In Greek mythology, the Titans (Greek: Τῑτάν Tītā́n; plural: Τῑτᾶνες Tītânes) were a race of powerful deities that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about primordial deities in their mythology, which would later be largely adapted by the The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον The ancient Greeks had a large number of sea deities. The philosopher Plato once remarked that the Greek people were like frogs sitting around a pond -- their Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean In Greek mythology, the Muses ( Ancient Greek, hai moũsai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root * men- "think" are Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine Ocean (Ὠκεανός was believed to be the world-ocean in Classical antiquity, which the ancient Romans and Greeks considered to be In Classical Greek mythology, Tethys (Greek Τηθύς) daughter of Uranus and Gaia ( Hesiod, Theogony lines Hyperion (Greek) is a Titan, the son of Gaia (Earth and Uranus (Sky Helios Hyperion, 'Sun High-one' In Greek mythology, Theia, goddess or divine, (sometimes written Thea or Thia) also called Euryphaessa, wide-shining In Greek mythology, Coeus ( Ancient Greek:, Koios) was one of the Titans, the giant sons and daughters of Uranus (Heaven and In Greek mythology "golden-wreathed" Phoebe (Ancient Greek Φοίβη, Phoibe pronounced /'fiː Cronus or Kronos, ( Ancient Greek Κρόνος Krónos) was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants Rhea ( ancient Greek) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus, the sky and Gaia, the earth in classical Greek mythology Mnemosyne (Greek, nɪˈmɒzɪni or /nɪˈmɒsəni/ (sometimes confused with Mneme or compared with Memoria For other uses see Themis (disambiguation. In Greek mythology, Hesiod mentions Themis (Θέμις among the six sons and six daughters of Gaia In Greek mythology, Crius ( Kreios (Κρεῖος the "Ram" was one of the Titans in the list given in Hesiod 's Theogony In Greek mythology, Iapetus, also Iapetos or Japetus (Ἰαπετός was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father For other uses of the name Eos see Eos (disambiguation. For the Slavic goddesses called the Auroras see The Zorya. In Greek mythology the Sun was personified as Helios (ˈhiliˌɑs ( Ἥλιος Latinized as Helius) In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη " Moon " English sɛˈliːniː was an archaic Lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans Lētṓ ( Greek:, Λ&alphaτώ, Lato in Dorian Greek etymology and meaning disputed in Greek mythology, is a daughter of In Greek mythology, Asteria was a name attributed to five individuals Amazon Asteria was the sixth Amazon killed by Heracles when In Greek mythology, Atlas (Eng /'æt ləs/ Gk Ἄτλας was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Προμηθεύς "forethought" is a Titan known for his wily intelligence who stole Fire from Zeus In Greek mythology, Epimetheus ( Greek) ("hindsight" literally "hind-thought" but in the manner of a fool looking behind while running In Greek mythology, Menoetius (Greek Menoitios) referred to several different people Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below Their role as Elder Gods that were overthrown by a present race of younger gods, the Olympians, was a Greek borrowing from the Ancient Near East. The Ancient Near East refers to early Civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq ^[1]

There are twelve Titans^[2] from their first literary appearance, in Hesiod, Theogony; Pseudo-Apollodorus, in Bibliotheke, adds a thirteenth Titan Dione, a double of Theia. Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE Theogony ( Greek: Θεογονία theogonia = the birth of God(s is a Poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies The Bibliotheca (in English: Library) in three books provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic Legends The Bibliotheca (in English: Library) in three books provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic Legends Dione in Greek mythology is a vague goddess presence who has her most concrete form in Book V of Homer 's Iliad as the mother of Aphrodite In Greek mythology, Theia, goddess or divine, (sometimes written Thea or Thia) also called Euryphaessa, wide-shining The six male Titans are known as the Titanes, and the females as the Titanides ("Titanesses"). The Titans were associated with various primal concepts, some of which are simply extrapolated from their names: ocean and fruitful earth, sun and moon, memory and natural law. Water has been important to all peoples of the earth and it is rich in spiritual tradition Earth, home and origin of humanity has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. In Psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store retain and subsequently retrieve information Natural law or the law of nature ( Latin: lex naturalis) is a theory that posits the existence of a law whose content is set by Nature and that The twelve first-generation Titans were ruled by the youngest, Kronos, who overthrew their father, Oranos ('Sky'), at the urgings of their mother, Gaia ('Earth'). Cronus or Kronos, ( Ancient Greek Κρόνος Krónos) was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants Uranus (ˈjʊərənəs jʊˈreɪnəs is the Latinized form of Ouranos () the Greek word for Sky. Gaia (ˈgeɪə or /ˈgaɪə/ (" land " or " Earth " from the Ancient Greek Γαîα also Gæa or Gea

