3. The Legend of Perseus - The Greek demi-god

The following post is based on The Clash of the Gods Series on Astro History Channel and a couple of websites on Greek history.

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     PERSEUS

"Perseus is one of Greek’s legendary demi-gods. The following is the story of his colorful and adventurous life, whose path crossed Medusa’s and sealed her tragically unfortunate fate"

                                                                                        MEDUSA

PERSEUS - the Demi-God

Argos is one of the many Ancient Greek provinces. It was ruled by King ACRISIUS who has a daughter named DANAE. It was prophesized that a son from Danae would be the tragic end of King Acrisius.

Fearing his downfall, King Acrisius had no other choice but to get rid of her. He couldn’t order an execution as he would loose his respect of his subjects so he decided to do away with her by locking her up in a Bronze tower (or ivory tower ) far away from the kingdom, with no food and no drink. ( in another version of Greek legend, Danae was locked away in a room beneath the earth. Equivalent to a dungeon perhaps) The tower was said to have no windows, no openings. Just a door leading up to the room. Then he waits for the news of her death. Days turned weeks, weeks turned months and yet still no news from the tower. Till it was almost a year, King Acrisius could not wait anymore and he himself went to the tower to see what had happened to her daughter.

When he reached the Tower, he was astounded to hear the beautiful voice of a woman, so distinctively clear singing a lullaby. The voice of her daughter, Danae. He rushed up the tower and to his surprise, it was not just Danae in the small room, but she was with a baby. A healthy handsome baby boy. In an instance he was utmost happy to see both of them well and healthy but the happiness was short lived as his fear of the prophecy took control of him.

His fear turned to anger. For Danae had bore him a grandson out of wedlock. Something which is not acceptable at all, in the Greek culture. Moreover she was a Princess. He wanted to kill both of them right there and then for they shamed his Kingdom. King Acrisus grew even more mad when he learned that the father of his grandson was God Zeus himself!! It is absurd to him because with the condition of such prison cell, there is no chance for her to even be alive, or entertain a visit from the outside world. However, it was believed that Zeus took fancy to her and had entered the tower in the form of golden shower dust and impregnated her. Since then Zeus has taken care of Danae and her baby. 
 

Back to King Acrisus, because he fears THE GOD of the time, ZEUS, just like the rest of the Greeks, didn’t kill them with his bare hands but decided to shipped both of them away at sea in an enclosed wooden chest. Logically both mother and son would face a tragic end, either by being swallowed by the sea or death by hunger ultimately. Zeus was very angry with this but decided not to punish King Acrisius immediately but later part of his life instead. 

SERIFOS ISLAND 

So mother and son cast away safely onto the shores of one of the Greek Islands called Serifos. There they were welcomed and adopted by a childless local couple Dictys who happened to be the brother of the King of Serifos, King POLYDECTES. Both Danae and Perseus lived happily and became the loyal subjects of the king.

As the years passed by Perseus grew up to be a well built, strong charactered young man. Danae was quite a beauty herself and had unfortunately attracted the attention King Polydectes himself. The King had in his mind to make Danae his queen but Perseus was in his way and he is very protective over his mother. Little did the King knew that Perseus is a demi-god. No one on the island knew.

So King Polydectus thought of a plan to rid of Perseus.

It was known at that era, many young men would take the challenge to chop off the head of Medusa. The Greek believed that the head, even when separated from her body, will still be a powerful weapon, as it could still turn any living creature into stone. However, none of the pursuers came back alive. Since the day Medusa was exiled to this Island, many men went to seek her but all of them turned into stone. Medusa’s Island slowly became a garden of stone statues. Some were animals but mostly are of human, man and women, old and young.

 In one version of the legend it was said that the King had made a decree to all young man of the island (no exception) to bring him a unique present for his upcoming birthday or some Greek celebration; or: face death themselves by his army. And the man who would bring Medusa’s head would be rewarded handsomely. Technically those lads's lives were already doomed from the minute the decree was made. If they came back with a present that does not satisfy the king, they would be dead. If they face Medusa they would be dead too. So they all decided to embark on one ship, headed for Medusa’s Island.

