The ancient Greek state existed for several thousand years; the history of this world is rich in events, inventions and discoveries that were fateful for humanity. Much that is now familiar to us was invented in this country: the basics of medicine, politics, astrology, philosophy and literature. And the images of the gods, the stories of their lives and the struggle for power are still present to one degree or another in the culture of all countries. Most people can easily answer which gods lived on Olympus, who the Titans or Cyclops were.
First ideas about the world
The entire mythology of the ancient Greeks is a desire to understand and explain natural phenomena. The gods of Mount Olympus known to most of us - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Artemis, Apollo and others - were already the embodiment of the ideas of the later period of the existence of Greece. At a time when the people had already formed statehood, comfortable cities appeared, science and thought were developing.
But in the so-called dark times, during the period of the Aegean civilization, man was still completely dependent on the whims of nature, they worshiped it, tried to appease it with offerings and sacrifices. According to researchers, it was at this time that myths about the origin of the world arose. The basis of the belief is stories about Chaos, the universe from which everything came: light and darkness, the first goddess of the earth Gaia, and the ruler of the sky - Uranus. Some are starting to get confused in history here, forgetting who the titans are and identifying them with the rest
Six brothers
In fact, this is not true at all. The Titans are the children of Uranus and Gaia, gods of the second generation. The images of these first monsters were far from the aesthetic perfection that we are accustomed to seeing in the literature of Ancient Greece. The six giant brothers were the embodiment of human fears, instilling horror.
In fact, who are the titans, from Ancient Greek mythology difficult to understand clearly. Thanks to the works of Homer, Hesiod, and the tragedies of Aeschylus, we know their names and sphere of activity.
- The ocean is the ruler of the world's rivers, personifying the element of water.
- Kay (Koi) is a god who embodies the axis of the sky.
- Krios is Astraeus' father.
- Iapetus - according to one version, the progenitor of the Aryan tribe, his sons were Atlas and Prometheus.
- Hyperion - sun god, father of Helios.
- Kronos is the main titan. Greece is an ancient country, its history cannot be understood without knowledge of traditions, customs, culture, and a huge layer of the latter is mythology, tales and legends, including about this character. There are several options for identifying it. Most likely, it is identified with time - chronos. Father of the first Olympians.
Six sisters
In addition to the male gods, Gaia and Uranus gave birth to the same number of Titanides, who were destined to become the wives of their brothers:
- Tethys. In their marriage with the Ocean, three thousand sons were born - these are rivers, and the same number of daughters. Later in literature it acquired the meaning of one of the epithets of the ocean.
- Rhea is the mother of the Olympian gods, both the sister and wife of Kronos.
- Theia is the wife of Hyperion, the ruler of the night luminary. In the union of the Sun and Moon, Helios, Eos and Selene appeared.
- Themis is traditionally considered the patroness of truth, justice and observance of the law.
- Mnemosyne - memory, personified with the universal understanding of existence, the parent of the nine Muses.
- Phoebe is the wife of Coy, the mother of Leto and Asteria.
War
All gods were distinguished by one essential feature - the struggle for power. Great Uranus saw in the offspring a threat to himself and his sole rule, and therefore decided to overthrow the offspring back into the earth. What their mother, Gaia, opposed. To protect the children, she persuaded her youngest son Kronos to take a sickle and castrate his murderous father.
From this story it is easy to understand who the titans are; this is a symbol of the victory of the new over the old, in a word, the triumph of progress.
Moreover, this practice of inheriting the world continued with the gods of the third generation. As noted earlier, the host of Olympian rulers is a more mature attempt to understand the surrounding reality among the Greeks.
Like his father Uranus, Kronos, having become king, did not want to give up rule to anyone, so he swallowed all the children born to his sister Rhea immediately after their birth. The mother managed to save one of her sons, Zeus. He was raised in secret from his parents on the island of Crete. Having entered into force, new god plotted to overthrow the cruel king.
Knowing who the Titans were and how dangerous they were, Zeus called upon all his brothers and sisters, whom he freed from the womb of Kronos, to help. For ten years there was a battle for power over the world, the future head of Olympus emerged victorious, and overthrew the old titan to Tartarus.