The Titans later gave birth to other Titans, notably the children of Hyperion (Helios, Eos, and Selene), the daughters of Coeus (Leto and Asteria), and the sons of Iapetus — Prometheus, Epimetheus, Atlas, and Menoetius; all of these descendants in the second generation are also known as "Titans". Hyperion (Greek) is a Titan, the son of Gaia (Earth and Uranus (Sky Helios Hyperion, 'Sun High-one' In Greek mythology the Sun was personified as Helios (ˈhiliˌɑs ( Ἥλιος Latinized as Helius) For other uses of the name Eos see Eos (disambiguation. For the Slavic goddesses called the Auroras see The Zorya. In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη " Moon " English sɛˈliːniː was an archaic Lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans In Greek mythology, Coeus ( Ancient Greek:, Koios) was one of the Titans, the giant sons and daughters of Uranus (Heaven and Lētṓ ( Greek:, Λ&alphaτώ, Lato in Dorian Greek etymology and meaning disputed in Greek mythology, is a daughter of In Greek mythology, Asteria was a name attributed to five individuals Amazon Asteria was the sixth Amazon killed by Heracles when In Greek mythology, Iapetus, also Iapetos or Japetus (Ἰαπετός was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Προμηθεύς "forethought" is a Titan known for his wily intelligence who stole Fire from Zeus In Greek mythology, Epimetheus ( Greek) ("hindsight" literally "hind-thought" but in the manner of a fool looking behind while running In Greek mythology, Atlas (Eng /'æt ləs/ Gk Ἄτλας was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens

The Titans preceded the Twelve Olympians, who, led by Zeus, eventually overthrew them in the Titanomachy ('War of the Titans'). The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Titanomachy (epic poem In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Τιτανομαχία was the ten-year series of battles fought between The Titans were then imprisoned in Tartarus, the deepest part of the underworld, with the few exceptions being those who didn't fight with Kronos. In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place The Greek Underworld is a general term used to describe the various realms of Greek mythology which were believed to lie beneath the earth or beyond the horizon

In Hesiod

In Hesiod's Theogony the twelve Titans follow the Hecatonchires (the "Hundred-handed") and Cyclopes as the youngest set of children of Uranus, and Gaia:

"Afterwards she lay with Uranus and bore deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE Theogony ( Greek: Θεογονία theogonia = the birth of God(s is a Poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires Ἑκατόγχειρες( were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops (ˈsaɪklɒps or kyklops ( Greek) is a member of a primordial race of Uranus (ˈjʊərənəs jʊˈreɪnəs is the Latinized form of Ouranos () the Greek word for Sky. Gaia (ˈgeɪə or /ˈgaɪə/ (" land " or " Earth " from the Ancient Greek Γαîα also Gæa or Gea Ocean (Ὠκεανός was believed to be the world-ocean in Classical antiquity, which the ancient Romans and Greeks considered to be In Greek mythology, Coeus ( Ancient Greek:, Koios) was one of the Titans, the giant sons and daughters of Uranus (Heaven and In Greek mythology, Crius ( Kreios (Κρεῖος the "Ram" was one of the Titans in the list given in Hesiod 's Theogony Hyperion (Greek) is a Titan, the son of Gaia (Earth and Uranus (Sky Helios Hyperion, 'Sun High-one' In Greek mythology, Iapetus, also Iapetos or Japetus (Ἰαπετός was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father In Greek mythology, Theia, goddess or divine, (sometimes written Thea or Thia) also called Euryphaessa, wide-shining Rhea ( ancient Greek) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus, the sky and Gaia, the earth in classical Greek mythology For other uses see Themis (disambiguation. In Greek mythology, Hesiod mentions Themis (Θέμις among the six sons and six daughters of Gaia Mnemosyne (Greek, nɪˈmɒzɪni or /nɪˈmɒsəni/ (sometimes confused with Mneme or compared with Memoria In Greek mythology "golden-wreathed" Phoebe (Ancient Greek Φοίβη, Phoibe pronounced /'fiː In Classical Greek mythology, Tethys (Greek Τηθύς) daughter of Uranus and Gaia ( Hesiod, Theogony lines After them was born Kronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire. "

Oranos kept all of Gaia's children trapped within her womb, and Gaia groaned from the strain. Gaia (ˈgeɪə or /ˈgaɪə/ (" land " or " Earth " from the Ancient Greek Γαîα also Gæa or Gea Eventually, Kronos, her youngest child at the time, volunteered to set upon his father, castrating him, thereby freeing Gaia's children and setting himself up as king of the titans with Rhea as his wife and queen.

