In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Greek: Τιτανομαχία), was the eleven-year [notes] series of battles fought between the two races of deities long before the existence of mankind: the Titans, fighting from Mount Othrys, and the Olympians, who would come to reign on Mount Olympus. This Titanomachia is also known as the Battle of the Titans, Battle of Gods, or just the Titan War. The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) 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 of their own cult and ritual practices. ... The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about the primordial gods in their mythology. ... Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον < δωδεκα, dodeka, twelve + θεον, theon, of the gods), in Greek religion, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. ... The ancient Greeks had a very small number of see gods. ... For other uses, see Chthon (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, the Muses (Greek , Mousai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *men- think[1]) are a number of goddesses or spirits who embody the arts and inspire the creation process with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing, traditional music and dance. ... Asclepius (Greek , transliterated AsklÄ“piós; Latin Aesculapius) is the demigod of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology. ... This article is about the race of Titans in Greek mythology. ... Oceanus, with his wife, Tethys, ruled the seas before Poseidon. ... In Greek mythology, Tethys was a Titaness and sea goddess who was both sister and wife of Oceanus. ... This article is about Hyperion, a Titan in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Theia (also written Thea or Thia), also called Euryphaessa (wide-shining), was a Titan. ... In Greek mythology, Coeus (also Koios) was the Titan of intelligence. ... Phoebe (pronunced fee-bee) was one of the original Titans, one set of sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaia. ... Cronus is not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ... Rhea (or Ria meaning she who flows) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus and of Gaia. ... Mnemosyne (Greek , IPA in RP and in General American) (sometimes confused with Mneme or compared with Memoria) was the personification of memory in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Hesiod mentions Themis among the six sons and six daughters—of whom Cronos was one—of Gaia and Ouranos, that is, of Earth with Sky. ... In Greek mythology, Crius was one of the Titans, a son of Uranus and Gaia. ... In Greek mythology Iapetus, or Iapetos, was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father (by an Oceanid named Clymene or Asia) of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius and through Prometheus and Epimetheus and Atlas an ancestor of the human race. ... Eos, by Evelyn De Morgan (1850 - 1919), 1895 (Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC): for a Pre-Raphaelite painter, Eos was still the classical pagan equivalent of an angel Eos (dawn) was, in Greek Mythology, the Titan goddess of the dawn, who rose from her home at the edge of... For other uses, see Helios (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Greek goddess. ... For other uses, see Leto (disambiguation). ... Asteria in Greek mythology can refer to: // In Greek mythology, Asteria was the sixth Amazon killed by Heracles when he came for Hippolytes girdle. ... In Greek mythology, Atlas was one of the primordial Titans. ... In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Ancient Greek: , forethought)[1] is a Titan known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals for their use. ... In Greek mythology, Epimetheus (hindsight, literally hind-thought) was the brother of Prometheus (foresight, literally fore-thought), a pair of Titans who acted as representatives of mankind (Kerenyi 1951, p 207). ... For other uses, see Menoetius. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) 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 of their own cult and ritual practices. ... This article is about the race of Titans in Greek mythology. ... Mount Othrys (Greek: Όρος Όθρυς, Oros-, other transliteration: Othris) is a mountain in Central Greece in the northeastern part of Fthiotis and southern part of Magnesia. ... Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον < δωδεκα, dodeka, twelve + θεον, theon, of the gods), in Greek religion, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. ... Mount Olympus (Greek: ; also transliterated as Mount Ólympos, and on modern maps, Óros Ólimbos) is the highest mountain in Greece at 2,919 meters high (9,576 feet)[1]. Since its base is located at sea level, it is one of the highest mountains in Europe, in real absolute altitude...

Greeks of the Classical age knew of several poems about the war between the gods and many of the Titans. The dominant one, and the only one that has survived, was the Theogony attributed to Hesiod. A lost epic, Titanomachia, 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. The Titans also played a prominent role in the poems attributed to Orpheus. Although only scraps of the Orphic narratives survive, they show interesting differences from the Hesiodic tradition. Poetry (ancient Greek: poieo = create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... Theogony (Greek: Θεογονία, theogonia = the birth of God(s)) is a poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies of the gods of the ancient Greeks, composed circa 700 BC. The title of the work comes from the Greek words for god and seed. // Hesiods Theogony is a large-scale... Roman bronze bust, the so-called Pseudo-Seneca, now identified by some as possibly Hesiod Hesiod (Hesiodos, ) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BC. Hesiod and Homer, with whom Hesiod is often paired, have been considered the earliest Greek poets whose work has survived... The Titanomachy is an epic poem, which is a part of Ancient Greek Mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Thamyris, son of Philammon and the nymph Argiope, was a Thracian singer who was so proud of his skill that he boasted he could outsing the Muses. ... Mestrius Plutarchus (Greek: Πλούταρχος; 46 - 127), better known in English as Plutarch, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist. ... For other uses, see Orpheus (disambiguation). ... Orphism or Orphic cubism, is a term coined in 1912 France by the poet Guillaume Apollinaire. ...

