Today we show you all the facts about the Giants in ancient Greek Mythology. Learn about their origins and most popular legends that still survive.
Giants in Greek Mythology
There are a few stories throughout Greek mythology that involve creatures known as the Giants. In our modern minds, we imagine giants to be exceptionally tall creatures that also possess great strength. In Greek mythology, however, the Giants were not necessarily tall, but they were still strong. But who are they really? Here’s more information about them and how they relate to mythological stories
Who are the Giants?
The Giants of Greek mythology were a race of giants born of the battle between Uranus and Cronus. They were warriors and carried large shields and spears and wore shiny, primitive armor made of animal skins interwoven with rocks and fiery brands. In terms of their appearance, the Giants looked partly human, but huge in size and savage in appearance.
Instead of having legs like a human mortal, their legs consisted of many intertwined snakes. Adding to their fearsome appearance were their hair and beards: wild, long and unkempt. Unlike the gods, the Giants were mortal and could be killed by both immortals and mortals.
Origin
Cronus was desperate to overthrow his father, Uranus, free his brothers and ensure that there would never again be another son born of the father who was now a monster. Using the stone sickle he had been given, Cronus castrated his father. As his testicles and blood spilled into the ocean, they mingled with the swirling waters. From each drop of blood emerged a new member of the family of Giants, terrible and warlike and greater than any mortal that ever walked the earth.
Family
They are creatures of godly origin, but without a specific mother. They are considered“earth-born“, because they come from the mixture of the blood of Uranus and the earth at the seashore. The Giants were not the only creatures born of blood; the Erinias (Furies) and the Meliades (tree nymphs) were also born of the castration of Uranus.
History
Although they originated from the godly blood of Uranus, they were arrogant and insolent creatures of excess, anger and violence. They were the ultimate embodiment of arrogance, which would ultimately be their undoing. The Giants of Greek mythology would suffer the punishment of the gods for their actions against mortals and immortals alike.
Although they were not born directly from a mother and father, there were some gods who tried to protect the Giants from harm as if they were their own children. But ultimately, they would all be defeated and killed with the help of a mortal son of Zeus, and the efforts of the other gods as well.
The Gigantomachy
The Olympian gods were constantly intertwined in a struggle for power and dominion over the cosmos, replacing one leader with another and overthrowing the ways and thoughts of the past. Sometimes these battles were initiated by petty disputes or the smallest incidents of betrayal or offense. In the case of the Gigantomachy, a great war began with the theft of cattle from the god Helios by the Giant Alcyoneus. Helios was enraged and, in a fit of rage, demanded justice from Zeus and the other gods.
As was typical in these battles, there had been a prophecy…. that the Giants could only be defeated if a mortal helped the gods. Gaia wished to protect the Giants, whom she considered her children, from harm, seeking a special plant that would give them protection. Zeus did not share Gaia’s feelings, knowing for certain that they were dangerous and violent creatures.
He ordered Eos (the dawn), Selene (the moon) and Helios (the sun) to withdraw their light from the world. The plants withered, and Zeus gathered them all for himself, leaving none for the Giants to find and use. But some had learned in other ways to cheat death, and it would become a challenge to the immortals.
Battles of the giants in Greek mythology
Alyconeus
A mortal son, Heracles, had been born to Zeus as a result of one of his many liaisons with a mortal woman. With part of the prophecy fulfilled, and when Heracles was of age, the gods gave him the task of killing Alyconeus for his crime of theft against Helios.
When the battle began, Heracles fought Alyconeus, but the giant would not be destroyed as long as he had one foot firmly planted on the ground of his birth, the place where blood first fell.
He would revive, as terrible as before, with all his might, after every blow. With Athena’s help, Heracles managed to drive Alcyoneus away from the shore and finally killed him. The seven daughters of Alyconeus, the Alcyoneus, fell into the sea when they learned of their father’s death at the hands of Herakles.
Antaeus
Poseidon and Gaia took Antaeus in, and his mother granted him the strength of the earth, so that he would remain invincible as long as he was in contact with it. He had a passion for challenging mortals to wrestling matches, which he always won, and used their skulls to build a temple in honor of Poseidon.
When he challenged Heracles, he revealed the source of his power; that proved to be his undoing. Using his divine strength, Heracles lifted Antaeus off the ground, which prevented him from touching him, and was able to crush him.
Enceladus
Athena, carrying a gorgon shield, confronted Enceladus near the island of Sicily. Enceladus used the trees as spears against the chariot and horses Athena attacked him. Dionysus, the god of the vintage, fought with fire and roasted the giant’s body on a large bonfire.
Zeus hurled a thunderbolt, causing Enceladus to stagger and fall and receive the final death blow from Athena. He buried his lightning-burned corpse under Mount Etna, and when it exploded, Enceladus’ last breath was released.
Mimas
Mimas also participated in the Gigantomachy and fought against Hephaestus, who threw giant semi-molten metal missiles at him. Aphrodite held him at bay with a shield and spear. This helped Zeus defeat him by hurling lightning bolts, turning him into a pile of ashes. He was buried under the coast of Naples, in Prochyte, in the Phlegrean Islands. His weapons were hung on a tree near the top of Etna as trophies of the war.
Polibotes
Polybotes fought against Poseidon and Athena, who chased him into the sea. Zeus struck Polybotes with his thunderbolts, but Polybotes was able to swim away. Poseidon also launched his trident but missed, and the trident became the island of Nisyros. Determined to finally defeat this slippery foe, Poseidon lifted a portion of the island of Cos and hurled it, crushing and killing Polybotes. He was buried under Nisyros.
King Eurymedon of the Giants
And finally, there was the king of the Giants from Greek mythology, Eurymedon, who had led most of his people to their deaths in the war against the gods. In some stories he is known as Porphyrion, but in both tales he is the Giant king, who took a final stand against Herakles and Hera.
During the battle, Zeus tried to possess his mind to make him fall in love with Hera. When Porphyry was distracted by thoughts of lust for Hera, Zeus hurled his thunderbolts and Herakles finished him off with an arrow drawn from Apollo’s bow.
These are just a few notable examples of the many mighty battles the Giants fought with mortals and gods alike. The war continued for some time, until most of the Giants of Greek mythology eventually died and were submerged under islands, buried under mountains or encased in the hottest parts of the Earth. Those who were not killed were exiled forever from their traditional home on the island of Trinacia.
After the Gigantomachy, the most notable influence of the Giants in general, and of King Eurymedon in particular, was that his daughter, Periboia, would marry Poseidon. As a result of this union, the king would become the grandfather of the ugly king, Nausithous.
Current Influence
The giants of Greek mythology are believed to be the source of volcanoes, thermal activity and great seismic events such as the volcanoes of Etna and Vesuvius, as they were buried under the mountains. Whenever the giants moved in their tombs, calamity struck the earth in the form of a raging volcano or a great earthquake.
Some believe that the Giants represented the barbarian tribes of Thrace, who lived north of Greece and were less civilized than their Greek neighbors. The Thracians are believed to be born from the ashes or blood of the defeated and vanquished Giants.
