Who Is Zeus’ Wife? His 7 Marriages, Explained

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Plus, discover Zeus’ numerous affairs and their impact on mythology
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The King of Mount Olympus, the ruler of thunder and lightning, the God of the Sky: Zeus is one of the most important and famous figures in Greek mythology. But you know what they say, behind every man (mortal or otherwise) is a great woman, and Zeus had seven of them. That’s right, Zeus had seven wives , as well as numerous mistresses and lovers —both mortal and divine. We’ll tell you the stories of each of these legendary women, including the children they bore with Zeus and their significance in Greek myth.

How many wives did Zeus have?

Zeus had seven immortal wives: Metis, Themis, Eurynome, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Leto, and Hera. Hera is considered to be Zeus’ most important, prominent, and well-known wife. She appears as his wife and the Queen of the Gods in most Greek myths.

Section 1 of 5:

The 7 Wives of Zeus

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  1. According to Hesiod’s Theogony , Metis was Zeus’ first wife (“Zeus, now king of the gods, chose as his first wife Metis”). She was lauded for her wisdom and vast knowledge, which she used to develop a potion that Zeus fed to Cronus in order to free his siblings from the Titan’s stomach. When Metis fell pregnant, Zeus became worried that her offspring would be more powerful and knowledgeable than he, and would therefore be able to overthrow him as king of the Gods. So, Zeus swallowed his wife, Metis, but his daughter Athena (the goddess of wisdom and war) was later born fully grown from his head. [1]
    • Title: Titan goddess of intelligence, deep thought, and prudence.
    • Symbol(s): The owl.
    • Children with Zeus: Athena.
    • Importance in Myth: Metis helped Zeus defeat the Titan Cronus. She also mothered Athena, one of the Twelve Olympians.
  2. 2
    Themis Zeus’ second wife, Themis, oversaw “the works of mortal men and women,” according to Hesiod’s Theogony. She was a well-respected titaness who was known for her sense of justice, peace, and balance in all things. Her reputation helped to solidify Zeus as the King of the Gods. According to some accounts, she notably gave birth to the Fates, who rule over the lives and destinies of all mortals. Like most of Zeus’ wives, Themis became one of the god’s many consorts once he moved on to his next wife. [2]
    • Title: Member of the Twelve Titans; goddess of law, justice, and good order.
    • Symbol(s): Scales of justice; sword.
    • Children with Zeus: Thallo, Auxo, Karpo, Dike, Eunomia, Irene, Orthosie, Pherusa, Euporie, and the three Moirai (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, also called the Fates).
    • Importance in Myth: She was an early representation of justice, law, and order in society. She also mothered the Fates, who are important figures in Greek myth .
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  3. 3
    Eurynome Next, Zeus married Eurynome, who was described as “the daughter of Ocean [and] a goddess of enticing beauty.” Through her marriage to Zeus, Eurynome gave birth to the Graces, a trio of minor goddesses who personify beauty and grace. She also rescued Hephaestus when he was cast out of Mount Olympus by his mother. Eurynome raised the young god of fire and metalworking and taught him the art of blacksmithing. [3]
    • Title: Titan goddess of water meadows and pastures.
    • Symbol(s): The egg; the serpent; the dove; the mermaid.
    • Children with Zeus: The Graces (Thalia, Euphrosyne, and Aglaia), Antheia, Hegemone, and Pasithea.
    • Importance in Myth: Eurynome birthed the important Graces, and also raised Hephaestus (who is one of the Twelve Olympians).
  4. 4
    Demeter While Demeter is a prominent goddess and one of the Twelve Olympians, not much is known about her union with Zeus or how it came to be. In Hesiod’s Theogony , it’s written that Demeter was Zeus’ fourth wife and that she “bore white-armed Persephone,” who was famously abducted by Hades to become Queen of the Underworld. [4]
    • Title: Member of the Twelve Olympians; Goddess of agriculture, harvest, sacred law, and fertility.
    • Symbol(s): Wheat; a winged serpent; the Cornucopia.
    • Children with Zeus: Persephone.
    • Importance in Myth: Demeter is an important goddess who harnesses control over the seasons, crop growth, and the survival and prosperity of mortal humans. She also mothered Persephone, who is the goddess of spring and the Queen of the Underworld. [5]
  5. 5
    Mnemosyne Mnemosyne, a Titaness who represents the concept and power of memory, was Zeus’ fifth wife. Most notably, she gave birth to nine daughters over nine days. [6] These daughters became the Muses, who are significant figures in Greek mythology, art, and literature. These sister goddesses are the inspiration for all mortal art, science, philosophy, and knowledge, with each one ruling over a specific artistic or intellectual field. I.e., Terpsichore rules over dance, Thalia rules over comedy, Urania rules over astronomy, etc. [7]
    • Title: Member of the Twelve Titans; goddess of memory and remembrance.
    • Symbol(s): A rock, representing Mount Pieria.
    • Children with Zeus: The Nine Muses.
    • Importance in Myth: Mnemosyne mothered the Muses, who are thought to inspire all mortal achievement in the arts and sciences.
  6. 6
    Leto There are various versions of Leto and Zeus’ story: in some, Leto is his sixth wife who bore Apollo and Artemis before Zeus ever married Hera. In more popular versions, Zeus and Leto had an affair after Zeus was already married to Hera. In these tales, Zeus seduced Leto, and she became pregnant with twin children. Hera, therefore, banished the goddess and sent monsters after her. However, Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis, who quickly grew and defended their mother from Hera’s attacks. [8]
    • Title: Titan goddess of modesty, feminine demureness, and motherhood.
    • Symbol(s): The wolf; the moon; the stag; the cypress.
    • Children with Zeus: Apollo and Artemis.
    • Importance in Myth: She mothered Apollo and Artemis, who are two of the most important of the Twelve Olympians. Apollo is the god of the sun as well as music, poetry, healing, and archery. Artemis is the goddess of the moon, hunting, and the wilderness.
  7. 7
    Hera As a major Olympian and the Queen of the Gods, Hera is arguably Zeus’ most important wife, or his “main” wife. She is one of Zeus’ full biological sisters and was rescued from Cronus’ stomach (along with the rest of their siblings). Hera rejected Zeus’ affections for many years, until Zeus one day shapeshifted into an injured bird whom Hera decided to look after. After transforming back into himself and revealing his trick, Hera agreed to marry Zeus. However, Hera is often depicted as a jealous and bitter wife, as she grew tired of Zeus’ numerous affairs. In many stories, she violently enacted vengeance on her husband’s lovers . [9]
    • Title: Queen of the Gods; member of the Twelve Olympians; goddess of women, marriage, childbirth, and fertility.
    • Symbol(s): The peacock; the pomegranate; a crown and sceptre.
    • Children with Zeus: Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, Eileithyia, Eris, Enyo, and Adrestia.
    • Importance in Myth: Aside from ruling over Mount Olympus and giving birth to important gods like Ares and Hephaestus, Hera was revered in the mortal world as a protector of women. She specifically looked after women in childbirth and marriage, as she was also associated with familial life and fertility.
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Section 2 of 5:

