Theia

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Fast Facts:

• Pronunciation: THEE-ah


• Origin: Greek


• Role: Titan goddess


• Symbols: Light


• Husband: Hyperion


• Children: Helios, Selene, Eos


• Other Names: Euryphaessa, Thia, Theia

Who Is Theia?

Theia was a Titan goddess, more commonly referred to as the goddess of shining elements. She was associated with shining metals, shining jewels or shining light. She was also known as the goddess of sight and the Greeks believed her eyes were beams of light, helping them see with their own mortal eyes. She was one of the twelve Titans and like her famous sisters Phoebe and Themis, she was also associated with the gift of prophecy and had a shrine in Thessaly.

Origins

Theia was one of the original Titans, who were large and powerful beings that are typically found to be the foundation of Greek mythology stories. Born to Uranus and Gaia, the siblings ruled the world until being overthrown by Zeus and his siblings, the Olympian gods. Theia’s siblings include Oceanus, Coeus, Cronus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Tethys, Themis, Phoebe, Mnemosyne and Rhea.

Legends and Stories

Theia is not directly mentioned in many Greek myths but it is assumed that she played a supporting role in many of them as Hyperion’s wife.

The Gift of Sight

Hyperion and his brothers, also brothers of Theia, were seen as the gods responsible for the creation of man. Each god gave mankind one of their senses. It is assumed that Hyperion was the god who enabled men to see, for his name translates to “he who watches from above”. Another supporting clue to this assumption is that Theia, the goddess of sight, was part of the reason Hyperion gave mankind his chosen gift.

Chosen for the Throne

Some mythology experts don’t agree with this story but it’s worth mentioning regarding the fate of Theia and her children. Uranus, her and her husband’s father, had chosen them to be the pair that would take over his throne when the time came. But Cronus, Theia and Hyperion’s brother, was jealous of his father’s choice and set out to find a way to make the throne his. He kidnapped Helios, Selene and Eos and before their parents knew that their children were missing, Cronus drowned them in the River Eridanus. He then told their parents that Uranus had committed the murders because he feared them. Hyperion believed him and vowed to seek revenge.

Family

Theia was married to her brother Hyperion. He was the Titan god of light, which may have been responsible for the rolls of their three children.

Helios

Helios was the Titan god of sun. He lived in a golden palace on the far east corner of the earth. He would travel from the east to the west in his golden chariot during the day, which was pulled across the sky by four winged horses. He would wear a radiant circle as he travelled across the sky. During the evening hours, he would descend into a golden cup and be carried back to his golden palace until doing the same the next day. His daily routine was described by Homer as,

“Driving his horses, he shines upon men and immortal gods. His eyes gaze piercingly out of his golden helmet, bright rays beam brilliantly from his temples, and the shining hair of his head graciously frames his far-away face. A rich, fine spun garment gleams on his body and flutters in the winds, and stallions carry him.”

When Apollo was born, Helios passed on his responsibilities to him. However, he was still the personification of the sun.

Selene

Theia’s daughter Selene was known as the Titan goddess of moon. She would also ride a chariot through the sky, pulled by winged horses, while wearing a golden cloak. She would eventually be replaced by Artemis.

She fell in love with a mortal named Endymion. Zeus eventually granted him the gift of immortality and eternal youth. Together, Endymion and Selene had 50 daughters, known as the Menae. They represent the 50-month lunar cycle of each Olympiad. However, he fell into a state of eternal slumber by Mount Latmos. Selene would come and visit every night.

Selene is also associated with lunar elements, such as lunacy, the calendar months and the tides of the ocean. She had a child with Zeus named Pandeia, the goddess of dew.

Eos

Eos was known as the goddess of the dawn. She would rise each day before morning from the edge of Oceanus. Her golden rays would overcome the morning mist and remaining shadows of the night. Some myths say that she was carried across the sky in a gold chariot with winged horses while other say that she herself had white wings that enabled her to fly.

She was fittingly married to her cousin Astraeus, the god of dusk. Aphrodite had set a curse upon her though and she found herself uncontrollably attracted to mortal men. She eventually fell in love with the prince of Troy, Tithonus. Zeus also granted the prince with immortality but Eos forgot to ask for the god to grand her lover eternal youth and he continued to age. According to some sources, he eventually became the first grasshopper. But before this, Eos and Tithonos had two sons. The first was Memnon who became king of Ethiopia and the second was Emathion who became the king of Arabia.

