Greek Mythology: Primordial Deities and their Descendants

Primordial Deities

• Gaia (Mother Earth) and Uranus (Father Sky)
  • Parents of the 12 Titans
  • Had additional children: 300-handed Hecatoncheires and one-eyed Cyclopes
  • Uranus hated these monstrous offspring and imprisoned them in Tartarus

Cronis and the Rise of the Titans

• Cronis
  • Youngest Titan
  • Patron of the Harvest
  • Depicted with a sickle
  • Overthrew Uranus with the help of Gaia
  • Used a stone sickle created by Gaia
  • After castrating Uranus, threw his genitals into the sea, creating Corfu

Rule of Cronis

• Golden Age
  • Led by Cronis and his sister Rhea as king and queen
  • Era without laws, rules, or work
  • Cronis's paranoia led him to devour his children

Prophecy and the Rise of Zeus

• Prophecy: Cronis would be overthrown by his son
• Zeus
  • Saved by Rhea, who tricked Cronis into swallowing a stone
  • Raised in secret
  • Used an emetic from Gaia to free his siblings
  • Led to the Titanomachy, a war between Titans and Olympians

Olympian Gods and Goddesses

• Zeus

  • King of Gods, god of sky and thunder
  • Multiple affairs, fathered many gods

• Hera

  • Goddess of marriage, women, family
  • Known for jealousy and vengeance
  • Attempted to stop the birth of Apollo and Artemis

• Poseidon

  • God of the sea, storms, earthquakes
  • Involved in the creation of the Minotaur

• Athena

  • Goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicraft
  • Competed with Poseidon for Athens' patronage
  • Transformed Medusa after an incident with Poseidon

• Hephestus

  • God of artisans, blacksmiths, fire
  • Cast from Olympus by Hera
  • Married Aphrodite, created Pandora

• Aphrodite

  • Goddess of love, beauty
  • Born from Uranus's genitals
  • Affair with Ares

• Ares

  • God of war, courage

• Apollo

  • God of archery, music, prophecy
  • Born to Zeus and Leto

• Artemis

  • Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, chastity
  • Known for her virginity, punished Actaeon

• Dionysus

  • God of wine, parties, theater

• Hermes

  • Messenger god, patron of thieves
  • Conducted souls to the afterlife

• Demeter

  • Goddess of harvest, agriculture
  • Mother of Persephone; story explains seasons

• Hades

  • God of the dead, king of the underworld
  • Rarely left his domain

• Hestia

  • Goddess of the hearth, home
  • One of the three virgin goddesses

Notable Mythological Events

• Titanomachy

  • Olympians vs Titans war
  • Titans imprisoned in Tartarus

• Myth of Persephone

  • Explains seasonal changes due to her time split between Demeter and Hades

• Medusa's Transformation

  • Punished by Athena for desecration

• Pandora's Box

  • Created by Hephestus, unleashed curses upon mankind

These notes outline the key figures and events in the mythology surrounding the primordial deities and their descendants, focusing on the dynamics between the Titans and Olympian gods.