Embodiment in art
The history of the struggle of three generations of ancient gods is described in the epic “Titanomachy” by an unknown author; this work itself has not survived to this day, but according to some sources its content has been partially restored. During the classical period of the development of Greece, many famous writers and poets reproduced certain legends in their books.
In the Middle Ages, a whole cult of worship of ancient Greek history and mythology formed in Europe. Hundreds of authors around the world have looked for inspiration in the legends of this country; there are an endless number of versions, assumptions about who the gods, cyclops, giants are, and what the titans are.
Now the legends of Ancient Greece are experiencing a new round of popularity. Dozens of films on this topic are produced around the world every year.
The wealth of images and pictures of the special beliefs of the Greek people somewhat overshadow the more ancient myths; perhaps now not everyone knows who the titans are, but they are the beginning of the history of this amazing imaginary world.
- the son of Kronos, or Saturn and Rhea, brother of Zeus, ruler of the underworld, where he reigns over the shadows with his wife Persephone, or Proserpina. In Roman mythology, Pluto.
Atlas is a Titanide in Greek mythology, the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene. He maintained the firmament near the Garden of the Hesperides as punishment for participating in the battle with Zeus on the side of the Titans.
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leta (Latona), the patron of poetry, music and singing, and also the patron of flocks. As the messenger of the will of Zeus, Apollo was the god of predictions and oracles.
Coy - Greek mythology Titan, son of Uranus and Gaia, brother and husband of the Titanide Phoebe, who gave birth to Leto and Asteria. Participated in the Titanomachy and was thrown into Tartarus by Zeus along with his brothers.
Ares is the god of war, the son of Zeus and Hera. In early myths, the birth of Ares occurred without the participation of his father from the touch of Hera to magic flower. In later myths, Ares appeared as the son of Zeus.
Kronos is the son of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia. He succumbed to his mother’s persuasion and castrated his father Uranus in order to stop the endless births of his children.
Hermes is the Arcadian god of pastures, executor of the will of Zeus. Hermes, the great inventor, patron of industry, god of roads, guide and guide of the dead. In Roman mythology it corresponds to Mercury.
Ocean - ancient god water element, the forefather of the gods of the sea, rivers, streams and springs. Titan, son of Uranus and Gaia. From him came a large generation of water deities who made up a special water Olympus.
Dionysus is the eternally young god of the fruitful forces of the earth, vegetation, viticulture and winemaking, known as the “god with bull horns,” the son of Zeus and the Theban princess Semele.
Pallant is the son of Gaia and Uranus. During the Gigantomachy, Athena crushed the lustful Pallant with a piece of rock, and then tore off his skin, while still alive, to make herself an aegis.
Zeus is the son of Kronos (Saturn) and Rhea, the husband of Hera, the most powerful and highest of the gods of the Greek people, the sovereign ruler of the world, the father of gods and people. In Roman mythology, Jupiter.
Prometheus is the son of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clymene, or, according to another version, Asia or the goddess of justice Themis. Gave people divine fire, hidden by the thunderer Zeus.
Mars is the god of war in Roman mythology, the oldest deity of Rome, who was part of the triad of gods that originally headed the Roman pantheon - Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus.
Uranus is the most ancient of the Greek gods. Personification of the sky in Greek myths. The progenitor of the giants, goddesses of vengeance Erinyes, nymphs, hecatoncheires, giant cyclops, Aphrodite and the titan Kronos.
Mercury is the god of trade, profit and enrichment in Roman mythology, the patron of travelers, the son of Maya.
Neptune is one of the most ancient gods of the Roman pantheon. He was identified with the Greek mythological god Poseidon.
Pan is a field and forest god, the patron saint of herds grazing in the forest and field, possessed the gift of prophecy, and was considered the son of the prophetic Peak and the grandson of Kronos (Saturn). Among the Romans - Faun
Poseidon is the son of Kronos, or Saturn, and Rhea, brother of Zeus; after the victory over the titans, during the division of dominion over the world, he became the ruler of the sea. In Roman mythology, Neptune.
Jupiter is in Roman mythology the almighty god of the sky, the king of the gods. Jupiter was revered as the supreme deity, the lord of thunder and lightning.
