Dione: A Beautiful Affair

This is how I imagined Dione.

Dione has been said to be one of the most important goddesses; but of what? No one knows for sure. Her name literally only meant the Goddess. Yeah, talk about obscure divinities. Even made me think of the song aptly titled Mizu no Akashi or ‘Evidence of Water’ by Rie Tanaka:

Back to the story, I quote from God Checker:

DIONE was one of the early birds in the goddess stakes. In fact she was on the scene so early that no-one else seems to have been around to make notes for posterity.

Because of her disputable nature, I decided to write a special article about her right after the original Titanides. My aims here are to try to paint a clear and unified picture or idea of her; and share what I know about her as obtained from different sources. This article is in no way academic and definitive. So consider yourself warned.

Drenched in Dione

Meet the parents. So, people say that this intriguing lady Dione was a daughter of Uranus and Gaea (making her a principal Titaness) or of Aether and Gaea, sometimes even of the younger Titan Epimetheus and the first woman Pandora. But the most common (and most grounded) belief, which I personally prefer, is that she was one of the eldest daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys.

(I might be worth noting that handful of those two's daughters were also considered second generation Titanides, say Metis, Clymene, Pleione, etc. Thus, the term Titan Oceanides. I might write about them, or the whole class of Oceanides soon.)

Her offices. As an Oceanid, Dione served as a goddess of water and moisture. In particular, she represented the moist soil that marks fertile ground. By extension, she also was a goddess of fertility (there are a bunch of them, actually). However, her powers seem to still remain vague. The Official Guide to the Mythological Universe says:

Dione also has some abilities to tap into and manipulate inherent mystical energies in the universe. While her exact level of power is unknown, it is known that she can move through dimensions, such as through the dimensional barriers between Earth and Olympus. She can send her voice and image over time and space, appear in a gigantic state, control the weather and cast spells upon objects and living things. She has extraordinary precognitive abilities, allowing her to see future events and possible alternate futures, discerning which events are most likely to occur. The full range of her power is unknown, but she may at least be equal to such female gods as Hera and Aphrodite. 

The last part where Dione was said to be almost equally powerful as Hera and Aphrodite suggests that she was a goddess of utmost importance.

In the Pelasgian myth, she was one of the seven principal Titanides whom the goddess Eurynome paired with the a Titan each. According to the myth, she was paired with the god Crius. I personally don't see any connection between them. Eurynome must have just selected them randomly, say a raffle draw. Nevertheless, the two were given the dominion over the planet Mars, and the power of Growth.

I've already said that I don’t believe her to be an original Titaness but her pure awesomeness is just too interesting to ignore. And so, to make ends meet, I will just presume that she made it to the Titan Council, occupying the post that should have been  Mnemosyne's, who did not readily accept the position. Finally, that diva of a goddess decided to make up with her brother Cronus and assume her place, with Dione stepping out for her.

(I probably lost you there so I recommend for you to read my own version of Mnemosyne’s history here.)

Between Zeus and Dione
Several other goddesses were paired with Zeus in different stories. However, it was only Dione was the only one who was considered to be his equal (Even Hera did not quite reach the standards). In fact, her name which means, "The Goddess" was etymologically just a female form of Zeus.

Appropriately so, the two had something going on between them. Paparazzi claimed that she even was Zeus' second girlfriend after the dude ate Metis, his first.

The two had met each other when Zeus needed a 'temple associate' for his new oracle at Dodona. Dione tried out and got the job. With that, she became:

• a goddess of the oak, Zeus's sacred tree; and
• a goddess of divination (like the other major Titanides).

The temple was visited by both Greeks and non-Greeks because of the precision of the prophecies told there. The three old prophetesses of the shrine, known collectively as the Peleiades, were probably her Dione's priestesses. A little trivia, Peleiades meant "Doves," which were Dione and Aphrodite's sacred birds.

In this guise, Dione was also called Dodona, the eponymous goddess of the shrine.

The Love Goddess by the 'Goddess'

Dione was said to be the mother of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty; although the Olympian was more generally received as a goddess born with no mother or father. People said that she just sprung out from the sea foam when Uranus' genitals were thrown to the water.

I personally prefer to believe the more charming and logical version (meaning, not the parent-less)  regarding her birth. (Lik having sex with a sea foam bath is any decent way to produce a daughter. Thanks God Checker! I'm beginning to like you and your punch lines!) 

