Who was Tethys?
Tethys was the Titan goddess of the rivers and one of the extraordinary number of gods and goddesses worshipped by the Ancient Greeks. The female Titans were called the Titanides. The Titans were the descendents of the first gods or divinities, called the primordial or primeval gods, who were born out of Chaos. The first 12 Titans, that included Tethys were a race of powerful, giant gods from the union of the primordial deities Gaia and Uranus. Tethys married her brother Oceanus. Their children were the Oceanides (three thousand daughters) and the Potamoi, the river gods (three thousand sons). The legend and myth about Tethys, the Titan goddess of the rivers, has been passed down through the ages and plays an important role in the history of the Ancient World of Greece and the study of the Greek classics. Facts about Tethys
Tethys features in the Creation myth of the ancient Greeks which are based on the idea that these supernatural beings resembled mortals but were of gigantic proportions and possessed great magical and mystic powers. Name: Tethys Role & Function: The function of Tethys is described as being the goddess of the rivers Status: A principle goddess in the first dynasty of Titans Gender: Female Name of Husband / Consort: Oceanus Name of Father: Uranus Name of Mother: Gaia Names of Brothers (Titans): Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius and Iapetus Names of Sisters (Titanides): Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea and Themis Names of Children: The Oceanides and the Potamoi
The Children of Tethys and Oceanus
The children of Tethys and Oceanus were the Oceanides and the Potamoi. The Oceanides were their 3000 daughters who were goddesses and water nymphs. The Potamoi were the three thousand sons of Oceanus and Tethys who were river-gods. Facts about Tethys in Greek Mythology
Discover interesting information and facts about Tethys, the Titan goddess of the rivers. Tethys took the side of the Titans in the War of the Titans She raised and educated Hera, the Queen of the Olympian gods, as her step-child A moon of the planet Saturn is named after the goddess Her name was derived from the Greek word meaning "the nurse" or "grandmother." Styx, the Oceanide, was the eldest daughter of Tethys and Oceanus She was described as being as tall as the mountains, highly attractive and cherished by her parents Uranus and Gaia.
The Imprisonment of Tethys and the Titans
According to the ancient Greek Creation myth Uranus, the father of Tethys and the other Titans, was terrified of the massive size and strength of his gigantic children and to prevent them rebelling against him, Uranus seized them immediately after their birth and hurled them down into a dark abyss called Tartarus, where he kept his Titan children in chains. Their mother, Gaia, helped them to escape and, led by Cronus, they overthrew their father and took power as the Titan gods. Cronus was no better than his father which led to the War of the Titans. The Titanomachy in Greek Mythology
The Battle of the Titans, called the Titanomachy, was a 10 year war and power struggle that was fought between the Titans and the gods and goddesses who would become known as the Olympians. In ancient Greek mythology Mount Othrys was the base of the Titans during the Battle of the Titans and Mount Olympus was the base of the Olympian gods and goddesses led by Zeus. Mnemosyne, Themis, Oceanus, and Hyperion choose to join the Olympians. |