 In another version of the legend it was said that the King had made a proposal to marry Danae and there were disagreement between the King and Perseus. Finally, a temporary truce came about when they both came to an agreement whereby, if Perseus brings Medusa’s head to King Polydectes, the King will not carry out his intention to marry Danae.

Anyhow, either version, Perseus was bound to head for Medusa’s Island.


PERSEUS'S JOURNEY TO MEDUSA’S ISLAND

Perseus, together with all the other lads from the Island of Serifos made their way towards Medusa’s Island on a ship, had almost lost hope to be victorious over this task. For he could not think of anyway to defeat Medusa. He has no weapons to begin with. Swords, bows with arrows are known to be not effective enough for such a challenge. He knelt down at the head of the ship and prayed to the Gods for help and for them to protect his mother from harm.



The Winged Sandals

His prayers were heard and Athena (One of Zeus’s wives, the God of War) sent help through Hermes ( One of Zeus’s brother who serves as a messenger for all the Gods).

One version of the legend says that Perseus was given a pair of winged sandals which belongs to the Nymphs, a mythical creature, servant to Athena. These winged sandals will enable Perseus to fly to far away places unreachable by land or water, where the Gorgons lived. Medusa is one of the Gorgons now. (She used to be a high priestess in the Temple of Athena, the Parthenon, and served the God of War, Athena herself, till the fateful day when she was raped by Poseidon and angered Athena who then turned Medusa into Gorgon and exiled her from the city.)

In another version, the legend says that Hermes was sent by Zeus to help Perseus by handing him the winged sandals.

In some other version, Perseus went to the Graie sisters first who then told him where to find the Nymphs who then gave him the winged sandals. This item is supposedly a wallet which can be fitted on anywhere on the body. And when attached, and they will aid the wearer to fly.

 The Graie sisters - 3 old hags with one eye

Anyhow, Perseus had now, his first magic item, to help him pursue his journey. It was made known to Perseus that for his weapons, he would have to retrieve them from the Nymphs on their Island. No one knows where this Island was, except the 3 hideous sisters known as the Graie Sisters, on a far away Island.

Perseus's immediate task was to seek this Graie sisters. It was believed that whoever get to meet these 3 sisters could only ask 1 question. The unique feature of these Graie sisters was that they only have one eye to see and they share among them.

With the winged sandals, Perseus flew to this far away Island where the Graie sisters lived. When he found them, Perseus pulled a trick on them and stole their only eye. With the eye in his hands he had the upper hand of the situation and took this advantage to ask more than 1 question. So the Graie sisters told him where to find the Nymphs and what weapons he will find or need to defeat Medusa.

 The Nymphs’s weapons

The Nymphs was said to live along the River Styx, a river which separated the land of the living from the land of the dead. It’is a gateway to Hades ( One of Zeus's brothers) who ruled the underworld. Synonymly, the gates of Hell. Off Perseus flew from the land of the Graie sisters to River Styx to find the needed weapons.

First he found the SWORD OF ZEUS, a sword that would never be bent or broken, will cut into anything, be it steel, stone or creatures protected by magic spells or special powers. Next was the SHIELD OF ATHENA. A shield made of strong protective metal facing out and finely polished on the inside, as good as a mirror. The 3rd weapon was a the HELMET OF HADES. A headgear which could make him invisible.

Which ever version it may have been, the bottom line is that Perseus obtained all this weapons to face Medusa.

With these collected, he made his way to Medusa’s Island.

The end of Medusa

Perseus, upon reaching Medusa’s Island saw the rest of the lads from the Island of Serifos came ashore and together they made their way into Medusa's domain.

