ZEUS

Zeus  [Greek:  Ζεύς, ΖΕΎΣ] 

In Greek mythology Zeus is the god of sky and thunder, who oversaw the universe.

He was the Father of Gods and men, the great Olympian, and the king of Gods.

Appearance

In art, Zeus is depicted as regal, mature, powerful, and bearded. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty.

History

Zeus was a celestial god, and originally worshiped as a weather god by the Greek tribes. This has continued though the connection with his main attribute; the thunderbolt (symbolic control of thunder, lightning and rain).
Theocritus wrote circa 265 BCE: "sometimes Zeus is clear, sometimes he rains”.

Zeus evolved from a fundamental understanding of space to a human personification of infinity and power through Greek mythology. (See ‘evolution’)

Relationships

Zeus is the son of Kronos and Rhea. Gaia and Ouranos had warned Kronos that his own son would overthrow him, so he swallowed each child as they were born to prevent this. At the advice ­­of her parents, Rhea went to Crete to deliver her child Zeus.  She then wrapped a stone in baby's clothing and fed it to Kronos to deceive him.  At the end of a year, Zeus grew in strength. Kronos vomited the stone and then his siblings in reverse order of swallowing. In some versions, Metis gave Kronus an emetic to force him to disgorge the babies, or Zeus cut Kronus' stomach open. 

Adventures

After reaching manhood, Zeus defeated his father and ascended to become the king of Gods and man. Then Zeus released the brothers of Kronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon, killing their guard. As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt (lightning). Together, Zeus and his brothers and sisters, along with the Gigantes, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other Titans.

After the battle with the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld).

Symbols

His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. He wields the thunderbolt as his scepter or sometimes he will be depicted with a separate scepter. 

He is seated, to show the stability and persistence of his power. His upper parts are bare, because he is manifested in the intellectual and the heavenly parts of the world; but his feet are clothed, because he is invisible in the things that lie hidden below. And he holds his sceptre in his left hand, as that’s the side of the heart, the most commanding and intelligent organ: for the creative mind is the sovereign of the world. And in his right hand he holds forth either an eagle, because he is master of the Gods who traverse the air, as the eagle is master of the birds/flight.

In a modern context Zeus could draw parallels with monotheistic ideals of an ‘almighty god’ and lend his image (strong, wise, bearded etc) to what many envision as God (such as contemporary Christian ideals). The Eagle has been heavily used as a symbolically strong animal in cultures such as America. As well as thunder and lightning still evoking feelings of power and dominance; relating to civilization’s helplessness in association to the weather and unknown.

Evolution

Zeus’ god status stems from the primordial evolution of the concept Æther (Aether originally was the personification of the "upper sky" -space and heaven- in Greek mythology).  The mythology surrounding this evolution is symbolic.  He is the personification of Aether and ‘ruler of the heavens’.
In a similar manner, Hera is the personalized, primordial evolution of Earth/Gaea (Gaea is the primal Greek goddess personifying the Earth-the Greek version of Mother Nature). Therefore, they are brother and sister, yet are united in marriage.  Zeus and Hera are preeminent in the Orphic cosmogony and all ritual ends with homage to them.

Through the mythology associated with Zeus and the adaption of various understandings he has come to symbolize power, infinity, and wisdom.


There are many references to Zeus in modern culture and branding including, music, clothing, sport, and corporate identity. 
Three popular examples are;


Gatorade (Sports Drink)

Electric Eyeware (Sunnies etc)

Port Adelaide Power (AFL)

Possible Sports for Logo

• M.M.A (Mixed Martial Arts)
• A.F.L
• Racing (cars, bikes etc)

Sources

http://www.hellenicgods.org/Zeus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeushttp://genzoman.deviantart.com/art/Zeus-105217778

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/z/zeus.html
http://members.fortunecity.com/midnightla/portpowerlogo.gif
http://snowboarding.transworld.net/files/2010/09/elect.jpg
http://static.productreview.com.au/pr.products/145527_gatorade.jpg

Porphyrys excerpt, translated by Edwin Hamilton Gifford