, Apollo, Artemis, and Heracles. Zeus is the Greek god of the sky and phenomena that occur in it, such as rain, lightning, and thunder. He also ensures fairness and order in the world, protecting oaths, guests, and the state. His attributes are the lightning bolt and eagle. Among the many legends and myths, many stars are related to his affairs, in which he used to change shape. He seduced Europa in the form of a white bull, Leda as a swan, and Danaë with a shower of gold.
Athena
The Roman Minerva, the myth says that she was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. According to the oracle, if Metis had a daughter, then a son would dethrone Zeus. Zeus swallowed Metis when she was pregnant. At birth, he ordered Hephaestus to open his head, from which Athena emerged fully armed. Athena is the goddess of reason and any protective activity. The goddess of Athens teaches women the art of weaving. Her attributes are the bow, spear, and shield with Medusa’s head. The owl is her favorite animal, and the olive tree is her plant.
Characteristics of the Gods
The gods are anthropomorphic, represented with a human appearance and vices. The difference was that they were immortal. They are not creator gods but conquerors, distributing the different areas of influence in the world after unseating Cronus. The power of the gods is limited only by Zeus-Jupiter, father of gods and men, guarantor of universal order and destiny, and the fatum moira (fate).