059 Olympian Zeus

In this episode, we discuss the myths, iconography, and cultic worship of Zeus, the mighty patriarch who ruled over Mount Olympus; included are his Indo-European origins as the supreme sky god; his role as the god who maintains order and justice by presided over normative civic, social, and family relationships; his connection with Themis (Divine Law), Nemesis (Revenge), and the three Moirai (the Fates); his worship as a rain-making, agricultural deity, both on mountain peaks (Attica and Crete) and the Underworld (symbolizing the regenerative life cycle); his worship in Arcadia and its relationship to werewolf transformation and human sacrifice; his oracles at Dodone and Siwa (where he was syncretized with Libyan god Ammon); his Pan-Hellenic sanctuary at Olympia; his connection with Nike (Victory) and his worship as a savior or bringer of freedom against foreign foes (Persia and Carthage); and the "philosophical Zeus" that arose when many people began to question polytheistic religions during the Hellenistic Period

Show Notes: http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/2017/10/059-olympian-zeus.html

Intro by Lee Accomando of the Viking Age Podcast

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