At this moment in time, we live in a world that would consider multiple lovers, torturing of others with chains, and disguising yourself as someone else’s husband just to have sex with another as absolutely disgusting. In the world of the ancient Greeks, all of this was just a part of the everyday, normal life; they thought nothing of it. I, personally find all of this quite appalling, and I can not even believe that someone could be so cruel. All these items were done not just by a human, but by a God that the Greek people use to worship, none the less. It was the God above all Gods: Zeus, supposedly the God of Justice. Honestly, I would not consider that a well-deserved title, but the Greek people most certainly would.
From the Greek perspective, the meaning of the word justice involves feeding their own cooked child to a cheating husband and men claiming any women as a prize. These things were just a typical part of every day life. Women were used to the way they were treated and some even expected it. They never really had a say in whom they were to marry, and most often they married a family member, for example, an uncle. I’m sure that family members would not have been the women’s first choic

However, Zeus is after all the God of Fertility, but I still do not think that it gives him the right to sleep with whomever he pleases. For example, his mistreatment of his own divine bride, Metis. Zeus found out that if she has a son, he will be overthrown by this son so he swallows his wife while she is still pregnant. He kills his own wife just so he is not overthrown, which comes off as a little selfish to me. He also turns his lover Io into a cow so Hera, his true Olympian God wife, would not find out that her own priestess had an affair with her husband, but it was too late. Hera already saw what was going on and she sent down a horrible insect to sting Io wherever she went. Zeus did not even try to help her, although he did feel a little remorse; he was just worried about his wife catching him. Leto, another one of his mistresses was also persecuted by Hera. She decreed that no land that sees the light of day should receive her to give birth. Leto, exploding with pain, wandered all over for a place to give birth and finally ended on Delos, which was in the center of the Cylades. This island was exempted from Hera’s decree because it was a floating island; it bobbed up and down beneath the water’s surface. While Leto was in a frantic search to give birth, Zeus was nowhere to be found in lending a helping hand. He just uses then discards the women he sleeps with. He also takes out his punishment on those who are undeserving.



All in all, I do not think Zeus would have fit into our society at all at this point in time. With his adulterous ways, treating women the way he does, it just would not be tolerated. Also, I believe it would be a little harder to seduce women in our time. He relishes in the fun of causing pain and sickness to mankind and punishing them for someone else’s trickery. No one would consider that just, although I do understand why the Greeks would see him as the God of Justice. We live in different times; our meaning of justice greatly varies. They would also have to think of him as just, what other choice is there? Everyone had to honor the Gods; otherwise, they would be punished. So even if some did think of him as unjust, they could never voice th