Thunderstruck! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cyclopes

After the battle between the gods and titans, Zeus freed the Cyclopes from Tartarus, imprisoned there by Ouranos, as they were an eyesore. In gratitude for being freed, the Cyclopes created the all-powerful thunderbolt. These Cyclopes are known as Elder Cyclopes, the sons of Gaia and Ouranos, not to be confused with the Lesser Cyclopes, the sons of certain nymphs and Posiedon.

Answer: Persephone

A version of the Dionysus story states that he was born to Persephone, seduced by Zeus in the form of a snake, later transferred to Semele's womb. The title 'Twice Born' belongs to Dionysus. In the popular version, though, he is born to Semele, later stitched into Zeus' thigh.

Answer: He stood in a lake with a fruit tree hanging overhead, but couldn't eat or drink from it.

Such a 'tantalizing' tale, isn't it? After Tantalus's son Pelops had admonished him for his disgraceful behaviour, his dad made him the main course at the dining banquet of the Olympians. However, Tantalus' dad Zeus found out and pushed his *dear* son into Tartarus. Meanwhile, Demeter, who had just lost Persephone to Hades, unwittingly ate Pelops's shoulder.

He was later resurrected by the gods, his shoulder replaced by a piece of ivory.

Answer: Hagno

Hagno is the eldest of the nine Oceanaids, who were the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. She was the leader of the original Nymphs of Arcadia, in southern Greece. Baby Zeus was given to their care by Rhea. They made sure that the squeals of the child could not be heard.

Answer: Eurynome

"And [after Zeus had consorted with Metis and Themis] Eurynome, the daughter of Okeanos, beautiful in form, bare him [Zeus] three fair-cheeked Kharites (Graces), Aglaia, and Euphrosyne, and lovely Thaleia, from whose eyes as they glanced flowed love that unnerves the limbs: and beautiful is their glance beneath their brows."
- Hesiod - Theogony 907 ff

Thalia is the Grace of Good Cheer, Euphrosyne, the Grace of Mirth, and Aglaea, the youngest, the Grace of Splendor. The most famous painting of the Graces is Sandro Botticelli's 'Primavera'.

Answer: False

When Zeus became king, he decided that he would take Metis for his wife. Metis spurned his advances at first, but gave in when Zeus, filled with passion and lust, cornered her. However, the Earth Mother Gaia had warned him not to take her as a wife as her son would become stronger than him. So after mating, he swallowed her, but as she was already pregnant, her daughter Athena, came forth in all her glory from her father's head.

Answer: Eos

Enyo is a war goddess who is usually seen accompanying Ares. Hebe is the wife of Heracles and a youth goddess, while Ares is the god of war, the son of Zeus and Hera and the most unattractive god to common knowledge. Eos, however, is the titaness of the dawn, daughter of the titan Hyperion and Theia.

Answer: Mnemosyne

Mnemosyne, Themis, and Metis, were the mothers of some of the most famous characters in Greek Mythology. The Muses later became sacred to Apollo. Though all Muses are supposedly virgin, the Muse Calliope is supposed to have born Orpheus with Apollo. I wonder why Hera didn't blast Mnemosyne, because if I was Hera, I would have blasted her into nine pieces.

Answer: True

The poet Mesomedes wrote a hymn to Nemesis in the early 2nd century CE, where he addressed her as
"Nemesis, winged balancer of life,
dark-faced goddess, daughter of Justice".

Here, the 'daughter of Justice' refers to a daughter of Zeus. In the 'Bibliotheke', she is said to have been the mother of Helen of Troy with Zeus.

Also, Zeus, as mentioned in Question 2, has seduced his daughter Persephone.

Answer: Three

The three 'official' wives of Zeus are Metis, Themis, and Hera. He bore Athena from Metis, the Fates and the Horae from Themis, and Ares, Enyo, and Hebe from Hera. According to some traditions, Euronyme is also supposed to be a 'wife' and not a mere mistress.