Cronus

(Kronus) Greek A Titan, the son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaia (Earth). With his sisterwife, Rhea, Cronus fathered daughters: Demeter, Hestia, and Hera, and sons: Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus, who became Olympian gods. Cronus dethroned his father, Uranus, and was in turn dethroned by his son, Zeus. Cronus was probably a corn god in ancient times and is often depicted holding a sickle or scythe—the same weapon that he used to render Uranus impotent. The Roman Saturn is identified with Cronus. Cronus Overthrows Uranus Uranus and Gaia had many children, including the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Hecatoncheires (Hundred-Handed Ones). 38 Cratus Uranus grew jealous of his children and had them confined under the Earth. Gaia was very unhappy about losing all her children. Finally, she gave a sickle to her bravest son, Cronus, and encouraged him to use it on his father. This Cronus did, mutilating his father horribly so that Uranus became impotent. From his blood were born the furies and the giants; from parts of his flesh, which Cronus had cut off and thrown into the sea, arose the goddess Aphrodite. The defeated Uranus left his realm to Cronus, but warned that one of his sons would in turn overthrow him. The Children of Cronus Cronus married his sister, Rhea, with whom he fathered daughters Demeter, Hestia, and Hera and sons Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Remembering the prophecy of his defeated father, Uranus, Cronus swallowed his children as soon as they were born so that none could overthrow him. In despair, Rhea sought the advice of Gaia, who advised her to give Cronus a stone to swallow the next time a child was born to her. When Zeus was born, Rhea hid him away and presented Cronus with a large stone wrapped in baby clothes. Cronus promptly swallowed the stone, thinking it was his child. When Zeus grew to be a young man, he tricked Cronus into coughing up all the siblings—and the stone—that he had swallowed. Then the siblings gathered together with Zeus, the Cyclopes, and the Hecatoncheires to fight a long war with Cronus and finally defeat him. The era of the Titans ended and Zeus and his brothers and sisters founded the Olympian dynasty. There are various versions of the story of Cronus. The oldest and most often cited is found in the writings of Hesiod.