Janus – Roman god of doors; as such had two faces. He was also the god of contracts and alliances. Janus commanded the beginnings. Before the advent of the cult of Jupiter, Janus was the deity of sky and light.
According to ancient Greek mythology, Uranus and Gaia were considered the most ancient generation of gods. The first personified the sky, and appeared from Chaos - the state of the world when there was nothing but Mist. She married Chaos and gave birth to Gaia and Uranus. Gaia personified the Earth and was older sister Uranus. Brother and sister entered into a marriage union, and from him children appeared - 6 gods and 6 goddesses. They were the titans - the ancient Greek gods of the second generation.
It should be said that there are many different interpretations of those distant mythological events. IN in this case Hesiod's version is presented - ancient Greek poet, who lived in VIII – 7th centuries BC e. He said that the names of the sons or titans were: Ocean, Krios, Kay, Iapetus, Hyperion, Kronos. The daughters or Titanides were named: Tethys, Theia, Themis, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, Rhea.
The ocean personified the waters of the world's oceans. He married his sister Tethys and from him the daughters of the Oceanids and the river gods appeared. By nature, the Ocean was kind and peaceful. Krios married Eurybia, who was the daughter of the deity Pontus. The latter was considered the son of Gaia from a connection with Ether, personifying air. Kay married the Titanide Phoebe. From this marriage Leto and Asteria appeared. Leto subsequently became the mistress of Zeus and gave birth to Apollo and Artemis.
The Titan Iapetus married Clymene, the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. In this marriage Prometheus, Epimethea, Atlanta and Menoetia were born. It was assumed that Iapetus was the progenitor of the Aryan tribes. Hyperion married his sister Theia. From this marriage Helios, Selene and Eos were born. And finally, Kronos, who was Uranus’s youngest son. It was he who took a dominant position among the titans - the ancient Greek gods.
This was preceded by the nasty and suspicious character of Uranus. He was afraid that one of the children would destroy him and seize power. Therefore, he immediately sent the children born into the bowels of the Earth. Kronos was the last born, and Gaia's mother suggested that he castrate his father. He took the sickle and deprived his father of the opportunity to produce offspring while he was sleeping. The crime weapon was thrown into the sea in the northern part of the Peloponnese.
Titan Kronos deprives father Uranus of the ability to produce offspring
After this, all the titans - the ancient Greek gods - were released from the bowels of the Earth, and Kronos became the main one among them, since it was to him that everyone owed salvation. It is believed that it was under Kronos that a golden age began on Earth. But this god, like his father, had a bad character. He married his sister Rhea, and swallowed the children she bore him, because he was afraid that one of them would take away his power.
At first, Kronos swallowed his eldest daughter Hestia, and he liked it. After this it was the turn of Demeter, Hera ( future wife Zeus), Hades, Poseidon. While living with Rhea, the leader of the Titans began a love affair with the nymph Philyra, who was the daughter of Ocean. From this connection came the centaur Chiron, who hated mere mortals and was drawn to drunkenness and scandals. Rhea soon began to suspect her husband’s infidelities, and he turned his mistress into a mare so that she could not tell anyone about their love affair. Kronos was such an unsightly and cruel person.
Meanwhile, Rhea became pregnant with Zeus. She decided to hide the baby from her carnivorous father, and therefore went to Crete and gave birth to him in a deep dungeon. She gave the stone to Kronos, saying that it was a newborn baby. The husband swallowed the stone, but immediately realized that he had been deceived. He began to look for the newborn, but the demons of the kureta began to interfere with the search. When infant Zeus cried, they created noise so that the bloodthirsty father could not hear the baby's cry.
Years passed, Zeus grew up and began a ten-year war with his father. This is a whole series of battles that ancient greek mythology called "Titanomachy". The final stage of the war was the complete victory of Zeus. He emasculated the defeated father and forced him to vomit his swallowed children.
Kronos cast into Tartarus
After this, Kronos and those titans who supported him were cast into the abyss. Even the kingdom of the dead Hades was located above this gloomy dungeon, which was called Tartarus. And so that the titans - the ancient Greek gods could not free themselves, guards were placed near them. These were Hecatoncheires - hundred-armed and fifty-headed giants.
