As the ruler of the Greek gods, Zeus controlled the forces of the sky, including the weather. Symbolizing this power, he was often depicted with a lightning bolt in his right hand, as seen here. His left hand likely once held a royal scepter, another object commonly seen in early images of Zeus. In Roman mythology, Zeus was known as Jupiter. Produced in the Roman era, this type of statue was modeled after earlier Zeus statues from ancient Greece. Small bronze statues such as this were usually dedicated as offerings in temples or enshrined on a family altar for worship.