The Titanomachy

The Titanomachy In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy (Τιτανομαχία), or War of the Titans, was the eleven-year ​ ​ ​ ​ 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. It is also known as the Battle of the Titans, Battle of Gods, or just the Titan War. ​

Fall of the Titans, Cornelis van Haarlem

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. 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 (as in this mythology). Sometimes the rebels lose, and are either cast out of power entirely or incorporated into the pantheon.

Prior Events This stage for this important battle was set after the youngest Titan, Cronus ​ (Saturn), overthrew his own father, Ouranus, god of the Heaven and ruler of ​ ​ the universe, with the help of his mother, Gaia (the earth). Cronus then ​ ​ castrated his father, took his throne, and released his fellow Titan siblings, who had been locked away in Tartarus under Ouranus' tyrannical and selfish reign. However, as Ouranus was usurped, he made a prophecy that Cronus' own children would rebel against his rule just as he and his siblings had done to him. For fear of his unborn children rising against him, Cronus now turned into the terrible king his father Ouranus had been, swallowing each of his children whole as they were born from his wife Rhea. However, Rhea ​ ​ managed to hide her fifth and sixth children, Poseidon (Neptune) and Zeus ​ ​ ​ (Jupiter), having Cronus swallowing a foal instead of Poseidon, and a rock instead of Zeus. Rhea brought Zeus to a cave on an abandoned island, where Zeus was raised by various other magical beings. When Zeus became a teenager, he went to one of Cronus' parties disguised as a fellow Titan, and gave Cronus some special potion, which caused Cronus to vomit up his swallowed siblings. Zeus then led his brothers and sisters in rebellion against the Titans.

War 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, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ and Menoetius. The Olympians were led by Zeus and included: Hestia (Vesta), Demeter ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (Ceres), Hera (Juno), Hades (Pluto), and Poseidon. Additionally, the Hecatonchires ​ ​ ​ ​ (Hundred-handed), the Gigantes (Giants) and Cyclopes, who had been imprisoned by Cronus, ​ ​ ​ ​ assisted the Olympians. 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 lightning bolt.

Having at last won victory after a full decade of war, the Olympian gods divided the spoils between themselves, 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), ​ ​ Thea, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Hecate, Metis and Tethys, had remained neutral, they ​ ​ ​ ​ were not punished by Zeus. Some other Titans who were not imprisoned in Tartarus include: Atlas, Cronus, Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Prometheus. Zeus gave Atlas a different punishment. Old Ouranus, 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. Epimetheus, Menoetius, and Prometheus switched sides and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ aided Zeus in the war, therefore they were not punished. Cronus manage to flee after the war, thereby avoiding imprisonment in Tartarus. The Romans believed he fled to Italy and set up dominion there as an agricultural god. The Hecatonchires remained to guard over the prisoners of Tartarus. We will now return to Zeus and his brothers, who, having gained a complete victory over their enemies, began to consider how the world, which they had conquered, should be divided between them. At last it was settled by drawing straws that Zeus should reign supreme in Heaven (the longest straw), whilst Hades governed the Lower World (the shortest straw), and Poseidon had full command over the Sea, but the supremacy of Zeus was recognized in all three kingdoms, in heaven, on earth (in which of course the sea was included), and under the earth. Zeus held his court on the top of Mount Olympus, whose summit was beyond the clouds; the dominions of Hades were the gloomy unknown regions below the earth; and Poseidon reigned over the sea. It will be seen that the realm of each of these gods was enveloped in mystery. Olympus was shrouded in mists, Hades was wrapt in gloomy darkness, and the sea was, and indeed still is, a source of wonder and deep interest. Hence we see that what to other nations were merely strange phenomena, served this poetical and imaginative people as a foundation upon which to build the wonderful stories of their mythology.

Ȳ You will be writing a journal entry from the perspective of Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades. You will not get to choose which one you are.

As you finish, put yourself in a group of three. I will bring you a set of straws to draw. The longest straw is Zeus, the shortest is Hades. Once drawn, compose a journal entry about your day as the god. Include the results of the straws, which kingdom you rule, pros and cons of the results, and how you ultimately feel about it. You may choose to include details or references to other myths we have read about the god.

Example: Dear Diary, I am so bummed! My brothers were way luckier than I was when we drew straws. Zeus got the sky, even though he’s the youngest. Poseidon got the ocean, which is pretty cool, too. But me? I got stuck in the Underworld where it’s all dark and full of monsters and these weepy dead spirits, yuck. As the eldest, I definitely deserved the sky, but I guess there’s no arguing with the fates. This morning wasn’t so bad. I was near the surface checking out the gates and chatting with Charon when I heard this delightful sound of happy girls playing in a meadow. It was just enchanting! I will surely have to get to know them better… Love,