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Which god fell in love with a human?


Throughout history and mythology, there are numerous stories of gods falling in love with humans. These forbidden romances often led to dramatic events and revealed the personalities and flaws of the gods involved. Some of the most well-known myths feature gods like Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon and others becoming enamored with human beauty and charms. Their supernatural powers allowed them to interact with mortals, but their divine natures also led to jealousies, betrayals and tragedy. Examining these myths provides insight into ancient Greek and Roman civilizations and their values.

Zeus

The king of the Greek gods, Zeus, was well-known for his numerous romantic affairs and lack of self-control when it came to beautiful women. His wife Hera’s jealous rage was ignited repeatedly by Zeus’s infidelities. One of his most famous dalliances with a human was with Io. Io was a priestess of Hera who caught Zeus’s eye. He seduced her, and when Hera discovered it, she cursed Io by turning her into a cow. Zeus attempted to make amends by requesting that Hera allow the cow to become a goddess, and Hera agreed as long as the cow, Io, stayed away from Zeus. Io suffered greatly in her cow form as she was stung by a gadfly that Hera sent to continuously sting her. Io was chased all the way to Egypt until she was finally transformed back into a woman and gave birth to Zeus’s son Epaphus. This story reveals Zeus’s unrelenting sexual appetites and Hera’s jealous vengeance.

Another human woman that Zeus fell in love with was Semele. She was a princess that Zeus frequently visited. When Hera again discovered Zeus’s affair, she was outraged. This time, she tricked Semele into asking Zeus to reveal himself to her in his true godly form. When Zeus next visited Semele and granted her wish, she was utterly consumed by the sight of his divine form. Semele perished, but Zeus was able to rescue their unborn child Dionysus from her womb. Dionysus grew up to become the Greek god of wine, fertility and ritual madness. These stories reveal that while Zeus’s status as king of the gods allowed him to seduce human women, his carelessness and lack of restraint often led to terrible consequences for the women involved.

Apollo

The Greek god Apollo was known for his good looks and artistic skills. He fell passionately in love with a human named Daphne. She was a devout follow of the goddess Artemis and had taken a vow of maidenhood. Apollo begged her to marry him, but Daphne steadfastly refused. Apollo relentlessly pursued her until Daphne cried out to her father, the river god Peneus, for help. He transformed his daughter into a laurel tree just as Apollo caught up to her. Apollo crafted a wreath out of the laurel branches to always remind him of his love for Daphne.

Later, Apollo fell in love with Cassandra, daughter of the Trojan king Priam. He gifted her with the ability to see the future on the condition that she would become his lover. However, Cassandra went back on her word, refusing Apollo’s advances. Apollo punished her by altering the gift – she would still see prophecies of the future, but no one would ever believe her predictions. During the Trojan War, Cassandra warned about dangers to come, but her warnings were ignored due to Apollo’s curse.

Apollo also had an affair with a human named Coronis. While she was pregnant with Apollo’s child, Coronis fell in love with another man and married him. A white raven informed Apollo of her betrayal. In a rage, Apollo killed Coronis, but then felt regret and rescued their unborn son Asclepius from the funeral pyre. Asclepius would grow up to become the god of medicine and healing. Apollo’s passions could lead to creative pursuits like poetry, song and prophecy, but also to destruction when spurned.

Poseidon

As the powerful Greek god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, Poseidon was accustomed to getting what he wanted. He became enamored with Tyro, daughter of King Salmoneus. Tyro was married to Cretheus, but Poseidon disguised himself as her husband and seduced her. She bore twin sons as a result – Pelias and Neleus. Tyro exposed the infants, ashamed of her illegitimate children, but they were found and raised by others. This story illustrates Poseidon’s sexual charms but also his absence of responsibility for the children produced from his affairs with human women.

Later, Poseidon desired Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest. To avoid his advances, Demeter transformed herself into a mare. Undeterred, Poseidon transformed himself into a stallion and mated with the mare Demeter, resulting in a daughter named Despoina and a fabulous colt named Arion. Poseidon’s determined pursuit of Demeter reveals his unrestrained lust and her ingenious attempts to escape.

