Gaea

Gaea was a primeval goddess.

Early Children
As the ultimate mother, Gaea produced children without a male consort. Her son Ouranos became her husband and the two produced the three Hekatonkheires as their first brood of children. Ouranos was so disgusted with their looks that he threw them into the depths of Tartarus. The next brood of their children were the Elder Cyclopes. Ouranos thought they were revolting so he threw them into Tartarus as well. Their final brood of children were the twelve Titans. Ouranos was pleased with them and allowed them to live upon their mother's body as he watched over them from above. Gaea, however, was upset with Ouranos for throwing her eldest six children in Tartarus so she went to her six Titan sons and asked them if any of them would overthrow their father. Five cowered in fear, Kronos was the only one who did as his mother asked. Kronos persuaded four of his brothers to help him by grabbing their father's body in four different corners of the world while Kronos took a scythe, made by Gaea out of the strongest materials in the earth, and castrated his father. Kronos then took the throne but did not release his eldest six siblings from Tartarus, as he had promised his mother.

Titanomachy
To avoid being overthrown like his father had, Kronos swalled each of his children as soon as they had been born. By their sixth child, Kronos' wife and sister, Rhea, went to Gaea for help. Gaea told her what to do and after Rhea's sixth child was born she gave him to nymphs to be raised and gave Kronos a rock covered in blankets to swallow.

Rhea's son, Zeus, grew up and tricked Kronos into drinking a mixture of wine and mustard which made him throw up his eldest five children. Zeus, along with his two older brothers, Poseidon and Hades, released the eldest six children of Gaea from Tartarus. The Cyclopes made Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades weapon with which to fight their father. After a long war, Zeus and his brothers eventually defeated the Titans and threw them in Tartarus.

Gigantomachy
Although Gaea's eldest six children were freed from Tartarus, now five of her Titans were now in Tartarus. Gaea then went to the god of Tartarus himself and the two produced a brood of offspring called the Gigantes. The Gigantes waged a war upon the gods but the gods eventually defeated the Gigantes one-by-one and Zeus remained in control.

Typhon
Gaea and Tartarus produced one last child, Typhon. Gaea sent Typhon to attack Olympus, which he did after breeding and producing monstrous offspring. Typhon attacked Olympus and almost defeated the gods but Zeus knocked him down with a hundred lightning bolts and Typhon was imprisoned under Mount Etna.

Abode
Gaea was the primeval goddess of the earth. She was often called 'Mother Earth' as all life upon the earth were descendents of hers.

Relationships

 * Ouranos (son and consort)
 * Tartarus (consort)
 * The Elder Cyclopes (sons)
 * The Hekatonkheires (sons)
 * The Titans (children)
 * Typhon (son)
 * The Gigantes (sons)
 * Pontus (son)
 * The Ourea (children)
 * The Nesoi (children)
 * Aergia (daughter)
 * Penthos (son)
 * Dolus (son)
 * Lyssa (daughter)
 * Nereus (son)
 * The Elder Muses (daughters)

Alternative Names

 * Gaia
 * Ge
 * Terra
 * Tellus