1. The Greek Origin of the Universe
The Rule of Uranus
The Greek Origin
of the Universe

2. In the beginning, there was only emptiness, and the emptiness was called Chaos. From Chaos emerged the first three immortal beings:

3. Gaea, the earth mother; Tartarus, the deathless being who ruled the darkest depths of the earth, called the Underworld; and Eros, the handsome god of love and desire, whose presence enabled much of creation to occur.

4. Without a partner, Gaea gave birth to the starry sky called Uranus
Without a partner, Gaea gave birth to the starry sky called Uranus. Gaea also brought forth the mountains and Pontus, the sea. Gaea then married her son Uranus.

5. Gaea and Uranus became the parents of 3 Hundred-handed giants, the Hecatonchires. Each giant had 100 incredibly strong arms and 50 heads and were incredibly ferocious.
From the moment of their birth, Uranus feared these beings, so he threw them into the depths of Tartarus, the underworld, and decreed that they live forever in darkness. Consequently, these monsters felt a passionate, implacable hatred toward their father.
These beings may represent the gigantic forces of nature that cause earthquakes, sea waves, etc.

6. Next, Gaea bore Uranus 3 Cyclopes, who were skillful, strong, and, according to Hesiod, of “abrupt emotion.” They became the first immortal craftsmen. Uranus became jealous of their strength and afraid of their potential power, so he bound them in chains and threw them into the underworld with their 3 brothers. They fell for 9 days and 9 nights before landing on the 10th day. So, they hated Uranus too.
Ancient metalsmiths covered one of their eyes with a patch to protect it from flying sparks.

7. Later, the Cyclopes fashion Zeus’s thunderbolts and Poseidon's trident as well as Artemis’s and Apollo’s bows and the Helmet of darkness that Hades gives to Perseus in his quest to kill Medusa.
In time, the cyclopes become synonyms for brute strength and power (remember “abrupt emotion”?).

8. Then, Gaea bore Uranus the first generation of immortal gods, the Titans. The Titans either controlled the major functions in the universe or they became parents of children who did. The Titans ruled during the Golden Age. Hesiod notes 12 first generation Titans, 6 male and 6 female. The children of these Titans are also known as Titans (confusing!).

9. The 12 Titans Oceanus and Tethys Hyperion and Theia Coeus and Phoebe
Cronus and Rhea
Iapetus, Themis, Mnemosyne, and Crius, who seems to have been added to complete the 12
Oceanus and Tethys
Cronus and Rhea
Hyperion

10. Oceanus became the god of the Oceanus River, which encircled the earth
Oceanus became the god of the Oceanus River, which encircled the earth. He married his sister Tethys. They became the parents of all the river gods and sea goddesses.

11. Hyperion became the god of the sun. He married his sister Theia
Hyperion became the god of the sun. He married his sister Theia. They became the father of Eos (Dawn), Helius (Sun), and Selene (Moon).
Hyperion
Helius
Eos
Selene

12. Coeus, the Titan of Wisdom, married his sister Phoebe
Coeus, the Titan of Wisdom, married his sister Phoebe. Coeus and Phoebe are most important for their decedents – mostly their grandchildren. They became the parents of Leto and Asteria (a star goddess).
Leto later becomes the mother of Artemis (the hunt) and Apollo (sun/light). (Their father is Zeus, who is Leto’s nephew. Yuck!)
Asteria later becomes the mother of Hecate (goddess of the crossroads).
Artemis
Apollo
Hecate

13. Iapetus married a sea goddess, Clymene/Asia who was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Their children are Atlas, Prometheus (clever) & Epimetheus (foolish), and Menoetius.
Prometheus later gives fire to man while Epimetheus accepts Pandora’s gift.

14. Themis, and earth goddess and prophet like her mother Gaea, taught mortal men to obey laws, to live in peace, and to sacrifice their deathless gods. Even the Olympian Gods revered her. She became one of the Oracles at Delphi. Later, her only consort was Zeus (her nephew). Some stories say that they produced the 3 Fates.

15. Mnemosyne, the personification of memory, originated the use of reason and memory and applied names to all existing objects and ideas. She is the mother of the 9 Muses by Zeus (her nephew).

16. Cronus and Rhea were the strongest of the 12 Titan siblings
Cronus and Rhea were the strongest of the 12 Titan siblings. (Later, they have many children.) Cronus was the youngest and the shrewdest of all, and he hated his father, Uranus.
Though he helped mortals become more civilized by introducing the concept of justice, his personal ambition terrified the deathless gods (Titans) because he coveted Uranus’s tremendous power but was clever enough to hide his true emotions.

17. Uranus ruled his Titan children without fear of rebellion
Uranus ruled his Titan children without fear of rebellion. He was convinced that he had permanently secured his position of power by banishing the Hundred-handed giants and the Cyclopes to the Underworld. He did not care that their banishment had caused his wife great physical pain (remember, she is the goddess of the earth) and anguish. He did not care that his children hated him. He only cared that he was ALL POWERFUL.

18. Gaea, however, was not as docile as she appeared
Gaea, however, was not as docile as she appeared. Beneath her loving exterior, she seethed with rage and resolved to free her children in the Underworld.
When she felt that her Titan children would support her, she planned a devious retaliation for Uranus’s cruelty.

19. First she created the great tool-making stone, flint, which she shaped into a hug sickle. Then, when it was finished, she approached all of her Titan sons and encouraged their revenge. Only Cronus had enough courage to help his mother. His self-confidence also inspired a willingness to help among his brothers and sisters, making Gaea jubilant.

20. As daylight faded into dusk, Gaea concealed Cronus in a secret place by the sea. There she presented him with the flint weapon she had made warning him to respect its curved edge of sharp teeth. Before long, Uranus arrived, bringing with him the blanket of night.
Desiring Gaea’s comfort and love, he lay down upon the shore and embraced his wife, unaware that he lay within an arm’s reach of treachery and doom.

21. The gathering darkness concealed the long black arm that reached out and grabbed Uranus in its hand. The reclining god could not see the huge, black, sickle-shaped shadow waving menacingly above his body. Quicker than thought, Cronus mutilated his father and threw the severed parts into the sea.

22. From these parts, which the sea carried away, Aphrodite later emerged from the sea.

23. Gaea’s body absorbed the blood that Uranus shed and, in time, gave birth to more monstrous beings: the three Furies and a new group of powerful Giants. The Furies were fierce and intimidating, but just. Disgusting in their appearance, these female creatures were wingless, black, creatures whose eyes dripped poisonous tears and whose fiery breath scorched their victims with a bloody venom.
They would destroy any
mortal child who killed a
parent or blood relative
because they would pursue murderer until he became insane.

24. As soon as they were in control of the universe, the Titans rescued their six brothers (3 one hundred-handed giants and 3 Cyclopes) from Tartarus and made Cronus their king. However, Cronus proves that he will be as cruel a tyrant as his father.

25. Cronus secured his power by re-imprisoning his brothers - the Hecatonchires (100-handed giants, the Cyclopes, and these new giants – back in Tartarus, the lowest part of the underworld and sets the dragon Campe to guard them.
(Later, Cronus is overthrown by his son Zeus. (Hmmm…pattern?) This make Gaea angry, so she incites the Giants to rise up against Zeus (her grandson) and the Olympians. They call upon the help of Heracles (Hercules), and the giants ultimately fail.)

26. Work Cited
Rosenberg, Donna and Sorelle Baker. Mythology and You: Classical Mythology and Its Relevance to Today’s World. Chicago, IL: National Textbook Company, 1992.