The Depiction Of Zeus By Hesiod - 903 Words

The Depiction of Zeus The mythological character and God, Zeus, is portrayed in many ways, by many different people. Hesiod describes Zeus as being relentless in his fury. When he gets mad he unleashes all of his power. If his brother Hades wasn’t in charge of the Underworld, he’d make all of Hell break loose. For example, in Hesiod’s Theogony, which is about when Zeus defeated his father, Cronus, he says, â€Å"Then Zeus did not hold back any longer, but now immediately his heart was filled with strength and he showed clearly all his force.† (Morford and Lenardon 85) He tends to treat others, mortals and immortals, very unfairly. Two mortals could do the same exact type of sacrilege towards him, and depending on how he felt that day, he would take two very different approaches to how he would treat them. He also doesn’t take any threats towards him very lightly at all. If anyone ever threatens him, he normally punishes them very severely, if he doe sn’t destroy them completely. Hesiod’s approach to Zeus’ behavior is overdramatic, and makes it seem more extreme than it probably would’ve been. In Hesiod’s stories of the Ages of Creation, some of the humans were like gods, but those created in the Age of Bronze and the Age of Iron were terrible. They supposedly performed the painful and violent deeds of Ares. Those in the Iron Age were constantly given troubles by the gods, and they are randomly destroyed in the night. Ovid’s perspective of Zeus is completely opposite of that ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Hesiod’s Theogony1337 Words   |  6 Pagesin that it has little intrinsic worth; its value is in its ability to enhance other stories and conceptions. Across the globe, people know well the story of the one who deceived Zeus and stole fire for man, but few recognize its role in Hesiod’s work as a whole. The story of Prometheus serves two primary purposes for Hesiod and his audience. 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