The Seven Wives of Zeus

Metis:

Power is an interesting thing. It drives people to madness and pushes them to do the extreme, the unthinkable. When you’re immortal, you always think you’ve seen it all; when you’ve lived for thousands of years, what’s left to surprise you? But that was before the power hungry Titan.

Everyone feared when Kronos swallowed his children whole, one by one because a prophecy said they would be his downfall. Just as he had overthrown his father, one of them would do the same.

He might not have started any bloodshed between the Titans or Mortals, but when everyone knows what you’re capable of, extra violence isn’t necessary. No one dared to challenge him.

Until his youngest son Zeus came to me asking for help. Switched with a rock by his mother and raised in secret; he would be the one to defeat Kronos. Just as the prophecy had said.

I was clever and cunning, a Goddess of Wisdom. I would shift into any form to get the information I needed. Together we could form a plan.

As powerful as Zeus was, he would need more help then I could give. But he had five siblings that would work perfectly. Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon; it didn’t matter if they had been eaten if they were still in the Titan’s stomach. And there were lots of things that could make a Deity sick.

We planned for days; there was only one shot to get this right and even with Fate on our side we couldn’t take any risks. This needed to be perfect. But with every second we spent together I fell more in love with the God of the Sky; there was no room for love in battle strategies; all it would be is a pointless distraction.

I played my part, turned myself into someone Kronos trusted enough to serve his drink and spiked it with an emetic. Once he drank it, I stood to the side; my job was done. It was time for Zeus’.

One by one, in reverse of how they’d been consumed, the Titan- God of Time spit up the rock and the rest of his children.

Ichor poured over Olympus as the three sons claimed their rightful weapons: A helm of darkness, a trident, and Zeus’ powerful lightning bolts. And with their sister’s help, Kronos was defeated. In one day it was over, things would be as they should.

They locked their father in the pits of Tartarus where no one could reach him and named Zeus the new King of the Gods. And he picked me to be his Queen. I was thrilled, my love had chosen me and together we ruled Olympus as a strong and powerful council. It was Elysium.

But prophecy had a way of ruining things.

I told my husband of my vision, that I was destined to give him two beautiful children. A daughter, equal in strength to us and full of wisdom, and a son who would grow to be the next King of the Gods. I didn’t see the harm. I was too blinded by love.

Zeus asked me to transform into a fly, something I had done countless times before. Disguising oneself as a small insect was a perfect way to get information. So I did. My husband swallowed my like his father did to his siblings. I may have been his love, but he wouldn’t let anything come in the way of his rule. He was no better than the Titan.

I used what magic I had left to forge our daughter a helmet fit for a warrior, and Athena emerged from a crack in his skull. But our son was never born, and I was never freed.

Themis:

A Goddess of Wisdom and the personification of Justice. I could see the future and controlled the Oracle of Delphi; I was the interpreter for the Gods’ will. Yet even with all that knowledge I fell for Zeus, and he fell for me too.

I warned him and Poseidon to not pursue Thetis as any son of her’s would be more powerful than his father. If his father were a God that would go horribly for everyone. So Poseidon married Amphitrite, and Zeus arranged for Thetis to wed a mortal King; and made me his second bride.

Perhaps it was nothing more than damage control for Metis, to have the Goddess of Justice, Divine Law, Divine Order as his bride would surely make quite the impression. Or maybe it was love. It was for me, and I considered that enough.

I didn’t care so much about personally ruling Olympus, I cared about how it was ruled, and Zeus didn’t have a problem with that. Perhaps he thought it gave him more freedom and power, but I didn’t mind. I was happy and so was he.

We had three bright daughters, and they would help keep Olympus just, a wonderful hendiatris. Eunomia the Goddess of Law, Dike the Goddess of Justice, and Eirene the Goddess of Peace. They worked in perfect harmony with each other.

What more could a mother ask for?

Three more girls were born, and when we were deciding their roles Zeus gave them the most important of responsibilities. It would be challenging for anyone, but if anyone could do it, it would be our children. They would have our guidance and the role would work much better split between three than forced onto one deity. Our daughters would decide how long a mortal lived, if they would be good or evil, if they would be important. They would become the Fates.

