Zeus was king of the gods. He was the god of the sky, of thunder and the weather, oaths and promises, guests and hosts, and he was the protector of the family unit. His brothers were Poseidon, god of oceans and rivers, and Hades, god of the Underworld. His sisters were Demeter, goddess of the fertility of the earth, and Hestia, goddess of the hearth.

He was married to his third sister, Hera, with whom he had three legitimate offspring: Hephaistos, Hebe, and Ares.

His countless sexual indiscretions resulted in a vast and colourful array of other children, mortal and divine, including the gods Athena (his 'brainchild', literally), Apollo, Dionysos, Aphrodite and Artemis, the Muses, and Persephone. Zeus is often shown holding, or poised to cast, a thunderbolt.