Just before the rule of the Olympians, the first generation of Titans also called the Uranides or the elder titans were born. The 12 Titans were the children of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky; then rulers of the universe. There were both 6 male and female Titans, namely: Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Iapetus, Mnemosyne, Themis, Phoebe, Theia, Tethys, and Rheia.
Titans: A Brief Background
| Titan | Symbol |
| Oceanus | Serpent, Fish |
| Hyperion | The Sun |
| Coeus | – |
| Crius | Ram |
| Cronus | Snake, Grain, Sickle, Scythe |
| Iapetus | Spear |
| Mnemosyne | Mount Pieria |
| Themis | Bronze Sword |
| Phoebe | Oracle of Delphi, Moon |
| Theia | Eyes |
| Tethys | Fresh water |
| Rheia | Chariot, Tambourine, Crown, Cornucopia |
After the 12 Titans were born, Gaia gave birth to three cyclopes and three sons with fifty heads and a hundred arms each (the hecatoncheires). Uranus was disgusted by his children and threw them into Tartarus, the underworld.
Gaia could not forgive Uranus for being cruel because she loved all her children. Because of this, she led the Titans to overthrow their father. Cronus, together with his brothers Coeus, Crius, and Iapetus formed the four pillars that held the earth and heavens (Uranus) apart. They castrated and dethroned their father, with Cronus assuming leadership afterwards.
When a prophecy for the throne clouded Cronus’ judgement, he swallowed 5 out of his 6 children after they were born but was still not able to avoid his fate. He was defeated by Zeus, his youngest child, among the other Olympians, in a decade-long battle known as the Titanomachy.
The 12 Titans in Greek Mythology
1. Oceanus – Titan God of the Sea and Water
Oceanus is the eldest of the Titans. He was the god of the oceans and was believed to encircle the disc-like earth. He is usually depicted as a fish-like serpent with bull horns and a long tail.
He married his sister Tethys. Before their union caused floods because they were far too fertile, they gave birth to 3000 sons called the Potamoi (lesser gods of the rivers), and 3000 daughters called Oceanids (nymphs of all freshwater).
They divorced to prevent the floods that resulted from giving birth to a lot of children. Oceanus was the only male titan who did not join the war against titans and Olympians.
2. Hyperion – Titan God of Light and Observation
Hyperion is the god of light and was the one who held the pillar of the east. He married his sister, Theia, and had 3 children: Helios (the god of the sun), Selene (goddess of the moon), and Eos (goddess of the dawn).
It was said that he, along with his three brothers, Coeus, Crius, and Iapetus, held their father, Uranus, down as Cronus castrated and dethroned him. After the Titanomachy, he was one of the Titans who were thrown into Tartarus.
3. Coeus – Titan God of the Oracles, Wisdom, and Foresight
Coeus is the Titan of intellect and oracles. He kept the pillar of the north. He married his sister, Phoebe, and had 3 children: Lelantos (titan of air), Leto (goddess of motherhood), and Asteria (goddess of the stars).
Leto and Asteria were both pursued by Zeus but Leto ended up bearing Zeus’ two children, Apollo and Artemis. Coeus was also thrown into Tartarus after the war.
4. Crius – Titan God of Constellations
Crius is the titan of heavenly constellations and the titan of the south pillar. He was often depicted as a ram-shaped goat.
He married his half-sister, Eurybia, the goddess of mastery of the seas and the daughter of Gaea from her second husband Pontus. Together, they had three children: Astraeus (the god of dusk), Pallas (the god of Warcraft), and Perses (the god of destruction). He also spent his remaining days imprisoned in Tartarus.
5. Cronus – Titan God of Time
Cronus was the youngest of the 12 titans. He is the god of time and the one who castrated Uranus with a sickle. He married his elder sister, Rhea, and had 6 children: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, and Demeter.
After Cronus became king, he was given a prophecy that his children would overthrow him just like what he did to his father. To prevent this, he swallowed each of his children as soon as they were born. However, Zeus escaped this fate when Rhea hid him and gave Cronus a stone wrapped in clothes instead, which he swallowed.
6. Iapetus – Titan God of Mortality and Craftsmanship
In some sources, Iapetus was the god of mortality, and other sources associate him with craftsmanship. He held the pillar of the west while dethroning Uranus.
He married his Oceanic niece Clymene and had Prometheus (the titan of forethought), Epimetheus (the titan of afterthought), Atlas (the titan of strength), and Menoetius (the titan of violent anger).
7. Mnemosyne – Titan Goddess of Memory
Mnemosyne was the goddess of memory and remembrance, and the lesser deity of sight, time, and writing. She did not marry any of her brothers but she slept with Zeus for nine consecutive days, giving birth to nine muses as a result. These are Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomeni, Polymnia, Ourania, Terpsichore, and Thalia.
8. Themis – Titan Goddess of Law, Order, and Justice
Themis was the Titan goddess of law, order, and justice. She was the divine voice who instructed mankind about morality and conduct. She is usually described as wielding a scale in one hand, and a sword in the other. Her first husband was Iapetus. Zeus took her to be his second wife after the Titanomachy. Together, they had two sets of children: the Horai (goddesses of time) and Moirai (goddesses of fate).
9. Phoebe – Titan Goddess of Prophecy and Intellect
Phoebe is the goddess of intellect and the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. She was a protector of the Oracle of Delphi which she later on passed on to Apollo. She married Coeus and had 3 children: Lelantos, Leto, and Asteria.
10. Theia (Thea) – Titan Goddess of Sight
Theia was the titan of sight and bright light. She married her brother Hyperion, the god of light, and had three children: Helios, Eos, and Selene. She was believed to have given gold, silver, and other precious gems their value by being able to shine through her radiance.
11. Tethys – Titan Goddess of Fresh Water
Tethys was the goddess of fresh waters and the wife and brother of Oceanus. She and her husband were both not involved in dethroning Uranus and in the Titanomachy. During the war, Rhea brought Hera to her and she raised the child as her own. After the war, she stayed as a goddess along with her husband.
12. Rheia (Rhea) – Titan Goddess of Fertility
Rheia was the goddess of fertility and motherhood. She married Cronus and was the mother of the 6 Olympians. She was also called the queen of the Titans.
After refusing to let Zeus, her 6th child, get swallowed by his husband because of the prophecy, she hid him in a cave until he grew up. After the Olympians overthrew Cronus, Rhea became the earth goddess and an advisor to her children.