Zeus, God of Thunder and Lightning: A Short Story

The ancient Greeks feared thunder and lightning so much that they believed it was the jealous wrath of an angry god. This deity was called Zeus, the King of the Gods.

Let’s take a look at this fascinating story about Zeus, the God of Thunder and Lightning. Zeus, King of the gods, had many lovers across different locations around Greece. One such lover was a beautiful nymph called Callisto. When she became pregnant with his child, Callisto fled to the forest to hide from her angry father who was also one of Zeus’ lovers.

Unfortunately for Callisto, Artemis – another one of Zeus’ lovers – discovered her hiding place and transformed her into a bear as punishment for betraying her trust as well as for being intimate with someone other than her fiancé.

The Start of Zeus’ Wrath

Zeus was very angry with the boy who shook the skies because he had heard that his son was growing fast and was healthy, and so was a danger to his throne. Zeus found out that the boy’s mother was Leto, the Queen of the River, and a relative of Apollo.

Zeus hid the boy in a cave on the island of Crete to keep him safe, but Hera discovered his hiding place and sent two enormous snakes to kill the boy. Fortunately for the baby, a family of mice that lived nearby gnawed through the serpents’ tongues, and the baby was saved. The child was named Heracles in gratitude for his escape from death.

The Idiot Boy who Shakes the Skies

Heracles grew up to be a very strong man, with superhuman strength. A famous story tells how he travelled to a country called Elis, where he competed in a wrestling match. But instead of grappling with his opponent, Heraman, the strongman actually tried to lift the whole stadium.

At first, no one could understand what Heracles was trying to do, and there was much laughter. Then, just as the stadium was about to collapse, Heracles raised it into the air. Heracles also had a passion for hunting very fierce wild animals and was particularly fond of killing lions.

The Dark Clouds of Thunder and Lightning

One day, Heracles was travelling through a country where a woman called Philonoe ruled. Heracles had an unfortunate encounter with this queen, who was angry because she had been left with only one ox to plough her fields. Philonoe was so angry with Heracles that she magically turned him into a cloud of thunder and lightning.

Heracles remained in this form and wandered around the skies for quite some time. But, finally, he was able to return to his human form, and he was allowed to pick any gift that the queen wanted to give him. In gratitude for being released from his punishment, Heracles asked for the queen’s girdle. Philonoe was so angry that she threw it at him, and when it fell to the ground it formed a river.

Conclusion

Zeus, God of Thunder and Lightning, had many lovers across different locations around Greece. One such lover was a beautiful nymph called Callisto. When she became pregnant with his child, Callisto fled to the forest to hide from her angry father.

Unfortunately for Callisto, Artemis discovered her hiding place and transformed her into a bear as punishment for betraying her trust as well as for being intimate with someone other than her fiancé. Zeus heard the thundering sound of the boy who shook the skies and he was angry that they were in the wrong. The boy was not supposed to shake the skies.

He was supposed to plough the fields. Zeus found out that the boy’s mother was Leto, the Queen of the River, and a relative of Apollo. He hid the boy in a cave on the island of Crete to keep him safe, but Hera discovered his hiding place and sent two enormous snakes to kill the boy.

Fortunately for the baby, a family of mice that lived nearby gnawed through the serpents’ tongues, and the baby was saved. The child was named Heracles in gratitude for his escape from death.