Appearance

Theia is always pictured as a strikingly beautiful woman. She typically has long hair and flowing clothing that helps to show the light around her. It’s not uncommon for her to be either directing light towards the earth or moon or even holding light in her hands. In other artistic representations, she is shown with child, as she was the mother of the Sun, Moon and Dawn.

Symbology

The main symbol of Theia is her eyes. Because the Greek’s believed that her eyes emitted a beam that allowed them to see, her eyes were the most important to them. In artistic representations of the goddess, she is often shown with the sun or moon but these would be better classified as symbols of her children.

Theia

Gigantes

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Fast Facts:

• Pronunciation: ji-gan-teez


• Origin: Greek


• Influence: Gigantomachy


• Role: Monsters; Children of Gaia


• Individuals of Note: Alcyoneus, Enceladus, Mimas, Pallas, Polybotes, Porphyrion

Who are the Gigantes?

The Gigantes were a race of giants borne out of the battle between Uranus and Kronos. They were warriors and wielded great shields and spears and wore gleaming, primitive armor made of animal skins interwoven with rocks and flaming brands. In terms of their appearance, the Gigantes looked partially human, but enormous in size and wild looking. Rather than having legs like a human mortal, their legs consisted of many intertwined serpents. Also adding to their fearsome look was their hair and beards: wild, long, and unkempt. Unlike the gods, the Gigantes were mortal and could be killed by immortals and mortals alike.

Origin

Kronos was desperate to overthrow his father, Uranus, liberate his siblings, and ensure that there would never be another child born from the father who was now a monster. Using the sickle made from stone that he had been given, Kronos emasculated his father. As his testicles and blood spilled into the ocean, they mixed with the swirling waters. From each drop of blood a new member of the family of Gigantes emerged – terrible and warlike and bigger than any mortal who ever walked the earth.

Family

The Gigantes are creatures with godly origins, but no specific mother. They are considered to be “earthborn,” for they come from the co-mingling of the blood of Uranus and the earth at the shore of the sea. The Gigantes were not the only creatures to rise out of the blood; the Erinyes (Furies) and the Meliai (tree nymphs) were also borne out of the castration of Uranus.

History

The Gigantes, even though they originated from the godly blood of Uranus, were arrogant and insolent creatures of excess, wrath, and violence. They were the ultimate personification of hubris, which would ultimately be their undoing. The Gigantes would suffer punishment from the gods for their deeds against mortals and immortals alike. Although they were not directly borne from a mother and father, there were some gods that would try to protect the Gigantes from harm as if they were their own children. But they would all ultimately be defeated and killed with the help of a mortal son of Zeus, and the efforts of the other gods as well.

The Gigantomachy

The Olympian gods were constantly entwined in a struggle for power and rule over the cosmos, replacing one leader with another and overthrowing the ways and thoughts of the past. At times, these battles were started over petty squabbles or the smallest incidences of treachery or offense. In the case of the Gigantomachy, a great war began with the theft of cattle from the god Helios by the Gigante Alcyoneus. Helios was infuriated and in a fit of rage, demanded justice from Zeus and the other gods.

As was typical in these battles, there had been a prophecy…. that the Gigantes could only be beaten if a mortal were to help the gods. Gaia wished to protect the Gigantes, whom she considered to be her children, from any harm by seeking a special plant that would grant them protection. Zeus didn’t share Gaia’s feelings, knowing with certainty that the Gigantes were dangerous and violent creatures. He ordered Eos (the dawn), Selene (the moon), and Helios (the sun) to withdraw their light from the world. The plants withered, and Zeus gathered all of them for himself, leaving none behind for the Gigantes to find and use. But some of the Gigantes had learned of other ways to cheat death, and would prove to be a challenge for the immortals.

Notable Gigantes Battles

Alyconeus: A mortal son, Heracles, had been born to Zeus as a result of one of his many dalliances with a mortal woman. With part of the prophecy fulfilled, and when Heracles was of age, the gods gave him the task of killing Alyconeus for his crime of theft against Helios. As the battle began in earnest, Heracles fought with Alyconeus but the giant would not be destroyed as long as he had one foot firmly planted on the soil of his birth, the place where the blood first fell. He would revive, as terrible as before with all of his strength, after each blow. With Athena’s help, Heracles managed to wrestle Alcyoneus away from the shore and finally killed him. Alyconeus’ seven daughters, the Alkyonies, fell into the sea when they learned of the death of their father at the hands of Heracles.

