Zeus battling Cronus in the Titanomachy (Art by Gianluca Rolli)
The Titanomachy was a ten-year series of battles fought in Thessaly, in which the Titans, based in Mount Othrys and lead by Cronus, fought against the Olympians, based in Mount Olympus and led by Zeus and their allies.
History[]
Background[]
The stage for this important battle was set after the youngest Titan, Cronus, overthrew his father, Ouranos, with the help of his mother, Gaia. Ouranos drew the enmity of Gaia when he imprisoned their children the Hekatonkheires back inside her womb and the Cyclopes in the pits of Tartarus. He did however spare his youngest children, the Titans, allowing them to grow into adulthood.
Gaia created a Great Sickle and gathered together Cronus and his brothers to convince them to castrate Ouranos to prevent him from having more children which he would abuse. Only Cronus was willing to do the deed, so Gaia gave him the sickle and had him wait in ambush. When Ouranos came to met with Gaia, Cronus attacked, and, with the sickle, cut off his father's genitals. He cast them into the sea, where they eventually formed into Aphrodite.
Gaia's Warning[]
With his dying breath, Ouranos cursed his son, calling him and siblings "Titans" meaning "stretchers". Cronus then took Ouranos' place at the throne. However, instead of freeing his siblings that were originally confined by Ouranos, he opted to secure his power by re-imprisoning his siblings the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes in Tartarus once again. During his reign, Cronus took his sister Rhea as his wife and from their union produced Hestia their first child. However, Cronus was warned by Gaia of a prophecy involving his children where they would one day overthrow him.
Cronos, at the zenith of his paranoia and desperate bid to maintain his power over the cosmos, started to devour his children as soon as they were born to ensure that none of them would defy him. Rhea was appalled and desolated seeing the tyrannical Titan king devour one child after another. Rhea was pregnant once again only this time she opted to save the final child and made the decision that her next son would not be a meal for Cronus. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in a cave on the island of Crete, and left her son to be raised by the nymphs of the forest that was protected by Gaia.
Upon reaching adulthood, Zeus's true identity as a god was revealed to him by Gaia, and he embarked on a quest to defeat his father. He masqueraded as cupbearer for Cronus. Once Zeus became established as the trusted servant of Cronus, Metis gave him a mixture of mustard and wine which caused Cronus to vomit up his swallowed children, who had since grown into adulthood while inside their father's stomach. After freeing his siblings, Zeus led them in a rebellion against the Titans, where the gods were able to use the full extent of their power for the first time.
Titanomachy[]
The war against the Titans had begun, with Zeus leading his disgorged brothers and sisters Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon against the Titans. As they faced the devastating might of the Titans, the Olympians realized that they could not win this conflict on their own even when other Titans defected and joined the side of the Olympians. All the while the opposing Titans were beginning to advance with their chieftains having great power to push forward both tactically and physically. Zeus traveled to Tartarus and released the Hekatonkheires and the Cyclopes, (who had been imprisoned by Cronus) and allied with them as well.
The Hekatonkheires proved to be instrumental in the defeat of Cronus and the Titans, hurling great stones at the Titans while the Cyclopes, as a token of gratitude, forged Zeus' iconic Master Bolt, Hades’ Helm of Darkness that made him invisible in combat, and the Trident of Poseidon, which gave him command over the oceans. Fighting alongside Cronus were all of the Titans with the important exception of Themis and her son Prometheus, who allied with Zeus. Atlas was an important leader on the side of Cronus and was pivotal in pushing back against the Olympians.
Conclusion[]
The war lasted ten long years, but in the end Zeus and the Olympians emerged victorious as the Hekatonkheires were pivotal in turning the tides to the Olympians' favor. Following the conclusion of the final battle, the three brothers divided the world amongst themselves: Zeus was given domain over the sky and the air, and was recognized as overlord. Poseidon was given the sea and all the waters, whereas Hades was given the Underworld, the realm of the dead. Each of the other gods was allotted powers according to the nature and proclivities of each. The earth was left common to all to do as they pleased, even to run counter to one another, unless the brothers (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades) were called to intervene.
Some would argue that the war did not truly end until the last known entrances into Tartarus were secured and surrounded by a great wall of bronze set with a pair of gates guarded by the hundred-handed Hekatonkheires. The Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus, and the Hekatonkheires were made their guards. Atlas was given the special punishment of holding up the sky. In some accounts, when Zeus became secure in his power he relented and gave some of the Titans their freedom.