Zeus and his Lovers and mistresses

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Zeus and his Lovers and mistresses
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Zeuss lovers and offspring
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Io

• Io, in Greek mythology, daughter of the river god
  Inachus, son of Oceanus. She was loved by the god
  Zeus, who changed her into a white heifer (young
  cow) to protect her from the jealousy of his
  wife, Hera.
• Suspecting that the animal was really Zeus's
  mistress, Hera asked for the heifer as a gift and
  set the 100-eyed monster Argus to guard it.

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Argus killed peacock peas

• Because the monster never slept with all his eyes
  shut, Io was unable to escape until Zeus sent his
  son, the messenger god Hermes, to rescue her.
• Hermes managed to kill the monster after he had
  put Argus's 100 eyes to sleep with a series of
  boring stories/syrinx/pandean pipes.
• Hera scattered Arguss eyes on the tail of her
  peacock, where they remained to this day.

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• Hera was still angry, however, and next sent a
  gadfly to torment Io, who wandered over the earth
  in misery.
• Io finally swam across the sea that was later
  named for her (the Ionian Sea) and at last
  reached Egypt.
• There she was restored to her original physical
  form, and she bore Zeus a son, Epaphus, who was
  an ancestor of the Greek hero Hercules.

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• Europa, in Greek mythology, daughter of Agenor,
  the Phoenician king of Tyre, son of the god
  Neptune, and sister of Cadmus, the legendary
  founder of Thebes.
• One morning, when Europa was gathering flowers by
  the seashore, the god Zeus saw her and fell in
  love with her.

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• Assuming the guise of a beautiful
  chestnut-colored bull, he appeared before her and
  licking her neck and casting the spell, enticed
  her to climb onto his back. He then sped away
  with her across the ocean to the island of Crete
  (Kríti).

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• Among the sons she bore him were Minos (king of
  Crete when alive) and Rhadamanthus, both of whom
  became judges of the dead.
• The abduction of Europa has been the subject of
  paintings by many artists, including Italians
  Paolo Veronese and Titian.

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• Cypris sent a dream two continents fighting.
• Aegis-bearing Jupiter

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• Semele (mortal), in Greek mythology, the daughter
  of Cadmus and Harmonia (daughter of Mars and
  laughter-loving Venus), who were the king and
  queen of Thebes, and the mother of the god
  Dionysus.

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• Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, realizing that
  Semele had conceived a child by her husband,
  tricked Semele into asking to see Zeus in his
  majesty.
• Hera assumed the form of Beroe, the aged nurse of
  Semele, saying, are you sure it is Jove who came
  to you. Ask him to show some proof. Ask him to
  assume all the splendors as he would in heaven.

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• To Jove, Hera asked a favor, which Jove agreed,
  and swore to the rive Styx.
• Then Hera told him what it was, and Jove
  regretted, but he could not take his promise
  back.
• He assumed the usual splendors, without the
  terrors (known among the gods as his lesser
  panoply), as when he overthrew the giants.

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• Bound by an oath, Zeus appeared before Semele in
  all his divine glory (thunder and lightning). As
  she gazed at him, she was consumed by the
  lightning bolts that radiated from him.

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• Zeus was nevertheless able to rescue her unborn
  child, Dionysus, from the ashes, and he hid the
  fetus in his thigh until it was time for the
  child to be born. Later the young Dionysus
  rescued his mother from the underworld and
  brought her to Olympus.

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Callisto, yet another sweetheart of Jupiters

• Callisto (mythology), in Greek mythology, a nymph
  beloved by Zeus. She was changed into a bear by
  his jealous wife Hera.
• Hera said, I will take away the beauty with
  which you have captivated my husband.

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• Down fell callisto on her hands and knees her
  arms were covered with black hair.
• Her hands grew rounded, became armed with crooked
  claws, and served for feet.
• Her beautiful mouth now a horrid pair of jaws.
• Her tender voice a growl, inspiring terror.

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• Her disposition has not changed.
• She bemoaned her fate, standing upright as well
  as she could, begging for mercy.
• She was before a huntress, but now shes afraid
  of hunters.
• A bear as she was now, shes afraid of other
  bears.

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• One day, a youth (her own son) spied her in
  hunting,
• and as she was about to embrace him, he aimed his
  spear at her, partly out of fear.
• He was about to transfix her, when Jupiter saw
  this and stopped him.

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• He snatched them both and placed them in the
  heavens as the Great and Little Bear.

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Leto

• of Troy. After the god Zeus had wooed Leda in the
  guise of a swan, she laid two eggs.
• From one were hatched Polydeuces (also known as
  Pollux) and Helen, who were immortal children of
  Zeus, and from the other Castor and Clytemnestra,
  who were mortal children of Tyndareus.

