In Defense of Zeus

 Zeus doesn’t get a lot of love in progressive circles. And many Pagans are eager to project their baggage onto the King of Olympus. In recent decades, Zeus has become a symbol of everything from the patriarchy to sexual violence.

Hold up a second, though… I’m a young lesbian survivor and I actually have a deep fondness for Zeus. Hellenic Pagans don’t have to worship every single one of the Theoi (that would be impossible), but I think we should at least acknowledge Their importance- Zeus is the head of our pantheon 

How can we call ourselves Hellenists when we’re constantly celebrating a handful of the Theoi and trashing the others? 

The Gods are complicated. Here are three reasons why our community is looking at Zeus the wrong way. 

Myth reflects history.

Often, myths say more about the people writing them than the Gods themselves. Classical Athens was a society that subjugated women and gave citizen men the freedom to “have their way” with almost anyone they wanted. When you consider this, the violent misogyny in Greek mythology makes a lot more sense.

Also consider who was literate enough to record the myths: powerful men. People love to project Themselves onto their Gods, and Ancient Greek patriarchs were no exception.

… And those myths serve an important cultural function 

Most myths where Zeus fathers demigod children served as foundation story for Greek city states. Stories like the rape of Europa and Io often served as political propaganda, creating a mythological genealogy and claiming a divine lineage for kings and aristocratic families. These myths also supported religious tourism that boosted the economy (Ex: a shrine to Herakles brings in money and travel). Historical context, people. It’s important. 

Have you ever wondered why Zeus has more myths than the other Theoi? It’s because the Greeks loved Him, and loved telling stories about Him. Compare that to Hades, who only has a few myths because the Greeks were afraid to even speak his name. This doesn’t mean that Hades is less “predatory” than Zeus; it just means that Zeus was widely popular, and thus featured in more myths. 

No one one wants to worship a God they consider to be a misogynist. As a queer person and a feminist, I definitely don't. That's why it's time to give Zeus the cultural makeover we've been giving to popular Gods like Hades. If we want to honor Zeus in modern times, we can acknowledge that He has always been a cultural model of masculinity, both healthy and toxic. And the masculinity that we want to uplift in 2023 looks very different than the gender roles that ancient Greeks emphasized. Or we can consider Him a loving father- look at His respect and fondness for Athena and Artemis. 

Zeus is a God in His own right, not just a symbol of patriarchy. I’m not asking you to worship Him, but I’m asking you to look deeper than the surface level of His mythology. 

If you can’t develop a relationship with Zeus because of your personal baggage, that’s very much valid. I get it. I’ve been in similar situations with other Theoi. But please stop calling Zeus a predator and then celebrating other gods who show up in sexual assault myths. 

And please stop discouraging other Pagans from worshiping Zeus (or Apollo, or any other “problematic” Gods you read about in Lore Olympus). You’re keeping folks away from the Theoi, and that’s the greatest form of hubris. 

Now, if these beautiful ancient quotes don’t convince you that the Greeks had a special love for Zeus… I don’t know what will. 

“How can any man, worshipping Zeus the God of Companions, see his neighbors in need and not give them aid? How can he think he is worshipping Zeus properly?”

- Emperor Julian, last pagan emperor of Rome

“The air is Zeus, Zeus earth, and Zeus the heavens, Zeus all that is and what transcends them.”

- Aeschylus