These Greek myths of the Titanomachy fall into a class of similar myths 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. 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" Kumarbi narrative, the obscure generational conflict in Ugaritic fragments, and the Judeo-Christian tradition of the Fallen angel. A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον, temple of all gods, from πᾶν, all + θεός, god) is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Norse, Egyptian, Shintoism, Greek, vodun, Yoruba Mythology and Roman mythology. ... In Old Norse, the Æsir (singular Ás, feminine Ásynja, feminine plural Ásynjur, Anglo-Saxon Ós, from Proto-Germanic *Ansuz) are the principal gods of the pantheon of Norse mythology. ... Vanir is the name of one of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology, the other and more well known being the Æsir. ... The giants Fafner and Fasolt seize Freyja in Arthur Rackhams illustration to Richard Wagners version of the Norse myths. ... Norse mythology, Viking mythology or Scandinavian mythology refer to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people. ... Babylonia was an ancient state in Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... Enûma Elish is the creation epic of Babylonian mythology. ... The Song of Kumarbi (CTH 344, also Kingship in Heaven) is the title given to a Hittite version of the Hurrian Kumarbi myth, dating to the 14th or 13th century BC. It is preserved in three tablets, but only a small fraction of the text is legible. ... Excavated ruins at Ras Shamra. ... Jacob wrestling an angel, by Gustave Doré (1832-1883), a shared Judeo-Christian story. ... For other uses, see Fallen angel (disambiguation). ...

Prior events

The stage for this important battle was set after the youngest Titan, Cronus, overthrew his own father, Uranus (the Heaven itself and ruler of the cosmos), with the help of his mother, Gaia (the earth). Cronus is not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ... For other uses, see Uranus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gaia. ...

Uranus drew the enmity of Gaia when he imprisoned her children the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes in Tartarus. Gaia created a great sickle and gathered together Cronus and his brothers to persuade them to kill Uranus. Only Cronus was willing to do the deed, so Gaia gave him the sickle and placed him in ambush. For other uses, see Gaia. ... The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires, were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. ... This page is about the mythical creature. ... This article is about the deity and the place in Greek mythology. ... Using a sickle A sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crops before the advent of modern harvesting machinery. ...

When Uranus met with Gaia, Cronus attacked Uranus with the sickle and cut off his genitals, and cast the severed member into the sea. From the blood (or, by a few accounts, semen) that spilled out from Uranus and fell upon the earth, the Gigantes, Erinyes, and Meliae were produced. Human blood smear: a - erythrocytes; b - neutrophil; c - eosinophil; d - lymphocyte. ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... Gigantomachia: Dionysos attacking a Gigante, Attic red-figure pelike, ca. ... Two Furies, from an ancient vase. ... In Greek mythology, the Meliae were nymphs of the manna-ash tree. ...

Cronus took his father's throne after dispatching Uranus. He then secured his power by re-imprisoning his siblings the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes, and his (newly-created) siblings the Gigantes, in Tartarus. The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires, were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. ... This page is about the mythical creature. ... Gigantomachia: Dionysos attacking a Gigante, Attic red-figure pelike, ca. ...

Gaia, angry at Cronus for keeping his brothers in the same pit Uranus 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 Uranus 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 (or Ria meaning she who flows) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus and of Gaia. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ...

Rhea brought Zeus to a cave in Crete, where he was raised to adulthood. Later, Metis gave Zeus a potion who used it to cause Cronus to vomit up his swallowed children. Zeus then led his released brothers and sisters in rebellion against the Titans. For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ...

