Having gone
through many of the other Greek gods, we’ve come around to the idea that
they’re pretty childish and static. They have petty squabbles and their
punishments are often blown way out of proportion. So now we have to apply the
same evaluation to Zeus. Is he childish and static?
It would be
easy to say that because he raped his mother and sister and that he’s such a
hornball and pretty much raped everyone he ever slept with, yes, he’s childish.
He’s got daddy issues and never learned how to have a proper relationship.
Except!
(Yeah, you
just knew there would be an exception.)
Except for
forging alliances with the Cyclopes and Hundred Handed ones. Except for
forgiving the gods after their attempted coup. Except for the order he brought
to the word by siring so many of the other gods and spirits. Except for putting
hope in the jar. Except for giving humanity the perfect woman. Except for
siring so many of the Greek heroes. Except for quitting his adulterous affairs
cold turkey after the birth of Hercules.
That’s a
lot of exceptions.
When we put
them all together, we come up with a bigger pattern to Zeus. Did he have sex
and rape lots of women? Yes. Are we okay with that? As a modern culture,
definitely not. The Ancient Greeks, though, were simply looking to explain the
world around them, which was a harsh world full of, well, rape and sex.
In the
process of all of this rape and sex, though, Zeus brought law even to the gods,
fostered order through the universe, allowed experience and wisdom to temper
the fire of knowledge, and gave humanity heroes to aspire to be. Zeus has had a
plan this entire time, subtly moving pieces on the board to complete his
strategy. This goes beyond cunning. He changes, freely.
He didn’t know beforehand that the
gods would attempt a coup. He didn’t know Prometheus would steal fire. He
didn’t know which woman he needed to sleep with to bring about Hercules. But he
was able to adjust and respond to the situations as they presented themselves.
He tempered his anger—which was legendary—with mercy, something the other gods
and goddesses never did.
Zeus is
anything but static, and he clearly changes. This is a very big deal in a
pantheon where the norm is childish behavior, but something we would expect
from a king, who has to mediate and rule over the kingdom. He is doing this
even though it appears as if he’s not, which is also a remarkable feat.