The War of Olympus: When ZEUS & the GODS Turned Against Each Other

Hey everyone, welcome to Mythology Explained. In today’s video we’re going to discuss a couple chapters from the Iliad that culminate in the gods attacking each other and play out with all the excitement of a tavern brawl and all the drama of a soap opera.

The gods are summoned to Olympus, where Zeus bades them to descend to the mortal plane, to join the Trojan war directly, supporting each side, so that Achilles’ frenzied killing spree doesn’t result in the burning of Troy before the city’s destruction is officially sanctioned by the fates. This ends in an all-out brawl in which the gods clash in a series of duels. Hephaestus uses his unquenchable fire to combat the raging rapids of Scamander, a river god. Ares and Athena meet in a viscous melee. Apollo is unmanned by Poseidon and slinks away with his tail between his legs. Hera humiliates Artemis, and Hermes yields to Leto, explaining that, even if he wins, Zeus won’t look too kindly on him beating one of his lovers black and blue.

Let’s get into it.

Beyond the various instances in which various gods support either the Trojans or the Greeks, we know for certain which gods fought for which side from a passage near the beginning of chapter 20 of the Iliad. Zeus instructs Themis to call the gods to council. Virtually every god answers the call, even the thousands of river gods and countless nymphs. You see, Achilles was a juggernaut of rage and wrath, and Zeus feared that the hero’s impending onslaught would decimate the Trojans and raze the walls of Troy before the decree of the fates had officially been proclaimed. To ensure everything proceeded in accordance with fate, Zeus bade the gods to join the war and make certain that what unfolded stayed on script. Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, and Hephaestus went to reinforce the Greeks, and Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite. Leto, and Scamander went to reinforce the Trojans.

Both Ares and Athena bellowed cries of war, emboldening their respective sides. Zeus shook the sky with booming claps of thunder, and Poseidon shook the earth with trembles and quakes, even Hades, ensconced in his chthonic palace, feared that the earth above might split open.

Watch the video for the rest!