Rhea

Rhea
Rhea presenting Cronus with the stone wrapped in swaddling bands. Roman relief, 2nd century CE
Titan Goddess of Motherhood
General Information
Species	Goddess
Gender identity	Female
Titles	Titan Goddess of the Earth, Fertility, women, generation, and motherhood
Abodes	Mount Othrys (formerly), Mount Olympus
Relationships
Parents	Uranus and Gaia
Grandparents	Gaia (paternal grandmother)
Siblings	Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Theia, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, Cronus, Uranus, Pontus, the Ourea, Cottus, Briareus, Gyges, Brontes, Steropes, Arges, the Gigantes, the Meliae, the Erinyes, Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto, Eurybia, Aphrodite, Typhon
Spouses	Cronus
Children	Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus
Grandchildren	Children of Poseidon, children of Zeus, Plutus, Philomelus, Acheron
Allegiance	Titans (formerly) Olympians
Equivalents
Anatolian equivalent	Cybele
Egyptian equivalent	Nut
Israelite equivalent	Asherah
Roman equivalent	Ops, Magna Mater

Rhea (Ancient Greek: Ῥέα) was the Titan Goddess of the Fertility of the earth and women, generation and motherhood. The Titaness daughter of Ouranós (the Sky) and Gaia (the Earth) in Greek mythology. She was the Queen of the Titans and mother of the gods.

Etymology

Some ancient etymologists derived Rhea (Ῥέα) (by metathesis) from ἔρα (éra, 'ground', 'earth'); the same is suggested also by modern scholars. Other roots have been suggested by modern scholarship but other scholars consider a convincing etymology to be lacking.

A different tradition, embodied in the philosophers Plato and Chrysippus, connected the word with ῥέω (rhéo, 'flow, discharge'). Alternatively, the name Rhea may be connected with words for the pomegranate: ῥόα (rhóa), and later ῥοιά (rhoiá).

The name Rhea may ultimately derive from a Pre-Greek or Minoan source.

Mythology

Cronos, Rhea's Titan brother and husband, castrated their father. Afterwards he and Rhea took the throne as King and Queen. This time period was known as the Golden Age.

Birth of Zeus

Cronos had gained five children from Rhea; Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon that were all swallowed by Cronos because he did not want to be overthrown. Rhea, who was desperate, went to Gaia, who told her to hide her last child, Zeus, and give Cronos a rock to swallow. After the War of the Gods, in which Cronos was overthrown by his children. She then withdrew to the mountainside and travels in a chariot driven by lionesses.

Birth of other gods and relation to childbirth

She later appeared in the myths when Zagreus was born. Hera sent the Titans to tear him to pieces, which they did. Rhea sewed him back together and gave him life. She was also present at the birth of Apollo. She was a goddess who eased childbirth. She also healed Dionysus' mad frenzy and raised him.

As a mother goddess

Rhea was often seen as a mother goddess, and was associated with other mother goddesses, mainly the goddess Cybele. They often look similar in Greek art. She is sometimes known as Rhea-Cybele, a mix of the two goddesses.

Family

Rhea is a daughter of Uranus and Gaia, and is one of the Twelve Titans. She married her brother Cronus, and bore him six children, Zeus, Hera, Hades, Hestia, Poseidon, and Demeter.

According to Hesiod, Rhea had six children with Cronus: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. The philosopher Plato recounts that Rhea, Cronus, and Phorcys were the eldest children of Oceanus and Tethys.

According to the Orphic myths, Zeus wanted to marry his mother Rhea. After Rhea refused to marry him, Zeus turned into a snake and raped her. She had Persephone with Zeus.

Olympian Genealogy in Greek mythology

Chaos                                           Gaia                                             Uranus   Gaia                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Iapetus   Clymene         Cronus   Rhea                     Coeus   Phoebe           Themis   Zeus   Dione     Mnemosyne   Zeus   Eurynome                                                                                                                                                                         Atlas   Pleione                         Metis   Zeus     Leto   Zeus                     Aphrodite             The Muses   Graces                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Athena                       Moirai   Hours   Nemesis   Tyche Zeus   Maia                                                                                                                                                                                                       Hermes                                                     Artemis   Apollo   Coronis                                                                                                                                                                       Asclepius                                                               Hera   Zeus   Demeter   Poseidon   Amphitrite   Hades   Persephone   Hestia                                                                                               Persephone             Triton                                                                       Arion   Despoina                                                                                                                                       Hebe   Heracles   Eileithyia   Eris   Ares   Aphrodite   Hephaestus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         AlexiAres   Anicetus                 Harmonia   Cadmus of Thebes   Eros   Anteros   Himeros   Hymenaios   Pothos   Peitho   Deimos   Phobos                                                                               Zeus   Semele                                                                             Dionysus

Preceded by: Gaia

Queen of the Greek Gods (Contested with (Eurynome) Mythic

Succeeded by Hera

Gallery

In Greek art, Rhea was often depicted handing a rock to her husband, Cronus.

Image gallery of Rhea

Significant modern namesakes

Image of the Saturnian moon Rhea

• The name of the bird species Rhea is derived from the goddess's name Rhea.
• Rhea, the second largest moon of the planet Saturn, is named after her.

References

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Rhea (view authors). As with Myth and Folklore Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported).