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Titanomachy, war of Greek gods versus giant Titans (matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock)

Battle of the Gods, When Titans Took on Zeus

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When discussing the creation myths of the ancient Greek gods, as told by the poet Hesiod (750-650 BC), it is best to imagine an audience huddled around a single speaker by way of a fire pit in the darkest of night. It is only Hesiod who could account for the beginnings of creation, the lineage of gods and Titans, the rise of Zeus, and the emergence of humanity.

Hesiod gives testament to all of these in his various works. His most memorable were two works: "Theogony," which depicted the 10-year battle between Zeus and the Titans; and "Works and Days," which extensively discussed the creation of humanity during the five ages of man.

He alluded that human beings were created by the Titans and gifted with the knowledge of fire. But in their destruction, humanity was left the victim to the disdain of Zeus, who resented them at first and tried to exterminate them off the face of the earth. Humanity prevailed and eventually remained to tell the gods' tale as they retreated into a distant memory.

Whether these Titans and gods existed, the tales of their turbulent nature revealed them to be more human than any mortal could ever be. Though most of what was mentioned currently exists as fragments from folklore and poems, we will still attempt to analyze and depict the Titanomachy alongside the rise of humanity.

The Age of Chaos and the Age of Ouranos

The origins of the gods began with the void known as the ‘Age of Chaos’ to which no light existed. From the void came Gaea the Earth, the first female being who asexually birthed Pontus the sea and Ouranos (Uranus) the sky.

Gaea the Earth, the first female of the Greek creation myth. (Dmytro Tolokonov / Adobe Stock)

Gaea the Earth, the first female of the Greek creation myth. (Dmytro Tolokonov / Adobe Stock)

Ouranos became both Gaea’s son and husband. He was the first ruler of the universe bringing forth the 'Age of Ouranos’. Ouranos desired to create other beings whom he wished to be beautiful and loyal in their worship of him.

With Gaea, he first fathered Briareus, Cotos, and Gyes. They were monstrous hundred-handers known as the Hecatonchires. Though they were unsurpassable in both size and strength, they were too grotesque and uncontrollable to be trusted. Ouranos imprisoned them in the farthest place of infernal darkness known as Tartaros.

Ouranos and Gaea then created the Cyclopes Hum, Arges, Steropes, and Brontes, who were all large in stature and less deformed; however, they had only one eye in the middle of their faces and therefore were imperfect. The Cyclopes shared the same fate as the Hecatonchires and were also banished to Tartaros.

The Cyclopes were banished to Tartaros because they were imperfect. (Sebastian Wallroth / Public Domain)

The Cyclopes were banished to Tartaros because they were imperfect. (Sebastian Wallroth / Public Domain)

Gaea felt remorse for the banishment of her children and grew reluctant to conceive more offspring with Ouranos. Eventually, she succumbed to Ouranos’s desires and created the Titans, who were closer to perfection than the others.

The Titan Revolt

Angered by the imprisonment of the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes in Tataros, Gaea conspired with the Titans to attack Ouranos. She first approached Oceanos, the oldest to rally the other siblings, but he was too afraid.

Gaea found strength from Cronos, the youngest of her Titans, and asked him to fight against his father and take the throne of all creation. In return, she asked for the freeing of his imprisoned siblings from Tartaros. Cronos agreed.

Gaea crafted an adamantine sickle and gifted it to Cronos to rally the courage of his brothers and sisters. With one fell swoop, Cronos and his siblings attacked Ouranos, severed Ouranos’s genitals, and threw them towards the sea.

In part of the creation myth Cronus castrates his father Ouranos. (Dodo / Public Domain)

In part of the creation myth Cronus castrates his father Ouranos. (Dodo / Public Domain)

From the blood that fell to the earth, three sets of children emerged: the Gigantes, the Furies; and the Meliae. From the drops of blood that flowed out of the severed genitals that sank to the bottom of the sea, birthed the goddess Aphrodite.

As Ouranos fell, he whispered into Cronos’s ear that he would share the same fate. Honoring the wishes of his mother, Gaea, he freed the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes and then took the throne as Lord of all Creation and married his sister Rhea.

The Age of Cronos

In the 'Age of Cronos BC,’ the Titans hoped that the world would be better, but Cronos was no different than Ouranos. Cronos swallowed his offspring the moment they were born in fear they would one day overthrow him. Under suspicion of rebellion, he re-imprisoned the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes he had promised to let free.