Perseus knew that to face Medusa head-on was suicidal. So instead of walking forward, he walked backwards, using his shield as a reflector to detect Medusa’s whereabouts. At last he found her by listerning to the screaming of the terrified lads who had the misfortune of confronting Medusa. He put his helmet on so that he’s invincible. Walked slowly backwards towards Medusa, and when the position was good, he closed his eyes and raised his sword. With one forceful blow he decapitated Medusa’s head, off her body rolling down the passageways of her lair. Slowly he searched for the head and bagged it.

He then called upon the remainder of the lads to go back to the ship and sail home. At first the young lads were afraid to do so, for fear of being procecuted by King Polydectes's  army but Perseus assured them that by the time they get home everything will be back to normal if not better.

So Perseus flew himself towards Serifos, ahead of the ship, with Medusa’s head in the sack hung from his waist.

It was believed that, while flying, the blood from Medusa’s head dripped. The ones that dripped over the Sahara Desert was believed to be the first generation of snakes which survived till today. Also the ones which dripped over the land of Greece became snakes there as well.

And sometime along this journey, two of Medusa’s sons were borned. From one of her blood drops emerged PEGASUS the winged horse. And CHRYSAOR was believed to be borned from her neck. Chrysaor was of a human form who sometimes could take the form of a winged boar or a gold armored giant.

Perseus's detour 

In one version of the legend, as he was passing through Ethiopia, he rescued the princess Andromeda as she was about to be sacrificed to a sea monster the Cetus or Kracken.

Queen Cassiopeia and Poseidon

The reason why she was chained naked to a rock as an offering to the sea monster know as CETUS was because both her parents King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia boasted of their daughter's beauty to be equal to the Nerieds. (The Nerieds are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. They often accompany the Sea God, Poseidon, and are always friendly and helpful towards sailors fighting perilous storms). This boastful parents had angered Poseidon who then sent the sea serpent to devour Andromeda. The oracle of Ammon announced that no relief would be found until the king exposed his daughter Andromeda to the monster.

It was this moment when Perseus happen to fly by and saw her shivering in fear, chained to the rocks and almost instantly fell in love with her. After defeating the monster using Medusa's head, Perseus asked the King and Queen of Ethiopia for her hand in marriage and subsequently took her with him as his wife.  But not after turning her intended husband Phineus into stone in a fight over Andromeda as Andromeda was betrothed to Phineus.

Perseus back in Serifos

On the Isle of Serifos, about to be made a queen against her will one bright and cool but clear evening, Danae prayed hard that her son would somehow arrive in time to stop the ceremony. Ever since his journey, she had never stopped praying for his safety and victory.

Confident that Perseus would not made it back alive from the Island of Medusa, King Polydectes had arranged for his wedding to proceed and also had invited King Acrisius, Danae's father, as well.

Perseus, racing his way through the sky, finally arrived just in time before King Polydectes’s seals his wedding vows to Danae. It was a blessed gift for Perseus to find that two of his most hated archenemy were there standing on the same soil breathing the same air. He walked up towards the ceremonial podium on top of the hill overlooking the sea, greeted with murmurs of surprise from the villagers attending the ceremony.

He halted his steps a couple of feet away behind his mother. King Polydectes was facing the hillside while his mother facing the sea as well as the king. The priest was diagonally facing the the King with King Acrisius a couple of feet away, also facing the hillside as well. He called out to his mother to not to move and inch but stay facing and look towards the sea.

In the split second, while King Polydectes and King Acrisius were still overwhelmed by Perseus's presence, Perseus took out Medusa’s head and held it up high and clear for both Kings to see. And instantly they were drawn to the thing Perseus held up but it was already to late to turn away. So they both turned into stone together with everyone who were standing facing the hillside in front of Perseus and his mother.

In another version of this legend. Perseus's grandfather, King Acrisius was not at the intended wedding ceremony at all. After turning King Polydectes into stone, Perseus and his mother Danae went back to Greece and it was there, Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather, Acrisius, with a discus while throwing it, in a funeral game (as he had been warned in the past). According to one legend, then on Perseus went to Asia, where his son Perses ruled over the Persians, from whom they were said to have gotten their name.

