Zeus (Jupiter)
Zeus was the most powerful of the gods, and their chief. His domain was the sky, and he ruled from the heights of Mount Olympus. His bird's eye view of the world conveniently allowed him to dominate the earth as well (it was technically supposed to be neutral territory). Zeus was adept at negotiating alliances and building a power base, initiating the successful overthrow of his tyrant father and the rescue of his trapped siblings. He protected kings and maintained law and order. From his lofty position in the sky he could send down destructive lightning or nourishing rain on his subjects, depending on how he felt about them. Like many kings of the time, he had many wives and lovers, treating them like members of a harem, and fathered many children. He was often (though not always) a good father, protecting his children, mentoring them, setting them up in their careers, negotiating conflicts.
Modern Zeuses also have a knack for leadership and power. With their gift for strategy, they have an instinct for winning in business, politics, and war. They want to be kings, or at least on the fast track to the top, rather than remain followers forever. They are empire builders. Zeuses are self-starters, natural networkers, savvy negotiators and decisive risk takers. They are single minded, self reliant, independent, individualistic, objective, strong willed, competitive, entrepreneurial and hard working. They are practical rather than idealistic. Plenty of people are good at organizing if it's for a cause, but Zeuses enjoy organizing for its own sake. They are doers, and tend to see themselves as self-made. Zeuses believe they have the right to lead based on their abilities, and often do make good leaders, establishing and building up the organizations that provide the infrastructure society needs to work properly. Zeuses invest in people and organizations they believe in.
Themes
the natural leader; the enforcer; the self-made man; Master of the Universe; the beleaguered white male; the business executive; the war lord; the master strategist
Books of note
Sunzi, The Art of War; Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
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Symbols
the lion
the eagle
the thunderbolt
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Examples
- Business: Andrew Carnegie* (steel); Louis-François Cartier* (jewellery); Louis Cartier* (jewellery); Karl Fabergé* (jewellery); Bill Gates* (computer software); David Geffen* (entertainment industry); John Paul Getty* (oil); Lee Iacocca (automobile industry); Steve Jobs* (computers); Joseph P. Kennedy* (finance, real estate); John Molson* (brewer); Rupert Murdoch (publisher); Aristotle Onassis (shipping); Ross Perot (electronics); Booker T. Washington* (educator)
- Politics: Nicolae Ceausescu* (Romania); Jean Chrétien* (Canada); Sir Winston Churchill* (UK); Bill Clinton (USA); General Charles de Gaulle* (France); Benjamin Franklin* (USA); Rudy Giuliani* (New York); Abraham Lincoln* (USA); Mao Zedong* (China); Ronald Reagan (USA); Theodore Roosevelt* (USA); Joseph Stalin (USSR)
- Scientists: Alfred Adler* (psychiatrist); John Kenneth Galbraith* (economist); Lewis M. Terman* (psychologist)
- Film/Television Industry: Desi Arnaz* (actor, producer); Warren Beatty* (actor, director, producer); George Cukor* (director); Walt Disney* (producer); Michael Douglas* (actor, producer); Clint Eastwood* (actor, director, producer); Jonathan Frakes (actor, director); Samuel Goldwyn* (producer); Burt Lancaster* (actor, producer); Arnold Schwarzenegger (actor, producer); Steven Spielberg* (director)
- Music Industry: Sonny Bono* (singer, songwriter, producer); Sean "Puffy" Combs* (producer, performer); Andrew Lloyd Webber* (composer, producer); Ike Turner* (pianist, band leader, producer, talent scout)
- Other: Prince Edward* (UK)
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Fictional Zeuses
Commander Riker on Star Trek
Charles Townsend on Charlie's Angels
Mr. Howell on Gilligan's Island
Charles Xavier of the X-Men
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