Like his father before him, Cronos wished to create the perfect being that would love and worship him. And so, he created humans out of gold. To his children, Cronos was a cannibal tyrant. But to the golden humans, Cronos was a doting protector.

The golden humans lived like gods, never knowing toil or suffering. Though they lived a long time, they were still mortals and inevitably died. When they died, they remained on the earth as spirits known as daimons (demons). Cronos made their home a never-ending season of joyous spring.

But as Cronos distracted himself with his golden humans, Rhea escaped to a cave on Mount Dicte to secretly give birth to Zeus and left him to be reared by the nymphs Adasteia and Ida and protected by the Curetes who beat their spears against their shields to mute the sounds of the child so they would not be heard by Cronos.

When Rhea returned, she carried a rounded stone wrapped in cloth and presented it to Cronos. Cronos gave it no thought and swallowed it in haste.

Rhea gave Cronos a stone instead of newly born Zeus. (Shakko / Public Domain)

Rhea gave Cronos a stone instead of newly born Zeus. (Shakko / Public Domain)

When Zeus came of age, he returned to Cronos's kingdom in the guise of a servant. He gained favor with Metis, the daughter of Oceanos, who concocted a mixture of wine and mustard for Zeus to use on Cronos in order cause him to vomit and free his siblings.

When the time was right, Zeus slipped the mixture into Cronos’s cup and caused him to dispel all of Zeus’s siblings in one giant vomit. Once Zeus’s brothers and sisters were freed, they escaped to take refuge in Mount Olympus.

The Titanomachy

The Titanomachy was a vicious decade long war between the Titans, led by Cronos, and the gods, under the command of Zeus, who now referred to themselves the Olympians. This conflict would eventually result in the defeat of Cronos and the establishment of Zeus’s dominance through his cunning in politics and warfare.

To defeat the Titans, Zeus needed help from deities who were twice as strong. There were only two groups that brought fear to both Ouranos and Chronos. These were the hundred handed Hecatonchires and the one eyed Cyclopes, who were banished by both Ouranos and then Cronos. Zeus trekked to Tartarus to free the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes and killed Campe, who guarded them at Tartaros. Once he had released them, Zeus asked for their aid in overthrowing Cronos.

They agreed to help as long Zeus promised to imprison the Titans at Tartarus and leave them in control of their demise. Zeus complied and the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes assisted the Olympians.

With their help, Zeus gained artillery, made by the Hecatonchires, able to dispel thousands of rocks against the Titans, as well gifted with an endless volley of thunderbolts fashioned by the Cyclopes. The Cyclopes also crafted a helmet for Hades and a trident for Poseidon. Later on, Zeus gained the Titans Themis and Prometheus as allies to join his side.

The battle between the gods and the Titans. (JarektUploadBot / Public Domain)

The battle between the gods and the Titans. (JarektUploadBot / Public Domain)

The Olympians and their allies eventually overpowered the Titans and imprisoned them in Tartaros. Zeus then appointed the Hecatonchires to be their jailers.

Zeus took reign over all creation. His brother Poseidon took reign over the sea, and Hades took reign of the underworld. It was then that Zeus married Metis and made her his first wife.

Zeus’s first act as supreme god of Olympus was to destroy all the remaining golden humans. However, Prometheus took pity on them.

The Betrayal of Prometheus and the Age of Olympus

Titans had an affinity for humans, for they were the balance of tragedy and perfection, which Ouranos originally wanted. Because of this fact, Zeus and the Olympians saw them as symbols of the past harkening to the former glories of the Age of Cronos.

Prometheus secretly created humanity once again from the earth and water. Prometheus desired to preserve the human legacy that Cronos had started.

Prometheus created humans from earth and water. (Jastrow / Public Domain)

Though Prometheus’s humans were not as great as those originally fashioned by Cronos, they appeared just as interesting. These humans were of silver rather than gold and significantly feeble-minded compared to Cronos’s versions.

Prometheus taught his silver humans every skill from medicine to arithmetic, to navigation, and prophecy. Prometheus then gave the secret of fire to which he had hidden in a fennel stalk to keep it secret from Zeus.

The silver humans were grateful for the gift of fire, and in honor of Prometheus, they sacrificed a large animal. But when they gave their thanks Zeus heard them and realized Prometheus’s betrayal.

