The Titans

The Titans were the original twelve rulers in Greek mythology. They existed before the twelve deities that ruled on Mount Olympus. According to the various myths, in the beginning there was Chaos. From Chaos came Heaven and Earth, and from these came the Titans.

According to the myths, the Titans had other children besides the twelve deities on Mount Olympus, but these children would be the ones they would fight with for power over Earth. For ten years, the Titans fought their children. Eventually, the children would lose and be banished. The Olympic gods and goddesses had the Titans banished to Tartarus, a place below the Underworld. Here they were to remain imprisoned forever.

Although there are many myths about the Titans, and some modern-day books and movies deal with the Titans, one of the most important myths relates to one of the Titans’ children, Prometheus. Prometheus was not one of the twelve Olympians. The myths state that Prometheus played an important role for mankind. Prometheus liked mankind and wanted to help them. To help make their lives easier, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and shared it with mankind.

The Titans are portrayed as harsh rulers and often as cruel parents in the many myths about them. Yet it is through their descendent Prometheus that mankind was able to have fire. Thus, to the ancient Greeks, the Titans were a vital part of mankind’s history.