War

The Fall of the Titans, by Cornelis van Haarlem, 1588

Now the Olympians, led by Zeus, declared war against the previous generation of deities, the Titans. The Titans who fought were led by Cronus and included: Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Atlas, Menoetius, the Gigantes, and Campe. The Olympians led by Zeus included: Hades, and Poseidon, assisted by the Hecatonchires (Hundred-handed ones) and Cyclopes, who had been imprisoned by Cronus. It is said the Hecatonchires helped the Olympians by hurling huge stones at the Titans—one hundred at a time. The Cyclopes helped by crafting Zeus' famous weapon, The Blade of Olympus. They also crafted Poseidon's trident and Hades' helmet of invisibility. Hestia, Demeter, and Hera also supported their brothers. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x775, 265 KB) Fall of the Titans 1588 Oil on canvas, 239 cm x 307 cm Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Titanomachy ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x775, 265 KB) Fall of the Titans 1588 Oil on canvas, 239 cm x 307 cm Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Titanomachy ... Olympians can refer to any of the following: The Twelve Olympians of Ancient Greek mythology. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ... Cronus is not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ... In Greek mythology, Coeus (also Koios) was the Titan of intelligence. ... In Greek mythology, Crius was one of the Titans, a son of Uranus and Gaia. ... This article is about Hyperion, a Titan in Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology Iapetus, or Iapetos, was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father (by an Oceanid named Clymene or Asia) of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius and through Prometheus and Epimetheus and Atlas an ancestor of the human race. ... In Greek mythology, Atlas was one of the primordial Titans. ... In Greek mythology, Menoetius referred to several different people. ... Gigantomachia: Dionysos attacking a Gigante, Attic red-figure pelike, ca. ... A female monster in Greek mythology, Campe (crooked) guarded the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes in Tartarus after Cronus imprisoned them there; she was killed by Zeus when he rescued his uncles for help in the Titanomachy. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires, were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. ... This page is about the mythical creature. ... The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires, were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. ... Cyclopes may refer to: Silky Anteater plural of Cyclops is a one-eyed monster in Greek mythology. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... Neptune reigns in the city of Bristol. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hestia (disambiguation). ... This article is about the grain goddess Demeter. ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ...

Having at last won victory after a full decade of war, the three Olympian brothers, according to a single passage in the Iliad drew lots to divide the spoils, granting dominion of the heavens and sky to Zeus, the sea to Poseidon, and the underworld to Hades. The Olympians then shut the defeated Titans within Tartarus, the deepest depths of the underworld. However, since during the war Oceanus and the Titanides (female Titans), Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys, had remained neutral, they were not punished by Zeus. Some other Titans who were not imprisoned in Tartarus include: Atlas, Cronus, and Prometheus and Epimetheus. Zeus gave Atlas a different punishment. Old Uranus, the sky, nearly collapsed onto the earth after the war because so much fighting had occurred below. As a result, Zeus condemned Atlas to hold up the heavens and sky for eternity. In some accounts, Cronus manages to flee after the war, thereby avoiding imprisonment in Tartarus, but is killed by Zeus with a thunderbolt. The Hecatonchires remained to guard over the prisoners of Tartarus. title page of the Rihel edition of ca. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ... This article is about the deity and the place in Greek mythology. ... Hermes Psykhopompos: sitting on a rock, the god is preparing to lead a dead soul to the Underworld, Attic white-ground lekythos, ca. ... Oceanus, with his wife, Tethys, ruled the seas before Poseidon. ... In Greek mythology, Theia (also written Thea or Thia), also called Euryphaessa (wide-shining), was a Titan. ... Rhea (or Ria meaning she who flows) was the Titaness daughter of Uranus and of Gaia. ... In Greek mythology, Hesiod mentions Themis among the six sons and six daughters—of whom Cronos was one—of Gaia and Ouranos, that is, of Earth with Sky. ... Mnemosyne (Greek , IPA in RP and in General American) (sometimes confused with Mneme or compared with Memoria) was the personification of memory in Greek mythology. ... Phoebe (pronunced fee-bee) was one of the original Titans, one set of sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaia. ... In Greek mythology, Tethys was a Titaness and sea goddess who was both sister and wife of Oceanus. ... In Greek mythology, Atlas was one of the primordial Titans. ... Cronus is not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ... In Greek mythology, Prometheus (Ancient Greek: , forethought)[1] is a Titan known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals for their use. ... In Greek mythology, Epimetheus (hindsight, literally hind-thought) was the brother of Prometheus (foresight, literally fore-thought), a pair of Titans who acted as representatives of mankind (Kerenyi 1951, p 207). ... For other uses, see Uranus (disambiguation). ... Cronus is not to be confused with Chronos, the personification of time. ... This article is about the deity and the place in Greek mythology. ... The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires, were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. ... This article is about the deity and the place in Greek mythology. ...

See also

• Gigantomachy
• Pergamon Altar
• Theomachy
• Titan (mythology)

Dionysos attacking a Giant during the Gigantomachia, Attic red-figure pelike, ca. ... The front of the Pergamon Altar, as it is reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. ... Theomachy is a reference to battles fought between Greek Olympians themselves. ... This article is about the race of Titans in Greek mythology. ...

Notes

1) The war was fought without success for either side for ten years^[1] and was therefore won in the eleventh year. See also section ll. 617-643 of Hesoid's Theogeny where it states: "So they, with bitter wrath, were fighting continually with one another at that time for ten full years, and the hard strife had no close or end for either side..."

External links and further reading

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Titanomachy