One of Poseidon’s most famous trysts was with the human woman Medusa. Medusa was originally a beautiful priestess of Athena who Poseidon seduced in Athena’s temple. Furious at this sacrilege in her sacred space, Athena punished Medusa by turning her legendary hair into writhing snakes and giving her the power to turn anyone who looked at her into stone. Medusa was transformed into a monster, while Poseidon escaped any consequences for his actions. Poseidon’s attraction to human maidens led to forbidden love affairs, illegitimate offspring, and unintended transformations.

Hades

The Greek god of the underworld, Hades, saw the beautiful Persephone gathering flowers one day and carried her off in his chariot to become his wife. Her mother, the goddess Demeter, was distraught and searched everywhere for her missing daughter. The crops on earth failed as Demeter’s grief kept her from tending to her duties as goddess of agriculture. Finally, Zeus intervened and declared that Persephone must spend six months each year with Hades in the underworld and six months with her mother above ground. During the months when Persephone returns to the upper world, Demeter happily cares for the crops and growth returns.

Hades’ abduction of Persephone reveals his isolated nature and lust, while also explaining the changing seasons. Unlike his brother Zeus, Hades had few romantic entanglements. His desire for Persephone was so acute that he took her against her will to join him in his dark realm below. In some versions of the myth, Persephone is tricked into eating pomegranate seeds from the underworld which compels her to return to Hades each year. Their mythical marriage brought life and death together, intertwining the seasonal cycles of nature with the human experience of loss and renewal.

Other Gods and Demigods

In addition to the major Olympian gods, other supernatural beings interacted and became entangled with humans:

  • Eros, the Greek god of love, used his bow and arrow to make Helen of Troy fall in love with Paris of Troy, eventually leading to the famed Trojan War
  • The demigod Theseus fathered a child with the Cretan princess Ariadne. She helped him survive the Labyrinth but he later abandoned her
  • Dionysus, god of wine, fell in love with Ariadne after she was deserted by Theseus
  • The goddess Aphrodite had an affair with the mortal shepherd Anchises, resulting in the birth of Aeneas, a Trojan hero
  • The messenger god Hermes seduced Chione, who bore him a son Autolycus. Her beauty also charmed the gods Apollo and Poseidon

These various myths reveal the unchecked passions and flaws of the Greek pantheon. Their supernatural powers allowed them to interact with humans, but did not restrain their jealousies, violence and selfish impulses. The humans involved, particularly female ones, were often forced to cope with the challenging consequences of divine attention.

Comparison of Zeus and Poseidon’s Relationships with Humans

Zeus Poseidon
Seduced priestess Io, turned into a cow by Hera’s jealousy Seduced Tyro, mother of Pelias and Neleus
Affair with Semele, died seeing Zeus’s true form Seduced Demeter in horse form, sired Despoina
Many lovers, often angrily punished by Hera Seduced Medusa in Athena’s temple, cursed by Athena

This table summarizes some of the key affairs Zeus and Poseidon had with human women. Both gods were unrelenting in their pursuit of beauty. Hera and Athena’s punishments often focused more on the women rather than the male gods. Zeus and Poseidon both fathered children from these unions, but generally did not take responsibility for them. The goddesses played an important role in avenging betrayals and perceived slights from these myths.

Conclusion

Greek myths about gods falling in love with humans offer insight into divine personalities and human vulnerability. Zeus’s prolific affairs demonstrated his power but led to extreme jealousy from Hera. Apollo’s passions brought out his temper and vengefulness along with his artistic side. Poseidon’s lust knew no bounds, as shown by his relentless pursuit of pursued women who transformed themselves to escape him. Hades isolated himself by taking Persephone captive. The humans involved, especially women, frequently suffered from the petty jealousies and rivalries of the gods. These myths provided dramatic explanations for natural phenomena like seasons while revealing the uncontrolled emotions of deities. Above all, they showed the chaotic results when immortal desires become entangled with human lives. The Greeks invented these stories to explore the complexities of love, power, betrayal, tragedy, and consequences.