Greek Mythology 101: The OG Dysfunctional Family

Before superheroes, there were gods who invented drama, chaos, and main character energy. This is how it all began.

Why should you care?

Ever heard of an 'Achilles' heel' or a 'Midas touch'? From Wonder Woman to Percy Jackson, these ancient stories are the source code for modern pop culture.

In The Beginning

First, there was nothing. Only Chaos. A vast, dark, cosmic void. Not a god, but the raw potential for everything.

The First Beings

From Chaos, the first entities emerged. Think of them as forces of nature: Gaea (the Earth), Tartarus (the deep abyss), and Eros (Love).

The First Power Couple

Then Gaea, the Earth, gave birth to Uranus, the Sky. They became the first divine rulers, and their children would change everything.

Monstrous Children

Their first children were… intense. The Cyclopes (one-eyed giants) and the Hecatoncheires (creatures with 100 hands and 50 heads). Pure nightmare fuel.

A Father's Fear

Uranus was terrified of his powerful children. So he did what any toxic parent would do: he imprisoned them deep within their mother, Gaea. The pain was immense.

A Mother's Plot

Furious and in agony, Gaea created a sharp, flint sickle. She asked her next set of children, the Titans, for help. Only the youngest, Cronus, was brave enough.

The Coup

Cronus ambushed his father and overthrew him, seizing control of the cosmos. The age of the Titans had begun. But power born from betrayal rarely lasts.

A Prophecy of Doom

Cronus was warned that he, too, would be overthrown by his own child. The paranoia set in. He decided to prevent fate by swallowing each of his children as they were born.

The Great Deception

His wife, Rhea, was heartbroken. For her sixth child, she hid the baby and fed Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes instead. He fell for it.

The Hidden King

That baby was Zeus. He was raised in secret on the island of Crete, growing stronger and plotting his revenge. The ultimate glow-up was coming.

The War for the Universe

Grown up, Zeus forced Cronus to regurgitate his siblings: Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Hades, and Poseidon. This ignited a ten-year, universe-shattering war: The Titanomachy.

A New Order

Zeus and his siblings, the Olympians, freed the Cyclopes who forged their ultimate weapons—like Zeus's lightning bolts. They defeated the Titans and banished them to Tartarus.

Dividing the Spoils

With the war won, the three brothers drew lots to divide the world. Zeus got the Sky, Poseidon the Sea, and Hades the Underworld. A new era of rule began.

Just the Beginning

They had won the universe, but ruling from Mount Olympus was no paradise. The real drama, the legendary feuds, and the epic stories were just getting started.

Coming Soon in Part II

Meet the Olympians. Gods of love, war, wisdom and wine. And their very, very human problems.