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Latona/ leto

• Goddess of darkness, daughter of the titans Coeus
  and Phoebe
• Mother of Apollo and Diana.
• Hera decreed that she should not be delivered in
  any place where the sun shone.

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Leto/ latona mother of Appollo

• Leto, in Greek mythology, daughter of the Titans
  Phoebe and Coeus. Leto was the mother of divine
  twins Artemis, goddess of the bow and of
  hunting, and Apollo, god of prophecy, medicine,
  and archery. Zeus was their father.

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• When Leto was about to give birth to the twins,
  Zeus banished her because he feared the jealousy
  of his wife Hera. All countries and islands were
  also afraid of Hera's wrath and refused the
  desperate Leto a home where her children could be
  born.

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Leto 2

• Finally, in her wanderings, she set foot on a
  small island floating in the Aegean Sea. The
  island, which was called Delos, was a rocky,
  barren place, but when Leto reached it and asked
  for refuge, it welcomed her hospitably.
• At that moment four great pillars rose from the
  bottom of the sea to hold the island firmly
  moored forever after.

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Leto

• In her flee, leto came to Lycia, where thirsty,
  she saw a pond.
• The villagers would not let her drink the water
  and stirred the mud at the bottom.
• She said, May they never quit that pool but pass
  their lives there!
• And it came to pass accordingly.

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Frogs (leto)

• They still live in the water, sometimes totally
  submerged,
• Then raising their heads above the surface
• Or swimming upon it
• Sometimes coming out upon the bank, but soon
  leaping back again into the water.

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_______ appearance

• Their vices are harsh, their throats bloated,
  mouths distended by constant railing
• Their necks have shrunk up an ddisappeared, and
• Their heads are joined to their bodies.
• Their backs are green, their disproportioned
  bellies white.
• They dell as _________ in the slimy pool.

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Latona, mother of Appollo and Diana

• The story of Niobe, queen of the ancient Grecian
  city of Thebes, serves as an example of the
  vengeance gods took against prideful humans in
  Greek and Roman mythology. It told how Niobe
  boasted of her numerous children to the goddess
  Latona (known as Leto in Greek mythology), who
  had only two children. Latona quickly summoned
  her children, Apollo and Diana (Artemis in Greek
  legend), to seek revenge for Niobes insulting
  remarks.

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• Niobe, the queen of Thebeshad indeed much to be
  proud of but it was not her husband's fame, nor
  her own beauty, nor their great descent, nor the
  power of their kingdom that elated her. It was
  her children and truly the happiest of mothers
  would Niobe have been if only she had not claimed
  to be so. It was on occasion of the annual
  celebration in honour of Latona and her
  offspring, Apollo and Diana,when the people of
  Thebes were assembled, their brows crowned with
  laurel, bearing frankincense to the altars and
  paying their vows,that Niobe appeared among the
  crowd. Her attire was splendid with gold and
  gems, and her aspect beautiful as the face of an
  angry woman can be. She stood and surveyed the
  people with haughty looks. "What folly," said
  she, "is this!to prefer beings whom you never
  saw to those who stand before your eyes! Why
  should Latona be honoured with worship, and none
  be paid to me? My father was Tantalus, who was
  received as a guest at the table of the gods my
  mother was a goddess. My husband built and rules
  this city, Thebes, and Phrygia is my paternal
  inheritance. Wherever I turn my eyes I survey the
  elements of my power nor is my form and presence
  unworthy of a goddess. To all this let me add I
  have seven sons and seven daughters, and look for
  sons-in-law and daughters-in-law of pretensions
  worthy of my alliance. Have I not cause for
  pride? Will you prefer to me this Latona, the
  Titan's daughter, with her two children? I have
  seven times as many. Fortunate indeed am I, and
  fortunate I shall remain! Will any one deny this?
  My abundance is my security. I feel myself too
  strong for Fortune to subdue. She may take from
  me much I shall still have much left. Were I to
  lose some of my children, I should hardly be left
  as poor as Latona with her two only. Away with
  you from these solemnities,put off the laurel
  from your brows,have done with this worship!"
  The people obeyed, and left the sacred services
  uncompleted.

