The Birth of Zeus

Author: Hesiod

Time Period: 999 BCE–1 BCE

Country or Culture: Greece

Genre: Myth

PLOT SUMMARY

Before the age of the Olympian gods, the universe is ruled by Gaia and Uranus, the earth goddess and sky god, and their children, the Titans. One of the Titans, Cronus, overthrows Uranus, and he and his sister Rhea become the king and queen of the gods, initiating a long period of peace and celebration in their realm.

While it is the duty of the Titans to give birth to more gods and goddesses, Cronus learns that just as he overthrew his own father, one of his children would someday come to overthrow him. Unwilling to give up his power or his physical relations with his wife, he insists on swallowing up their children the moment they are born. One after the other, Cronus swallows Hestia, Hades, Demeter, Poseidon, and finally Hera, imprisoning some of the most powerful deities inside of his stomach before they even have the chance to see a full day. While the gods and goddesses do not die, they remain weak and unable to usurp their father.

Rhea is distressed by her husband’s violent actions and seeks the advice of her parents, Gaia and Uranus. These gods agree to help Rhea not only for her benefit and for the benefit of their grandchildren but also because Cronus had overthrown and castrated Uranus years before. They know that if they can save only one infant from Cronus, that child will grow to overthrow him, securing their revenge.

On the advice of her parents, Rhea travels to the island of Crete as soon as she is ready to give birth. There, Gaia herself receives the child Zeus from Rhea, covering him with her protective arms and hurrying him to a sacred, hidden cave in the heavy forests of Mount Aigion. There, Gaia promises to use her powers and the strength of the earth to raise the child into the mighty god he is destined to become. Just as quickly, Rhea wraps a large stone in a swaddling cloth, holding it as though it were a living child, and returns to her home. She gives this stone to Cronus, who swallows it whole without another thought. With Cronus tricked, the infant Zeus is finally safe, able to grow and gain strength until he will one day overthrow his father and become king of the gods himself.

SIGNIFICANCE

The myth of the birth of Zeus comes to the modern day through the ancient Greek poet Hesiod’s Theogony, a work composed in the seventh or eighth century BCE that charts the rise of the Olympian gods to dominance and their overthrow of the more ancient Titans. The Theogony is a foundational text in understanding power within Greek mythology. Through its narrative, Hesiod combines divergent myths into one cohesive text, demonstrating how and why the Greek pantheon came to be.

The narrative of the birth of Zeus is a key moment in the transfer of power from the Titans to the Olympians, set in a long tradition of deceit, betrayal, and violence. While Zeus would eventually need to form an army and overthrow his father by brute force, the subtle tricks of his mother and grandmother are equally significant in establishing his dominance. Like that of many leaders in ancient Greek mythology, the power of Zeus comes from several sources. He has a divine right to the throne of Olympus, his leadership having been prophesied well before his birth, and he eventually claims that right through military might. However, his birth also shows a blessing by divine women and the earth. Rhea and Gaia are two of the most ancient and powerful female forces in Greek mythology, with Gaia representing the essential power of the earth itself. Neither goddess rules with the same force as her husband, but both represent the necessity of the female counterpart in establishing political and mythological power. This is particularly significant as they are both the consorts of former rulers and queens of the gods, yet they choose to use their powers to usher in the age of Zeus rather than preserve the reign of their male counterparts.

The role of Gaia and Rhea in this myth of power ultimately points to the patriarchal nature of Greek society and mythology. Only a single male will rule in the Greek pantheon at any moment, and Zeus himself will eventually be called the father of all gods (a symbolic fatherhood for the most part, although he does father many deities). Yet in the story of his birth, it is the female deities who truly influence the course of mythology, holding all the power by tricking Cronus and relying on the protection of the earth to safeguard the infant god. However, the strength of the goddesses is subverted into the rule of gods (and men), and despite all their wit, Rhea and Gaia will find themselves eventually displaced from power once more, Zeus banishing the Titans as soon as his reign is established. Within the context of the Theogony, the story of the birth of Zeus is a justification of these inevitabilities. The mythological Greek world, much like the Greek political world, will become a place of male supremacy and power. By describing the most ancient and powerful feminine forces as supporting this eventual patriarchy, Hesiod both recognizes and subverts the value of the goddesses.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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