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Zeus (mythology) Facts & Worksheets

Zeus is king of Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike.

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Zeus is king of Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike. He is regarded as the King of all other Gods and men. The name Zeus may have originated from the Ancient Greek word “bright” or “sky.” His Roman equivalent is Jupiter. While there are a number of gods, goddesses, demigods and deities throughout Greek mythology, none are quite as powerful as the ruler of Olympus, Zeus.

See the fact file below for more information on Zeus or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Zeus worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Traits and Symbolism of Zeus

  • Zeus is known for being wise, fair, just, merciful and prudent but also easily angered. He has a kingly body, short beard and curly hair and carries his thunderbolt at all times. He also wears his crown of oak leaves, which is deemed to be his sacred tree.
  • His weapon of choice is the thunderbolt, made for him by the mythical creatures, the Cyclops, just like they crafted Poseidon’s trident and Hades’ helmet. Zeus also has an enormous shield called Aegis, that he sometimes lends it to his daughter, Athena. He also possesses a giant golden eagle called Aetos Dios.
  • Zeus’ symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull and oak.
  • He is associated with wisdom and awareness.
  • Zeus, known for causing thunder and lightning, was once a rain-god. He is considered the ruler of the heavens and the governor of weather.
  • When Cronus learned that one of his children was fated to overthrow him, he realized that he wanted power just for himself. He started to eat his children, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon at birth to pre-empt any takeover. But Rhea was quick to hide Zeus and hid him in a cave on the Cretan Mount Ida where he was raised by nymphs and met his first love, Metis.
  • It was on the advice of Metis that Zeus saved his brothers and sisters when he disguised himself as an Olympian cupbearer and tricked Cronus into drinking the poisoned wine, which made him vomit and disgorge Zeus’ siblings. These gods joined Zeus in fighting to wrestle control of the universe from the Titans and Cronus. Zeus imprisoned his father and the other Titans in the underworld of Tartarus.
  • Zeus became the ruler of heaven and earth after a revolt against his father.
  • Zeus and his brothers drew lots to share the world between them. Poseidon got the sea, Hades the underworld and Zeus the sky. Other versions say that the three brothers played dice to determine which part of the kingdom they would rule.
  • The most notable conflict in Zeus’ history was his struggle for power against his father, Cronus.
  • As the ruler of the heavens, Zeus led the gods to victory against the savage Giants in the Gigantomachy. He successfully crushed the revolt with the help of his son, Hercules.
  • Zeus’ reign was challenged when Poseidon, Athena and Hera tried to chain him to his bed to take over his role as the head of the Olympian gods.

Zeus’s Affairs

  • Zeus fell in love easily and had many affairs with various women but was married to his sister Hera, goddess of marriage and monogamy.
  • Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe and Eileithyia are the children of Zeus and Hera.
  • Zeus is probably most famous for his infidelity to his sister and wife, Hera. He often transformed himself into various incarnations to seduce and bed his lovers.
  • He had children with Leto and produced twins, namely Apollo and Artemis.
  • Zeus had Athena with Metis. It is said that Athena was born from Zeus’ head and she became the god’s favorite child.
  • Dione and Zeus had a child named Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty.
  • Zeus had numerous love affairs with many nymphs and mortals too and had a menagerie of offspring.

Zeus Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Zeus across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Zeus worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Zeus who is king of Mount Olympus, the home of the ancient Greek gods, where he rules the world and imposes his will onto gods and mortals alike. He is regarded as the King of all other Gods and men. The name Zeus may have originated from the Ancient Greek word “bright” or “sky.” His Roman equivalent is Jupiter. While there are a number of gods, goddesses, demigods and deities throughout Greek mythology, none are quite as powerful as the ruler of Olympus, Zeus.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Zeus Facts
  • The Ruler of the Gods
  • Gods of the Olympians
  • Godly Traits
  • Supreme Truth
  • Olympian Word Search
  • Missing Word
  • All about Zeus
  • Jumbled Names
  • War of the Titans
  • Fill in the Gap

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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