Antaeus: Poseidon and Gaia fostered Antaeus, and his mother granted him the strength of the earth, so he would remain invincible as long as he was in contact with her. He had a passion for challenging mortals to wrestling matches, which he always won, and he used their skulls to build a temple honoring Poseidon. When he challenged Heracles, he revealed the source of his power; that proved to be his undoing. Using his godlike strength, Heracles hoisted Antaeus up from the ground, which prevented him from touching it, and was able to crush him.

Enceladus: Athena, bearing a gorgon shield, warred with Enceladus near the island of Sicily. Enceladus used trees as spears against the chariot and horses Athena drove at him. Dionysus, the god of the grape harvest, fought with fire and roasted the body of the giant in a great blaze. Zeus threw down a thunderbolt, causing Enceladus to stagger and fall and receive the final death blow from Athena. She buried his lightning-charred corpse under Mount Etna, and when it erupted, the last breath of Enceladus was released.

Mimas: Mimas also participated in the Gigantomachy and battled Hephaestus, who hurled gigantic half-molten missiles of metal at him. Aphrodite held him at bay with a shield and spear. This helped Zeus to defeat him by hurling thunderbolts, turning him into a pile of ash. He was buried under the coast of Naples, at Prochyte in the Phlegraean Isles. His weapons were hung in a tree near the summit of Mount Etna as trophies of the war.

Polybotes: Polybotes fought against Poseidon and Athena, who chased him into the sea. Zeus struck at Polybotes with his thunderbolts, but Polybotes was able to swim away. Poseidon also hurled his trident but missed, and the trident became the island of Nisyros. With determination to finally defeat this slippery foe, Poseidon lifted a portion of the island of Cos and threw it, crushing and killing Polybotes. He was buried under Nisyros.

King Eurymedon of the Gigantes

And finally, there was the king of the Gigantes, Eurymedon, who had led most of his people to their deaths in war with the gods. In some stories he is known as Porphrion, but in both tales he is the Gigantes king, who took a final stand against Heracles and Hera.

During the battle, Zeus attempted to possess his mind to make him fall in love with Hera. When Porphyrion was distracted with thoughts of lust for Hera, Zeus hurled his thunderbolts and Heracles finished him off with an arrow drawn from the bow of Apollo.

These are just a few notable examples of the many mighty battles that the Gigantes fought with mortals and gods alike. The war went on for a time, until most of the Gigantes were finally dead and submerged under islands, buried under mountains, or encased deep in the hottest parts of the Earth. Those who were not killed were exiled forever from their traditional home on the island of Thrinacia.

After the Gigantomachy, the most notable influence from the Gigantes in general, and King Eurymedon specifically, was that his daughter, Periboia, who would go on to marry Poseidon. As a result of this union, the Gigantes king would become the grandfather of the Phaecian king, Nausithous.

Current Influence

Gigantes are believed to be the source of volcanoes, thermal activity and great seismic events such as the volcanoes of Etna and Vesuvius, since they were buried beneath the mountains. Whenever the giants moved in their tombs, calamity would strike the earth in the form of a raging volcano or great earthquake. Some believe that the Gigantes represented the barbaric tribes of Thrace, who dwelt to the north of Greece and were less civilized than their Greek neighbors. The Thracians are believed to be born of the ashes or blood of the defeated and vanquished Gigantes.

Gigantes

Cronus

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Fast Facts:

• Pronunciation: kroh-nuh-s


• Other Names: Kronos


• Origin: Greece


• Cult Center: Athens, Gades, Lebadeia, Olympia


• Role: Ruler of the Heavens


• Symbols: grain, harpe, scythe, sickle, snake


• Wife: Rhea (his twin sister)


• Children: Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, Zeus

Who is Cronus?

Cronus, son of Uranus and Gaia, sat alone as King of the Elysian Fields, a blessed place awaiting the righteous dead. He reflected on his time in the dark prison of Tartarus with its high walls of bronze, where he had nothing but time and darkness. “After all this…” he thought. “I am now the lord of time. It is all I have left.” Time to reflect deep in the pit of Tartarus on things he had done. Time to reflect on things that had been done to him. And time to reflect on what he needed to do now that he had been freed.

