Why Greece Needed Mythology: Zeus, King of the Gods (Episode 1)

Video Description

Part 2 of this series is available here: https://youtu.be/rGDvPsfhhho The whole playlist on Greek mythology is available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEbAHi3fZpuFYsrqigjTAAKA7Di3D6PNg What are the mythic origins of Zeus, King of the Olympians, and the other Greek gods? From what period did the earliest of the Greek myths derive? Who was Hesiod - alongside Homer, the greatest of the Greek poets, and the father of European literature - who first recorded Zeus’ story? When was the golden age of Greek myth? Who were the Titans, and why were they consigned to the fiery pit of Tartarus? Did different regions of Greece have different interpretations of the gods, and do these myths express something particular about ancient Greek culture? And, did people really believe in these famous stories of terrible gods, daring heroes, and great wars? Join Tom and Dominic as they plunge into the glorious, technicolour world of the Greek myths, starting with the tumultuous early life of Cronos, his son Zeus, the war between the gods and the Titans, and some of the most famous Greek heroes of all time - from Perseus to Hercules. Learn more at https://www.uber.com/onourway LRB are offering six months access to their full archive for just £12, plus a free tote bag. Visit https://LRB.me/history Try Adobe Express for free now at https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/spotlight/designwithexpress?sdid=HM85WZZV&mv=display&mv2=ctv or by searching in the app store.. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYK0BJZF3yNb2fw1EdAXUQ/join 00:00 Intro 00:22 Adobe 01:04 The Rest Is History Tour! 02:08 Birth of Zeus (Hesiod’s account) 06:03 Homer, Hesiod: twin sources 09:57 Theogony = origin story of the gods 11:03 Poets vs priests: myths as literature 14:26 Myth as story not scripture 16:01 Do Greeks “believe” the gods? 17:13 Gods ≈ markets (Greg Anderson analogy) 18:45 Do Greeks accept the literal details? 21:52 Kronos castrates Uranus 25:00 Zeus grows, returns, frees siblings 25:49 Titans vs Olympians (10-year war) 27:07 Division of the cosmos (Zeus/Poseidon/Hades) 28:25 Zeus + Hera = king & queen of Olympus 33:00 Zeus’s moral problem 35:00 LRB 36:36 Uber 37:15 The gods become hyper-human (Colasso) 39:03 Why Greek gods still fascinate 41:22 Indo-European roots of Zeus 47:23 Heroes as city-founders & monster-killers 49:45 Perseus: Medusa, Andromeda, winged sandals 52:47 Heracles: 12 labours & monster slayer 57:31 Can cruelty and justice in the gods be reconciled? Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Social Producer: Harry Balden Head of Digital and Video: Sam Oakley Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor