

Gaia herself came to their aid, although she would later be bitterly disappointed by the treatment of her defeated children. Ultimately, however, the new gods would win the Titanomachy. For a decade he used his might and fortitude to keep Zeus from claiming victory. Strong and brave, Atlas became the general of the Titans in the war.

With the majority of the Titans, they fought against Zeus’s coup. Zeus vowed that anyone who joined his side would receive the recognition they had been denied under the tyrannical rule of the first two kings.Ītlas and Menoetius, however, maintained their loyalty to Chronos. Two of Atlas’s brothers, Prometheus and Epimetheus, sided with the new gods on the promise of a greater share of power. For ten years the gods fought one another for control of the universe. The resulting war against the first generation of gods is called the Titanomachy.
ATLAS GREEK MYTHOLOGY FREE
Zeus grew up in secret and returned to free his siblings and end his father’s reign. His wife, Rhea, hid her sixth child to spare the baby from this fate. He was so concerned with not losing his throne that he swallowed his own children at birth rather than risk one of them growing up to challenge him as he had done to his own father. The younger deity took power as king and quickly became obsessed with keeping it. The first king of the Titans was overthrown by his son. Chronos was the only one willing to challenge Uranus. His counterpart, Epimetheus, was kind but foolhardy.Įventually, Gaia grew angry with her husband and urged her children to take their father’s power. Prometheus was the cleverest brother of the four. Menoetius was considered the most handsome. His mother was Clymene the Oceanid, one of the 3,000 daughters of the Titan Oceanus.Ītlas was the bravest and sturdiest of the brothers. Gaia, the mother earth, had given birth to this older generation of gods who were fathered by Uranus, the primordial god of the sky.Ītlas was one of the four sons of the Titan Iapetus. Out of all that, though, the legendary Titan grew into one of the most recognised figures in all of mythology.įrom his part in the great war of the gods to how he helped Greece’s most famous hero, the story of Atlas is more than just holding a great burden! Atlas and the Titansīefore the gods of Olympus took power, the universe was ruled by the Titans.
ATLAS GREEK MYTHOLOGY FULL
The full story of Atlas is one of defeat, suffering, and endurance. In fact, it wasn’t the world he was holding at all. The legend of Atlas, however, goes far beyond holding the world on his shoulders. If nothing else, you’ve seen his name on maps, books, ships, and games. The muscular Titan holding a great globe upon his shoulders is a familiar figure. Even if you’re not familiar with the story of Atlas, you’ve probably seen his image.
