Titan (mythology) facts for kids

Head of a Titan, National Archaeological Museum of Athens

The Titans were powerful, immortal beings from ancient Greek mythology. They were like the second generation of gods and goddesses. The most famous Titans were the twelve children of Gaia (Mother Earth) and Ouranos (Father Sky).

These mighty Titans ruled the universe before the well-known Olympian gods took over. There was a huge war between the Titans and the Olympians, called the Titanomachy. The Olympians won this war. Many of the defeated Titans were then sent to Tartarus, a deep and dark part of the underworld.

The First Titans: Children of Earth and Sky

The very first Titans were the children of Gaia and Ouranos. They are sometimes called the Elder Titans. There were twelve of them.

Here are the names of these original twelve Titans:

• Okeanos: The god of the great ocean river that was believed to circle the world.
• Tethys: The goddess of fresh water, rivers, and springs. She was Okeanos's wife.
• Koios: The Titan of intelligence and the axis of the heavens.
• Phoebe: The Titan of bright intellect and prophecy.
• Hyperion: The Titan of light and observation. He was the father of the Sun, Moon, and Dawn.
• Theia: The Titan of sight and shining light.
• Kreios: The Titan of constellations and the pillar of the south.
• Iapetos: The Titan of mortality and the pillar of the west.
• Themis: The Titan of divine law and order. She was also a goddess of justice.
• Mnemosyne: The Titan of memory. She was believed to be the mother of the Muses.
• Kronos: The leader of the Titans. He was the youngest and most powerful of the first generation.
• Rhea: The Titan of motherhood and fertility. She was Kronos's wife and sister.

The Next Generation of Titans

The second generation of Titans were mostly the children of the original twelve. They also had important roles in the myths.

Here are some of them:

• The children of Okeanos and Tethys:
  • The Potamoi: These were the gods of all the rivers.
  • The Okeanides: These were three thousand ocean nymphs.
  • The Nephelai: These were cloud nymphs.

• The children of Koios and Phoebe:
  • Asteria: The goddess of falling stars and night prophecies.
  • Leto: The goddess of motherhood and modesty. She was the mother of Apollo and Artemis.

• The children of Hyperion and Theia:
  • Helios: The god of the Sun.
  • Selene: The goddess of the Moon.
  • Eos: The goddess of the Dawn.

• The children of Iapetos and the Okeanid Asia/Klymene:
  • Atlas: The eldest, famous for holding up the sky.
  • Prometheus: Known for giving fire to humans.
  • Epimetheus: Prometheus's twin brother, known for being thoughtless.
  • Menoitios: A Titan known for his pride and rash actions.

• The children of Krios and Eurybia (who was the daughter of Gaia and Pontus, the Sea):
  • Pallas: The Titan of warcraft and springtime campaigns.
  • Astraeus: The Titan of the stars and planets.
  • Perses: The Titan of destruction. He married Asteria and became the father of Hecate, the goddess of magic.

Images for kids

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  Cronus armed with a sickle.

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  Rhea, sister and wife to Cronus.

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  Rhea presenting Cronus with a stone wrapped in cloth.

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  "Fall of the Titans" painting by Jacob Jordaens.

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  Oceanus at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

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  Ancient Hittite carving, possibly showing "former gods."

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  Dionysus in a mosaic from the House of Poseidon.

See also

In Spanish: Titán (mitología) para niños