Clotho spun their mortal threads while the child was in the womb, she created their lifelines and they called her the Spinner.

Lachesis determined how long the string would be, how long the mortal would live, so they named her the Allotter.

And my youngest child, the most stubborn and deemed the Un-Turnable, Atropos was responsible for cutting the threads. She held the scissors that would end the mortal's life when she deemed fit and finished the cycle her sister had started.

Their job was hard, and they did it well.

I was happy with Zeus. We had six incredible daughters and no sons that he feared would overthrow him. I thought it was perfect. Perhaps our relationship was more business than pleasure, not that either of us minded, it worked for us after all. But relationships are a weird thing when you’re immortal. I don’t know if Zeus and I drifted apart or if it was a sudden change.

All I know is one moment I was his wife, and the next I wasn’t.

Eurynome:

I didn’t spend much time with Zeus; I was indifferent to him. I watched over the water-meadows and pasturelands. I was a daughter of the ocean and my Oceanid appearance pleased him; and maybe I was pleased with him as well. I loved him enough to let him put a ring on my finger and we had three beautiful children; they were Goddesses of Grace and Beauty.

My daughter Euphrosyne was the embodiment of merriment. All she wanted to do was fill the world with pleasant moments and good will, she spent her free time dancing with her sisters. It was only fitting to name her the Goddess of Joy. Her presence alone was enough to lift someone’s spirit.

Thalia was in charge of banquets, she loved hosting parties that were luxurious and plentiful and filled with everything anyone would desire. So we made that her job, and she loved every part of it. Whether it was for Gods or Mortals, every festival our child planned was truly one worth attending.

And my youngest Aglaea, my Charis, she was beautiful and full of splendor and glory. She covered herself in glittering adornments that sparkled in the sun. She served Aphrodite with her sisters and became her messenger. She was proud of her job.

Together they were known as the Graces, the Charities.

Zeus may not have loved me as much as his past wives, but he was pleased with our daughters.

But it wasn’t until years after our marriage ended that I had my son.

Disowned from his mother and cast out from Olympus, my Hephaestus fell down from the sky. I nursed him back to health and raised him with the help of Thetis. Hera might want nothing to do with him, but I would forever be grateful for my son.

He learned to forge anything the Gods could ever need. Even if he was unable to walk, he never let that stop him. Any weapon a God owned that was worth anything of value, any weapon powerful enough to kill any monster or enemy; my son was the one who made it.

It wasn’t long until he and my youngest daughter fell in love, and once they were married no one could deny that Hephaestus was my son. Not Hera’s. Even if his father made him marry Aphrodite later on. My Charis was his first love, and she would always love him.

I may only be known because Zeus picked me as his third wife, but when I look back on everything, my marriage to him was a very small part of my immortal life. I never desired to be Queen of the Gods. Just as Zeus never desired to stay with me for all eternity. For him I was just a way to get from point A to point B, but I didn’t mind. In some way I did the same with him.

I had my daughters, and I had my son, and that was enough for me.

Demeter:

For me, my marriage to Zeus was purely business. I never loved him, but he was very interested in me. Even I had to admit an alliance between the God of the Sky and the Goddess of Agriculture would be a powerful one. He told me I could become Queen of the Gods, that I could have control over everything I could possibly need. I would be a fool to refuse, not that I was given much of a choice. I wasn’t happy with it, but marrying him would give me valuable resources.

Our union did give me something more valuable than I could ever imagine. Our daughter, Kore. We split our time between Olympus with all of the Gods and its festivities, and in the mortal realm. She grew up around Nymphs and Humans and learned the land until she could grow anything her heart desired. Flowers would sprout at her feet when she ran through the fields.

The Goddess of Spring, and I vowed I would do anything to keep her safe.

Her father didn’t have the same ideas. If it didn’t affect him specifically and right in that moment, he didn’t care what went on with everyone else. Hades asked Zeus for my daughter's hand, and he gave it to him without even asking me. I was clueless. All I knew was one day she was wandering in a meadow and she didn’t come back.