As punishment, Zeus ordered Hephaistos to nail Prometheus to Mount Caucasos where each day an eagle would feed on his liver until it was gone, only for it to grow back in the evening for the eagle to return and eat it once more. This punishment continued until the arrival of Heracles during the Age of Heroes.

The torture of Prometheus as told by Hesiod. (Alonso de Mendoza / Public Domain)

The torture of Prometheus as told by Hesiod. (Alonso de Mendoza / Public Domain)

Zeus proceeded to torment the silver humans. He divided the year into four seasons, which caused humanity to farm grain and seek shelter. When they died, Zeus sent their souls to Hades rather than let them become demon spirits on earth. However, their suffering would not end there.

Zeus ordered Hephaistos to make one more human being that was altered to contain deceptiveness and unpleasantness from within. This human would be known as Pandora.

Before Prometheus was nailed to Mount Caucos, he had feared Zeus would find out about his human creations and advised his brother Epimetheus to care for the silver humans in his absence and to be wary of any gifts given by the Olympian gods. However, Hermes tricked Epimetheus and brought him Pandora, who, piecing together the versions of Babrios of the 2nd century AD and Hesiod of the 4th century BC, Pandora held a large storage jar filled with both good and evil things.

Once the jar was opened, all the evils escaped into the world while all the good became lost. All that remained was hope, left to aid the silver humans in avoiding the unseen evil all around.

After witnessing the fate of Prometheus and the evils released by Pandora, the silver humans refused to honor Zeus in an act of defiance. Zeus then destroyed them all.

Zeus’s Humans of Bronze and the Flood

During the Age of Olympus, Zeus decided to recreate humanity in his image. He felt it was more fitting than those of the Titans. He created humanity from the hardwood of ash trees. They were strong and warlike.

They knew of metallurgy and fire and made their houses and armor from bronze. They hungered only for meat and war. Unlike the previous humans, they honored Zeus as their creator and hated the Titans.

However, the bronze humans could not stop consuming all the animals, metals, and lands. They overpopulated the earth and kept the Olympians up with constant chatter. Zeus grew tired of the bronze humans’ tenacity and decided to cleanse the world by bringing forth a flood.

Before Prometheus's judgment, he had a son named Deucalion. Deucalion married Pyrrhea, the daughter of Pandora, and together they ruled the kingdom of Phthia. They received word of Zeus’s plan to flood the world and fashioned a large chest filled with provisions.

When the rains began, Deucalion and Phyrrhea climbed in and sealed the box from within. Zeus flooded the world with an abundance of rain not seen since the time of Pontus, the sea’s conception.

Deucalion and Pyrrhea were carried across the sea for nine full days until they landed on the shores of Parnassos. It was then that the rains stopped and Deucalion and Pyrrhea came out of their chest. Grateful to be alive, Deucalion prayed to Zeus and sacrificed an animal.

Zeus was moved by their sacrifice and gifted both Deucalion and Pyrrhea with one wish to be granted. Both Deucalion and Pyrrhea took pity on the bronze humans after nine whole days of hearing their screams as they drowned during the flood. They both wished to recreate humans once more.

Although surprised by their wish Zeus was bound by honor to grant it. And so, Deucalion and Pyrrhea created humans from the stones on the shore. This group would become synonymous with the Age of Heroes, which was at time when demigods co-existed with humans. After the demise of the heroes came the humans of the Iron Age to which all modern humans originate from.

Deucalion and Pyrrha created humans from stones. (Dornicke / Public Domain)

Deucalion and Pyrrha created humans from stones. (Dornicke / Public Domain)

Hesiod Chronicled the Greek Creation Myth

In the darkest days of antiquity, the muses inspired a sheepherder named Hesiod to write these tales for humanity to remember. If the tale of the Titanomachy was true, then the gods were a family of usurpers who were forever in conflict.

Hesiod spoke of the Titans who created humanity. From Cronos to Prometheus and finally to Deucalion and Pyrrhea, it seemed that humanity grew worse and further distant from the gods themselves. After all, humanity was created in the image of the Titans who loved them and not in the likings of the Olympians who resented them.

