The mythology of Ancient Greece has survived for thousands of years. Tales of the exploits of immortal gods and heroes are known to millions of readers around the world. On the basis of myths, many films have been created and, it would seem, this topic has been studied for a long time, but, as historians say, most people only read and heard legends about the times when the gods ruled the world from Olympus. In Greek mythology, there was a time preceding the rule of the great Zeus, the terrible Hades and other famous Olympic gods. This period is known as the Golden Age, a time when the titans led by Cronus ruled the world.
Ancient Greek Mythology: Chronos and Kronos
Cronus is one of the twelve titans, the great, immortal children of Gaia and Uranus. He is also known as Kronos. The translation of his name from ancient Greek introduced some confusion into mythology. In some translations they wrote the name Kronos as Chronos, thus uniting two different characters, and although Kron was considered a god among the titans, he has nothing to do with Chronos, born of primary chaos and personifying time.
Cronus and Uranus
At first there was only chaos. Out of this non-existence came Mother Earth (Gaia) and Father Sky (Uranus). Thanks to the fertility of Uranus, Gaia produced numerous offspring, among which were beautiful nymphs and titans, and terrible cyclops and hecatonheirs. Although Gaia loved all her children, Uranus believed that terrible giants had no place in the sun, and imprisoned them in the dark underground abyss of Tartarus. Nymphs and titans escaped such a fate. Among them was Crohn.
Mythology tells how, distraught with grief over the loss of children, Gaia turned for help to her sons-titans and daughters-titanides. Kronos agreed to rebel against his father and free his older brothers and sisters from imprisonment. With the help of his mother, he created a sickle with which he cut off his father's reproductive organs when he lay on the conjugal bed with Gaia. Having thus won a victory over Uranus, Kronus threw the cut-off organs into the sea. According to some versions of the myth, the goddess Aphrodite was created from drops of blood that fell into the sea.
Rejoiced at the victory of his son, Gaia hoped that he would release his brothers and sisters languishing in Tartarus, but did not keep his promise to Kron. Mythology tells how an angry and disappointed mother predicted to her son a fate similar to that of Uranus' father. The prophecy said that the time would come when Cronus would be betrayed and fall at the hands of one of his children.
The Golden Age of Kronos
After defeating his father, Kronos married his sister Ray and, having seized the throne of his relative Ophion, became the king of the Titans and the supreme god. During the reign of Cronus as a god, many myths are called the Golden Age. At this time justice triumphed, labor was not exhausting, and abundance reigned in the world. According to ancient Greek mythology, Kron created the rules, living by which people did not know pain, death, disease, hunger and evil as long as the terrible cyclops and hecatonheirs were imprisoned.
Myths of a later period identify the period of the reign of Kronos with cruel and merciless times.
Kronos and Zeus
Kronos and Rhea had six children: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Remembering the prophecy, Kronos alternately immediately after birth swallowed his five offspring. Not wanting such a fate for the last son Zeus, Reya deceived her husband and instead of the child handed him a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Not noticing the substitution, Kronos swallowed it, and Rhea hid the baby as soon as possible on the island of Crete, in the cave of Mount Ida, where Zeus was fed the milk of the sacred goat Amalthea.
Until Zeus was old enough to start a fight with his father, the guards guarded the entrance to the cave, and when the baby cried, they loudly banged spears on their shields so that Cronus would not hear.
The mythology of Ancient Greece, dedicated to the Olympic gods, narrates that, having matured, Zeus understood that he alone could not cope with his father. Therefore, he resorted to a cunning plan: God made a magic potion and tricked Kronos into drinking it. The magic worked, and Kronos monster Zeus brothers and sisters. Now the latter had allies, and the prophecy of the fall of Kronos was beginning to come true.
For a long time, the struggle between the forces led by Zeus and the Titans lasted. Although Crohn's army was stronger, Zeus was smart enough to enlist the support of new powerful allies. Having freed the Cyclopes, gigantes, and hecatonheirs from Tartarus, he ultimately secured victory and overthrew the Titans. Having come to power, Zeus shared it with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades.
After the fall of Kronos
After Zeus came to power and his accession to Olympus, there are several versions of where Kron disappeared. Mythology says that he was imprisoned in Tartarus along with most of the other titans, and their siblings hecatonheirs guarded them. In kinder versions of the tales, Zeus eventually forgave his father and even made him king of paradise.