I would do anything I could to bring my Kore home, Zeus never fathomed how far I would go. He tried to dismiss it multiple times, never told me where she went, simply said I should let it go. Anyone with a heart should have known I wouldn’t do that. Only Hecate helped me search until Helios told us who my husband had given her to.

I may be the Goddess of Grain, but I was also the Goddess of Starvation and Hunger. If they weren’t aware of that fact before, they definitely were now. I was not above sacrificing hundreds of Mortals if it brought my daughter back.

All of their crops withered away until they were nothing but shriveled husks. The land was impossible to work, and I refused to let anything grow. They could only last so long until starvation set and killed all of their worshippers. Every God knew what they needed to do if they wanted it to stop. Return to my daughter.

By the time she was back in my arms, Kore had been given a new title: Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. She might claim to love the God of the Dead, but all I could focus on was what Zeus had done. Now she was forced to spend half of the year in the underworld, forever tied to that lifeless realm. I left Zeus and never spoke about our marriage again. I would live on earth with my daughter, and Olympus would be ignored unless it was necessary. I knew how to learn from my mistakes, I would never make the mistake of trusting him again.

Mnemosyne:

My relationship with Zeus was a short one. Even as the Goddess of Memory, he was able to hide his true identity until long after we were together; to me he was simply a mortal shepherd.

But even if our marriage was built on nothing but lies and misconceptions, I got nine beautiful daughters out of it.

Calliope wrote the most beautiful poetry I had ever heard, and she was known for her epic poems. A writing tablet always in her hands in case inspiration struck. Eloquence was the only way she knew how to speak, it was no wonder Mortals considered her the leader between her sisters.

While some knew her for her marvelous lyre playing, Clio knew everything there was to know about history. She would read every ancient text if she could. Whether it was written in a book, scroll, or stone tablets, it didn’t matter. Even if Mortals didn’t deem it worth teaching to the next generation, she knew it.

Euterpe loved lyrical poems, she wrote songs that had enchanting words and a delightful tune to match. When she wasn’t singing her lyrics, she would play on her double flute until her heart's content. To humans she was a Giver of Delight, and I fully believed she fit that title.

Erato was the romantic. She wrote and sang of love and desire and knew how to phrase things in a way that made someone’s heart skip a beat when she spoke to them. Her poems weren’t for everyone, but they were lovely and plenty loved to listen to her work.

On the other hand my daughter Melpomene went hand in hand with tragedy. When she sang, it was songs of mourning for people who had passed. Some said she had the voice of a siren, some claimed she was a murder loving Goddess. But even if she only sang tragic songs of death, you had to admit that they were beautiful.

Polyhymnia was the Goddess of Hymns. People may have considered her serious and pensive, but when a poem or hymn was meant to be sacred, she kept it that way. And that was all she wanted.

Terpsichore could never sit still, she wanted to dance and that’s what she did. She would play her lyre as she spun around the fields, no matter how difficult the steps were she did them with such grace you would think she could do it in her sleep if she desired. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d tried; it was truly magnificent to watch.

Crowned with ivy, Thalia always had a joyous air around her. Her laugh would fill the stage as she interacted with the actors. She was known for comedy, and the shows were always delightful when she had a hand in creating them. She could always lift your spirits with a single play.

And my daughter Urania loved gazing at the heavens when the stars were shining. She knew everything about the night sky and was a master of astronomy. If you were lost, she could guide you by the stars alone and would know the name of every one. She certainly lived up for her name.

I might be able to help mortals learn languages or remember pleasant moments. But if they were to only have one memory of me- if they could only recall a few things about the Goddess of Memory- I would want it to be my daughters. The Muses.

Leto:

Our relationship might have been more of a scandal than a marriage, but I think we will always think of each other as husband and wife. Unfortunately, by the time we actually got together, he was already married to the new Queen of the Gods, Hera. Although we had feelings for each other long before she was in the picture, things didn’t play out the easy way. But where’s the fun in easy?

Everyone on Olympus knew Zeus was never a faithful husband and never would be no matter what lies he told his new bride. Yet somehow the Goddess of Marriage ended up with him.

