Chthonic Zeus and the serpentThe word meilichios comes from the Greek meilichos, meaning soothing, gentle, or appeased. Unlike the familiar statues of Zeus holding a scepter or thunderbolt, representations of Zeus Meilichios often appeared in serpent form. Meilichios and political orderAuthors such as Simon Hornblower argue that Zeus Meilichios was virtually indistinguishable from Hades in practice. In this way, Zeus Meilichios served as a divine guarantor of justice not only for individuals but also for the polis. Zeus Meilichios stands as one of the most compelling aspects of Greek religion.