Olympians vs Titans - PDF

Olympians vs. Titans
Submitted by:
Pakeeza Shahzadi (19011502-063)
Section: B
Submitted to: Mam Shazia Waqas
English Department
Session 2019-2023

Genealogy of Gods
Olympians vs. Titans:
First of all, we have to understand the relationship between the Titans and Olympians.
Long before the Titans and Olympians exist, there was nothingness and chaos and complete
darkness. The ancient Greeks had several different theories about the origin of the world, but the
generally accepted notion is that before this world came into existence there was just Chaos.
Thus, came into being the most primitive Greek deities, Gaea and Uranus.
Uranus was very refined deity and represents the light and air of heaven, while, Gaea was great
flat and life sustaining earth. Uranus, the heaven, was believed to have united himself in
marriage with Gaea, the earth. And from their union came the race of Cyclopes, Hekatonchires,
giants, and titans. But after their children were born, Uranus became resentful of his own
children and throws them into Tartarus, the underworld, which cause Gaea pain due to wailing

and stirring of her children inside her and she asked them to revenge the evil deeds of their
father. But no one in her children was brave enough to do that task. Her younger son, Cronus,
the titan was very ruthless and tired of his father’s wrong doings. He agreed to slay his father
and became the ruler after dethroning him but he also was no different from him and did not kept
his promise with his mother, Gaea, and imprisoned his siblings in the pits of Tartarus again
which caused Gaea, great pain. Before leaving the heavens, Uranus cursed his son or rather
foretold him the future that his fate was going to be same as him and one of his children would
dethrone him same as he did to his own father.
Cronus was married to his sister, Rhea, and she ruled beside him as a queen. Cronus was afraid
of his coming future and like his own father was so resentful of his own children. Whenever, his
child was born, due to fear of his coming fate, he swallowed his own children.
Rhea was not happy with her children fate, and on the advice her mother Gaea, she was
determined to save her newborn son Zeus. So, when Cronus demanded from Rhea to present
him with baby Zeus to swallow him, she gave him a stone wrapped in cloth and in his hurry to
get rid of him, Cronus swallow the stone instead of verifying that what he swallow was really a
stone or his newborn child.
Rhea hid Zeus in the Mount Dicte, Crete. According to some myths, Zeus was born on Mount
Ida on Crete and raised by minor goddesses (Nymphs) who raised him on milk from a goat
named Amaltheia. He was also taught by Curetes whose loud brandishing of weapons obscured
his crying from Cronus. Under the watch and care of Nymphs, Zeus thrived and gains his
abilities and powers rapidly and combined his powers with his wisdom and intelligence. When
Zeus reached manhood, he was determined to compel his father for his crimes and wanted to
restore his siblings swallowed by his father. In his task to get his swallowed sibling back from
his horrible father, Zeus was assisted by Metis who was the sister of Coronus and Titaness.
Metis, very artfully persuaded Coronus to drink a potion which made him to throw up all his
children which he swallowed. And the stone that he swallowed considering that it was baby
Zeus was also came out and later placed in Delphi, where it was regarded as a sacred relic.
Cronus was so enraged at being circumvented that war between the father and son became
inevitable.
The rival forces ranged themselves on two separate high mountains in Thessaly; Zeus, with his
brothers and sisters, took his stand on Mount Olympus, where he was joined by Oceanus, and
others of the Titans, who had forsaken Cronus on account of his oppressions. Cronus and his
brother-Titans took possession of Mount Othrys, and prepared for battle.
For ten years, the Titans and the Olympians fought with neither side able to gain a lasting
advantage. Gaia advised Zeus to free the Cyclopes and the hundred headed Giants from Tartarus
(a place in the underworld) and persuade them to join his side. Zeus went down to Tartarus,
killed the monster which guarded the prisoners, and released them. In return for their freedom,
the Cyclopes and the Giants became allies with Zeus tipping the scale of power to the
Olympians.