(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter 89
The war of the giants ended with the deaths of all the giants, yet Gaia, who orchestrated the war, received no punishment whatsoever. She even brazenly attended a banquet, as if all the gods present had collectively forgotten Gaia's involvement in the war, feigning ignorance with practiced ease.
Of course, Zeus silently felt a pang of regret. He wanted to use this opportunity to suppress Gaia; after all, no one would be foolish enough to ignore a powerful and prestigious god who harbored resentment towards them. But Gaia was the goddess of the earth, so he could only think about it, pretending ignorance on the surface, practically bursting with frustration.
It must be said that in many matters, the first generation of gods had a significant advantage. Consider the fates of the defeated gods, and then consider Gaia, who caused all sorts of trouble yet escaped unscathed—the difference in treatment was astonishing, like the difference between a common cabbage and a precious gem.
The gods' methods of dealing with other gods were quite simple, essentially Guantartalus and Guantartalus and Guantartalus. Occasionally, they would use some innovative and extraordinary methods, but these were mainly applied to the brothers Prometheus and Atlas.
Speaking of Prometheus and his three brothers, their lives were quite tragic. Atlas was punished by Zeus to support the heavens on his shoulders; Prometheus was bound to a rock in the Caucasus Mountains, his liver eaten daily by vultures; Menotius imprisoned them in Tartarus; and Epimetheus, the only one unpunished, was notoriously dim-witted, making him uninteresting in being dealt with by the gods, and his life was predictably miserable.
These four brothers are pitiful to think about. Indeed, children without a mother are like weeds. At least, Cress, you should at least try to make your presence felt occasionally.
Cres, the God of Growth: I don't even know where Iapetus took me, how can I manage... Wait, who's the mother? I'm clearly the father god! ︶︿︶
However, while these methods of dealing with gods might work for other gods, they are ineffective against Gaia.
To deal with Gaia, you first need to address the problem of how to subdue her and render her incapable of resistance, because Gaia herself clearly won't obediently accept punishment.
No matter how much of a support-type god Gaia is, or how unskilled in combat she may be, she is still a primordial god. The difference in rank is undeniable. Even a combined attack would be difficult to defeat her. The incredible regenerative abilities of the early gods are no joke; with their main bodies providing a constant source of energy, they can wear you down in a war of attrition, especially since Gaia's main body is the earth, one of the foundations of the world.
Gaia: All gods weaker than me, no matter how many come, are idiots.
Secondly, even if Zeus could subdue Gaia and proceed to the next step of imprisoning her in Tartarus, anyone with common sense would know that this wouldn't work. Regardless of whether Tartarus and Gaia were on good terms, imprisoning Gaia in Tartarus was impossible.
If Tartarus and Gaia were on good terms, not only would they fail to imprison the goddess, but they would also needlessly invite trouble. If they were on bad terms, since they were both Gatans, Tartarus wouldn't help an outer god, so it would still be useless.
Therefore, based on these very practical reasons, and to avoid pushing Gaia too far and suffering the consequences himself, Zeus wisely pretended to know nothing. At the banquet, he played the role of his usual obedient grandson perfectly, his acting quite impressive, earning unanimous praise from the onlookers (just kidding).
Whether it was due to overwhelming frustration and a desire to vent, or perhaps Zeus's usual lapse in judgment, to reward Heracles for his great service in the war against the giants, Zeus not only bestowed upon Heracles the title of god but also decided to marry his daughter, Hebe, the goddess of youth, to him.
As Zeus finished speaking, the hall fell silent, many gods instinctively glancing at Hera.
"Impossible! I will never agree to marry Hebe to him!" Hera's voice was sharp with anger, her eyes blazing with fury.
"Herracles is exceptionally brave and accomplished many great feats, even helping us defeat the giants. Hebe is gentle, beautiful, lively, and adorable—a match made in heaven. What are you dissatisfied with?" Zeus frowned slightly, trying to avoid disrupting the banquet, and patiently explained.
Dissatisfied? She was dissatisfied with everything. Hera was practically driven mad by her husband.
"A mere demigod, how could he be worthy of my daughter?" Hera glanced at Hercules with utter disdain, her tone utterly contemptuous.
"Hercules is already a god," Zeus emphasized.
"A god? Without divine status, without even a divine office, what kind of god is he?" Hera sneered, her words hitting the nail on the head.
Gaining the title of Hercules did not mean Hercules had truly become a god. If that were the case, then godhood would be far too worthless.
Examples of non-divine beings becoming gods are rare. Dionysus was one, and the reason he was able to become a god with the same demigod status as Hercules was because he was originally a reincarnation of a god.
Another possibility is that they are non-divine offspring born of two gods, such as sea nymphs or water nymphs. Aside from lacking divine power, they are not much different from gods. If they could fuse with a divine power, they could naturally become gods.
Denise and others like her, who were made gods by flower spirits, are another type of being. Strictly speaking, they were born from the blood of Tartarus, only taking human form through the help of the spider lily. A part of Uranus's body could transform into Aphrodite. Born from the blood of Tartarus, they naturally have the qualifications to become gods.
As for Heracles, merely a demigod, even if given a divine power to fuse with, he couldn't, and therefore couldn't become a god. Hera would never allow her daughter to marry a demigod, especially one who harbored a grudge against her.
"Hera, this is my decision," Zeus said, his face grim, his voice slightly raised, his tone tinged with impatience.
Seeing the coldness and warning in Zeus's eyes, Hera's impending rebuttal stopped abruptly.
If Zeus's initial decision was merely a spur-of-the-moment one, Hera's opposition only solidified his resolve.
Marriage held little sway over the gods; many married men sought extramarital affairs. In Zeus's mind, if Hebe disliked Heracles, separating from her husband and finding another lover was perfectly acceptable. A husband who was only nominally a demigod wouldn't pose any obstacle to Hebe. Even if Heracles was dissatisfied and sought Zeus's judgment, Zeus could find a reason to favor Hebe. Although Zeus didn't care much for his daughter, she was still the child of his legal wife, and he would at least show her some respect. But now, things were uncertain; after all, Zeus hated anyone who challenged his authority.
Ignoring his wife's wishes, Zeus issued the decree, and amidst the gods' insincere congratulations, Heracles and Hebe became husband and wife.
Chapter 89