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Few people have not heard of the central god of the ancient Greek pantheon, Zeus the thunderer. This god now has no actual influence, as pagan cultures have become a thing of the past, but a cultural influence remains. Today we will try to understand why a deity who lost influence thousands of years ago is still actively used as an image in culture, business and advertising.
As most people who have been to school know, Zeus is the head of the ancient Greek (ancient) pantheon of gods. His role is mainly paternal and leadership, which in ancient times was the natural and ideal order of things. The Greeks depicted their main deity as a man like themselves but endowed with immortality and divine powers.
In this approach lies the whole point of the creation of pagan pantheons. The Greeks, as an ancient society, were convinced that the gods were very much like themselves, just that the level of responsibility of such beings was much higher than a normal human being.
This is why the collective image of Zeus is very revealing and characterised by the standard attributes of such figures:
Next to these very positive qualities in antiquity there were also less attractive ones, such as Zeus' known love for affairs on the side and occasional cruelty. But all these can be put down to the moral conventions of the time.
Of great interest is also the family of Zeus, which is built according to the classical ideal antique principle. Like every self-respecting patriarch Zeus has an antipode - his brother Hades, his wife Hera and many children. The children of Zeus are mainly gods, though there are exceptions that are not born of goddesses.
The offspring of this central antique deity are also known to many: they are Apollo and Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite and other deities responsible for various phenomena. His extramarital children, such as Hercules, who is recognised as one of the greatest ancient heroes, receive no less attention in mythology.
A long time has passed since the fall of pagan cultures and it is now almost impossible to find any serious reference to Zeus - he is a long-standing character rather than a deity. But the reasons why he has been worshipped in the culture remain - the simplicity and capacity of the image, which combines masculine and valuable qualities at all times.
The actual places where you can see signs of worship of the thunderer have long since become historical monuments - you can only see them in Greece. But symbols of his power and influence can still be found in culture and entertainment, as well as on sale.
Classic symbols of Zeus:
Modern people often use these symbols, but without any historical or even more religious context.
It is hardly possible, as the cult itself has long since lost relevance. But there are many other organisations interested in this deity in many different forms.
Most often it's a business. Because the image of the thunderer is very recognizable and profitable, it is often used to promote one's own brand. Moreover, the symbolism is also completely universal and can be used freely.
For those who are interested in this fascinating image, the most interesting thing is to be found in contemporary culture. The image of Zeus is actively used in many different entertainment spheres and it would be impossible to list all his "cameos" - we will take only the most famous and iconic ones as an example, as well as the current ones.
As mentioned earlier, Hercules is the most famous bastard child of Zeus, incredibly powerful and of great cultural significance. Many works, both films and cartoons, have been made about this ancient hero.
Two of the most iconic are the 2014 film and the cartoon of the same name, Hercules. Both works received deservedly good reviews and are remembered by audiences as iconic and interesting films.
Originally a classic game series from Sony, this has been given a second lease of life with a new game released in 2018. Zeus has a huge significance in this series - he is the main antagonist, opposed by the hero Kratos.
Despite his clearly negative role, the thunderer is presented with great respect for mythology and overall image. It's not just part of the story - Zeus can be fought repeatedly in the game, which is an interesting form of representation and not often seen.
Fans have long been waiting for the greatest of all gods to appear in Marvel, as this film universe has already had all the culturally significant characters. Most recently, in the fourth Thor film, Zeus is reflected in the acclaimed comic book movie.
The Thunderer is not a particularly good character, but there is no need for that - the complex superhero universe is far more interesting in showing ambiguous characters with their own interests, of which Zeus can definitely be counted amongst. Judging by the context, Zeus is bound to appear in Marvel films.
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