The Titans were all offspring of Ouranos and Gaia. Once Kronos overthrew Ouranos, he was the new lord of the universe and the Titans could emerge from Tartaros and produce their own offspring. Many of their progeny were features of the natural world. In their birth order, the Titans are as follows:
Ōkeanós Okeanos Ocean-river | God of the great river surrounding the flat earth, marking its bounds for mortals. Tethys and Okeanos had these offspring:
Ποταμοί Potamoi | 3,000 sons each personifying their own body of water, whether still or moving. |
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Ὠκεανίδες Oceanids | 3,000 nymphs, each personifying their own body of land or water. |
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Koios | Koios and Phoibe parented two daughters: αστερία Asteria Starry one | With Perses, Asteria bore Hekate. But when Zeus pursued Asteria, she turned herself into a quail and dove into the sea, turning into the island Ortygia (later Delos). |
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Λητώ Leto | A kind goddess who sought refuge at Ortygia when she bore Zeus' children: |
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Kreios | Mated with Eurybia, daughter of Pontus, to produce three sons: Astraios | Greek for starry. Mated with Eos to produce the Anemoi, the winds: Boreas | Violent, icy north wind. |
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Notos | Soft, moist south wind. |
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Zephyros | Sometimes stormy, other times zephyr, warm, gentle, west wind. |
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His mating with Eos also produced the Stars:
Phosphoros | Greek for light-bringing; aka Eosphoros, dawn-bringer. Morning star that precedes dawn. |
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Hesperos | Evening star. Later associated with wedding songs and marriage. |
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Pallas | Mated with Styx, one of the Rivers of Okeanos and Tethys. They had four progeny, who would later become the constant companions of Zeus in return for their and their mother's support for him in his war against the Titans. Nike | Victory. |
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Zelos | Aspiration |
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Kratos | Power. |
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Bia | Might. |
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Perses | With Asteria, fathered Ἑκάτη Hekate. |
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Ὑπερίων Hyperion High one | Personification of light, the East. Theia and Hyperion gave rise to three children, all spectacular light-giving deities. Helios | Greek for sun. Helios lit the day by driving his four-horse sun-chariot across the sky. He had many offspring, including:Aietes | King of Kolchis who owned the Golden Fleece. |
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Circe | Enchantress |
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Pasiphae | Gave birth to the Minotaur. |
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Phaeithon | Renowned for driving his father's chariot, with an unfortunate end. |
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Selene | Greek for moon. While her brother Helios lit the day, Selene lit the night by driving her moon-chariot, drawn by two milk-white horses, across the sky. Her lovers included Pan and Endymion. |
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Eos | Greek for dawn. She brought not just the dawn, but accompanied Helios on his journey with her own two-horse chariot. Like Helios, she could see and hear everything that happened on earth during the day. Her mate was Astraios, son of the Titan Kreios and Pontus' daughter Eurybia. Together they produced the three main winds Boreas, Notos and Zephyros. But she also had two children by Tithonos: Memnon | Became king of Ethiopia. |
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Emathion | Became king of Arabia. |
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Ἰαπετός Iapetos | With the Oceanid Klymene, Iapetos fathered four sons: Atlas | |
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Meoitios | |
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Prometheus | |
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Epimetheus | |
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Theia | Mated with Hyperion. |
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Rheia | Mated with Kronos. |
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Θέμις Themis | Personification of order in the universe. With Zeus, she bore several children. Μοῖραι Moirai Apportioners | The three Fates, they are usually attributed to Νύξ Nyx. |
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Ὧραι Horai Seasons | The three goddesses of the seasons, given names by Hesiod: Eunomia (Good Order), Dike (Justice) and Eirene (Peace). These ethical connotations reflect that the systematic procession of the seasons was seen as proof of the divine order of the world, the stability of society. |
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Mνημοσύνη Mnemosyne | The personification of memory, she slept with Zeus for nine nights and birthed nine daughters, the Pierides after their birthplace Pieria at the foot of Mount Olympos. They are known as the Muses. αἱ μοῦσαι Muses | Hesiod did not differentiate them beyond their names, but they later developed distinct identities. They were goddesses on whom creatives, thinkers and philosophers depended for their inspiration. That culture would come from memory reflects society's pre-literate roots; and the nature of thought itself. |
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Phoibe | Mated with Koios. |
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Tethys | Mated with Okeanos. |
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Kronos | Kronos and Rheia produced many of the Olympian gods. Hestia
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Demeter
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Hera
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Hades
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Poseidon
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Zeus
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