Rhea gave birth to a new generation of gods to Kronos, but, in fear that they too would eventually overthrow him, he swallowed them all whole one by one. Only Zeus was saved: Rhea gave Cronus a stone in swaddling clothes in his place, and placed the infant Zeus in Crete to be guarded by the Kouretes. The Korybantes ( Ancient Greek:) were the crested dancers who worshiped the Phrygian goddess Cybele with drumming and dancing

Once Zeus reached adulthood, he subdued Cronus by wile rather than force, using a potion concocted with the help of Gaia, his grandmother, to forcibly cause Cronus to vomit up Zeus's siblings. A war between younger and older gods commenced, in which Zeus is aided by the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes, who had once again been freed from Tartarus. The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires Ἑκατόγχειρες( were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops (ˈsaɪklɒps or kyklops ( Greek) is a member of a primordial race of In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place Zeus won after a long struggle, and cast many of the Titans down into Tartarus. In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place

And yet the older gods left their mark on the world: Oceanus continued to encircle the world, and the name of "bright shining" Phoebe was attached as an epithet to effulgent Apollo, "Phoebus Apollo". Some of them had not fought the Olympians and became key players in the new administration: Mnemosyne as a Muse, Rhea, Hyperion, Themis, or the "right ordering" of things and Metis. Mnemosyne (Greek, nɪˈmɒzɪni or /nɪˈmɒsəni/ (sometimes confused with Mneme or compared with Memoria In Greek mythology, the Muses ( Ancient Greek, hai moũsai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root * men- "think" are Rhea ( ancient Greek) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus, the sky and Gaia, the earth in classical Greek mythology Hyperion (Greek) is a Titan, the son of Gaia (Earth and Uranus (Sky Helios Hyperion, 'Sun High-one' For other uses see Themis (disambiguation. In Greek mythology, Hesiod mentions Themis (Θέμις among the six sons and six daughters of Gaia In Greek mythology, Metis (Μῆτις was of the Titan generation and like several primordial figures an Oceanid, in the sense that Metis was born of

Titanomachy

Main article: Titanomachy

Head of a Titan, National Archaeological Museum of Athens

Greeks of the Classical age knew of several poems about the war between the gods and many of the Titans, the Titanomachy ("War of the Titans"). Titanomachy (epic poem In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Τιτανομαχία was the ten-year series of battles fought between Titanomachy (epic poem In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Τιτανομαχία was the ten-year series of battles fought between The National Archaeological Museum of Athens (Εθνικό Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety Titanomachy (epic poem In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Τιτανομαχία was the ten-year series of battles fought between The dominant one, and the only one that has survived, was in the Theogony attributed to Hesiod. Theogony ( Greek: Θεογονία theogonia = the birth of God(s is a Poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE A lost epic Titanomachy attributed to the blind Thracian bard Thamyris, himself a legendary figure, was mentioned in passing in an essay On Music that was once attributed to Plutarch. In Greek mythology, Thamyris ( Greek: Θάμυρις son of Philammon and the nymph Argiope, was a Thracian singer who was so proud Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c And the Titans played a prominent role in the poems attributed to Orpheus. Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in Although only scraps of the Orphic narratives survive, they show interesting differences with the Hesiodic tradition. Orphism (more rarely Orphicism) is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek and Thracian world associated with literature

These Greek myths of the Titanomachy fall into a class of similar myths of a War in Heaven throughout Europe and the Near East, where one generation or group of gods by and large opposes the dominant one. Sometimes the Elder Gods are supplanted. Sometimes the rebels lose, and are either cast out of power entirely or incorporated into the pantheon. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον - pantheion, literally "a temple of all gods " neut Other examples might include the wars of the Æsir with the Vanir and Jotuns in Scandinavian mythology, the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish, the Hittite "Kingship in Heaven" narrative, and the obscure generational conflict in Ugaritic fragments. In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. A jötunn, sometimes anglicized as jotun (pronounced yotun is a giant in Norse mythology, a member of a race of nature spirits with superhuman strength Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital The akk Enûma Eliš is the Babylonian Creation myth (named for its Incipit) The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established Ugarit ( Ugaritic: ʼugrt; Hebrew:; Arabic:) (modern Ras Shamra رأس شمرة ("top/head/cape of the wild Fennel The rebellion of Lucifer from Christianity could also fall under this category. Lucifer is a name frequently given to Satan in Christian belief Christian mythology ( μῦθος (mythos in Greek is the body of traditional Narratives associated with Christianity.