It was said that after King Polydectes turned to stone, Perseus returned the sandals, satchel and cap to Hermes; he gave the Gorgon's head to Athene, who emblazoned it upon the aegis which protected her in battle.

Finally Zeus’s punishment on both Kings were expedited.

From this day onwards, Perseus has earned his place as a hero in Greece.

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LIFE THE WAY I SEE IT – it doesn’t matter what religion we embrace but the bottom line is, if we anger GOD, we will get what’s due either immediately or later on in due course of our lives. The bond of love and devotion between a son and his mother will always be rewarded handsomely in the end. And with every death, there will be a new beginning among the living.

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Dear Readers,

Hope you have enjoyed reading this one as well. There are so many versions to Perseus legend and I chose the above to share with you.

With this 3rd Greek Legend posted, I will take a break from writing for a while as I have a very interesting book on my hands to read - The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

I have always been a fan and a follower of the stories of Kings and Queens of the past. Especially the Tudors of England (the 16th century). King Henry VIII and the 6 wives of his, the famous one Anne Boleyn and his daughter Queen Elizabeth the virgin queen . I love the way Philippa Gregory writes about the Tudors. Author: Philippa Gregory . I started with her book titled “The other Boleyn Girl” and I must say that from this book, I learned so much about the Tudor's Era, the twist and turn of their lives at court, the politics and how they lived. Which lead me to read other books of hers on other characters which were involved with the Tudors.

The new book I am about to embark on is titled "The White Queen" a story of The Plantagenets of England (the 15th Century). An era before the Tudors. I shall share with you the story when I have finished reading.

In the mean time, should there be any subject that intrigues me, I may put some small posts of them, form time to time. Do come abck to check in on my blog, readers.

Till we meet again - take care and stay healthy

2. The Legend of Medusa - The High Priestess of Athena

The following post is based on The Clash of the Gods Series on Astro History Channel Astro History Channel video link and a couple of websites on Greek history.

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"In Greek Mythology, Medusa is known as a woman/creature with a snake-like body. A woman’s face with boar’s tusks as well as snakes as her hair. Anyone who looks at her face will immediately freeze in fear and turn into stone."

The following is the story of her life

 

Medusa was once a very beautiful woman with a very long flock of black silky hair, tall slim and slender. A ravishing beauty desired by both men, women and Gods. She was the High Priestess in the Temple of Athena – The Parthenon.

PRETTY MEDUSA (an artist's impression)

 Day and night she was committed to the God Athena, the God of war. As a devoted servant to Athena and a priestess, she took a vow of celibacy, she cannot marry. People of Greece often refer her as the Virgin Goddess, a symbol of purity.


Her beauty not only commanded loyalty and the highest respect by the people but it also invoked envy among some women and became a silent challenge for men and Gods to posses her. One adamant suitor is Poseidon, God of the Sea, brother to Zeus.          

One day he took it upon him and went to the Temple of Athena where Medusa resides, ravages the virgin priestess and took her virginity within the walls of the Temple.

Medusa, distraught, had no choice but to inform the female God Athena in the hope that she would take her side in this matter and defend her.

However, to her utmost disappointment, Athena not only despised her, she inturn cast a curse upon her which doomed her for life.

ATHENA (an artist's impression)

You see, Athena, being the Female God of war, has no compassion when confronted with matters like this. She is one of the boys. A warrior herself. To her, the action of Poseidon IS expected of a God. Therefore the fault lies with Medusa, whom to her, was stupidly naive and did nothing to protect and defend herself. More to this, in secret, Athena herself was indeed envious of Medusa.

