Zeus

[The Chronicler]

Zeus

biography

King of the Gods. Lord of the Sky, Thunder, Lightning, Honor, and Justice. Born to Kronos and Rhea, Zeus is the youngest of 6. His father swallowed each of his brothers and sisters as they were born. So at his birth his mother switched him with a large stone and sent him to be raised by the nymphs of the isle of Crete, the Kouretes, and fed from a goat. 

As he reached adulthood, Zeus disguised himself as a Titan and, with Rhea's help, got a job as Kronos's cup bearer. Once he had Kronos' complete trust, Zeus mixed up a sleep cocktail for the other titans and an emetic in Kronos' drink causing him to vomit up Zeus's siblings. The gods quickly fled and began their counterattack. During the course of their attempts to overthrow Kronos, Zeus's siblings unanimously named him ruler of the gods, and they rescued the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires from Tartarus. It was during this time that his greatest weapon, the Master Bolt, was forged by the Elder Cyclopes to help free them and  the Hekatonkheires from Kampe.

After returning from Tartarus, an 11 year war began with the Titans. In the final battle Zeus used the Master Bolt to sheer off the top of Mount Othrys, hurling Kronos from his black throne. In the aftermath of the war Zeus sliced Kronos into thousands of pieces and scattered him in Tartarus, and punished the other Titans who sided with his father.

Zeus and his brothers divided the world into three territories--the sky, the water, and the earth--each taking one for themselves. Zeus's being the Sky, and he assumed his place as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. And Zeus entered his first marriage with Metis.

His marriage to Metis was short-lived, as she fell pregnant. She received a prophecy that she would have two children--a daughter and a son, the son would overthrow him as he had his father before him. Zeus convinced Metis to turn into a fly and swallowed her. She was, however, already pregnant and gave birth while inside him. Centuries later (during Zeus's third marriage), that baby would spring forth from his head and be known as Athena.

Zeus's second marriage was to Themis. This marriage produced two sets of triplets, the Horae and the Morai (Fates). However, seeing how  intimidating the Fates were, Zeus determined he could not produce any more children with Themis and promptly divorced her. 

After this Zeus courted Demeter, and produced a daughter, Persephone, but the relationship wouldn't last. 

It was Zeus's third marriage that would last for eternity. However it started off with deception. Zeus made Hera, who refused his advances, promise that if she were to ever confess her love for him she would have to marry him. Hera resisted his affections for a long while, but one night after a thunderstorm--of Zeus's making--Hera found a wounded cuckoo bird and nursed it back to health. Upon proclaiming her love for the tiny winged creature, Zeus shaped himself back from the cuckoo he had become to reveal his successful trick. Thus Hera agreed to be with him on the condition that he marry her and be faithful--a promise that he has never kept.

In fact, due to his infidelity Hera led a riot against him with the support of Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena. It would have been successful, had the four of them not left a chained Zeus alone where his thrashing could draw attention. He was eventually freed by Briares. Zeus stripped Poseidon and Apollo temporarily of their godhood, and they were forced to help build the famous walls of Troy with their bare hands. The distrust of his brother and Apollo last to this day. Hera's punishment was torture via being chained above the void of chaos, and Zeus threatened to drop her into it daily until she was rescued by her son Hephaestus. Zeus threw Hephaestus from Olympus breaking every bone in his body, but when Hephaestus healed and returned he felt ashamed and welcomed him back with open arms.

Centuries later, after World War II, Zeus and his brothers would hear a prophecy from the Oracle that the next of their demigod children to make it to the age of 16 would bring the salvation or downfall of Olympus. The three swore an oath not to produce any more demigod children. One that Zeus would break, naturally. Zeus attempted to kill the currently living children of Hades, and was unaware of his failure until centuries later as Hades protected them. Zeus would go on to sire the demigods Thalia and Jason Grace. 

During the events of Second Titan War, Zeus was reluctant to discuss the threat his father posed initially. His involvement in the war after that continued to show poor judgment. He  blamed Chiron for poisoning Thalia's tree initially, which resulted in a temporary firing for the Centaur. Zeus also refused to destroy his daughter, Thalia, even though she could have been the demigod from the prophecy. Thalia decided to join the Hunters of Artemis, sparing herself from that fate, however. Zeus allowed Hera to interfere with Annabeth's labyrinth quest--though this was perhaps one of the better decisions he made. Finally, however, when he can no longer ignore the significance of the threat, Zeus and the other gods descend from Olympus to face Typhon, leaving the demigods to protect their thrones on Olympus. He rewards the heroes, but is incredulous when Percy Jackson refuses his offer to become a God, and instead requests--and makes the gods swear on the River Styx--that they would claim their children by their 13th birthdays and to allow the minor deities to have Cabins of their own at Camp Half-Blood.

