Titans and Titanomachy

In Greek mythology, the Titans were a powerful race of deities that reigned during the Golden Age of Ancient History. They were the elder gods of the known world and they were overthrown by the younger Gods, the ones we know as the Olympian Gods.

The Reign of Titans

Titans ruled the world overthrowing their father Uranus, who was the first ruler of the Universe. They were encouraged to these actions by their mother, Gaia who was frustrated with Uranus. The Titans indeed ruled the Universe and they were associated with different primal concepts and ruling results on the Earth.

The Titans - 1st and 2nd Generation

The Titans were Twelve, according to Hesiod who described them in his Theogony, however the later historians divide them to two different generations. The first generation consists of the offspring of Uranus and Gaia: Coeus, Crius, Cronos, the ruler of the universe, Dione, Hyperion, Mnemosyne, Oceanus, Phoebe, Rhea, mother of the Olympian Gods, Tethys, Thia or Euryphaessa, Themis.

The second generation of the Titans descends from the first and consists of:Asteria, Astraea, Astraeus, the father of the stars, Atlas,Eos or Dawn, Eosphorus, Epimetheus, Prometheus, Helius, Hesperus, Leto, Menoetius.

Cronos was the sovereign of the Titans and ruler of the Universe. When he dethroned his father, Uranus and Gaia told him that he would also be dethroned by his own son. Although Cronos had declared that he wanted to dethrone Uranus because he was not a decent and far ruler, he became a cunning and evil ruler as well. Later on, Zeus, Cronos’ son led the Gods against the Titans in a battle that is known in Mythology as the Titanomachy.

The Titanomachy

Zeus decided to become the ruler of Universe instead of Cronos and urged the Gods to the Battle of the Titans, known as Titanomachy. After ten years of war on Mount Olympus, the Titans were captured and imprisoned in Tartarus, except for those who decided not to fight against Zeus and the Gods. Themis and Prometheus sided with the Gods, fighting against the Titans. During the war earthquakes and other disasters took place on Earth, due to the severe clash between Gods and Titans, while the sound of thunderstone and storms was echoing all over the Universe.

There are several myths deriving from the Titanomachy; the most known one is that Zeus appointed Atlas to be the bearer of the World, holding and supporting the sky. Titanomachy is also mentioned in several different contexts, such as the clash between Prometheus and Zeus, or Hera and her famous jealousies against Zeus.

Titanomachy has inspired several artists throughout the centuries and the myths and stories of other later religions; it’s not accidental that Lucifer or Eosphorus in Christianity shares the same story with the Titans and the “fall” from the Heaven.

Source: Greek Myths