Zeus
by CTCWeb Editors
Epithets and Surnames
The names of gods and goddesses are often accompanied by a finite number of traditional epithets that describe the personality or associations of the divinity. Below is a list of epithets and their Greek equivalents associated with Zeus.
Students should do their own investigation for the epithets of Zeus and then check their findings against this chart. Additions should be made to the chart as necessary. Students can then form a better understanding of how the Greeks and other cultures viewed the nature of their gods and goddesses from the list of epithets they create and to which they add.
As an alternative to investigating the epithets of Zeus, student can look for the surnames that the god has earned in different areas of Greece and in different countries. Students should try to discern why a given surname is given to Zeus.
Below is a thorough list of Zeus’ surnames. Pausanias’ Guide to Greeceis essential when looking for surnames for any god or goddess. An explanation for the use of a particular surname is often provided. Students should fill in the volume, section and line number where mention of each surname is made.