Zeus made Hera his wife and queen of all the gods. Demeter became the goddess of fertility and fields. Poseidon gained power over the sea, and Hades became a god in the kingdom of the dead. These gods are called Olympian gods, since Zeus established his residence on Mount Olympus. As for those titans and titanides who did not resist Zeus, they were not touched and were left among the celestials.
Titans Titans
(Titanes, Τιτα̃νες). The children of Uranus and Gaia are six sons and six daughters. They entered into a fight with Zeus for possession of the sky, but were defeated by him with the help of the Cyclopes and the hundred-armed giants and thrown into Tartarus.
(Source: " Brief dictionary mythology and antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)
TITANS(Τιτάνες), in Greek mythology, gods of the first generation, born of the earth Gaia and the sky Uranus; their six brothers (Ocean, Coy, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Kronos) and six Titanide sisters (Tethys, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, Theia, Themis, Rhea), who married each other and gave birth to a new generation of gods: Prometheus, Helios, muses. Summer, etc. (Hes. Theog. 132-138). The name T., possibly associated with solar heat or dominion, is of pre-Greek origin. Younger from T. Kronos at the instigation of mother Gaia, he castrated Uranus with a sickle to stop his endless fertility (154-182), and took the place of the supreme god among T. Born from Kronos and Rhea, Zeus, in turn, was destined to deprive his father of power and become the head of a new generation of gods - Olympians (453-457). T. (except Ocean) set out from Mount Ofri; the gods born of Kronos and Rhea are from Olympus (hence their name Olympians); the battle (titanomachy) between T. and the Olympians lasted ten years, until they came to the aid of Zeus hundred-handed.
The defeated T. were thrown into Tartarus, where the hundred-handed men became their guards (629-735).
T. are archaic gods who personified the elements of nature with all its disasters. T. do not know rationality, orderliness and measure; their weapon is brute force. Therefore, they do not listen to the advice of Prometheus and Gaia-Themis in order to get along with Zeus by cunning (Aeschyl. Prom. 199-213). The primitive savagery of T. gives way to heroism and wise harmony of the cosmos of the Olympian period of Greek mythology; this process reflected the struggle of the pre-Greek gods of the Balkan substrate with the new gods of the Greek tribes invading from the north. Lit.: Summer, etc. (Hes. Theog. 132-138). The name T., possibly associated with solar heat or dominion, is of pre-Greek origin. Younger from T..
Junger F. G., Die Titanen, Fr/M., 1944; see also lit. at Art.
A. F. Losev.
(Source: “Myths of the Peoples of the World.”)Titans
Archaic gods of the first generation (pre-Olympic), born of Gaia and Uranus. Six brothers: Oceanus, Coy (Kay), Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Kronos. Six Titanide sisters: Tethys, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, Theia, Themis, Rhea. They married each other and gave birth to a new, third generation of gods. When Kronos was overthrown by Zeus, they stood up to defend their brother, but after the Titanomachy, a ten-year struggle with Zeus and other younger Olympian gods, they were defeated, chained and cast down on the advice of Prometheus into gloomy Tartarus. Subsequently, they reconciled with Zeus and submitted to him, recognizing his power, for which they were released by him. In later myths, titans are confused with giants. The Titans also included: Atlas?, Pallant?, Prometheus? and etc.
(Source: “Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary-reference book.” EdwART, 2009.)
