The Titanomachy

THE TITANOMACHY

It was a war fought by vengeful children determined to undo their wicked lord-father, Cronus, King of Heaven and Earth. However, it was also a war that was not going well, and faltering. Though raged fueled them, it did not empower them, and they who sought become the Princes of the West feared for their end. In anger, they cursed their lord-brother, Zeus, whom they had made high over them as gratitude for purging them from their father's bowels. In despair, Hades, brother of Zeus, cried aloud, "Better that we had stayed within the bowels of our lord-father, for at least we would have lived. Now our fool brother has led us into our father's wrath, which shall surely condemn us to everlasting damnation!" And Zeus, vexed by his brethren, departed them.

As he wandered, the Mother of his Mother spoke unto him, saying, "Smite not thy lord and father, Cronus, for though he has done evil in my sight, he is still my son whom I love. Therefore art thou to be rod of correction by which I may set right the wayward path of my son. Now hie thee hence to the deepest sepulchre, Tartaros, and free thee my children, whom my wicked son Cronus hath forgotten. They shall render unto thee aid and counsel." So Zeus departed quickly to the Gate of the Abyss, but he had already conceived in his heart to kill his father.

When Zeus had arrived at the Black Threshold, the Gate to the deep sepulchre, Tartaros, he beheld a great demoness, Campe, who was guarding the Gate. Before he could consider how he might best the demoness, she sighted him, and contended with him. And so they contended with one another until Zeus overcame her and slew her.

He then opened wide the Gate and called aloud into the dark, saying, "Arise from the dark, Sons of the Earth. Thy mother has great need of thee, for thy lord-brother, Cronus, has done evil in her sight, and is in need of chastisement." Thus, they arose, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes--the Brothers of Cronus.

And one of the Cyclopes looked down upon Zeus and said, "Thou hast done well in the sight of our mother. Here is wisdom: nothing in the heavens or on the earth can correct our lord-brother, for is he not the highest of the high, and sovereign of both the heavens and the earth? Behold, I tell thee a mystery: within our mother there dwelleth a Force. It is the Source of all there is. It is Wisdom, Power, and Glory. To partake of it, thou must go to a high place and make a sacrifice of thyself unto the earth; this is the Sovereign's Rite. Only then wilt thou be strong enough to correct thy father." So Zeus went away from the Brothers of Cronus, to seek a high place to perform the Sovereign's Rite.

The young Prince arrived at a mighty hill, which today is called Olympus. He scaled the highest of the high places of the mount, the peak known as Mytikas, and there he celebrated the Rite.

And while celebrating the Rite, Zeus made an offering of himself--a portion of his soul--to the Earth, and the Earth groan and trembled, and opened herself up, and from her proceeded a great flame, which received the offering. And the rumbling of the Earth stirred old Cronus from his throne, and took notice of Zeus and became sore afraid. He called forth a great zephyr to extinguish to the sacrificial flame, but the flame was extinguished not, and instead mingled with the wind to create the master thunderbolt--the Sovereign's Bolt. But when callow Zeus took the Bolt into his being, he was overwhelmed by its might and expelled it, lest it consume him. So he summoned his familiar, the eagle Dios, and infused him with some of the Bolt's power; the power caused the eagle to become like unto shimmering gold. Zeus, again, tried to take the Bolt into himself, and he still could not contain its power. So he called forth the Light of the Firmament, the Aether, and the Darkness of the Abyss, the Erebus, and forged them together in the holy flame that proceeded from the Earth, into a golden sword of Light and Shadow--Chrysaor, the Blade of Golden Twilight. And Zeus imbued the Saber with some of the Bolt's power, and again, tried to take the Bolt into himself, but he still could not contain its power. So he surrendered more of his soul to the Earth so that only half remained. He again tried to take the Bolt within himself, and this time it fused with his very being, and was contained within him. And that is how Zeus of All Olympians came to wield the crackling fire of storms, the thunderbolt.

Zeus descended the High Place of Olympus and rejoined his kin. And he led them victoriously in battle, his brethren and the Brothers of Cronus, against the Son of Earth and Heaven and all those who sided with him. Zeus, with his mighty Bolt, subdued his father, and with his Golden Sword, smote him. And Zeus did rip Cronus' soul from his dying body and cast it and all those Titans who sided with him into the outer depths of Tartaros. But Gaea, the Earth, was sore displeased with Zeus, and pronounced a curse upon him, saying:
As Thou hadst undone Thine own father, and he, his father before Thee, so, too, if iniquity be found in Thine heart, shalt Thou be undone by Thine own son.

But Zeus paid no heed to the words of the Earth, and wise and cunning Metis, a Titaness, he took for his first wife. And Zeus and his brethren ascended Olympus, the great hill, and made their palaces there. Upon Mytikas did Zeus Panolympios enthroned himself, and became Highest of the High and Sovereign of the Heavens and the Earth.

And he has reigned ever since. But a reckoning is coming...

© 2010 Will Gabriel