I hope you had a great weekend. Those of you that I saw at Homecoming looked so JUNOESQUE and APOLLONIAN!
Zeus
- controls all aspects of the weather
- tricks Hera into marrying him by transforming into a cuckoo bird
- Hera is his second wife
- Metis is his first wife (she is the mother to Athena)
- shape shifts into animals in order to woe women
- has numerous affairs
- Just
- has difficulties in making decisions
- god of athletes/athletic events were held in his honor/wore "crown" of oak leaves
- Zeus transforms into a cuckoo bird. Hera loves animals, and finds a "cuckoo bird" outside her window trapped in a storm. She brings the bird to her breast and states, "I will love you forever, cuckoo bird, and I swear by the River Styx that I will honor this vow." At this point, Zeus returned to his true form, raped Hera, and told her that she had to honor her vow by marrying him. If you swore by Styx your oath could not be broken.
- She loves animals.
- Hephaestus is her son without a father (in some versions) Hera was angry that Zeus had given birth to Athena without the assistance of a mother, so she gave birth to Hephaestus without a father. He was born ugly and unshapen, so she cast him off Mt. Olympus.
- Due to Zeus' affairs, Hera takes her anger and frustrations out on Zeus' lovers and children.
Athena - Zeus swallowed Athena's mother, Metis, because an oracle had informed Zeus that if Metis birthed a son that child would overthrow his father. Zeus felt that he could not risk this, so he swallowed Metis. Athena grew within her father, until one day he experience a terrible headache. Hephaestus, the God of Inventions, sliced open Zeus' head and Athena was born wearing full battle armour and holding a shield and spear.
- Athena values mankind. She taught them how to create tools, use numbers, create nets, weaving and ships.
- Athena expected mankind to give gratitude to the gods of Olympus. If they were disrespectful, she punished them. She turns a mortal woman names Arachne into a spider because she failed to thank Athena for her gift. In addition, she said that she was a better weaver than Athena.
- Athena and Poseidon both wanted Attica as their city-state. The people decided they would select their patron god based upon a gift they offered the people. Athena gave the people an Olive Tree, and Poseidon gave the people a spring of salt water. The people selected Athena as their patron deity; consequently, Poseidon detested Athena.
- God of the Seas
- Created the horse to woe his sister, Demeter. In the process created all the "misfit" animals (zebra, giraffe, hippo, donkey, etc.)
- Gave the horse to Demeter and created the sea horse for himself
- Earthquakes
- Loved his domain due to the secrets he could keep in it
- Had sex with Medusa in Athena's temple; this angered the goddess. To revenge this wrong, Athena turned Medusa into a GORGON. Medusa was punished for Poseidon's wrong, but Poseidon punished significantly for it.
- Known for his beautiful smile
- Easily angered
- Highly venerated due to the Greeks being sea faring.
