The Titans

The Titans were the twelve children of Uranus and Gaea. They consisted of six brothers (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Cronus) and six sisters (Thia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys). Other sources also name the following gods as Titans: .

When Uranus threw the Titans down into Tartarus together with their brothers, the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes, Gaea persuaded them to rise against their father. Only Oceanus, the eldest amongst them, refused to overthrow his father. She gave to the youngest Titan, Cronus, an iron (or adamantine) sickle. Using this, he mutilated his father by slicing off his manhood which he threw into the sea. From the drops of blood came forth the Erinyes, the Gigantes, and a variety of other creatures, according to certain legends.

Having deposed Uranus, the Titans now raised Cronus to the throne and freed their brothers from the darkness. However, Cronus then threw the Cyclopes back into Tartarus and then married his own sister, Rhea. Since it had been foretold by Gaea and Uranus that his own progeny would dethrone him, he swallowed all of the children that Rhea bore him. He made his way through Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, and Pluto. Finally, Rhea saved the infant Zeus from this fate, and he went on to overthrow his father.

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