Zeus was a projection of the inner self, which is the center of the collective unconscious.
If you map the human psyche, from surface to the core, the most superficial aspect is called the persona or the mask of the ego. This is the outer person we show strangers. It may contain makeup, tattoos and fashion statements. Like a mask, this is how we wish the world to view us, and is the most effective among strangers who can only see the surface. Below persona is the ego proper, which contain memories, we might share only with family and close friends. It also contains personals memories we may or may not share. Below the ego proper, is the personal unconscious, which contains personal memories that are unconscious, but which can be made conscious based on need. Sometimes it may take hypnotism.
Below the personal unconscious is the shadow. The shadow is sort of a bridge between the ego and instinct and has a connection to unconscious behavior, that follows us around like a shadow. Often the ego is unconscious of its own shadow. While others often can see the shadow in another but not their own. The shadow may appear as quirks, and habits that are part of the person which that they are often not aware of. If one is a pessimist, this is often from the shadow side, that follows that person around and tends to flavor their attitude the same way each time almost on cue.
Below the shadow is the collective unconscious, which are the personality firmware which define human nature and are common to all human. These have three basic levels connected to our human instincts, relationship and perception of meaning. At the very core of the personality is the inner self, which controls the firmware; the firmware are the masks of the inner self. The ego is at the surface and provides a secondary POV via willpower and choice.
Zeus was a projection of the inner self, at that time in history. He was the head of the gods and goddesses, which symbolized the range of the personality firmware. They lived on Mount Olympus, which rose above humans. The ancient Greeks saw the firmware and the inner self as higher than the ego. Today we call this the unconscious or the subconscious mind, placing the inner self below the ego. That makes the ego feel more secure.
The Titans, which came before Zeus, were also firmware but were more monstrous in attitude and proportions. The inner self and the firmware were very different, much earlier in Greek civilization, due to the ego and willpower altering the natural firmware with willower and choice. By the time of Zeus, humans were finding a better balance, between the inner self and ego allowing them to transcend the scary Titan firmware.
When Zeus begets Hercules, the inner self plants a seed in the ego, to show the power of an ego that is aligned with the inner self; human ego doing the will of Zeus. The labors of Hercules also showed this gift required a lot of dangerous work before the connection would stick.
When religion changes from polytheism to monotheism, humans finally became more conscious of the inner self, as being the source of all the firmware. Polytheism was more about becoming conscious at the level of individual firmware; worship individual gods and goddesses, with the inner self not yet fully conscious.
With Jesus, God becomes man again, but from the POV of the monotheism; inner self. This labor of Hercules was not from the inner self, but rather was from the superego of culture and the ego of others.