See what "Titans" are in other dictionaries:
From ancient Greek mythology. According to the poet Hesiod (“Theogony”), the Titans are the children of Uranus (god of the sky) and Gaia (goddess of the earth), who rebelled against the gods of the Olympians, for which they were cast into Tartarus (hell, the underworld). Allegorically: people who are different... ... Dictionary of popular words and expressions
titans- >). Marble. 180 160 BC State museums. Berlin. /> Titans. Fragment of the eastern frieze of the Pergamon Altar: the battle of Zeus with the Titans (). Marble. 180 160 BC State museums. Berlin. Titans. Fragment of the eastern frieze of Pergamon... ... encyclopedic Dictionary « The World History»
- (foreign) fighters (great people, an allusion to the struggle of the Titans against Uranus). The Titanides are descendants of the Titans. Wed. It was quite difficult to understand what exactly she was afraid of from the modern titans of Russian thought. Leskov. The spirit of Mrs. Zhanlis. 5. Wed… … Michelson's Large Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (original spelling)
The descendants of Titan of monstrous stature, possessing extraordinary strength, argued with Jupiter about the possession of the sky and were overthrown by his lightning into Tartarus. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. TITANS in Greek. mythology... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Titans- Titans. Fragment of the eastern frieze of the Pergamon Altar: the battle of Zeus with the Titans (on the right is their leader Porphyrion). Marble. 180 160 BC State museums. Berlin. TITANS, in Greek mythology, the sons of Uranus and Gaia, gods defeated by Zeus and... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
In the myths of the ancient Greeks, children (6 sons and 6 daughters) and grandchildren of the sky god Uranus and the earth goddess Gaia. Under the leadership of Kronos, Uranus was deposed; after the overthrow of Kronos by Zeus, some of the titans rebelled against the Olympian gods, some joined... ... Historical Dictionary
TITANS, in Greek mythology, the sons of Uranus and Gaia, gods defeated by Zeus and cast into Tartarus... Modern encyclopedia
In Greek mythology, the sons of Uranus and Gaia, gods defeated by Zeus and cast into Tartarus. In later myths, titans are confused with giants... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (titanhV, Titanus) in Greek mythology, the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth). Homer mentions two T. Iapetus and Kronos, who rebelled against Zeus and suffered severe punishment for that: hence the idea of the Titans arose as the culprits of the existing in... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Titans and Olympians
In Ancient Greece, there are two groups of gods: titans, - gods of the second generation and Olympian gods, or Olympians- gods of the third generation. The Titans were born from the earth Gaia and the sky Uranus. There were six brothers - Oceanus, Kay, Crius, Hipperion, Iapetus, Kronos and six sisters - Thetis, Phoebe, Mnemosyne, Theia, Themis, Rhea, who married each other and gave birth to a new generation of gods - Prometheus, Helios, Selene, Eos (Aurora) and others. Youngest of the Titans Summer, etc. (Hes. Theog. 132-138). The name T., possibly associated with solar heat or dominion, is of pre-Greek origin. Younger from T. on the advice of his mother Gaia, he castrated Uranus with a sickle to stop his endless fertility, and took the place of the supreme god of the Titans.
The Olympians included the children of Kronos and Rhea - Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades (Hades), Poseidon and Zeus, as well as their descendants - Hephaestus, Hermes, Persephone, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Athena, Apollo and Artemis. Their leader was Zeus who deprived his father of power.
The history of the confrontation between the titans and the Olympians
The history of the confrontation between the Olympians and the Titans began with the fact that, fearing to lose power, Kronos began to swallow his children. He swallowed Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. Fearing that she would lose her last child, Zeus, Rhea hid him in a deep cave and gave Kronos a stone instead. The grown-up Zeus rebelled against his father and forced him to return the children he had absorbed into the world. They began to fight with Kronos and other titans for power over the world.
Titanomachy or battle of the Titans or Olympians
This fight known as Titanomachy, or battle of the titans- giants, was terrible and stubborn. The Titans - all except Oceanus - set out from Mount Othria; Olympians - from Mount Olympus. Their strengths were approximately equal. The battle lasted ten years until Zeus learned that the Olympian gods would win only if they freed the fifty-headed, hundred-armed giants, the Hundred-Handed or Hecatoncheires, imprisoned in the bowels of the earth (Tartar) by Uranus.
Soon, the terrible and huge, like mountains, the Hundred-Handed Ones, as well as the giant Cyclops and some of the titans (Ocean and the Oceanids, Prometheus) joined the gods. Intoxicated by the freedom they had received, the Hundred-Handed Ones tore rocks out of the Earth and with force, in the hundreds, brought them down on the heads of the Titans as they approached Olympus. The Earth groaned, a roar filled the air, everything around was shaking. Even Tartarus shuddered from this struggle. Zeus tirelessly threw fiery lightning, which the Cyclopes barely had time to forge and bring to him. Fire engulfed the entire Earth, the seas boiled, smoke and stench covered everything in a thick veil. The Thunderer was also helped by Pan, who knew how to instill causeless panic in his enemies.
