OK, so you probably didn’t think you needed a modern day retelling of the story of Zeus, the king of the gods who ruled from Mount Olympus, but trust us when we say that you do. And that reimagining comes in the shape of KAOS, a new Netflix series starring Jeff Goldblum. But what Greek mythology inspired the series, and what tales do you need to know?
If you were a fan of Baz Luhrmann’s take on Romeo and Juliet, you need to get KAOS on your must-watch list, asap. It’s a big, bold and brutal take on Greek mythology, the body of stories concerning the gods, heroes and rituals of ancient Greek religion.
In KAOS, Zeus, the king of the gods but also the ruler of thunder, lightning and the sky, spirals into paranoia when he starts to believe his power is being questioned by humans on earth, while ruling over them from Mount Olympus (he lives in something reminiscent of the Versace mansion.)
The show is brilliant, and worth watching even if you have very little idea of the actual Greek mythology the stories are based on. Because no, we weren’t paying attention in English literature class; we were eating Haribo and playing Candy Crush on our phones. So take this as your beginner’s guide to Greek mythology.
So, what is the Greek mythology that inspired KAOS?
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, there were 12 Olympians who lived on Mount Olympus:
- Zeus
- Hera
- Poseidon
- Demeter
- Athena
- Apollo
- Artemis
- Ares
- Hephaestus
- Aphrodite
- Hermes
- Hestia or Dionysus
In KAOS, we get to know a few of them, and learn about their story:
Zeus
In Greek mythology: Zeus is the father and protector of all gods and humans, as well as the ruler of the sky, thunder, and lightning, law and order, destiny and fate.
In KAOS: Played by Jeff Goldbum, he can use his mind to inflict pain, is married to Hera (who is also his sister) and father to Dionysus.
Hera
In Greek mythology: Queen of the gods, as well as the goddess of marriage, family, childbirth and women, as well as fertility.
In KAOS: Played by Janet McTeer, she has an active disdain for humans on earth and is also ruler of the tacitas, the women with no tongues.
Poseidon
In Greek mythology: The brother of Zeus, and god of the sea, waters, horses, and earthquakes. He’s married to Amphitrite, a sea nymph.
In KAOS: Played by Cliff Curtis, he lives on a luxury yacht, and seems completing disinterested in his brother’s paranoia.
Dionysus
In Greek mythology: Dionysus is the son of the supreme god Zeus and Semele, the daughter of a king, and is also god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, festivity and insanity.
In KAOS: Played by Nabhaan Rizwan, he is the slightly lost son of Zeus, who flits between the human world and Mount Olympus.
Beyond the Olympians, there are many other characters from ancient Greek mythology who make an appearance, many of them gods:
- Orpheus
- Medusa
- Eurydice
- Charon
- Prometheus
- Caneus
- Ariadne
- Persephone
- Hades
Orpheus
In Greek mythology: Orpheus is a poet and musician, who is the son of a Muse and the king of Thrace.
In KAOS: He’s played by Killian Scott, and is married to Riddy (Eurydice.)
Medusa
In Greek mythology: A woman known for having snakes in her hair, who could seemingly turn people to stone just by looking at them.
In KAOS: She’s played by Debi Mazar, and lives in the Underworld (where the ancient Greeks believed people went when they died.)
Eurydice
In Greek mythology: A mortal nymph and wife of Orpheus, who Orpheus attempted to bring back from the dead with his music after she was killed by a snake bite.
In KAOS: Known as Riddy, she dies in episode one after being hit by a truck. She’s played by Aurora Perrineau.
Charon
In Greek mythology: The ferryman who is responsible for taking the souls of the dead across rivers Styx and Archeron to the underworld.
In KAOS: He’s played by Ramon Tikaram, and exists in the black and white underworld.
Prometheus
In Greek mythology: He is known for defying the Olympians, while also being the god of fire and responsible for the creation of mortal humans.
In KAOS: Played by Stephen Dillane, he is seen tied to a cliffside after being exiled by Zeus.
Caneus
In Greek mythology: A transgender man who was assigned female at birth, but asked for the god Neptune to change their gender.
In KAOS: Played by Misia Butler and working in the underworld.
Ariadne
In Greek mythology: The daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae of Crete, who is known for helping Theseus escape the Labyrinth and defeat the Minotaur.
In KAOS: Known as Ari and played by Leila Farzad.
Persephone
In Greek mythology: The daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of agriculture, and the wife of Hades, the king of the underworld.
In KAOS: Played by Rakie Ayola, she is seen in the underworld, deciding the fates of the dead.
Hades
In Greek mythology: The Lord of the Underworld, an underground where the dead went, and the brother of Zeus.
In KAOS: Played by David Thewlis and in charge of what happens with the dead.
Just a light bit of reading, then!
KAOS is now streaming on Netflix
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.