Compare and contrast two other Olympic deities with the story of Zeus. Discuss and elaborate in your answer how these gods interact with Zeus and why the stories about their origins are important to our understanding of Greek mythology

Zeus overtook and destroyed his father, the Titan Cronos -- but was nearly destroyed by the birth of his own daughter, Athena. Zeus, fearing that her mother Metis would become wiser than himself, ate his lover while she was pregnant, and Athena was born from Zeus' skull, fully formed. Zeus proved his ability to 'give birth,' thus showing his greatness as a god, and Athena gained her unique status, having been entirely mentally generated by a male, although female in appearance. Unlike the other deities of Olympus, she seldom had conflicts with Zeus, as Zeus seemed to respect her wisdom.

Zeus also had another special relationship with Hermes, another of his Olympian children. The result of yet another of Zeus' trysts with Titans, Hermes...

Unlike Athena, Hermes performs a specific function and is viewed with bemused indulgence, rather than respect by his father and the other Olympians. There are few stories of Hermes' wrath in mythology, in contrast to Apollo, Zeus, and Hera, for example. Hermes was even beloved by Apollo, despite having stolen the Sun God's cattle, very shortly after his birth!
Athena's strength continues to fascinate scholars who marvel how as patriarchal a society ancient Greece may have been, its mythology was still populated by strong and complex women. Hermes is a fascinating character because he shows that despite the fatality and fear of many Greek myths, there is also a strong sense of humor and irreverence regarding the gods.

Works Cited

Ganz, Timothy. (2009). Early Greek Myth. Excerpted at About.com March 20, 2009 at http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/a/hesiodagesofman.htm