His paranoia after the events with Percy cause him to close off Olympus and recall the gods, forbidding contact with the demigods. He believes, wrongly, that their intervening with mortals and demigods is causing the rise of Gaea and the giants. Though he breaks his own commands to aid Jason Grace and his friends on their quest. As the two camps become more aware of one another, however, the Gods become incapacitated, struggling with their Greek and Roman identities arguing with one another. This is cured once the Athena Parthenos is returned to Camp Half-Blood, allowing Zeus and the other gods to participate in the battle against the Giants during the Second Giant War. 

For their part in the events of the Second Giant War, Zeus blames Hera and Apollo. Zeus punishes Apollo for his encouragement of his demigod child during the events of this war. Not until he defeats Python does Zeus let him return.

Site Canon Only: Hera's punishment for misinterpreting the prophecy was also to be expelled temporarily, though she was allowed to keep her godhood similarly to Dionysus with his punishment. The term of her punishment was short, but enough to cause a divide between the two gods once more.

Personality

As king of the gods Zeus demands a certain level of respect from others. He is proud, commanding, and borders on sanctimonious, narcissistic, and condescending. He can be easily offended when he is not the first person addressed in a room. 

Despite being the god of justice and honor, Zeus does not always embody those aspects himself. He is often paranoid, selfish, and at times hypocritical. And when he perceives that he is being plotted against, Zeus is unforgiving has a tendency to hold grudges. In these moments his negative traits tend to override his better judgment. Despite having all the power in the world, he still is power hungry and will protect his throne at all costs, and is not afraid of what may be sacrificed to ensure its safety.

When efforts are made to prove him wrong, Zeus becomes defensive and begins to assign blame to others. He perceives efforts to reason with him during these times as challenges to his authority and only those as skilled as Athena find success. It's best to reason with him later after he's had a chance to cool off. Zeus also has a flair for drama, and can be a bit of a show-off at times. So some of his reactions could in part be due to this.

Despite all of his many flaws, Zeus does have a respectable side. He cares for his children--though he tries to set an example by not demonstrating it. He also believes that being a strict father will engender responsibility in his children. Though if one pays attention he often seems to show preference to his daughters: Apollo and Artemis both disobey him, but only Apollo has ever found himself kicked out of Olympus. And Athena was the only one to never be punished for the attempted Coup with Apollo, Poseidon, and Hera. That favor doesn't spare them if they turn on him, however (unless you're Athena).

Zeus is also capable of sympathizing with those who face injustice--so long as it wasn't at his hands. Zeus was the first to reconsider slaughtering the Ophiotaurus when it was  pointed out that doing so would simply be doing to the creature what Kronos had done to his siblings when they were born.

Zeus can be witty and charming. Though he is usually strict and prim, he can demonstrate a disarming sense of humor. He knows when and where to use these tools to get what he wants, after all he did manage to convince a long--and ever growing--list of women and goddesses to sleep with him.

About Me

Birthdate: Ancient Greece
Likes: Women, Power, Control
Dislikes: Being humiliated, disrespect, his father.
Family:

• Mom:
  • Rhea
• Dad:
  • Kronos
• Siblings:
  • Hades - Brother
  • Poseidon - Brother
  • Demeter - Sister
  • Hestia - Sister
  • Hera - Sister
• Other:
  • Hera - Wife (don't ask)
  • Ares - Son (Hera)
  • Hebe - Daughter (Hera)
  • Eileithyia - Daughter (Hera)
  • Enyo - Daughter (Hera)
  • Hephaestus - Adoptive Son (Hera)
  • Persephone - Daughter (Demeter) 
  • The Fates - Daughters (Themis) 
  • The Horae - Daughters (Themis) 
  • Apollo - Son (Leto)
  • Artemis - Daughter (Leto)
  • Asclepius - Son (Koronis)
  • Dionysus - Son (Semele)
  • Heracles - Son (Alcmene)
  • Thalia Grace - Daughter (Beryl Grace)
  • The gods, many titans, etc.

Happy Thoughts: Freeing his siblings from Kronos and being unanimously determined their ruler.
Nightmares: Losing his power and being overthrown.
Fatal Flaw: Pride, Arrogance, Narcissism...

PLAYED BY: --

FACE CLAIM: Lance Reddick