Origin

Long ago, before existence, there was a vast space of emptiness known as Chaos. Erebus, a place of death along with Night, came into being. Then Love and Light emerged and with it, the goddess of the earth, Gaia. Gaia eventually gave birth to Uranus, the god of the sky, and together they produced six sets of twins, one of whom was Cronus. He had grown quickly, as gods do, and soon realized his incredible strength.

Family

Cronus’ mother, Gaia, bore several children of Uranus including the 12 twins; Iapetus and Themis, Cronus and Rhea, Hyperion and Theia, Coeus and Phoebe, Crius and Mnemosyne, and Oceanus and Tethys. Uranus had already deemed these children worthy. They were uncommonly beautiful, and each personified a force of nature in their own unique way. They were even given the name “Titans” in recognition of their incredible strength, and each grew with the grace and majesty one would expect of divine beings.

But after the Titans were born, Cronus’ monstrous other siblings were birthed. The Cyclopes, horrors with their single round eye and their stubborn, violent, and emotionless nature could never be worthy of anything but destruction. The Hecatonchires were even worse. They were incredibly strong and fierce, even more so than the mighty Cyclopes. With their 100 arms and 50 heads, Cottus, Briareus, and Gynes were total abominations in their father’s eyes, and he imprisoned his youngest offspring in Tartarus.

History

Cronus Rises to Power

The story of Cronus’ reign began when he alone stood by his mother to free his monstrous siblings. He met with his mother, Gaia, in the silent evening with the other twins. He couldn’t stand seeing her state of grief and despair over the imprisonment of her monstrous children.

“My children, I seek a great hero among the Titans. One who will overthrow their father and liberate their siblings!” Gaia said to them. Only Cronus would agree to do what must be done.

Seizing his opportunity, Cronus said, “I will stand by you, mother!”

Together, they worked out a plan, and Cronus promised to his mother that her children would be released. Silently, their plan began to take form. Even gods had desires that needed to be satisfied, and Uranus was no exception. Cronus could recognize that Gaia was desired and beautiful. Gaia would arrange to meet with Uranus in the night, while Cronus would be secretly waiting in ambush. At whatever cost, Uranus had to feel the bitterness that Gaia had been enduring for so long. Her time for revenge was at hand and through that revenge, so would come power.

Cronus was given a mighty sickle made of stone. The large adamantine blade glistened and was ready to taste blood and castrate Uranus. Tonight, Gaia’s children would be set free. “And tonight,” thought Cronus, with a glint of greed in his eyes, “I will rule the universe in my father’s place!”

Cronus waited patiently until Gaia and Uranus met. As she seduced him one last time at the gate of her imprisoned children, Cronus swiftly leaped forward bearing the sickle. With a great slice, Uranus’ blood and testicles spilled into the sea. The swirling blood began to change and take the form of two enormous beings, Erinyes and Meliae, the race of Gigantes. White foam spilled out of the testicles, taking shape as the beautiful goddess, Aphrodite.

Uranus fell to the ground, enraged and in terrible pain. The vicious attack upon him by his own son was realized too late. Swearing vengeance, he gathered what little strength he had left and disappeared, leaving Cronus alone to witness the monstrous forms at the gates of their prison, Tartarus.

Cronus Begins His Reign

“The time for the mighty reign of Cronus will begin today!” he proclaimed. But then Cronus gazed over towards the gate. He quickly realized why his younger siblings were imprisoned when he saw their violent twisted faces, staring eyes, and many hands. They shouted viciously and angrily at him. He had never seen them before; they had been so swiftly hidden away. Instantly he knew that they were dangerous. He cared for his mother, but these creatures were a threat to his throne and his power. They could not be set free, promise or no promise. Gaia would never understand this, being blinded by a mother’s love, but Cronus’ eyes were wide open to the threatening horror within that pit.

Cottus, Briareus, Gynes, and the Cyclopes screamed in terrible anguish and fury as their gate was shut yet again, and the shade of darkness pulled over their eyes. A mighty dragon, Campe, was set in front of their prison as a guard. Cronus sat alone in the firelight from the dragon’s breath, deep in thought over what he had seen and done. He had just overthrown his own father and seized the throne with his sister, Rhea. He had broken a promise to his beloved mother, justifying it to himself over and over again to relieve himself of his guilt. “I am no monster, they are,” he thought to himself.