As a punishment, without warning, Athena transformed Medusa’s body into a human corpse but alive. The process was a long and painful ordeal. As how many days the normal body upon death turns into corpse, slowly her skin dried, cracked and turned purple and then dull white. This was the punishment for not protecting herself. It did not stop there.
The 2nd phase of punishment, for being beautiful, was that Athena turned Medusa’s long tresses into snakes. Now who would dare to make friends with a woman with venomous snakes on her head.
Last but not least of her punishment was to have her gaze or anyone who looked at her to turn into stone.
Upon this last event, Medusa had no choice but to leave the temple and live in a cave or lair, far from civilization. Away from human or any living creature. Isolated for life.
Medusa is now a Gorgon; a creature with scaly skin, huge over sized eyes, so powerful even in death her head can still turn people into stone.
( according to some writings on this legend, after turning into a gorgon, she lives in a cave on the Island of Cisthene, an island east of Crete and Ethiopia, where the flower rock- rose blooms)

It was prophesied that Medusa’s death to be in the hand of a demi-god.

(an offspring of a God with a human.)
That demi-god is PERSEUS.

 FOOTNOTE

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1) Some writings on this legend says that the hideous Medusa lived in a cave on the Island of Cisthene in the Red Sea (east of Ethiopia). It lay near the springs of the great river Oceanus which circle the entire earth in 9 streams.

Photos of Cisthene now

2) Cisthene is literally the Island of the rock-rose. A pretty flower which looks like this .

3) Symbolism: In the Victorian language of flowers, the gum cistus of the Cistaceae plant family symbolizes imminent death. Literally “ I shall die tomorrow” – befitting how Medusa would have felt after been turned into a gorgon.

4) Parthenon, the Temple of Athena, is made of marble and built on the Acropolis in Athens more than 400 yrs BC. In the middle of the temple it was believed to had stood a majestic gigantic statue of Athena, designed by Phidias, a famous sculptor of its time. The statue was believed to have been made out of chryselephantine (elephant ivory) and gold.

More facts on Parthenon

5) Parthenon got its name from the word Athena Parthenos which means Athena young maiden. The “on” ending means “place of”. Therefore “Parthenon” means “Place of the Parthenos”

6) There is a full scale replica of The Parthenon built in Tennessee USA. See photo on the right.

7) Acropolis is the hill in Athens on which Parthenon stands. “Acro” means “high”. “Polis” means “city”. See photo on the left.

CONTRADICTING VIEWS TO THE LEGEND’S STORYLINE

 

Drawing your attention to the Temple of Artemis Corfu in Greece, there stand a sculpture at the top of its columns, a header piece, with Medusa in the middle, not dead and not decapitated by Perseus. Flanked by her 2 children the Chrysaor (a human giant with gold armour, sometimes takes the form of a winged boar) and the winged horse Pegasus. ( there will be a short reference as to how Pegasus among other creatures were brought about under my next post titled The Greek Legend – Perseus)

In this Legend of Medusa, there is no mentioned of her off springs after being raped by God Poseidon or before she was turned into a Gorgon and banished to life in isolation. Her two children only came about, as said in the legend, after her head was decapitated. 

So how is it that on the head piece of the Temple of Artemis there is a depiction of her in full form together with her children?

Could it be that her presence posed such strength and magnanimity that it really did make people not dare to look upon her face directly, simply because her eyes were so piercing, all knowing, that they see through whoever confronted her. Penetrating the illusions and looking into the abyss of truth, that very few could really stand before her in clear conscience?

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According to some findings in the websites, as per one named Alicia Levan,

Medusa means “soverign female wisdom”.

So powerful was Medusa that her head became the breastplate of Goddess Athena.

So powerful was Medusa’s influence, that the Greek story about her had no other option but to emphasize or draw attention to her head being decapitated by a demi-god. To downplay her role in society. This way, her tragic end, her beheading, is an ultimate subtle way of silencing the female wisdom. Halting her growth, limiting her potential, curb her dominance in any movement and cultural contribution. Women as it was then, must not be seen to be of a better stature and quality than men.

