Jupiter ( Jove or Zeus)

  Temple at Olympia        Mt Olympus      

The Greatest of the Gods or the sex crazed, cheating, self-centred, childish, bad tempered leader of an unruly family of Deities. If Zeus wasn't overthrowing his parents and uncles, he was cheating on his wife or punishing his relatives while playing thoughtlessly with anyone he fancied. However he was not the first nor the last in this confused collection of Deities who impacted on humanity from the top of Mount Olympus.  Neither totally good nor bad, their stories merely  reflected the journeys, frailties and troubles of mankind.

As in Genesis and in Egypt, there was first Chaos (Night) who split light and day, who in turn produced Eros (Love). The eventual offspring  were the old gods Saturn, Rhea and others who in turn led to such gods as Atlas and Prometheus. The Titans,  Saturn (Cronos) and Rhea (Ops),  were the parents of Jupiter (Jove or Zeus), Ceres (Demeter), Juno (Hera), Pluto (Dis), Neptune (Poseidon) and Vesta.

THE KING OF GODS

The Greek 'Zeus' or Roman 'Jupiter' was the supreme god of both Greece and  Rome,   He was a god of light and sky, and was protector of Rome and its laws.

 He is a son of Saturn and brother of Neptune and Juno/Hera (who is also his wife). He had ultimate rulership over the universe.

He had a great temple at Olympia and also on the Capitol in Rome together with Juno and Minerva, but there he was the most prominent. His temple was not only the most important sanctuary in Rome; it was also the centre of political life. It was there that official offerings were made, treaties were signed, wars were declared, and the triumphant generals of the Roman army went there to give their thanks.

Other titles were Caelestis, Lucetius , Totans and Fulgurator.  Jupiter was also the protector of the ancient league of Latin cities.

His attribute is the lightning bolt, and the eagle is both his symbol and his messenger.  

The Jupiter (Jove or Zeus)  family.

Jupiter also had sex with just about everyone else on earth.

Jupiter and Ganymede 

Jupiter cast his appreciative eye upon Ganymede, this youth of Troy, whose beauty outshone all others. On the guise of an eagle, Zeus swooped down, kidnapped, raped and carried him up to the kingdom of Mt Olympus where the youth became cup bearer to the gods. Hera, the wife of Zeus, being jealous of the kisses of the boy, about which Zeus gloated, was unable to challenge he husband so she cursed the land of Troy and its inhabitants and the subsequent strife led to the great war. Ganymede was later claimed as the spirit of the source of the Nile and he was placed among the stars as the sign of Aquarius, the cup bearer.. 

The King of Gods once felt the burning joy,
And sigh'd for lovely Ganymede of Troy:
Long was he puzzled to assume a shape
Most fit, and expeditious for the rape;
A bird's was proper, yet he scorns to wear
Any but that which might his thunder bear.
Down with his masquerading wings he flies,
And bears the little Trojan to the skies;
Where now, in robes of heav'nly purple drest,
He serves the nectar at th' Almighty's feast,
To slighted Juno an unwelcome guest.  -  Ovid

The Dialogue   Thomas Heywood (1574-1641)

Jupiter. Now kiss me, lovely Ganymede, for see,
We are at length arriv'd where we would be:
I have no crooked beak, no tallons keen,
No wings or feathers are about me seen;
I am not such as I but late appear'd.

Ganymede. But were you not that Eagle who late fear'd
And snatcht me from my flock? where is become
That shape? you speak now, who but late were dumb.

Jupiter. I am no man, faire Youth, as I appear
Nor Eagle, to astonish thee with fear:
But King of all the gods, who for some reason
Have by my power transhap't me for a season.

Ganymede. What's that you say? you are not Pan, I know:
Where's then your pipe? or where your horns, should grow
Upon your temples? where your hairy thighs?

Ganymede. Why not? I know him one:
We shepheards sacrifice to him alone.
A spotted Goat into some cave we drive,
And then he seiseth on the beast alive.
Thou art but some Childe-stealer, that's thy best.

Jupiter. Hast thou not heard of any man contest
By love's great Narne? nor his rich Altar view'd
In Gargarus, with plenteous showers bedew'd?
There seen his fire and thunder?

Ganymede.  Do you then
Affirm your self the same who on us men
Of late pour'd hail-stones? he that dwells above us,
And there makes noise; yet some will say doth love us?
To whom my Father did observance yield,
And sacrific'd the best Ram in the field.
Why then (if you of all the gods be chief)
Have you, by stealing me, thus play'd the thief;
When in my absence the poor sheep may stray,
Or the wild ravenous Wolves snatch them away?

Ganymede. I no way can
Conceive you. Will you play the honest man,
And bear me back to Ida?

Jupiter. So in vain
I shap'd me like an Eagle, if again
I should return thee back.

Ganymede. My father, he
By this hath made inquiry after me;
And if the least of all the flocke be eaten
I in his rage am most sure to be beaten.

Jupiter. Where shall he find thee?

Ganymede. That's the thing I fear,           
He never can clime up to meet me here,           
But if thou beest a good god, let me pass           
Into the mount of Ida where I was:          
And then I'll offer, in my thankful piety,          
Another well fed Goat unto thy deity,         
(As price of my redemption) three years old,         
                          And now the chief and prime in all the fold.

Ganymede. But I pray,
When I would sport me; who is here to play?
For when in Ida I did call for any,
Both of my age and growth it yielded many.

Jupiter. Play-fellows for thee I will likewise find

Cupid. with divers others to thy mind,
And such as are of both thy years and size
To sport with thee all what thou canst devise:
Only be bold and pleasant, and then know
Thou shalt have need of nothing that's below.

Ganymede.  But here no service I can do indeed
Unless in heaven you had some flocks to feed.

Jupiter. Yes, thou to me shalt fill celestial wine,
And wait upon me when in state I dine:
Then learn to serve in banquets.

Ganymede. That I can
Already, without help of any man:
For I use ever when we dine or sup,
To pour out milk, and crown the pastoral cup.

Jupiter. Fie, how thou still remember'st milk and beasts,
As if thou wert to serve at mortal Feasts:
Know, this is heaven, be merry then and laugh;
When thou art thirsty thou shalt Nectar quaff.

Ganymede. Is it so sweet as milk?

Jupiter. prised far before,
Which tasted once, milk thou wilt ask no more.

Ganymede.  Where shall I sleep a nights? what, must I lie
With my companion Cupid?

Jupiter. So then I
In vain had raped thee: but I from thy sheep
Of purpose stole thee, by my side to sleep.

Ganymede. Can you not lie alone? but will your rest
Seem sweeter, if I nuzzle on your breast?

Jupiter. Yes, being a child so fair:

Ganymede.  How can you think
Of beauty, whil'st you close your eyes and wink?-

Jupiter. It is a sweet enticement, to increase
Contented rest, when our desire's at peace.

Ganymede. I, but my father every morn would chide,
And say, those nights he lodged me by his side
I much disturbed his rest; tumbling and tossing
Athwart the bed, my little legs still crossing
His: either kicking this way, that way sprawling,
Or if he but removed me, straightaways yawling:
Then grumbling in my dreams, (for so he said)
And oft times sent me to my mothers bed:
And then would she complain upon me worse.
Then if for that you stole me, the best course
Is even to send me back again; for I
Am ever so unruly where I lie,
Wallowing and tumbling, and such coil I keep,
That I shall but disturb you in your sleep.

Ganymede. But whilst you wake I'll sleep.

Jupiter. Mercury, see .
This lad straight taste of immortality
And making him of service capable,
Let him be brought to wait on us at table.  

Updated April 23, 2007