In Orphic sources

Hesiod is not, however, the last word on the Titans. Surviving fragments of Orphic poetry in particular preserve some variations on the myth. Orpheus ( Greek: Ὀρφεύς ˈɔrfiəs ( OHR-fee-uhs) or /ˈɔrfjuːs/ ( OHR'-fews) in English is a figure from Greek mythology born in

In one Orphic text, Zeus does not simply set upon his father violently. Instead, Rhea spreads out a banquet for Cronos, so that he becomes drunk upon fermented honey. Rather than being consigned to Tartarus, Cronus is dragged — still drunk — to the cave of Nyx (Night), where he continues to dream and prophesy throughout eternity. In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place Cronus or Kronos, ( Ancient Greek Κρόνος Krónos) was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants

Another myth concerning the Titans that is not in Hesiod revolves around Dionysus. Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman At some point in his reign, Zeus decides to give up the throne in favor of the infant Dionysus, who like the infant Zeus is guarded by the Kouretes. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology The Korybantes ( Ancient Greek:) were the crested dancers who worshiped the Phrygian goddess Cybele with drumming and dancing The Titans decide to slay the child and claim the throne for themselves; they paint their faces white with gypsum, distract Dionysus with toys, then dismember him and boil and roast his limbs. Zeus, enraged, slays the Titans with his thunderbolt; Athena preserves the heart in a gypsum doll, out of which a new Dionysus is made. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. This story is told by the poets Callimachus and Nonnus, who call this Dionysus "Zagreus", and also in a number of Orphic texts, which do not. Callimachus ( Greek:, 310 BC/305 BC-240 BC was a native of the Greek colony of Cyrene, Libya. Theophanes Nonnus was a Byzantine physician For the saint of this name see Saint Nonnus. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Zagreus is also the name of a genus of ladybird beetle See Zagreus for more information Orphism (more rarely Orphicism) is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices in the ancient Greek and Thracian world associated with literature

One iteration of this story, reported by the Neoplatonist philosopher Olympiodorus, writing in the Christian era, says that humanity sprung up out of the fatty smoke of the burning Titan corpses. Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical Philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD founded by Olympiodorus the Younger (c 495-570 was a Neoplatonist Philosopher and teacher (and also an Astrologer) who lived in the early years of the Byzantine Other earlier writers imply that humanity was born out of the blood shed by the Titans in their war against Zeus.

Pindar, Plato and Oppian refer offhandedly to man's "Titanic nature". Pindar (ˈpɪndɚ (or Pindarus, Greek:) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos) was an Ancient Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Oppian or Oppianus (Οππιανος was the name of the authors of two (or three didactic poems in Greek Hexameters formerly identified but now generally regarded Whether this refers to a sort of "original sin" rooted in the murder of Dionysus is hotly debated by scholars.

In the 20th century

Some scholars of the past century or so, most eloquently Jane Ellen Harrison, have argued that an initiatory or shamanic ritual underlies the myth of Dionysus's dismemberment and cannibalism by the Titans. Jane Ellen Harrison ( September 9, 1850 &ndash April 5, 1928) was a ground-breaking British classical scholar linguist In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman

She also points out that the word "Titan" comes from the Greek τιτανος, meaning white earth, clay or gypsum, and that the Titans were "white clay men", or men covered by white clay or gypsum dust in their rituals. ^[3]

The scholar M. L. West also points this out in relation to shamanistic initiatory rites of early Greek religious practices. ^[4]

The element titanium is named for the titans. Titanium (taɪˈteɪniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Ti and Atomic number 22

Out of confusion with the Gigantes, various large things have been named after the Titans for their "titanic" size, for example the RMS Titanic or the giant predatory bird Titanis walleri. See Gigantes y cabezudos for the giant figures of Spanish culture Construction The Titanic was a White Star Line ocean liner built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland Titanis ( Etymology: Titanis after the titans Ancient Greek gods that preceded the Twelve Olympians, in allusion to the

Notes

References

• Jane Ellen Harrison, Themis: A Study of the Social Origins of Greek Religion, 1912. Jane Ellen Harrison ( September 9, 1850 &ndash April 5, 1928) was a ground-breaking British classical scholar linguist [2]
• Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1870, article on "Titan". Sir William Smith (1813 &ndash 1893 English Lexicographer, was born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1849 originally published 1844 under a slightly different title is an Encyclopedia / Biographical dictionary
• Martin Litchfield West, The Orphic Poems, 1983.

External links

• Theoi Project, Titans references to Titans in classical literature, in translation
• Greek Mythology Link, Titans summary of the Titans myth