Powerful elder gods who preceded the Olympians and were defeated in the Titanomachy.
Overview
In Greek mythology, the Titans are a race of powerful elder gods. They are a group of pre‑Olympian deities who ruled the cosmos before the Olympian gods and were later overthrown in the Titanomachy. They hold a major place in Greek stories about the beginning of the world, standing for the main divine order of the pre‑Olympian age until their defeat and imprisonment.
Their story is told most clearly in Hesiod’s Theogony, which gives the main account of their family tree, their rule, and their fall. The Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, also mention the Titans and their confinement. Later works, such as Apollodorus’ Bibliotheca, give organized summaries of their lineage and the great war against the Olympians. Orphic fragments and later philosophical writers add new ideas or expansions about their role in the cosmos.
Across these different traditions, the Titans are consistently shown as an older generation of gods. Their removal from power marks a major turning point in the ordering of the universe.
Origins and Lineage
In Greek mythic tradition, the Titans are a primordial race of gods born from Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). Gaia gave birth to the first generation of Titans with Uranus, and their beginnings are tied to the earliest stages of the cosmos.
According to the founding myth, Uranus imprisoned some of their siblings. In response, Gaia helped the Titan Cronus overthrow Uranus. Cronus’ revolt began the Titans’ own rule over the cosmos.
The Titans stand at an important point in the divine family tree. They are the parents and ancestors of many Olympian gods, especially through Cronus and Rhea, who are the parents of Zeus and his siblings. They are also related to the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, who are sibling races also born from Gaia and Uranus. Through their many descendants, the Titans are connected to many later divine and heroic families.
Their earliest known appearance in literature is in Hesiod’s Theogony from the 8th–7th century BCE. Some Orphic and later philosophical traditions change this picture by treating the Titans less as one single generation and more as figures that stand for cosmic or elemental forces.
Members and Subgroups
The Titans include several well‑known deities, especially the first generation born directly from Gaia and Uranus: Cronus, Rhea, Oceanus, Tethys, Hyperion, Theia, Coeus, Phoebe, Crius, Iapetus, Mnemosyne, and Themis.
A later group of figures is sometimes counted as younger Titans or Titan descendants. These include Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and in some traditions Helios, Selene, and Eos.
Within this broad group, several important lines or dynasties appear. The house of Cronus is the leading line that comes just before and gives rise to the Olympian dynasty of Zeus. The Oceanid line, descended from Oceanus and Tethys, includes many river gods and nymphs. The Iapetid line includes Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and their descendants.
As a group, the Titans are usually shown as rulers of large parts of the cosmos and as personifications of wide‑reaching natural or abstract powers, such as time, memory, justice, the heavenly bodies, and the encircling seas. They are also the ancestors of many later gods, nymphs, and heroic families.
Figures counted as Titans are usually marked by descent from Gaia and Uranus or from the first‑generation Titans, and by a link to primordial or broad cosmic roles rather than local cult roles. Closely related groups in the same myths include the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, who are also children of Gaia and Uranus. They are not Titans themselves but are often mentioned alongside them in stories about the beginning of the world.
Role in Myth and Tradition
In Greek myth, the Titans stand for an earlier divine order that comes before the Olympian gods and is later replaced by them. Their stories highlight themes of conflict between generations, succession, and the reshaping of the cosmos.
They are shown as former rulers of the universe. Their defeat and overthrow support the rule of Zeus, while they also remain the ancestors and forebears of many Olympian gods and other divine or heroic figures. Even after losing the war, the Titans continue to exist as imprisoned or pushed‑aside powers. Their presence in Tartarus shows that divine rule can be challenged and is not completely secure.
Many Titans have specific cosmic roles. Oceanus is the encircling river. Hyperion and his line are linked with the celestial lights. Themis and Mnemosyne personify order and memory.
Key myths involving the Titans include the castration of Uranus by Cronus, which begins the rule of the Titans; the reign of Cronus and the so‑called Golden Age of mortals under Titan rule; the Titanomachy, the great war between the Titans led by Cronus and the Olympians led by Zeus; and the later imprisonment of the defeated Titans in Tartarus, where they are guarded by the Hecatoncheires.
Later stories turn more to Titan descendants. These include Prometheus’ creation of humans and his theft of fire for them, and Atlas’ punishment of holding up the heavens. The story of the Titans is closely linked with that of Zeus and the Olympian gods as their rivals and later successors. The Hecatoncheires and Cyclopes are important allies of Zeus, helping him in battle and forging his thunderbolts.
Culturally, the Titans can stand for an older and more primal order, sometimes remembered in an idealized way, as seen in the Golden Age of Cronus. This is set against the more organized but harsher rule of the Olympians. They can also be seen as signs of great, elemental power and possible hubris that must be controlled by a new order, and as images of deep forces behind the visible world, such as sea, sky, time, and memory.
In ritual and tradition, the Titans appear in some cult or festival settings. This is especially true for Cronus and the Kronia, which recall the Titans’ Golden Age rule. In philosophical and allegorical writings, they are sometimes treated as elemental or psychological forces. Their reputation in myth is mixed: they are honored as ancient and powerful ancestors of the gods, but also feared or blamed as enemies of Zeus and the established order of the cosmos.