Who was Theia?
Theia was the Titan goddess of all that glitters and the mother of the sun 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 Theia were a race of powerful, giant gods from the union of the primordial deities Gaia and Uranus. Theia married Hyperion who was also her brother. Their children were Helios, Eos and Selene. The legend and myth about Theia, the Titan goddess of all that glitters and the mother of the sun 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 Theia
Theia 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: Theia Role & Function: The function of Theia is described as being the goddess of all that glitters and the mother of the sun Status: A principle goddess in the first dynasty of Titans Gender: Female Name of Husband / Consort: Hyperion 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, Phoebe, Rhea and Themis Names of Children: Helios, Eos and Selene
The Children of Theia and Hyperion
The children of Theia and Hyperion were Helios, Eos and Selene. Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Selene was the Titan goddess of the moon and Helios was the Titan god of the sun who was the father of the Three Graces (aka Charities) were reputed to be the essence of beauty, charm, and grace. Theia took the side of the Titans in the War of the Titans against the Olympians The Titans were associated with the various planets, Theia was associated with the sun The name Theia simply means "goddess" She was the goddess who endowed gold, silver and glittering jewels She was also the mother of sight She possessed the gift of prophecy
The Imprisonment of Theia and the Titans
According to the ancient Greek Creation myth Uranus, the father of Theia 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. |
