It is well-known that the Titans that fought Zeus and his Olympians were imprisoned into the depths of Tartarus after their defeat in the great Titanomachy. Why exactly were the Titans imprisoned even though they had suffered a huge loss from the war already?
Zeus had the Titans imprisoned after the Titanomachy because he wanted to stop any possible retaliation from the Titans in the future. Tartarus was the deepest part of the underworld and was specifically made to house the worst monster and beings.
The Titans were once the ruling Gods of the Greek Pantheon. Though their rule was called the Golden Age, it was far from prosperous as there was no morality during their rule. Who were the Titans and why did they fall so far from grace considering that they were once Gods?
The Story of The Titans
Long ago before the rise of the Olympians that we know of as the Gods of the Greek Pantheon today, the Titans reigned supreme over the skies and land. They were the children of Gaia, the Primordial God of the Earth, and Uranus, the Primordial God of the Sky.
Though Gaia and Uranus ruled the world as God during that time, the Titan, Cronus, orchestrated a coup against them and took over as the King of the Gods. After that, the Titans would rule over the world as God from their seat on Mount Othrys.
This would be known as the Golden Age as peace and harmony were kept by the Titans during this time. Though people were provided for during this period, the Titans had no morality and considered their actions to be right regardless of the consequences.
Soon after, the Titans Cronus and Rhea would bear children who would later be known as the Primary Gods of Olympus. This included Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and the most well-known of them all, Zeus.
When Rhea conceived the first five of Cronus’s children, Cronus was given a prophecy that would lead to his downfall at the hands of his own offspring. Fearing his own demise, he ate all of his children to prevent the prophecy from fulfilling itself and to keep his rule.
He knew what would happen to him as he disposed of his father, Uranus, long ago after overthrowing him as King of the Gods. When it came time to pass Zeus, his youngest child, to the Titan to be devoured, Rhea replaced the God with a rock instead to trick Cronus.
Zeus would then be sheltered on the island of Crete where he would grow up to be the strongest being on earth to overthrow his father.
The Great Titanomachy
Known to some as the Great Titan War, it was the epic battle between the Olympians and the Titans which decided the fate of the cosmos. After the war, the Olympians would stand triumphant and rule from Mount Olympus as the reigning Gods of the Greek Pantheon.
When Zeus was of age he began to plan out his coup against his father, starting with the liberation of his siblings from his bowels. Though he was powerful, he alone cannot overthrow the Titans so he enlisted to help of the Titaness, Metis, to save his siblings.
Metis gave Cronus something that forced him to regurgitate the Olympians out of his stomach. After that, the three brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades would go to Tartarus and free the Cyclops imprisoned by Cronus in exchange for powerful artifacts that would help win the war.
Zeus and the Olympians fought from Mount Olympus while Cronus and his Titans fought from Mout Othrys. The war lasted for 10 long years but eventually, the Olympians had won against their predecessors, claiming the cosmos for themselves.
The female Titans remained neutral throughout the war so they were spared of all punishment. Some of them even mated with the Gods to create powerful beings throughout Greek Mythology.
Some Gods even allied with the Olympians, earning them tasks from the Olympians to create a better world. The three brothers drew lots resulting in Zeus reigning over the skies, Poseidon the Seas, and Hades the underworld.
The Titans that fought for Cronus were all imprisoned into Tartarus, banished forever into the depths of the underworld. Cronus was also banished into Tartarus, but not before being separated limb by limb by his children, the Olympians.
The Reasons Behind The Titans’ Imprisonment
Though it was believed that the Titans were imprisoned simply because they lost the war, it can be argued that there are other reasons behind their imprisonment. It all boils down to Zeus and his fears of being overthrown by someone else.
The Olympians may have won the war against the Titans, but that doesn’t mean that the Titans cant fight back if given the chance. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, their banishment into the depths of the underworld ensured that they can’t retaliate even if they wanted to.
Tartarus was very far away from the surface of the earth. It was believed that it took the same amount of time to reach Tartarus from the realm of Hades as it would from there to the earth.
Cronus’ disembodiment made it even harder for them to do anything without their leader. Zeus was a very powerful God but he had fears of being overthrown.
He once was given an omen that he would be overthrown by a son birthed by his favorite wife, Metis, who married him after the Great Titanomachy. It shook him so much that he immediately turned Metis into a fly and swallowed her whole, leaving her inside of his head forever trapped.
In Greek warfare, it was common to hold Prisoners of War as well. According to historians, Greek militia would often hold Prisoners of War during the battle for negotiations and intimidation, though it was limited to soldiers and leaders since the commonfolk are spared.
There are many records of Kings being overthrown and tortured as well after they fall to another ruler. This may have inspired the mythology which was based on the culture of Greece, with the Gods being the ideal versions of their civilization.
Conclusion
The Titans were once the ruling Gods of the Greek Pantheon but were reduced to nothing but prisoners after the Great Titanomachy. Zeus and the Olympians successfully overthrew them and imprisoned them in Tartarus for their supposed crimes against humanity.
This might all be a lie as Zeus was known to be very afraid of being overthrown. He would do anything to protect himself, even if it meant devouring the Titaness who was once his favorite wife and the one that helped him to win the war, Metis.
The Titans were powerful beings of their time but in the end, they were banished into the depths of Tartarus. They serve as a reminder to those that would even consider overthrowing the King of the Gods, Zeus.