Zeus’ Affairs & Lovers

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  1. 1
    Callisto This nymph was one of Artemis’ companions who had sworn to remain a virgin. Zeus pursued Callisto and seduced her, resulting in a pregnancy that saw her banished from Artemis’ inner circle. Enraged with jealousy, Hera turned Callisto into a bear. Callisto’s son, Arcas, grew up unaware of his mother’s story, and one day nearly killed her in a hunt before Zeus intervened. The pair is memorialized as the constellations Ursa Major (Callisto) and Ursa Minor (Arcas). [10]
  2. 2
    Leda Leda was a Spartan queen who was seduced by Zeus, who had taken the form of a swan. In some stories, Leda’s seduction is willing, while other tales imply that Zeus forced himself upon her. Leda eventually gave birth to twins: the infamous Helen of Troy and the immortal Pollux, who became one-half of the Gemini constellation. [11]
  3. 3
    Io Io was a priestess of Hera who was romantically pursued by Zeus. To protect Io from his wife’s wrath, Zeus disguised her as a white cow. However, Hera eventually discovered the trick and asked to be gifted the cow, whom she put under the guard of a hundred-eyed giant. Once the giant was killed on Zeus’ orders, Hera sent a biting fly to drive Io to wander the Earth. Io eventually reached Egypt, where Zeus restored her human form. [12]
  4. 4
    Europa Europa was a mortal princess who was abducted by Zeus (disguised as a white bull) and taken to Crete. Europa gave birth to three sons, including Minos (the legendary king of Crete and imprisoner of the Minotaur). The story of Europa and Zeus has inspired numerous works of art and literature, and the European continent itself is named after Europa. [13]
  5. 5
    Alcmene Like Europa, Alcmene was a mortal princess and the granddaughter of Perseus and Andromeda. Zeus tricked Alcmene into sleeping with him by disguising himself as her husband, Amphitryon. As a result of this affair, Alcmene mothered Heracles, who was later targeted by Hera. However, Heracles escaped Hera’s wrath and went on to become a legendary hero (also known as Hercules). [14]
    • Note: Zeus had innumerable affairs beyond just the five presented here. However, these women are among the most famous of his lovers and mistresses. [15]
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Section 3 of 5:

Who was Zeus’ most-loved wife?

