Current Events > Am I wrong in thinking pop culture turned on Zeus and Co in the last decades?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Before you say "Zeus was depicted as an absolute chode right from the beginning of mythology", I know - I get it. That is how he's always been portrayed in the original epics.

BUT, I distinctly remember - like in the pre narrative videogame era - that Zeus was often depicted as a heroic, aspirational God. Like in Disney, in retellings of the greek Gods, in film etc - he was depicted as this heroic father figure to all.

No?

---

I think Zeus being a pop culture figure is what led to people learning how shitty he was in the actual mythology. Before he was in pop culture, most people probably did not ever think about Zeus and especially didnt know any specifics

---

I actually don't remember that many depictions of Zeus in media from when I was growing up

---

The only depictions of Zeus I can recall from my youth are a Disney movie, which is understandable, and Maxie Zeus, a delusional Batman foe

I'm trying to think of depictions where Zeus is seen as terrible. I havent beaten Hades so no spoilers, and with God of War isn't it because Kratos unleashing Pandora in the first game that makes Zeus go nuts?

---

Jiggy101011 posted...

I'm trying to think of depictions where Zeus is seen as terrible. I havent beaten Hades so no spoilers, and with God of War isn't it because Kratos unleashing Pandora in the first game that makes Zeus go nuts?

Pandora's box only preyed on a fear Zeus already had. Spoilers for the whole series

When Kratos was a child, Zeus sent Ares and Athena to kidnap his brother, Deimos, because Zeus was fated to be killed by a son of his bearing body-wide markings (Kratos' tattoo is an homage to his brother's birthmark). Zeus had Deimos imprisoned in the realm of the dead. Zeus in GoW was always a sack of shit

Jiggy101011 posted...

I'm trying to think of depictions where Zeus is seen as terrible. I havent beaten Hades so no spoilers, and with God of War isn't it because Kratos unleashing Pandora in the first game that makes Zeus go nuts?

Zeus in GoW and GoW 2 and so on are completely different. I think he's played by the guy who plays Roy Campbell in metal gear and he helps Kratos through the game.

Arent Zeus and co depicted as a****** in Xena too?

---

pinky0926 posted...

in retellings of the greek Gods

The only "retellings" I had in my personal life were in my 5th grade social studies class when we did Greek mythology. They weren't in the habit of focusing on the sex and violence.

---

My first introduction to Zeus was in the old Clash of the Titans movie. He's really helpful there overall and his dickhead side is downplayed significantly.

---

I remember Age of Mythology having the pantheon but in a rather neutrally positive way (the protagonist was a human that became the avatar of Zeus after being betrayed by Poseidon)

Really, all the Greek Gods are exceptionally awful.
It contrasts very strongly with Indra being cursed for not being able to keep it in his pants, is all.

As the saying goes, it was a time when the ancient gods were petty and cruel.

ElatedVenusaur posted...

Really, all the Greek Gods are exceptionally awful.

I don't remember any bad stories about Hestia. She seems like maybe the only unambiguously kind god, which makes sense, since she's all about home and security and comfort and warmth, etc. And she's a pretty major god too. But I don't know all the myths so there might be something I haven't learned about.
---

ElatedVenusaur posted...

Really, all the Greek Gods are exceptionally awful.

This makes the Percy Jackson series kind of amusing. Half the time it's "No, we're mostly good, just some times we make mistakes!" and other times it's "Well the gods suck, but at least they're slightly less evil than the most evil beings to ever exist"

---

MisterPengy posted...

This makes the Percy Jackson series kind of amusing. Half the time it's "No, we're mostly good, just some times we make mistakes!" and other times it's "Well the gods suck, but at least they're slightly less evil than the most evil beings to ever exist"

I mean, there is a difference between "a petty asshole and monstrous eldritch abomination".