Spoiler Warning: Succession Season 4The Roy family not only took over the world in the HBO series Succession but also in real life. The series was nominated for 27 Emmy Awards with its final season. Audiences know every story has been told before. It is the way they are told that's innovative. Succession's scripts are highly praised for their quality, especially regarding the unique dialogue and the characters' arcs.
One of the highlights of the series is how real the characters seem. The Roys are recognizable everywhere: the billionaire corporates that control much more than they let on, and the families in charge, that by today’s standards, are compared to royalty. Their money and status buy their way into the world and combined with a deeply dysfunctional family, creates a story impossible to stop watching.
The character and their dynamics don’t necessarily feel like something the audience has never seen before. Looking back in history and mythology, the Roys are quite like probably the oldest dysfunctional family known to men: the Olympian Gods. Here are all the characters and their God counterparts, as well as how the company is similar to the Gods’ home.
Waystar Co. and Mount Olympus
The Roy family members are above everyone else, literally in their New York penthouses, and private jets, but also figuratively because of their wealth and the power that comes with it, as were the Olympian Gods in their home Mount Olympus. They also dictate what others think by controlling the news with their conglomerate Waystar Royco., just like the Greek Gods did to humans in the mythological tales. This comparison also creates an interesting parallel to what unlimited power was then and what it looks like now.
Logan Roy Is Zeus
The brutal patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), would be no other than Zeus himself. The one that oversees everything and has no problem punishing his children when they disobey or simply disagree with him. He is responsible for maintaining order but can be seen as oppressive and too invested in his vices and pleasures. People respect and fear Zeus, just like they do with Logan. And, with the character's death happening literally in the sky in one of his private jets, the comparison seems even more fitting.
Marcia Is Hera
Marcia (Hiam Abbass) is Logan's wife, and Hera is Zeus' wife. Hera is the goddess of fertility and marriage. But others should not allow Marcia's seemingly unbothered facade to fool them — she is strict and highly intimidating. Hera is usually in Zeus' shadow, as there aren't many myths about her, but her force and opinion always matter. Her jealousy over her husband's affairs is very present in her stories, which is also present in Marcia's story.
Connor Is Hephaestus
Connor (Alan Ruck) is Hephaestus, the God of fire and blacksmiths. The firstborn of the Roy family doesn't quite fit in, and the God cast out of Olympus has similarities to him. While Hephaestus suffers for his appearance, Connor does by his way of thinking and acting; he is simply not as interested in the company or his father's decisions as his siblings. Both bring shame to their families and are outcasts that don't belong.
Kendall Is Ares
Kendall (Jeremy Strong) is Ares. The God of war had a difficult following (not many worshipers) apart from Sparta, where he was deeply loved. Kendall loves the thrill of battle and creating war, just like the Greek God. There were various times this characteristic could be seen in the Max character, as when Kendall tried to take his father's company from him a couple of times throughout the show. He was the one that instigated a war inside the family.
Siobhan Is Athena
Siobhan (Sarah Snook) would be Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and warfare strategy. Shiv is intelligent and makes strategies for defeating her enemies, just like Athena. As a public relations strategist, especially for politicians, her campaign is nothing short of a warfare strategy. As the series progresses, she becomes interested in the highest position of the family's company, finding her enemies' struggles and knowing when to go for the kill is fundamental. In the finale, Siobhan makes the ultimate strategic move and decides who will step in as CEO.
Roman Is Dionysus
Roman (Kieran Culkin), nicknamed Romulus after the myth founder of Rome, is Dionysus, the God of wine who loves to party. Nevertheless, he was one of the most cherished Gods, and he taught humans how to make wine. As Dionysus, Romulus is often chosen to make deals as the show progresses because people like him better than the others. And, they share the same "party hard ask later" type of life.
Greg Is Hermes
Lastly, the one more in tune with the normal people, cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), would be Hermes. Hermes is the messenger of the Gods. There are multiple times in the show where Greg is used as a serviceman by the others, someone they can ask to do their tasks. He is also the person responsible for giving messages when the Roys are apart, especially for Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), who, even after having the best strategy of them all, still is not considered by any of the Roys as an equal.