Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece, being the polytheistic culture that it was, derived extravagant myths regarding fourteen gods and goddesses they believed to rule over every aspect of life. The Greek population believed that the gods were incorporated in every part of their lives, from washing dishes to growing crops, one of the many gods would be watching over them. These gods and goddesses however were not the first to rule over Greece. It is said that prior to the Olympians, (named as they would come to reign on Mt.Olympus), there were a group of Titans that ruled atop Mt. Othrys. Suggesting that ancient Greek mythology is based around three main points, the Titans, the Olympians and the Great War that separated them. This Great War was known as the Titanomachia.

The stage for this Great War was set after Ouranos the eldest titan and the ruler of the cosmos, was overthrown by his son, and youngest Titan, Cronus. Gaia, mother to Cronus and wife to Ouranos, was upset after her children Hecatonchires and Cyclopes were exiled by their own father for fear of deception. After an ambush was set and Cronus cut off the genitals of Ouranos he took his throne as the new leader of the Titans. He then secured his power by re-imprisoning his siblings the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes, and his (newly-created) siblings the Gigantes, in Tartarus (depths of hell). Gaia, angry at Cronus for keeping his brothers in the same pit Ouranos locked them in, made a prophecy that Cronus' own children would rebel against his rule just as he had done to his own father. For fear of his unborn children rising against him, Cronus now turned into the terrible king his father Ouranos had been, swallowing each of his children whole as they were born from his sister-wife Rhea. Rhea, however, managed to hide her child Zeus, by tricking Cronus into swallowing a rock wrapped in a blanket instead. Rhea therefore, when she was pregnant with Zeus, went to Crete and gave birth to the child in the Dictaean Cave, and entrusted him to be brought up by the Curetes, and the daughters of Melissus, the nymphs Adrasteia and Ida. The armed Crete Soldiers guarded the infant in the cave, and struck their shields with their spears in order to prevent Cronus from hearing the voice of the child. After Zeus reached adulthood, he was given a potion that upon drinking would cause Cronus to release the remaining children from his stomach, thus sparking the flame of the Great Titan War.

The Titanomachia or Titan War with the Gods, was said to have taken place in Thessaly, Greece and lasted for ten years, when at length Gaia promised victory to Zeus, if he would deliver the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires from Tartarus. Zeus accordingly slew Campe or Kampe, a dragon-like monster with a woman’s head and torso, who guarded the Cyclopes.

“Then Zeus no longer held back his might; but

straight his heart was filled with fury and he showed forth all

his strength. From Heaven and from Olympus he came forthwith,

hurling his lightning: the bold flew thick and fast from his

strong hand together with thunder and lightning, whirling an

awesome flame. The life-giving earth crashed around in burning,

and the vast wood crackled loud with fire all about. All the

land seethed, and Ocean's streams and the unfruitful sea. The

hot vapour lapped round the earthborn Titans: flame unspeakable

rose to the bright upper air: the flashing glare of the thunder-

stone and lightning blinded their eyes for all that there were

strong” (Hesiod 687-712).

The Titans then were overcome, and hurled down into a cavity below Tartarus, bound cruelly around the throat and underarms, to suffer the same fate as those they had cast there before. The only two that were not banished to Tartarus were the Titan Atlas, who was condemned to go to the western edge of the earth and hold up the heavens so as to prevent them from achieving their primordial embrace. Being that he was the leader of the titans, Cronus was deemed a different fate. He was sentenced to roam the dessert for the rest of his immortal life carrying the Temple of Pandora on his back, guarding the sacred Pandora’s Box.

After the war had subsided and the gods had taken their rightful place atop Mt. Olympus, they divided the earth amongst themselves each taking a portion to look over. Zeus, though the youngest of the gods, became supreme ruler of not only Mt. Olympus but also the sky and the earth. Known for his sexual escapades, Zeus was said to have had about 16 children