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• The goddess was indignant. On the Cynthian
  mountain top where she dwelt she thus addressed
  her son and daughter "My children, I who have
  been so proud of you both, and have been used to
  hold myself second to none of the goddesses
  except Juno alone, begin now to doubt whether I
  am indeed a goddess. I shall be deprived of my
  worship altogether unless you protect me." She
  was proceeding in this strain, but Apollo
  interrupted her. "Say no more," said he "speech
  only delays punishment." So said Diana also.
  Darting through the air, veiled in clouds, they
  alighted on the towers of the city. Spread out
  before the gates was a broad plain, where the
  youth of the city pursued their warlike sports.
  The sons of Niobe were there with the rest,some
  mounted on spirited horses richly caparisoned,
  some driving gay chariots. Ismenos, the
  first-born, as he guided his foaming steeds,
  struck with an arrow from above, cried out, "Ah
  me!" dropped the reins, and fell lifeless.
  Another, hearing the sound of the bow,like the
  boatman who sees the storm gathering and makes
  all sail for the port,gave the reins to his
  horses and attempted to escape. The inevitable
  arrow overtook him, as he fled. Two others,
  younger boys, just from their tasks, had gone to
  the playground to have a game of wrestling. As
  they stood breast to breast, one arrow pierced
  them both. They uttered a cry together, together
  cast a parting look around them, and together
  breathed their last. Alphenor, an elder brother,
  seeing them fall, hastened to the spot to render
  assistance, and fell stricken in the act of
  brotherly duty. One only was left, Ilioneus. He
  raised his arms to heaven to try whether prayer
  might not avail. "Spare me, ye gods!" he cried,
  addressing all, in his ignorance that all needed
  not his intercessions and Apollo would have
  spared him, but the arrow had already left the
  string, and it was too late.

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• The terror of the people and grief of the
  attendants soon made Niobe acquainted with what
  had taken place. She could hardly think it
  possible she was indignant that the gods had
  dared, and amazed that they had been able to do
  it. Her husband, Amphion, overwhelmed with the
  blow, destroyed himself. Alas! how different was
  this Niobe from her who had so lately driven away
  the people from the sacred rites, and held her
  stately course through the city, the envy of her
  friends, now the pity even of her foes! She knelt
  over the lifeless bodies, and kissed now one, now
  another of her dead sons. Raising her pallid arms
  to heaven, "Cruel Latona," said she, "feed full
  your rage with my anguish! Satiate your hard
  heart, while I follow to the grave my seven sons.
  Yet where is your triumph? Bereaved as I am, I am
  still richer than you, my conqueror." Scarce had
  she spoken, when the bow sounded and struck
  terror into all hearts except Niobe's alone. She
  was brave from excess of grief. The sisters stood
  in garments of mourning over the biers of their
  dead brothers. One fell, struck by an arrow, and
  died on the corpse she was bewailing. Another,
  attempting to console her mother, suddenly ceased
  to speak, and sank lifeless to the earth. A third
  tried to escape by flight, a fourth by
  concealment, another stood trembling, uncertain
  what course to take. Six were now dead, and only
  one remained, whom the mother held clasped in her
  arms, and covered as it were with her whole body.
  "Spare me one, and that the youngest! O spare me
  one of so many!" she cried and while she spoke,
  that one fell dead. Desolate she sat, among sons,
  daughters, husband, all dead, and seemed torpid
  with grief. The breeze moved not her hair, no
  colour was on her cheek, her eyes glared fixed
  and immovable, there was no sign of life about
  her. Her very tongue cleaved to the roof of her
  mouth, and her veins ceased to convey the tide of
  life. Her neck bent not, her arms made no
  gesture, her foot no step. She was changed to
  stone, within and without. Yet tears continued to
  flow and borne on a whirlwind to her native
  mountain, she still remains, a mass of rock, from
  which a trickling stream flows, the tribute of
  her never-ending grief.

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• The story of Niobe has furnished 19th-century
  English poet Lord George Gordon Noel Byron with
  a fine illustration of the fallen condition of
  modern Rome
• "The Niobe of nations! there she stands,
• Childless and crownless in her voiceless woe
• An empty urn within her withered hands,
• Whose holy dust was scattered long ago
• The Scipios' tomb contains no ashes now
• The very sepulchres lie tenantless
• Of their heroic dwellers dost thou flow,
• Old Tiber! through a marble wilderness?
• Rise with thy yellow waves, and mantle her
  distress."
• Childe Harold, IV. 79.

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• As an illustration of this story there is a
  celebrated statue in the imperial gallery of
  Florence. It is the principal figure of a group
  supposed to have been originally arranged in the
  pediment of a temple. The figure of the mother
  clasped by the arm of her terrified child is one
  of the most admired of the ancient statues. It
  ranks with the Laocoön and the Apollo among the
  masterpieces of art. The following is a
  translation of a Greek epigram supposed to relate
  to this statue
• "To stone the gods have changed her, but in vain
  
• The sculptor's art has made her breathe again."