Top image: Titanomachy, war of Greek gods versus giant Titans (matiasdelcarmine / Adobe Stock)

By B.B. Wagner

References

Black, J. 2013. Greek mythology and human origins. Ancient Origins. [Online] Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/greek-mythology-and-human-origins-0064

Bruxton, R. 2004. The Complete World of Greek Mythology. Thames and Hudson.

Campbell, J. 1949. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Bollingen Series XVII. New World Library.

Gill, N. 2019. Hesoid’s Five Ages of Man. Thoughtco. [Online] Available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-five-ages-of-man-111776

Hard, R. 2008. Apollodorus The Library of Greek Mythology. Oxford University Press.

Powell, B. 1995 . Classical Myth. Prentice-Hall.

 

Comments

Hello B.B.,

Thank you B.B. for sharing this exciting article to read and Discuss until next time Goodbye.

Okay, a few years ago I would have agreed with all the Philosophers, and Scholars alike that stories like Battle of the gods were a Myth, since then I have been Studying The Bible Books of Enoch now I as a Christian believe in The Holy Trinity.

Therefore, I believe The Bible to be the Word of God assuredly there isn't any Word or phrase that is out there that can sum up the understanding of Faith.

Faith in how I see it is Believing in The Impossible; when someone reads any Spiritual Book of Faith and they accept the things made known in that said Book as Truth, then you're saying Yes to the Impossible.

That is what I experienced when reading The Biblical Book's of Enoch All Three of Them I said Yes to the Impossible; and that I believe in this Book as Biblical Truth.

From Enoch I've begun to notice that The Olympians might have been their Clan Name. Just as the Eduardo and of The Norse Stories were their Clan Name's.

Enoch's background information offers a window into a World that thrived Before The Great Flood.

It also offers a window into The Aztecs/Incans/Mayans, The Babylonians, The Canaanites, The Chinese, The Cambodian, The Egyptian, The Greeks, India involving The Hindu Faith, Indonesia, Japanese, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, The Philippines, Even Polynesia Easter Island, Samoa & Tongan, Thailand, Taiwan, Tibet, Vietnam and everywhere in Africa; just too name a few.

Going back to Battle of the gods with the Greek Stories I have been able to match subjects and topics with events made known in Enoch.

According to Enoch while in Heaven He noted a vast Mountain that filled Heaven up it was massive. I believe from what I read Edith Hamilton's Mythology and Bulfinchs Mythology talked about a Heavenly Olympus I didn't pay much attention to the details at the time because of course to Me it was mythology.

The books seemed to suggest that The Greeks weren't referring too Mt. Olympus on Earth and I believe this Mountain that Enoch saw is Olympus in Greek but, in Hebrew It is The Holy Mountain of God Mt. Sinai.

In addition to Tartarus does Exist but, it isn't the Titans imprisoned in Tartarus in utter darkness accept for One.
It is 200 Fallen Angel's whom Enoch called The Watchers.

Enoch testifies In the Time of Jared... Enoch's own Father who was 800 years old when Enoch was born 200 Watcher Angel's left their abode in The Heavens to marry the beautiful daughters of Cain a behavior not approved by God.

These wives gave birth to Giant's who the Greeks called The Titan's Enoch states these Titans stood at a great Height of 3000 Feet, and because of their confused nature's thanks to their Fathers they unfortunately became Cannibals since they were of Cain's Bloodline that made sense.

They were a brutal, tyrannical beings that lived on Earth but I got the impression that not only were they children of Fallen Angel's but, they were described as Great Warriors of Old and re-known.

I believe from Enoch 1 The Book of the Watchers that Cyclops truly did walk the Earth, I believe now that they're were even tribes of Ogres. I believe that the Titans in addition to their Warrior like nature were like that of the X-Men they had abilities that they inherited from their Angel father's.

According to writings by Hesiod The War with The Titan's lasted years before People even existed. Well there's evidence in Enoch 2 The Book of Secrets of Enoch that's True.

In this Testimony by Enoch He's sent for by the Ancient of Days through two Angel's so Enoch gets to experience an Cosmo Trip people could only Dream of in this Book Enoch talks of How Many Heaven's there are...

10 to be exact ten Heaven's, The Heaven that our Planet is located is only 1st Heaven.

2nd Heaven is Hell this is where the 200 Angel's are now bound in chains for the Crimes that they committed against God and Creation now they're not getting out till Judgement Day and they'll be executed for those Crimes see this arena of their Prison is Tartarus.