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  1. Hera was likely Zeus’ favorite wife, although it’s difficult to say for sure. While Greek historians and storytellers never specify which wife was Zeus’ favorite, it’s safe to assume that Hera claims this title. Why? Well, Hera was given the highest position as the Queen of the Gods, which reflects the idea that she was Zeus’ most important wife and his primary consort. She’s also Zeus’ sister, so the two share a storied history together—which includes fighting side by side in the Titan Wars. [16]
Section 4 of 5:

How did Zeus’ marriages work without divorce?

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  1. While Greek myth refers to Zeus’ seven wives and his seven marriages, they were more likely his consorts (aka, all of these women may have been official companions to Zeus at the same time or one after the other). Therefore, the mortal or modern concept of needing to be divorced or widowed before remarrying wouldn’t apply to the King of the Gods. [17]
    • Zeus did swallow his first wife (Metis), so that was his only marriage that had a definitive end.
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Section 5 of 5:

FAQs About Zeus’ Wives & Family

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  1. 1
    Did Zeus and Rhea have a child? In one Orphic myth, Zeus and Rhea do have a child: Persephone. In this tale, Zeus is attracted to his mother, Rhea, and pursues her. Rhea rejects her son’s romantic attention and transforms into a snake to get away from him, but Zeus also transforms into a serpent and forces himself on her. Rhea then gives birth to Persephone before later transforming into Demeter. [18]
    • However, this is not the popular version of Persephone’s birth—in most stories, Demeter is a daughter of Rhea who went on to mother Persephone with Zeus.
  2. 2
    Who is Zeus's evil wife? Zeus doesn’t have a wife who’s explicitly evil. Hera, however, is often depicted as a vengeful and jealous goddess who would enact violence on Zeus’ various mistresses and their offspring. These actions could certainly be seen as evil, but most interpretations also grant understanding to Hera (if not justification), given the chronic infidelity of her husband (which is a key part of his personality ). [19]
  3. 3
    Did Zeus marry his daughter? No, Zeus never married any of his daughters. However, in some Orphic and Hesiodic myths, Zeus did father a child with his daughter, Persephone. In these stories, Zeus disguised himself as Hades (Persephone’s husband and Zeus’ brother) in order to seduce his daughter. This union bore one child, known sometimes as Zagreus and other times as Dionysus . [20]
  4. 4
    Did Zeus marry his sister? Yes, Zeus married Hera, who was his sister and his most important wife. She was also the goddess of marriage, women, and family. [21]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://users.pfw.edu/flemingd/Hesiod+Theogony.pdf
      2. ↑ https://users.pfw.edu/flemingd/Hesiod+Theogony.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/tools/dictionary.php?regexp=CHARITES&method=standard
      4. ↑ https://users.pfw.edu/flemingd/Hesiod+Theogony.pdf
      5. ↑ https://www.cornellcollege.edu/classical_studies/cla216-2-a/demeter/analysis.html
      6. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mnemosyne
      7. ↑ https://www.csun.edu/~hchum001/muses.htm
      8. ↑ https://www.worldhistory.org/Leto/
      9. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hera
      1. ↑ https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/tools/dictionary.php?regexp=CALLISTO.&method=standard
      2. ↑ https://www.worldhistory.org/Leda/
      3. ↑ https://www2.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/tools/dictionary.php?method=did&regexp=869&setcard=1&media=1&link=0
      4. ↑ https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/collection/10978
      5. ↑ https://pantheon.org/articles/a/alcmene.html
      6. ↑ https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/zeus-and-hera-infidelity-and-revenge
      7. ↑ https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/zeus-and-hera-infidelity-and-revenge
      8. ↑ https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/mythology/summary-and-analysis-greek-mythology/the-beginnings-8212-loves-of-zeus
      9. ↑ https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/etd/article/4619/&path_info=Zeus_the_Head_Zeus_the_Middle___Studies_in_the_Orphic_Theogonies.pdf
      10. ↑ https://historycooperative.org/hera-greek-goddess/
      11. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zagreus
      12. ↑ https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/zeus-and-hera-infidelity-and-revenge

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