Apollo: Zeus' Best-Known Son
Of all the sons Zeus fathered, Apollo is perhaps the best known. Apollo was conceived during an illicit affair between Zeus and Leto (Zeus was married to Hera at the time), along with a twin sister named Artemis.
Perhaps partly because of the strange circumstances of her birth, Athena is often cited as Zeus's favourite child. He also greatly admired her strength of character and fighting spirit. Some believe Athena was Zeus's first born child, which might, somewhat unfairly, suggest why he chose her as his favourite.
Zeus'favourite son is Heracles, & his favourite daughter is Athena. One thing that these 2 have in common is, neither one of them are Hera's children. Although, she did give him children, he favoured the children he had with other women, both mortal & immortal. That too, would have added to her envy.
MOUSAI (Muses) The nine goddesses of music and song--named Kalliope, Terpsikhore, Kleio, Euterpe, Ourania, Thaleia, Polyhymnia, Melpomene, Erato--were daughters of Zeus and the Titaness Mnemosyne. NEMEA A minor goddess-nymph, daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Selene.
According to Greek mythology, Mnemosyne was seduced by Zeus, father of all the Gods, and created nine daughters. The Muses. Zeus quite often took on the form of humans and animals to seduce mortals and other goddesses. He disguised himself as a shepherd and lay with Mnemosyne for nine nights, producing nine daughters.
The Horae and the Moirai
The union between the two was a prolific one since it led to the birth of six daughters. These were the three Horae (hours): Eunomia (Order) was the goddess of law and legislation, Dike (Justice) was the goddess of moral justice, and Eirene (Peace) was the personification of peace and wealth.
In Greek mythology, the deities Zeus and Hera are identified both as siblings and as husband and wife. Together, Zeus and Hera created seven offspring, all of them divine and all featuring their own legends and stories.
Zeus finally became enamored of the goddess who was to become his permanent wife — Hera.
Zeus's notable spouse, Hera, holds a significant role as the goddess of women, marriage, family, and childbirth. Intriguingly, Hera is not only Zeus's wife but also his sister. Their union began with Zeus employing a clever ploy—he transformed into an injured bird to elicit Hera's compassion and affection.
Athena is the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, craft, and strategic war. She is also the patron goddess of the city of Athens and the protector of all heroes. She is the daughter and first-born child of Zeus. Athena is also the favorite child of Zeus, being allowed to carry his Aegis, or armor, into battle.
Apollo is described as the most powerful son of Zeus, but Athena, the most powerful daughter, is the most powerful child of Zeus. She is considered as wise as her mother and as strong as her father.
But Rhea, his wife, saved the infant Zeus by substituting a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and hiding Zeus in a cave on Crete. There he was nursed by the nymph (or female goat) Amalthaea and guarded by the Curetes (young warriors), who clashed their weapons to disguise the baby's cries.
Zeus & Cronus
To pre-empt any takeover he, therefore, swallowed all of his children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.
Zeus and Hera play important roles in Greek mythology. Zeus is the Greek god of the skies, and Hera is the Greek goddess of marriage and birth. Hera is also known as Queen of the Gods because of her matriarchal role in Greek mythology. Together, Zeus and Hera had three children: Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus.
Aphrodite later and of her own volition had an affair with Zeus, but his jealous wife Hera laid her hands upon the belly of the goddess and cursed their offspring with malformity. Their child was the ugly god Priapos.
Who hasn't Zeus slept with? According to a Homeric Hymn, there are three goddesses whom Aphrodite “can't persuade or decieve”, i.e. who don't feel sexual desire and are perpetually virgins. They are Athena, Artemis and Hestia. So, we are sure that Zeus did never have affairs with any of those three.
The goddess Hera was initially uninterested in Zeus, so he turned himself into a cuckoo bird and seduced her. After falling in love, the godly couple had two key children. These were: Ares, the god of war.
After courting Hera to no avail, Zeus resorted to trickery by changing into a disheveled cuckoo. Hera took pity on the bird, holding it to her breast to keep it warm. Zeus then reverted to his normal form, and took advantage of Hera's surprise by raping her. Hera then married Zeus as a way to hide her shame.
Hera was worshipped throughout the Greek world and played an important part in Greek literature, appearing most frequently as the jealous and rancorous wife of Zeus and pursuing with vindictive hatred the heroines who were beloved by him.
Zeus has four siblings which include Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Hestia. Zeus also had six children which include Artemis, Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Ares, and Aphrodite.
Athena is Born from Zeus
Zeus, the most powerful Greek god, is the father of Athena. Before Athena was born, Zeus married his first wife, Metis. Metis was an Oceanid, born from Greek god Oceanus and Titan goddess Tethys.
ABSTRACT. Zeus had two brothers, Poseidon and Hades, who exercised supreme power withintheir own realms, and three sisters, his wife and queen Hera, and Demeter and Hestia. These other children of Kronos and Rhea will form the subject of the present chapter, along with the mythology of the Underworld and afterlife.