Perhaps this version of the legend is put forward to subconsciously make women turn against women? For the loyal Medusa had seeked protection from the female God and got shunned instead.

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LIFE THE WAY I SEE IT - Medusa had lost her status in society, lost her beauty, cursed and ultimately exiled, not because of her own fault but because of her naiveness, and she put her trust in the wrong hands – another woman. A small move but a fatal mistake.

As I read the websites to find info on the legend I came across some contradictory views. These views made me realized that it is indeed strange, to have one one hand, Medusa  portrayed to be so hideous looking and on the other the images on the websites, books, blogs even the still standing sculptures in Greece don’t seem to portray so! She is still being pictured as a beautiful monster!! None of them seem to look fearful enough to turn any living creature into stone or even give us a shiver. Perhaps may be just a little discomfort to see a creature with snakes on the head and scaly skin (even this one was not visible at plain sight) but that’s all there is to it.

The legend's storyline and the physical portray / depiction of Medusa doesn’t seem to jive.

Anyhow, perhaps its just only a legend??? A folklore to discredit the women??

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Dear Readers,

I hope you have enjoyed reading this and will part with some points to ponder.

Legends don’t seem to be as it is when you dig further into the history.

 I for one, certainly would need to read more into the Greek past in order to piece together some information which puzzles my mind. Nevertheless I will update my posts from time to time if/when I discover anything new.

If you would like to know more as to what or how Medussa’s life ended, do come back to read my next post on another Greek Legend PERSEUS, whose life path was fated to cross Medusa’s.

Till we meet again

Thank you for spending time to read this post.

1. The Legend of ZEUS - Greek God

Hello readers,

One Wednesday night in April, as I was screening through the Astro Channel, I was drawn to its History Channel.  Clash of the Gods series was on and I was so lucky to have watched it.

http://www.history.com/shows/clash-of-the-gods/videos#zeus-and-the-great-flood

And I had just watched the movie Clash of the Titans at TGV a couple of days prior.
Since young I have always been interested in Myths, Legends and Fairytales. This Greek legends are one of my favourites. The series which will be aired on Wednesday nights on Astro History Channel, will be my main source for the following writing. It was after watching on Astro I realized that the movie CLASH OF THE TITANS should have been CLASH OF THE OLYMPIANS. Read on and you will understand why.

Readers, this round I would like to share with you the story of ZEUS, The most powerful and famous of Greek Gods.
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PRELUDE

According to Greek mythology, in the beginning there was nothing. This was called Chaos. From this nothingness came light, Mother Earth (Gaia) and Sky (Uranus) were formed. From Gaia and Uranus came six twins known as the Titans. The six twin Titans were named Oceanus and Thethys, Coeos and Phoebe, Hyperion and Thea, Creos and Themis, Iapetos and Clymene, and finally Cronos and Rhea.

Gaia (picture on the left) and Uranus also gave birth to three CYCLOPS, three giants, each with fifty heads and one-hundred arms (HUNDRED HANDERS). Uranus disliked his offspring, so he forced them to return to their mother’s womb. The pain of carrying the numerous children angered Gaia, and she made a plan for revenge against Uranus. She called upon the Titans to help her. The youngest, Cronos (master of time), came to her aid. Cronos, with his mother’s help, created a sickle and cut off his father’s genitals when his father came to be with his mother.

Cronos cast the cut off genitals into the sea. According to some versions of the myth, the goddess Aphrodite was created from the blood that dropped into the sea. In addition some of the blood dropped on to the earth creating all types of scary offspring.

After defeating his father, Cronos married his sister Rhea.
- extracts from http://historylink102.com/greece2/creation.htm


CRONOS ( Leader of the TITANS, master of time - father to ZEUS )

THE TITANS is the 1st group of Gods who ruled earth once upon a time and among the famous ones were known as CRONOS, HUNDRED-HANDERS, CYCLOPS and, THYPHON. CRONOS is the leader and he takes the form of a human but giant in size, while the rest took the form of mutants and savage beasts. The HUNDRED –HANDERS, obvious as its name, is a creature which looked like a human but has many hands. The CYCLOPS also had the body of a human but has only one eye. Where as the THYPHON, which dwells in the water, looked like a human but its hands were of tanticles with snake heads on its ends.

