The final episode of Percy Jackson and the Olympians dropped this past Tuesday and fans of the show not only were treated to an epic sword fight between Percy and Ares, the God of War, but we also got to see Zeus, Mount Olympus, and the big bad enemy who was behind the whole scheme to start the war between Zeus and Poseidon.
As the first season wraps, let's learn a little more about the final two Greek mythology characters that make their grand entrance into Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Who is Zeus?
Lance Reddick plays the king of the gods, but in Greek mythology, Zeus was known as the god of the sky, law and order, destiny, and fate. In most artwork from the time, Zeus was typically portrayed as a regal figure with a dark beard.
Zeus of Greek mythology is famous for escaping his father’s wrath. His dad Kronos was jealous of his children, and feared they would one day overpower him. When each of them was born, he would swallow them whole. Zeus the last-born child would have suffered the same fate as his siblings if it weren’t for the timely intervention of his mother Rhea, who switched out the baby Zeus for a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Ferried away in secret to Crete, Zeus came of age, and planned his uprising against Kronos.
To take the throne from his father, Zeus had the help of the goddess Metis, who served Kronos. It was Metis who served the magical elixir that would force Kronos to disgorge his swallowed children, who were fully grown.
Free from the stomach of their father, the gods and goddesses joined their brother Zeus in combat against Kronos and his army of Titans. Upon their victory, the world was divided into three realms with Zeus being awarded the heavens, Poseidon being awarded the sea, and Hades given the Underworld. Zeus would also assign the other gods their domains.
Zeus would marry his sister Hera, but it would not be a happy marriage. After the Titan War, Zeus would often change his form and have multiple affairs with mortals. Zeus was said to be the father of Helen of Troy.
Though he is admired for his trademark lightning bolt, Zeus was far from a benevolent leader, husband, and father.
Who is Kronos?
Kronos makes an appearance near the end of episode 8 in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and while the mysterious figure that taunts Percy doesn’t truly reveal himself, the Titan King had a major impact in Greek mythology.
Known for being the god of time, Kronos was a child of Gaea, and one of the most powerful gods prior to the Olympians. Married to his sister Rhea, Kronos came to power by overthrowing his father Ouranos.
Being ignored by his parents throughout most of his childhood, Kronos would resort to any means to win a fight, which led him to being referred to by multiple nicknames, including ‘The Crooked One’. Gaea tired of her detestable husband and conspired with her children to murder the king.
After capturing their father, Ouranos was held down by his children while Kronos sliced him into pieces. Before he died, the dying father predicted that Kronos would one day be captured and carved up by his own children. Becoming the King of the Titans, Kronos never forgot what his father predicted. Hence why Kronos swallowed his children upon their birth.
The new king of the gods would make his home in a black marble palace on top of Mount Orthys in Greece. His reign as the king would be referred to as the ‘Golden Age’.
When Kronos was captured by his children, he would suffer the same fate as his father, with Zeus slicing the Titan King into many pieces, and scattering those remnants of their father in the darkest and deepest parts of Tartarus.
Zeus and Kronos make for great characters in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I do not envy the actor that would have to follow in Lance Reddick’s footsteps as Zeus, but one thing is for sure, the stories to come in future seasons will be epic.