Zeus as a Sovereign

 

Zeus is seen as the most powerful God of the Olympians, he overthrew the reign of the Titans and with this took major power over becoming the “all powerful god” so to speak.  Zeus is seen as the sovereign deity. As I have stated before about Hades in relation to Zeus being relation as his brother. Although Zeus may have control of the upper world, Hades had the control of the underworld.  Zeus is often characterized as a god that keeps the peace as so to speak, with in concepts of epic poems such as the Iliad and the Odyssey he is seen as the peace keeper and decision maker in the final aspects of the plot when it concerns the acts of the Gods.  Dowden comments on this concept, ‘His influence is depicted here as based on exceptional brute power of the leading male in the household. But it is not simply that he is hyperman amongst supermen: he is different. We can see this when we look how precisely he controls the outcome of the battle’ (Dowden,1950:87). Dowden here continues the point that he is the lead god that no matter what any of the other gods contribute he has the overriding decision as he is a “hyperman amongst supermen.”

The question is how much of such act as a Sovereign or is he really a tyrant of the skies? Do we choose to view him in such a simplistic view that he embodies all the aspects of the Greek Gods within himself, Zeus could easy be seen as a tyrant that supresses the other Gods in their aspects of duties to keep control.  There is a concept of Zeus being a father figure, as Lloyd Jones comments ‘In Greek religion Zeus may be called “father of gods and men,” but that is because he is their ruler and according to some recreation myths he is responsible for man’s existence. ‘( Lloyd Jones, 1971:32-33) Lloyd Jones makes an interesting argument the myths such as Hesiod tells the story of creation of the world which involved Zeus in some cases. Within the creation of the world there is also a concept of the afterlife that has to be created.  We also see the use of terminology of the father being used in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter.

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, shows us again the role that Zeus partakes as his role as a sovereign. ‘Hadês! Dark-haired one! King of the dead! Zeus the Father orders that I have splendid Persephone  brought back up to light from Erebos back to him and his company, so that her mother may see her with her own eyes and let go of her wrath and terrible mênis against the immortals.’ (Homeric Hymn Demeter lines 347-351) Here we see Zeus again taking up the role of the father figure. Demeter has asked for his intervention in the matter of returning Persephone from the underworld. Even though Hades is classed as “King of the dead” we still see the concept of “Zeus the father” he is seen as the overriding figure. It seems clear that Zeus seems to have an overriding role when it comes to decisions that impact not only humans but other Gods. The impact this makes does not entirely make him a sovereign at one point to a tyrant to the next.

This is also discussed again in Burkets’ Greek Religion as he states ‘For all that, Zeus is father, father of men and Gods. Even the Gods who are not his natural children address him as father, and all the Gods rise in his presence.’(Burket, 1985:129) Just as Lloyd mentions Burket references to the fact that Zeus is referred to continually as father. This seems to create the ideal of a father figure of God. Burket also mentions that even the gods who are not his natural children also refers to the fact that the other gods both Olympian and Chthonian gods see him that someone they can look up to. This does not necessarily make him a Sovereign though; there is no discussion of the element of fear of Zeus within the mixture of the Gods. The treatment of Zeus as a father figure could easily be to appease him.

Thus the importance of Zeus as a sovereign is visualised every day, without Hades however would he be the Sovereign that he is admired to be.  The concept of the underworld was of great importance into Greek life. As Garland states ‘Notwithstanding the fact that Hades held few attractions, entry to it was critical for the peace of mind and welfare of the deceased. That, in part, was why burial was so important.’(Garland,1985:79)As Garland is stating that Hades being associated with the dead may not have been as worshipped as Zeus as a sovereign.  This does not deem Hades part as his brother and ruler of the underworld any less. The concept was very important to the Ancient Greek as it was a way for their souls to pass into the underworld. ‘People who committed crimes against the state were denied burial not only because such a punishment deprived their relatives of the opportunity to mourn their deaths publicly, but also because it denied the dead access to the underworld.’(Garland,1985,80)  Denial of the dead serious aspect of a Greek culture, which Zeus had no control over when the dead passed through into the underworld, this posing the ending question how far if Zeus is classed as a sovereign did that right switch over to Hades when he the dead were buried. 

Bibliography

Burket W, (1983) Greek Religion. Harvard: Harvard University Press.

Dowden K, (2005) Zeus: Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World. London: Routledge

Garland R, (1985) The Greek way of Death. Cornell University Press

Lloyd Jones H, (2003) Zeus, Prometheus and Greek Ethics.Vol:101, Published by: Department of the Classics, Harvard University.

Online Sources

Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Translated by: Gregory Nancy. http://www.uh.edu/~cldue/texts/demeter.html. Last accessed: 24/03/2013