If you read about Greek mythology, you may encounter the two recurring words — titans and gods. Cronus, the father of Zeus and other Olympian gods, is a titan, while Zeus is a god.
Is there any difference between titans and gods? The simple answer is yes. The entire clan of gods started from the primordial gods named Uranus and Gaia, then the second family started with Cronus and Rhea, and finally, the gods ascended with Zeus and his family.
Aside from genealogy, there are still many differences between titans and gods that we can carefully review in the next part of the article, so buckle up and get ready to learn more about gods and titans.
Family and Genealogy
The family and the divisions of generations play an influential role in distinguishing the difference between the lives of the Olympian gods and titans.
The Olympian Gods: Who Are They?
The Olympian gods of Greek mythology consist of Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Dionysus. The order starts at the king of all gods himself, his wife Hera, and his brothers as they reside in the sacred Mount Olympus.
There are initially more than 13 gods. Hercules is the additional one. However, the new god was deemed superficial, unlike the 12 gods.
The root of this family started from Cronus and Rhea, who married each other and gave birth to the five Olympian gods. Their children were Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia Zeus, Hera, and Hades.
The only exception is Hades for the Olympian gods. Hades is the underworld god, and he is keeping track of the lives under his observation. The god does not reside in mount Olympus. Therefore, it invalidates his qualification as an Olympian.
The complicated brother and sister relationship of the Olympian god starts with Zeus and Methis pairing, bearing the goddess Athena. The next was Leto, who bore Apollo and Artemis. And with Semele, Zeus had Dionysus, and Maia was the one who gave birth to god Hermes, which is also the god of the sky’s offspring.
The offspring of the king and queen of all gods are Ares and Hephaestus. Hephaestus was the one who Hera despises the most because she’s humiliated with how his face turned out to be, so she married him up with the goddess Aphrodite.
Meanwhile, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, is settling the line between being a god and a titan. Some accounts state that she emerged from Uranus’s testicles, while others say that she is the daughter of Zeus.
The Titans: Who Are They?
In the tale of Cronus, he is one of the titans who were the children of Uranus and Gaia, the goddess of the earth. They bore six male titans, mainly Cronus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Oceanus. They also have six titan daughters named Rhea, Tethys, Themis, Theia, Phoebe, and Mnemosyne.
Because Uranus threw them into Tartarus, Gaia made an agreement with Cronus that she’s going to make a deal with him to kill his tyrant father and set the siblings free from their cruel life.
After killing their father, Cronus married Rhea, who gave birth to the five major Olympian gods. Their other siblings have paired up as well.
Hyperion and Theia gave birth to Semele and Eos, and they had a son named Helios. Their children were the titans of sun, moon, and dawn.
Aside from them, Iapetus and Themis were also married, of which they gave birth to Epimetheus, Atlas, and Menoitos.
Therefore you can see that Zeus and Cronus have shared their fate by getting the thrones out of their father. However, the Olympian king of all gods tagged their generation as “gods” rather than their fathers, titans.
Greek Gods vs. Titans: Powers
Another distinguishing feature that identifies the difference between titans and gods is that they have different ranges of powerful abilities.
The Greek gods have vast powers that they use together to eliminate their enemies. For example, Zeus alone ended the generation of titans, making him powerful of all. The god rules the kingdom of all Greek gods, and he is feared by every god because of his ability to throw streaks of lightning bolts to whoever displeases him.
Another one is Hera. She is the queen of all the Olympian gods as she is the goddess of family marriage, and along with her husband barrel the sky, the queen made him silent and familial. She is spiteful towards those who wronged her.
Another example is that you see the loving mother of Persephone, the goddess Demeter. The goddess of agriculture and harvest contains a strong power to make the whole world cold when she lost her beloved daughter into the underworld.
And don’t forget about the goddess of battle and wisdom, Athena. Athena is literally the brainchild of Zeus that made her the goddess of war and crafts and strategies. She’s also responsible for making Gorgon medusa’s curse which only proved that she is mighty.
The titans were also robust, and they share the same characteristics as gods have over the titans cover only specific powers, unlike the gods. Cronus was the titan god of the universe and destructive time. While Rhea also had the same power as Hera.
The Battles That Took Place In The Mythology
As for greek gods, their story started in Titanomachy, the myth of the beginning of the life of all Olympian gods, and gigantomachy, where Zeus asked Hercules to help defeat the titans because of the reason only mortals can kill a giant.
Titanomachy is the battle between Zeus and the tyrant father who swallowed his siblings out of fear of the prophecy that would happen. Zeus saved his siblings and asked for help coming from the siblings of Cronus.
In gigantomachy, this battle is started by the enraged mother of all titans who are against the new set of gods trying to overpower them. Hercules played a significant role in this battle, defeating the titans with the help of the gods.
Meanwhile, in the titans, there is only one significant battle that shapes their history, and it is called the overthrow of Uranus. Just like the fateful events that helped Zeus start a new generation of gods, Cronus and his siblings were thrown under the pit of Tartarus, and he wanted to get even with their father. Cronus took the step and castrated his father with a sickle. However, after his victory, he did not fulfill his mother’s wish but instead, he took control of all of the universe and married his sister Rhea.
Why Do Titans Hate The Greek Gods?
As powers have played a significant role in their freedom, they are both fighting for their survival. The gods will cease to exist if they don’t do anything to defeat the titans. On the other hand, the generation of titans would die because of the betrayal that keeps on happening repeatedly.
And even though they hate the Greek gods, no accounts are stating that certain titans killed any gods. In fact, even though Cronus swallowed the gods, they were still alive and his stomach until Zeus let them out, so you can say that they fear each other.