During those ancient days, it was natural for the GODs to choose a life partner among themselves in order to procreate. CRONOS, the leader married one of his sisters names Rhea.  They lived hapily until the time to have children. The Greek believe that should there be a male offspring, the boy will overpower the father.  For the normal Greek citizens, they are proud to have a male heir to continue their generation. What more if their offsprings do better than them. But as for the GODs, this is a problem. And it was foretold for CRONOS that one day one of his sons will be the cause of his tragic downfall.

In order to prevent this prophecy from coming true, CRONOS did the unthinkable. He decided to eat every single child of his at birth, be it girl of boy. Magically, because he is divine, his kids which he had swallowed, did not actually die. Infact they live in his stomach, well and healthy.

After 5 kids , RHEA could not bare to loose anymore of her child. She devised a plot to stop CRONOS from devouring their children. Finally, one fateful day, she found the courage to go ahead with her plan. She gave birth to her 6th child, ZEUS, in a cave and hid the child away. She then presented CRONOS with a baby mummy, which actually wasn’t a dead baby in it but a stone instead. This stone is called the Omphalos Stone (it is one of Greece’s tourist attraction, situated in Delphi. According to Legend this stone was wrapped in linen). CRONOS, not suspecting anything amiss gladly ate the mummy.

The above photo on the right is the Omphalos Stone in Delphi

As time passed by, ZEUS grew up in secret,(one version of Greek legend says that Zeus was carried way to safety by an Eagle and was raised by Gaia, Cronos’s mother, in Crete) .

While the TITANS saw through many turbulances within their court while CRONOS was still in reign, ZEUS grew up in a distance to revolt against his father.

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ZEUS ( Leader of the Olympians )

The day arrived when its time for Zeus to have his revenge. He made a poison and put into CRONOS’s mead ( beer-like drink). The poison was not to harm CRONOS but bad enough so that he would vomit all of his gutts contents. The unsuspecting CRONOS took the drink and shortly after he suffered from a terrible stomach ache and vomited 1st the stone mummy and then all the rest of his children, leaving CRONOS on the floor unconsious.

Demeter, Hera, Hades, Hestia,Poseidon are Zeus’s siblings. These siblings are known as THE OLYMPIAN GODS. Once they were freed, Zeus then reunite with them and started plotting to go against CRONOS. Since there were also unrests and disagreements among the TITANS, ZEUS took advantage of the situation and drew in Cyclops and Hundred Handers over to his side. With them and his siblings, the war between father and son began.

To go into war, CYCLOPS awarded ZEUS a LIGHTNING BOLT which later became Zeus’s symbol of power. After a very long and lengthy fight where the seas were at rage, the winds were menacing and the earth erupted, many lives lost, the war doesn’t seem to end.

As both CRONOS and ZEUS ‘s strength and war stratergies were equally ravaging. Towards the end CRONOS used his trump card. He summoned THYPHON from the depth of the sea, from the dark underworld as his final weapon of desctruction to unleash terror on earth.

However, ZEUS strike THYPHON with his LIGHTNING BOLT and sendTHYPHON and all the other enemies back to the underworld. ( Though it was not said but I believe CRONOS was among one of them.)

ZEUS won the war and became THE GOD of his time.

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ZEUS ( after victory )

His first wife was a very pretty and wise Greek woman. Her name was METIS. In Greek it meant Practical Wisdom which was exactly what she was. Again, the marriage is shadowed by bad prophecy which foresaw that a son from Metis will lead to his downfall. History was doomed to repeat itself.

