Greek Mythology · primordial

Uranus

Οὐρανός
also: Ouranos · Sky
primordialskyheaven

Sky, the first 'god' and husband of Gaia; father of the Titans. He was overthrown and castrated by his son Cronus.

UR
The account

Who they are

Ouranos (Uranus) is Sky in Hesiod: he loved Gaia and covered her entirely, and their union produced the twelve Titans, the Cyclopes, and the three Hecatoncheires (Hundred-Hands) [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗. Fearing his monstrous children, Ouranos imprisoned them in Tartarus, and Gaia, grieving and plotting, forged a flint sickle and set her son Cronus to castrate and overthrow him [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗. Dismembered, his severed parts fell to earth and gave rise to further beings (the Erinyes from his blood, Aphrodite from his severed member, in one account) [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗. He then retreated to the heavens, and Cronus took his place as the supreme ruler [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Worth knowing
  • His castration is the origin-story of both the Erinyes (Furies) and, in the Theogony, Aphrodite [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
  • The 'Hundred-Handed' brothers (Cottus, Briareus, Gyges) later help Zeus defeat the Titans [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Aphrodite's birth from Ouranos's severed member (Theogony) vs. her birth from Zeus & Dione (Iliad) — a genuine variant, both stored [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Relationships (6)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFGaia — Gaia is the parent of Ouranos (Sky).[S1]
PARENT_OFCronus — Ouranos (with Gaia) is a parent of the Titans.[S1]

Partners

PARTNER_OFGaia — Gaia and Ouranos are the primordial couple.[S1]

Creation

CREATEDChaos — Chaos gives rise to Ouranos (Sky) — actually Ouranos is Gaia's child; Chaos begets the first beings including Gaia.[S1]
CREATEDAphrodite — In the Theogony, Aphrodite is born from the sea-foam around Ouranos's severed member.[S1] [S2]

Conflict & enmity

FOUGHTCronus — Cronus overthrew and castrated his father Ouranos.[S1]
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Their corner of the divine world

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FocusUranusGreek
GREEK · 41variantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥AegisHelmet of HadesCaduceus of Her…Trident of Pose…Thunderbolt of …Alcmenamortalthe mortal mother of Heracles1 relationsAndromedamortalthe rescued princess2 relationsAphroditedeitylove7 relationsAtlasdeitythe sky (bore)1 relationsChaosprimordialorigin2 relationsDanaemortalthe mortal mother of Perseus1 relationsDemeterdeityharvest6 relationsEchidnamonsterthe monster-mother2 relationsGaiadeityearth6 relationsHadesdeitythe dead7 relationsHeradeitymarriage8 relationsHestiadeityhearth1 relationsLetodeitymotherhood (as mother of Apollo/Artemis)2 relationsMedusamonsterthe Gorgon3 relationsMetisdeitycounsel2 relationsOceanusdeitythe great world-river1 relationsOdysseusherocunning2 relationsPenelopemortalthe faithful wife of Odysseus2 relationsPoseidondeitythe sea6 relationsRheadeitymotherhood2 relationsSemelemortalthe mortal mother of Dionysus1 relationsTethysdeitythe primordial sea1 relationsTyphonmonsterthe great monster7 relationsCerberusmonsterthe guardian of the underworld3 relationsErosdeitylove2 relationsHebedeityyouth2 relationsHephaestusdeityfire6 relationsMaiadeitythe nymph2 relationsUranusprimordialsky6 relationsPersephonedeitythe underworld2 relationsTelemachusmortalthe son of Odysseus2 relationsCronusdeitytime (later association)9 relationsZeusdeitysky29 relationsApollodeitysun (later)4 relationsAresdeitywar (violence, bloodshed)3 relationsArtemisdeitythe hunt3 relationsAthenadeitywisdom4 relationsDionysusdeitywine3 relationsHeraclesherostrength7 relationsHermesdeitymessengers5 relationsPerseusheroheroism8 relations
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Myths featuring Uranus

4 stories

The Hesiodic Creation (Cosmogony)

In the Theogony, the first thing is Chaos, from which come Gaia (Earth), Tartarus, Eros, and Nyx. Gaia bears Ouranos (Sky), and the union of Gaia and Ouranos produces the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Hecatoncheires [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.

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The Overthrow of Ouranos

Ouranos imprisoned his children in Tartarus. Gaia, grieving, forged a flint sickle and set Cronus to castrate and overthrow him; the Erinyes and (in the Theogony) Aphrodite arose from his severed parts [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.

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The Titanomachy (War of the Titans)

Zeus, grown, forced Cronus to disgorge his siblings, freed the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires, and led them to war against the Titans. After a great battle, the Titans were defeated and cast into Tartarus [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.

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The Birth of Aphrodite (Two Accounts)

In the Theogony, Aphrodite is born from the sea-foam around Ouranos's severed member at Cythera. In the Iliad, she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Both accounts are canonical and incompatible [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗.

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