Zeus is the "Father of Gods and men" who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father rules the family according to the ancient Greek religion. He is the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Zeus is etymologically cognate with and, under Hellenic influence, became particularly closely identified with Roman Jupiter. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the Ancient Near East, such as the scepter. 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.

The text for this audio is from the book Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology edited by William Smith and published in 1849 and is in the public domain. This audio was recorded by LearnOutLoud.com and is narrated by Tony LaHood. Copyright © 2008 LearnOutLoud, Inc. Any reproduction or illegal distribution of the content in any form will result in immediate action against the person concerned.

A description of Zeus by William Smith. This is part of our audio book Greek Gods. Download this audio book on MP3 for free on LearnOutLoud.com: [ Ссылка ]

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