Zeus is the god of the sky, weather, law and order, destiny and fate, and kingship in ancient Greek religion. He is also known as the god of thunder and lightning, and his traditional weapon is the thunderbolt. Zeus is the king of the gods and the ruler of Olympus. He is depicted as a regal, mature man with a beard and often holding a scepter. Mortal kings would boast that they were descendants of Zeus, and with his supreme power came a number of roles and responsibilities. Zeus was also regarded as the sender of thunder and lightning, rain, and winds.
Zeus was the first of the gods and a very imposing figure. He was raised in secrecy on Mount Dikte in Krete (Crete) where he was nursed by nymphs on the milk of the goat Amaltheia and guarded by the warrior Kouretes (Curetes) who drowned out the sound of his crying with their shield-clashing battle-dance. Upon coming of age, Zeus recruited the goddess Metis to his cause. She served the Titan Kronos a magical draught which caused him to disgorge the young gods he had devoured. Zeus seduced many mortal women, including Leda in the guise of a swan, Europa as a bull, Danae as a shower of gold, Alkmene as her own husband, Kallisto (Callisto) as the goddess Artemis, and Antiope as a satyr. The gods favorite mortal son was Herakles (Heracles) whom he supported throughout his trials and eventually welcomed to Olympos as a god.
Zeus was identified with the Roman god Jupiter and associated in the syncretic classical imagination with various other deities, such as the Egyptian Ammon and the Etruscan Tinia.