Really it should have been expected that something would have happened between us, although my closeness with Hera didn’t help the situation at all.

She was furious, and I suppose rightfully so, but when she found out I was pregnant she did everything in her power to keep me from giving birth. I was banished from Olympus and forbade any land or island from sheltering me. Of course Zeus did nothing as his lover was chased away from place to place.

It took a bit of convincing for the island of Delos to let me give birth there as not even the earth wanted to go against Hera’s orders, but since the floating land wasn’t connected to the ocean floor, I technically wasn’t breaking any rules.

Of course, finding the only land in existence that would host me would have been too easy. She had to make it as difficult as possible. Having my twins was a very long and painful process since our Queen didn’t allow Eileithyia, the Goddess of Childbirth to come to my aid.

But it was all worth it once it was over.

My beautiful Artemis was as radiant as the Moon herself. Vowed to eternal maidenhood she spent all her time with her followers. She kept the girls safe and let them stay with her forever and young as long as they followed her rules; there would be no problems as long as they stayed away from men. She was the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon, and she was truly fantastic with a bow.

And my Apollo, as bright as the Sun and brilliant at anything he put his mind to. Poetry, healing, archery, music, even prophecies. He was the God of so many things it was impossible to keep track, but I couldn’t be more proud.

My twins were opposites, but at the same time they were so similar no one could deny they were two halves of the same coin. I would do anything to protect them, and I knew my kids would do the same for me.

I may have been banished for my affair with Zeus, but it was definitely worth it.

Hera:

I never wanted Zeus to be my husband, but it needed to be done after he had tricked me. I only had one condition: I was the Goddess of Marriage. I had to be his last wife. I should have added more terms.

We had an extravagant wedding. Everything had to be perfect for the King and Queen of Olympus; especially when we made it clear this would be his last wedding. Lavish barely described the amount of gold glittering in the banquet hall. But no one was sparing any expenses for this day.

However, our vows meant nothing to him. It didn’t take long for Zeus to return to his normal habits. He wanted me to be his wife- he made sure I would be- but the second he saw a beautiful mortal he was off chasing them. He would rage if he didn’t get what he wanted.

Zeus was barely a better King then he was a husband.

But I was their Queen now. I respected the other Gods, and they respected in return. Zeus listened to me. Surely I could find a way to fix this; and if not, perhaps it was someone else’s turn to rule Olympus.

I’m not perfect, I admit that, but other Olympians agreed it would be better if I ruled alone. I slipped something into his drink and once he was asleep Poseidon and Athena helped tie him to his throne. It may have been a cheap way of doing things, but he would have to negotiate now. He couldn’t ignore the problems when the Gods were willing to go against him.

But we didn’t count on Briareus, or what would happen once he was untied. Zeus was a wrathful God, and he didn’t go easy on those who tried to go against him.

I was hung from the sky; gold chains tightly bound my arms and legs, heavy anvils tried to pull me back down to the surface. All I could do was scream. The pain was blinding, I couldn’t think. And no one helped me. I was their warning. I was what would happen if anyone tried to go against him, and he made sure everyone knew the consequences.

I was only let down because Zeus couldn’t handle hearing my cries anymore, but on one condition: I would never go against him again. I had no choice but to accept. I didn’t doubt that he would have left me there for all eternity if I didn’t.

I could never try to overthrow him, but I wouldn’t do nothing.

Mortals considered me jealous, they thought I was a Goddess to be feared. I couldn’t punish Zeus, but I could punish his affairs. I treated our marriage as sacred; he should have known I would make him do the same.

If Zeus slept with someone else, I would take my wrath out on them. I cursed them, turned them into animals. I wasn’t above punishing the child as well. Soon Mortals did it to themselves, if Zeus didn’t do it first. They thought it was better to destroy everything themselves then wait for me to find out. No one wanted to anger me. And once Heracles came around, Zeus finally got the hint to stop fooling around. Even if it was only with Humans, it was still a large improvement.

People may see me as cruel and vengeful, but Mortals never know the whole story.

I’m the Queen of the Gods, Goddess of Marriage and Protector of Women; and I am far more than Zeus’ wife.