Haunted by the wills of his father before him, he came up with a better idea. Instead of eating his kids, he ate his wife!! And legend dictated that since she was inside of him, she became one with him and thus all her good qualities emerges through him.

Zeus was known to be a very cunning and courageous demi-god. After he devoured his wife, he gain more qualities/power. He gradually showed wisdom, practicality and passion in all his judgements.

However, despite these good characters, Zeus has his dark side. His worst was his uncontrollable desire for women.

So now that he no longer have a wife, he took on another. Again, one of his sisters named HERA. She is the queen of all the goddesses. The most powerful goddess of her time. Zeus had married his equal this time, which later posed problem, as two gods cannot rule the kingdom. The kingdom will be divided.

In the midst of these unsettling situation ZEUS kept on mating and producing kids. And it was known that never has he not succeed in the fatherhood department. Being divine, had its advantages. Among which Zeus even went to the extent of impersonating or taking the form of the husband just to mate with the wife.

HERA, ZEUS’s wife was hurt and instulted by his womanizing attitude. An equal with revenge, HERA secretly seek alliance and began plotting to bring ZEUS down. She easily gain the trust and support from the other Gods and demi-gods. Thye gather to revolt against Zeus. Many attempts failed but finally one day Zeus woke up, chained to his bed and became a prisoner. Just when he was about to be murdered, Zeus’s war buddy and alliance, the HUNDRED HANDERS appeared at the scene and saved him.

By this time, Zeus was already mad with anger. He punished his wife HERA to hang from the sky with a golden chain while his son Apollo and ZEUS’s brother was sentenced to build the Walls of Troy.

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ZEUS (end of time)

ZEUS is renowed to love human race above all his subjects. However as time passes by, the human began to evolve. Human gain knowledge and gradually became a very proud race and sadly, eventually, turned barbaric where human and animal sacrifices became prominent in their rituals.

One day human became so proud that they challenged the GODs on superiority. That they are not dependent on GODs anymore. And this disappoint and angered ZEUS. So as a punishment , ZEUS unleashed his wrath again and this time as legend went, it rained 9 days and 9 nights. The waters rose up so high it reached the highest mountain in Greece.

However, there were 2 humans who survived this calamity because they were on a boat. This Greek legend coincides with the story of Noah’s Ark. This event seemed to co-inside with the beginning of the era of Islamism and Christianity. Thus diminishing the believe in ancient GODs. Eventually it faded and vanished to be replaced with religions.

FOOTNOTE

1) The cave where ZEUS was born (in Crete, Greece) is currently a tourist spot in Greece and there are evidences as well to supporting facts that people during that era did their worshipping and paid their respect here.

2) The stone mummy which ZEUS vomited is also another tourist spot and the stone is still there standing to the test of time. Its called Omphalos stone and it is situated in Delphi.

3) The place where Typhon was struck by ZEUS’s LIGHTNING BOLT and where all the other enemies were banished into the underworld is believed to be the Mount Etna. Furthermore, the Greeks believed that the volcano eruptions and hot spots are the spurts of Typhon’s tentacles and when he stirred in the underworld (hell).

4) In 2003 archeologist discovered a new ruins which later identified as DION – the city where ZEUS lived. The stones recovered there were dated back to 5DC which is the Golden Age of Greek Mythology. They also found a statue with inscription meaning ZEUS the Highest God. This could be deduced that the Greeks have already embraced the idea of 1 GOD by then. Which co-incides about the same time when Christianity and Islamism were born.

5) Ironically, Greek Legend Gaia and Uranus bare twin children which could be taken as similar to Islamism and Christianity when Adam and Eve concieved twins as well.

LIFE THE WAY I SEE IT :- Dear Readers , please pardon my imperfect English. I hope you have enjoyed reading this piece.

Next post, I plan to write on MEDUSSA… A female Greek Legend with a tragic fate.

http://www.history.com/shows/clash-of-the-gods/videos#the-story-of-medusa