Zeus (Greek) / Jupiter (Roman)
Usually known as the king of gods, he was also god of the weather.
Zeus received control of the skies in a game of lots to divide the world among he and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades. Rebels against Zeus were struck down by lightning. His turf included all of the storm's components: lightning, snow, thunder and hail. As a baby, Zeus was saved by his mother (see Cronus) and brought to an island where he was brought up by nymphs.
When he was fully grown, he forced Cronus to disgorge his other siblings. They fought against the Titans and Cronus in the Titanomochy, lasting ten years. Cronus' children were called the gods of Mount Olympus because they resided there, while the Titans lived on Mount Othrys. Zeus enlisted the help of the Cyclopes, and three one hundred-armed mutants that he pulled out of Tartarus (see Hades). The gods of Mount Olympus triumphed, Cronus and the Titans were hurtled into Tartarus forever, and the hundred-armed monsters went back to guarding them.
Zeus also faced the hundred-headed monster Typhon, who had a snake's tail, red eyes, dark tongues, and a voice seething with wrath. Zeus attacked the beast as soon as it came out of its cave. The monster was unharmed and tore the muscles out of Zeus' body. While Zeus was lying defenseless on the ground, Hermes found where the muscles were hidden and placed them back where they belonged. Zeus went back to fighting the monster and won by picking up an island near Sicily and smashing Typhon with it. Typhon was immortal and did not die; nowadays, some people believe his flaming breath is the cause of the volcanic eruptions on Mount Etna.
Extra notes: Facts on Zeus
- As he was king of the gods, Zeus had a hand in destiny's course, but the outcome was ultimately decided by the Fates
- He numerous affairs, one of the more famous being when he posed as a swan to tempt Leda, who then gave birth to Helen of Troy.
The Roman counterpart, Jupiter, was called Optimum Maximus ("the Great and Good"). In their myths, he was also the nurturer of vineyards and harvests. When Rome became a greater city, Jupiter eventually lost all affiliation with agricultural things and became god of the city and human concerns. Also in the Roman version, Juno was his wife, but they had less marital issues than those of their Greek equivalents. Juno was still upset by the birth of Minerva (Athena) from Zeus' head, so she went to the goddess Flora who made her pregnant with the war god Mars (Ares) without a male's help. Mars rebelled against Jupiter for the approval and affection of the combative Romans.