Zeus

Zeus

the supreme god of the ancient Greeks, who became ruler of gods and men after he dethroned his father Cronus and defeated the Titans. He was the husband of his sister Hera and father by her and others of many gods, demigods, and mortals. He wielded thunderbolts and ruled the heavens, while his brothers Poseidon and Hades ruled the sea and underworld respectively

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

A wood engraving of a giant statue of Zeus, the Greek father of the Gods. From False Gods, by Frank Dobbins, 1873. Reproduced by permission of Fortean Picture Library.

Zeus

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

Zeus is both an asteroid and one of the eight hypothetical planets (sometimes referred to as the trans-Neptunian points or planets, or TNPs for short) utilized in Uranian astrology. The Uranian system, sometimes referred to as the Hamburg School of Astrology, was established by Friedrich Sieggrün (1877–1951) and Alfred Witte (1878–1943). It relies heavily on hard aspects and midpoints. In decline for many decades, it has experienced a revival in recent years. As a Uranian planet, Zeus represents the control of strong forces and powers—weapons, anger, willpower, machines, fuel, etc. Although Zeus represents control and restraint, adverse positions of Zeus can also indicate the loss of control.

Based on the speculative orbits of the Uranian planets, the Kepler, Solar Fire and Win*Star software programs will all locate this hypothetical planet in an astrological chart.

Sources:

Lang-Wescott, Martha. Mechanics of the Future: Asteroids. Rev. ed. Conway, MA: Treehouse Mountain, 1991.

Simms, Maria Kay. Dial Detective: Investigation with the 90 Degree Dial. San Diego: Astro Computing Services, 1989.

The Astrology Book, Second Edition © 2003 Visible Ink Press®. All rights reserved.

Zeus

in form of a swan, seduces and impregnates Leda. [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 149]

See: Bestiality

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Zeus

disguises himself as: satyr to lie with Antiope, Amphitryon with Alcmena, Artemis with Callisto, shower of gold with Danaë, white bull with Europa, swan with Leda, flame of fire with Aegina, and cuckoo with Hera. [Gk. Myth.: Jobes, 1719; New Century, 1158; Zimmerman, 293]

See: Disguise

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Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)

“Father of the gods and men”; had many legitimate and illegitimate children. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Benét, 1115; Bulfinch, Ch. I]

See: Fatherhood

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Zeus

disguised as Amphitryon, gives a banquet at the latter’s house. [Gk. Myth.: Benét, 32]

See: Feast

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Zeus

assumes the appearance of her husband Amphitryon in order to seduce Alcmene. [Fr. Drama: Moliere Amphitryon]

See: Impersonation

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Zeus

the many loves of this god have made his name a byword for sexual lust. [Gk. Myth.: Howe, 297–301]

See: Lust

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Zeus

supreme of Greek gods; extramarital affairs were count-less. [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 292]

See: Profligacy

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Zeus

assumed many forms to indulge his passions. [Zimmerman, 292–293]

See: Transformation

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Zeus

Berkeley Yacc

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Zeus

 

in ancient Greek mythology, the supreme deity and ruler of gods and men. Son of the Titans Cronos and Rhea.

Having overthrown Cronos and the Titans, the gods of the older generation, Zeus yielded his dominion over the sea and the underworld to his brothers Poseidon and Hades. He retained for himself supreme rule over the world and control of all celestial phenomena, primarily thunder and lightning (Zeus the Thunderbolt, Zeus the Cloud Gatherer). Zeus was worshipped as the guardian of the social order and of the family; to him is attributed the establishment of laws and customs. His permanent dwelling place was considered to be Olympus (Zeus the Olympian). Zeus’ symbols were the aegis, the scepter, and sometimes the eagle. As the being who be-stowed victory in war and contests, he was depicted with Nike, the goddess of victory (Roman, Victoria) in his hand. Zeus was considered to be the father of the younger generation of Olympian gods, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Hebe, Iris, and Persephone, as well as the muses, graces, and many heroes, including Hercules and Perseus. Many famous aristocratic clans traced their descent from Zeus. The most important places for the worship of Zeus were Dodona (Epirus) and Olympia (Elis), where the Olympian games were held in honor of Zeus. Various episodes from the myth of Zeus are contained in the Iliad, the Odyssey, Hesiod’s Theogony, Apollodorus’Mythological Library, and other ancient works.

In ancient Roman mythology Zeus is identified with Jupiter.

REFERENCE

Cook, A. B. Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion, vols. 1–3. Cambridge, 1914–40.

M. N. BOTVINNIK

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.