History
Origin
The Titans are the children and progeny of the ancient primeval sky-god Ouranos and his wife Gaea the primeval Earth-goddess. Ouranos was very proud of the Titans for their physical perfection, but Gaea had other children, known as the Cyclopes, who had one eye in the center of their heads, and the hundred-armed Hekatonkheires. Ouranos hated his other children and exiled them into the other-dimensional world of Tartarus. Gaea greatly grieved for her children and called upon one of her sons to depose Ouranos and free their siblings from the underworld. None of her sons would raise a weapon against Ouranos except for Cronus, the youngest of the Titans, who used a sickle to castrate Ouranos and dismember his corpse.[1]
The dying Ouranos prophesied that Cronus would be overthrown by one of his own sons.[2]
Titanomachy
Cronus seized Olympus and ruled over Ancient Greece, but he neglected to free the Cyclopes or the Hekatonkheires. His wife, Rhea, was guided by Gaea to conceal the birth of her youngest son, Zeus, feeding Cronus a boulder in place of the infant. Upon adulthood, Zeus freed the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires as allies to conquer Olympus. Zeus was supported by a few of the Titans and by his freed siblings, supposedly swallowed by Cronus in order to prevent the prophecy of Ouranos. The Titans were defeated and imprisoned in Tartarus watched over by Zeus' brother, the god Hades, who reserved part of the underworld as a realm of the dead.[2]
Olympian Era
In later years, the Titan Prometheus recalled on his pact of honor to Hercules. In ancient times, Prometheus had taken fire from the heavens to grant it to mortal man and Zeus had ordered him chained to the Caucasus Mountains on Earth as punishment. Hercules had freed him from his bindings, and when he was in a delirium after attacks by his enemies, Prometheus sacrificed part of his life-force to cure him.[3]Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Superhuman Strength: Titans possess vast levels of superhuman strength and can lift over 100 tons effortlessly without using their other abilities to amp their strength.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Stamina: Titans highly advanced musculature produces almost no fatigue toxins, granting them almost limitless physical stamina in all activities.[citation needed]
- Superhuman Durability: Titan's is highly resistant to physical injury. They are capable of withstanding high caliber bullets, falls from great heights, powerful energy blasts, and extreme temperatures and pressures without sustaining injury. They are also capable of surviving, unprotected, in the vacuum of space for a brief period of time. Their resistance to injury surpasses that of many other Olympian gods.[citation needed]
- Immortality: Titans are immortal beings, and can live indefinitely. They cannot die a natural death and are immune to diseases and ailments. But they can be killed by powerful forces or conditions.[citation needed]
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite there great resilience, it is possible to injure a Titan. They are are capable of recovering from injuries with superhuman speed and efficiency. However, they are is unable to regenerate missing limbs or organs and would require magical assistance to do so. Titans are also immune to all known Earthly diseases and infections. They are also highly resistant to most drugs and toxins but can be affected if exposed to great quantities.[citation needed]
- Energy Manipulation: All Titans have the potential to wield magical or cosmic energies. These powers are mostly limited to changing their appearance or shape and teleporting across great distances. However, a small minority of the Titans are capable of manipulating vast amounts of energy for a variety of purposes including teleportation, shape-shifting, matter manipulation, augmentation of their physical capabilities, erecting powerful force fields, firing powerful blasts of energy for destructive purposes and granting superhuman attributes to objects and beings.[citation needed]
Abilities
Habitat
Habitat
Gravity
Atmosphere
Miscellaneous
Type of Government
Level of Technology
Cultural Traits
Representatives
See Also
- 27 appearance(s) of Titans (Olympians)
- 2 minor appearance(s) of Titans (Olympians)
- 18 mention(s) of Titans (Olympians)
- 6 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Titans (Olympians)
- 2 invocation(s) of Titans (Olympians)
- 2 image(s) of Titans (Olympians)
Links and References
- The Titans in the DC Universe
- Titans at the Guide to the Mythological Universe
- Titans in Wikipedia
- Page for the male Titans (Titanes) in the Theoi project. Includes list and translation of ancient sources.
- Page for the female Titans (Titanides) in the Theoi Project. Includes list and translation of ancient sources.
- Page of the Titans in a site examining the primary sources and genealogy of Greek mythology