Together with Rhea, Cronus declared that a new golden age of righteousness would begin. The mortals on earth celebrated and began to live in a time where there was no need for laws or rules, without immorality and without evil. But Cronus knew better than to believe it was any kind of age of righteousness. He realized that if he could overthrow his own father, what was to stop him from suffering the same fate? What would stop an uprising from any one of his children? And his grief-stricken mother would never accept having her other children re-imprisoned within Tartarus. She knew, and had prophesized, that he would suffer the same fate as his father and he became consumed with fear. Cronus knew that something would have to be done about his own children as soon as they were born.

Cronus Establishes His Line

Rhea soon gave birth to Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. As each was born, Cronus quickly dispatched them by devouring them. They would be prevented from ever carrying out the prophecy as long as they were imprisoned within his belly. Already hardened by what happened with his mother and father, he could see no other option.

A sixth child was soon to be born. Cronus knew that Rhea could not bear to see her latest child born into the heavens only to be rapidly devoured. But he did not know that she was meeting in secret with Gaia, who had already suffered the loss of her own children.

“I cannot bear to watch you lose any more of your children any more than I could bear to lose mine. Together we must stop this next tragedy from taking place. I know what to do. Take this Omphalos Stone and quickly have it wrapped in swaddling cloth,” instructed Gaia to Rhea. “Zeus will be birthed secretly in Crete and cared for under our guidance until he is old enough to free his siblings, free my children, and then depose his father.”

Cronus Falls From Power

The time had come for Zeus’ birth. Cronus saw his impending victory over this last threat and without question grabbed the stone from Rhea’s arms, quickly swallowing it. This was it! Delicious victory and the last portion of the prophecy was defeated! Nothing could stop him now from keeping his power. The mortals on earth would go on celebrating their Golden Age, never knowing what had taken place above in the heavens.

Cronus, however, would never know about the child hidden away on Mount Ida, and who would cause him to suffer the same fate as his father, until it was too late. A group of armored male dancers called the Kouretes shouted, clapped their hands, and rattled their shields to mask the baby’s cries from Cronus. And the aid of a nymph, Adamanthea, would help suspend Zeus between the heavens and earth, far from Cronus’ gaze until he was of age.

Time and more time passed. Time enough for Cronus to forget the prophecy and let his guard down. “MORE WINE!” bellowed Cronus. Drunk on his own power as well as wine, he couldn’t see past his own vision of never-ending glory in the dregs of his empty cup. Rhea emerged bearing a flask of wine; concealed within it was an emetic potion that had been given to Zeus by Gaia. Cronus gulped it down, and then suddenly collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach.

“What treachery was this?” cried Cronus, but that was the extent of the words he could get out. A torrent of sickness poured out of him as he twisted and moaned in agony.

First, the stone wrapped in swaddling cloth was regurgitated. Then, in the reverse order in which they were devoured, out came the other siblings of Zeus. Cold with sweat and sickness, Cronus could only watch in terror as the prophecy became fulfilled. Zeus sliced him open, just as he had done to his own father, spilling his blood onto the ground. As each child emerged and stood, they were fully-grown and in complete command of their godly powers. Together with Zeus, they would stand united and form half of a new pantheon, the Olympians (the remaining half would later be formed of Zeus’ children), and soon the great war of Titanomachy began.

Cronus didn’t wallow in pain and fury for long. He joined with some of the Titans, and the great war between pantheons raged on for 10 long years until Zeus released the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes. With the aid of these new monstrous allies, Zeus quickly defeated Cronus.

Current Influence

Cronus’ imprisonment ended with an act of mercy and pity from Zeus.

“Father, I see that you have begun to understand what it means to be the lord of time. At last you understand what it means to be a true god. I release you from Tartarus,” said Zeus.

“I grant you the Elysian Fields, a blessed place awaiting the righteous dead. Begin your rule over this place as King, under a second golden age.” Cronus wept tears of relief at Zeus’ pity and mercy. No longer did he have to suffer the same fate as his father. The people on earth would forever know him as a god of benevolence, kindness, and generosity.

Cronus to this day is often personified as “Father Time,” depicted with a scythe representing harvest.

Cronus