10 Dec 2019

Zeus is a Machiavellian Psychopath: Zeus vs. the Olympians

This is entry 3 of 4 in a series about Zeus and his role in the politics of LO. In previous installments we have talked about Zeus treatment of his brothers, and the other members of 6 Traitors Dynasty. Zeus has systematically removed each of the other Traitors from a position where they are able to challenge his power, but he—like all dictators—cannot rule alone, and must rely on the Olympians for assistance. Zeus is therefore faced with a dilemma, the classic authoritarian dilemma in fact, where he must give his supporters no reason and allow them no ability, to overthrow him. Zeus keeps the Olympians loyal by a combination of payoffs and keeping them divided into three cliques. For clarities sake, this post describes the situation generally before the events portrayed in LO.

The most important Olympians are the original Six, Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, Hestia and Hades. In previous entries, I have already covered Zeus’ treatment of the original six in depth, but it bears restating that Hades is not and Olympian, which deprives him of status and influence. Furthermore, the three cliques each include at least one of the original six, and in some cases the clique members have divided loyalties.

As with the original six, their parentage and relationships are diluted, with fewer Olympians being Zeus’ children. Of the remaining Olympians, Ares, Hephaestus and Athena seem to be children of Zeus. <91> >Athena calls Hades Uncle, which implies she must be either Zeus or Poseidon’s child, and it would be strange to change her to Poseidon’s child, given that she is famously Zeus’ in mythology.!< Ares and Hephaestus are also Hera’s children, for sure. Artemis and Apollo are twins in LO, but are not children of Zeus. Hermes was not a child of Zeus even in original myths.

The potentially most important Olympian could be Aphrodite, depending on her parentage. In the original myth she is a posthumous child of Ouranos, making her sister or half-sister to Cronus. As a child of Ouranos, she also has a claim to the throne, potentially as strong as Zeus or Hades. In LO, however, we so far know nothing of Aphrodite’s parentage, or Ouranos role in the LO Pantheon. While Zeus sexually extorting Aphrodite is squicky enough <69 the episode you deviants>, insofar as she is his grandchild’s mother and son’s lover, it seems unlikely LO follows the version of myth where she is Zeus’ daughter.

The central clique in Olympus is Zeus immediate supporters, and those to whom he provides patronage. We have not seen Hephaestus, though he has been mentioned, so we can only surmise his role. Hephaestus in myth was an important supporter for Zeus, because he made Zeus’ lightning bolts among other things. Apollo and Artemis receive direct patronage and protection from Zeus. Hermes is Zeus herald and “fixer.” Hera and Ares are also presumably a part of Zeus core clique under normal circumstances, but they are also potential defectors especially after events as portrayed in LO.

As long as Zeus retains control over his central clique, he is essentially untouchable. Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hera and Zeus are half the Olympians. These six comprise Zeus’ inner circle, and he uses some of them instrumentally to control the remaining six.

Hera and Ares fraught relationship with Zeus make them part of the second clique which includes Hera, Ares, Aphrodite and Eros (also not an Olympian). Zeus and Ares don’t get along, neither in LO nor in myth, and Ares is a total momma’s boy. @Skyhawk6600 pointed out in a comment to pt. 1 that Ares is the real threat to Zeus, as Zeus was the threat to Cronus. Ares’ clique is doubly a threat because he has a sexual relationship with Aphrodite who may also have a claim to the throne. In essence Ares could be in the position of Henry Tudor (later VII of England) who could bolster his own claim through his wife’s claim to the throne. If Aphrodite is the daughter of Ouranos that means that Eros is both grandson and great-grandson of Ouranos, with potentially the strongest claim to the throne. Aphrodite seems to be trying to grow an army the old fashioned way, too.

The third clique keeps the Hera-Aphrodite clique in check: the TGOEM. Unsurprisingly, TGOEM are not going to have a lot to do with a marriage and a sex goddess, and a sex god. On top of the philosophical differences, in myth at least Athena and Ares were rivals as competing gods of war. In Greece, Athena largely won that battle, but the Latins paid more homage to Ares(Mars). Demeter, while not a member of TGOEM, is closely associated making the core clique Athena, Hestia, Artemis and Demeter.

Having the two cliques to play off one another puts Zeus in a reasonably powerful position. (For those who have read responses I have posted, Zeus in LO is in a position similar to Cosimo de Medici the Great, although Cosimo was talking out of both sides of his mouth.) If Hera-Aphrodite get too upset with Zeus, he can turn to TGOEM who (at the moment) would lose more should Aphrodite, Hera or Eros emerge as dominant forces. Similarly, TGOEM has little truck with Zeus’ cocksmanship, but Aphrodite and Hera cannot afford to allow Demeter or (Gaia forbid) Hestia to emerge as the dominant power in Olympus.

No dictator would be alone without his secret police and informants on the different cliques and kingdoms, and Zeus has them in place. In personal regimes informants aren’t always or even often the weaselly grease balls portrayed in film. Zeus simply needs to place people in each potential power base that can give him the information that he needs to make sure no ones disposition towards him is changing. They may inform wittingly, unwittingly or even passively by changes in behavior.

Zeus has two reliable informants in the Hera-Aphrodite clique. Eros seems incapable of keeping a secret, even when potentially damaging. Hera, ironically, constitutes an excellent passive informant, because if the Hera-Aphrodite clique were to move, Hera would be hard pressed to hide a change in behavior from Zeus.

Zeus also has two informants in the TGOEM: Artemis and Athena. Zeus has seemingly even recruited Artemis and Apollo recently, given his discussion with Hera about Apollo’s status as an Olympian. Zeus ensures Artemis’ loyalty by playing her off her brother, protecting her and Apollo. Because Artemis is not a psychopath, her and Apollo’s shared indebtedness to Zeus makes it doubly difficult for her to walk away from Zeus’ patronage, because it could cost Apollo dearly as well. Athena may be a thoroughly passive informant—like Hera—or she may loyally look out for her father’s interests. Regardless, TGOEM already cannot act without Athena, so Athena is a reliable barometer for TGOEM’s feelings towards Zeus.

Zeus also has at least two informants in the Underworld: Minthe and Hermes. Minthe probably does not directly inform to Zeus, but accidentally passes information to her “best friend” Thetis. Thetis surely would share any information with Zeus that will better her relationship with him and make him more reliant on her, so Thetis can upgrade herself from secretary-concubine to wife-queen. Hermes is probably explicitly informing to Zeus, in his role as messenger.

Using members of his inner circle gives Zeus a window into each potential competing power base, but risks them “going native” and turning on him. If Hera defects from Zeus, Ares surely will follow. Artemis would be hard pressed to defect on Zeus, but it is not impossible, especially since her membership in TGOEM and role in the pantheon could place her at odds with Zeus. Hades also pays Hermes, and Hermes has been shown willing to sell his loyalty. We know nothing about Hephaestus, but he was a god of volcanoes, and Hades has responsibility over volcanoes so there could be a relationship there. While Zeus currently has a solid control over his governing clique, one disastrous miscalculation could cost him all but Apollo’s support.

Zeus has shown himself to be a masterful manipulator and political strategist. His position is currently solid, because any potential opposition is too divided to oppose him. Nonetheless, uneasy rests the head that wears the crown, and there are storm clouds on the horizon. In the next, and presumably last, part I will explain why Persephone might constitute a mortal threat to Zeus reign.