As Enoch continues his journey accompanied by those two Angels He eventually arrives at 5th Heaven which is a lot more like 2nd Heaven so 5th Heaven is Hell too here The Grigori are bound in chains why because they took part in The War ignited by Lucifer made known in Revelation chapter 12, Michael and his Angels fought and the Dragon and his Angels fought so these Grigori challenged God as well while Lucifer and one-third of the Angelic Body got kicked out of Heaven the Grigori were imprisoned there in the 5th Heaven.

Enoch described them as exceptionally Tall they were even Taller than the Titans back on Earth remember they stood at 3000 feet in Height so these guys were much taller than the 3000 feet. In fact they maybe the original Titans that The Greeks said were imprisoned in Tartarus which again is Hell.

How the War's transpired on Earth was Created by The Holy Trinity, since we ordinary people couldn't stand a chance against Them until After the Great Flood.

God sowed discord amongst The Children of the Fallen Angel's for the only way they could be killed was by each other's Hand thus Ba'als, Jupiter's, Marduks, & Zeus' are born from these endless War's with each other.

Then afterwards God stepped up his punishment wait a minute I'm going to say this God was not punishing these Children for being born that was their daddies fault.

What God was punishing the children for holding them accountable was Their Behavior and how they conducted Themselves with THEIR Sinful behavior.

I have one more example with using Enoch to match up events in other stories such as Odin, Thor & Loki.

In the Norse Stories Nine Realms are mentioned all pointing to an specific Tree.

At first glance you'd think that they may be talking of Eden you know Paradise Lost; well once i realized that there really is Tartarus and a massive Mountain identified as Olympus in Greek and Mt. Sinai in Hebrew truly exist then what of those Nine Realms whose starting point is from that Tree?

That answer can be found in Job chapters 1 & 2. Job lives at the same time as Abraham does so He's right in The Genesis Timeline in the days after the Tower of Babel.

The crucial point in Job besides His Test of Faith which Lucifer claimed wasn't Genuine was that All the Son's of God came to a Meeting in Heaven it seems possible they were summoned before God these "Son's" were representatives of Other Worlds, Other Universe's, Other Heaven's and Twice Satan came to represent Earth (I now realize that other people might not have a issue with this scenario), my point is then that means there is a Nine Realms with a specific Tree, as its starting point out there in any one of those Universe's.

Oh I have been able to identify Thor from Enoch 3 The Book of Giant's that stipulates a Son of the Fallen Angel Shemyaza
Oy Ha some translations his name Oy is thought to be Og this would make him the Father of the Tribe of Ogres.

During the Great Flood the Angels Children refuse to submit too Death. Because in death for punishment God would change them into Demons and Evil-Spirits. There Mothers were changed into Sirens for the record Sirens can't Sing they can only Sigh.

They were Swimming in the Waters so God sends his weapon The Leviathan too Eat these Children. Oy Ha/Thor sees his friends and Families dying it enraged Him.

An Epic battle begins with Oy Ha Strangling the Leviathan to death with this Action it Angers God greatly.

Recognizing Shemyazas strength God orders the Arch Angel Raphael to Bind Him and throw Him in Tartarus alongside of His Father.

Oy Ha battles with Raphael too but Raphael is stronger and He overpowers Him Binds him in chains, in Darkness, sending Him too Tartarus and there He remains to this Day.

See that Leviathan Story after Tower of Babel with the languages changing by The Holy Trinity became the Great snake that Thor battled that snake was his enemy; it would bring about Ragnork.

This means based on some other writings involving the Norse deities that Ragnork was referring to the Great Flood. Because A New Age was to begin without These Titan's these Norse Being's thriving.

Once again by Us because We were Earth's original inhabitants. God gave Earth to Us to Live on.

See the Battle of the gods matches with things spoken of in Enoch, now in Enoch 2 He maintains that He wrote 366 Books.

I now believe that Enoch wrote all the testimonies we tend to think of as Myths including the Titananomachy to me they are no longer Myths but, Biblical Truth.

Shocking? I was to when I realized the Truth of Enoch.

B. B. Wagner's picture

B. B.

B.B. Wagner is currently working on a master’s degree in Anthropology with a focus in Pre-contact America. Wagner is a storyteller, a sword fighter, and a fan of humanity’s past. He is also knowledgeable about topics on Ice Age America... Read More

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