Rhea— Greek Titan"Mother of the Gods"

The Great Mother

Rhea is the mother of gods—she bore Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus to her brother-husband Kronos. She is the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, sister to the Titans, a bridge between the primordial generation and the Olympians who would rule the cosmos. Her name means "flow" or "ease," suggesting the passage of generations.

The Grief of a Mother

Rhea watched in horror as Kronos swallowed each child she bore, one after another. Hestia, then Demeter, then Hera—each time Rhea went through the agony of childbirth only to have her baby snatched away and devoured. Hades and Poseidon followed. When she became pregnant with Zeus, she finally resolved to save at least one child.

The Stone in Swaddling Clothes

Rhea fled to Crete before Zeus's birth, hiding in a cave on Mount Dicte or Mount Ida. After giving birth, she wrapped a stone in infant's clothes and gave it to Kronos, who swallowed it without question. The Curetes, her mountain warriors, danced and clashed their shields to drown out the baby's cries.

Mother of the Gods

Zeus grew to manhood hidden in Crete, nursed by the goat Amalthea and fed on honey by bees. When he was strong enough, he returned to free his siblings and overthrow Kronos. Rhea's cunning and courage had made the Olympian victory possible. Without her, Zeus would have been digested like his brothers and sisters.

The Mountain Goddess

Rhea was worshipped across the Greek world, often merged with the Phrygian Great Mother Cybele. Her sanctuaries were on mountain peaks, where lions drew her chariot and drums and cymbals accompanied wild dances. She represents the untamed power of motherhood—not domestic and tame, but fierce and protective, willing to deceive even the king of Titans to save her children.