If there’s one ancient deity that can be put down as the most famous in the modern day, it has to be Zeus. The King of Olympus, father of Hercules, and God of the Storms, Zeus is known for his power and might, even if he was often portrayed in myths as devious, vengeful, and downright awful at times.
Still, he led the rebellion that granted the pantheon Mount Olympus, and so, he was revered as a champion and hero of the people. It’s why one of the foremost artists of ancient Greece, Phidias, crafted the great Statue of Zeus. However, an earthquake destroyed the original in the 5th century BCE.
In 2022, work on a grand replica was completed, with Zeus’ legend and importance warranting the effort.
The mighty god Zeus
Zeus was a domineering figure in ancient Greek culture and remains popular to this day. It’s why a game like Age of the Gods: God of Storms carries so much weight and appeal at the
Paddy Power online casino gambling site. With a distinctly Greek aesthetic, players know at once that the game is power-packed by Zeus, and when they spin the reels, they can expect the mighty god to power the reels with wilds, respins, and be connected to the suite’s four progressive jackpots.
In almost every depiction in entertainment, from slots to films, Zeus is an undisputedly powerful being. Much of Zeus’ modern fame can be accredited to the ancient Greeks documenting so much about their everyday lives and building incredible structures. His mythology has been spread around the world, with books still being published about him and his tales, like the myths book from
British publishers Thames & Hudson, so it’s not a surprise that the name “Zeus” continues to hold such weight.
Bringing back the long-lost wonder
Hailed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Zeus’ giant statue of ivory and gold was a masterpiece standing 12.4 metres tall in his temple. Some 2,500 years later, the long-lost marvel has now been replicated and was hosted by
the Kotsanas Museum last year at Ancient Olympia.
It took the team three years of construction, research, and scholarship to get the exact specifications required to craft a replica worthy of the original. The massive piece of art was put on show for the public in a year when more of the reverence to Zeus was uncovered.
In Egypt,
Smithsonian Magazine reports new findings of a temple that honoured both Zeus and Mount Kasios – which lies on the Turkish-Syrian border where Zeus battled the Typhon to decide the ruler of the cosmos. The excavation found what are thought to be the pillars that held up the entrance and granite steps, and that the Roman emperor Hadrian renovated the temple so far-flung from Greece.
Zeus was integral to the everyday lives of the ancient Greeks, and even to the Romans – being replicated in their mythos as Jupiter – and continues to hold a lot of weight today. He may not be worshipped as he once was, but Zeus is certainly revered and a tremendous point of interest in other ways.