Botticelli's very famous 'Birth of Venus'

(ALERT: This one is just MY elaboration of the Iliad's version of Aphrodite's parentage. It is also another attempt to reconcile the story of Aphrodite arriving Cyprus aboard a sea shell.)

Zeus and Dione were really into each other since they worked together in Dodona. She even lived with him on Olympus together with Zeus' other girls. Every day may have been ‘awkward day’ back there.

It was all good until Zeus finally decided to marry Hera.

Hera, in her role as Queen of Olympus, however, did not want to be reminded of her husband's extra-marital affairs and banished several of his other wives from Olympus. The then pregnant Dione departed Olympus riding a scallop shell and took refuge on the island of Cythera where her daughter Aphrodite by Zeus was born. Aphrodite was spirited off to the island of Cyprus to hide her from Hera where she was discovered and accepted into the Olympian gods.

Both Cythera and Cyprus became subsequently centers of worship for Aphrodite. As for Dione, she returned to her parents' home in the Ocean to once again serve in their court as an Oceanid.

The mother and the daughter still had kept in touch with each other in spite of the long distance. In fact, in the Iliad:

Dione played an important role as the healer of Aphrodite after the goddess was wounded in the fighting during the siege of the city of Troy. The Achaean hero Diomedes was infused with vigor and boldness by the goddess Athena and told to avoid all Immortals on the battlefield except Aphrodite ... Athena told Diomedes that he should attack Aphrodite if he saw her. 

Aphrodite's son Aeneas was in danger of being killed, so Aphrodite swooped into the fighting and shielded Aeneas from harm. At that moment, Diomedes lunged at the goddess and wounded her on the wrist. Ares (god of War) was nearby so Aphrodite mounted his chariot and fled. Once she was safe, Aphrodite went to Dione. 

Dione wiped away the oozing ichor (divine blood) from Aphrodite's wounded wrist and tried to comfort the sobbing goddess. Dione sought to make Aphrodite realize that, even though she was immortal, she was still subject to pain and injury.

Aww, a motherly advice. Thanks to Mythagora for that bit!

As Aphrodite grew more popular in the Near East under the names Astarte and Ishtar, Dione also came to be identified as Asherah and the Lady of Byblos. (Source)

Souce: click here

Scientific Dione: Goddess of the Satellite

Dione was a very vague figure in Greek mythology. In spite of this, she still lived on to this day as one of the many moons of the planet Saturn.

The image on the left is her astronomical symbol. It consists of the Greek letter delta and a representation of Saturn's hook.

Tethys: Nursing Mother of 'Pearls'

My Tethys.

Tethys I call, with eyes cærulean bright,

Hid in a veil obscure from human sight;

Great Ocean's empress, wand'ring thro' the deep,

And pleas'd with gentle gales, the earth to sweep;

Whose blessed waves in swift succession go,

And lash the rocky shore with endless flow:

Delighting in the Sea serene to play,

In ships exulting and the wat'ry way.

Mother of Venus, and of clouds obscure,

Great nurse of beasts, and source of fountains pure.

O venerable Goddess, hear my pray'r,

And make benevolent my life thy care;

Send, blessed queen, to ships a prosp'rous breeze,

And waft them safely o'er the stormy seas. 

Orphic Hymn (Translation by Thomas Taylor) 

 (Courtesy: In Her Name)

In addition to Theia and Rhea, Tethys may also be considered another Titan queen (She was even called 'empress' on the hymn above). A mother of 3,000 (yes, seriously.... I'll discuss this later), this goddess just fits the bill to be called the Great Nurse of Greek Mythology.

Water under the bridge

Tethys' cult may have been largely forgotten, but there are still a handful of things about her that are worth mentioning.

Ancient sources agree that Tethys was one of the principal Titanides, a daughter of Uranus and Gaea. According to one source that I've read (which I lost, oops), she was their second daughter after Themis. She was attractive and cherished by both of her parents. At first, she was a goddess of rivers, as well as the distributor of FRESH WATER which nourished the earth. I am speculating that she acquired this power as a blessing from the Protogena Thesis, a creation goddess who was also a female aspect of the bi-gendered god Phanes.

(Source: click here)

She was married to her older brother Oceanus, the god of the sources of all the earth's fresh water. Upon their marriage, the Protogenoi (first-born gods) gifted them with their very own realm: the earth-encircling freshwater stream they called Ocean (which, I THINK, was originally from Hydros, a very very passive primeval water god). There, they ruled quite independently from the hustles and bustles of Heaven (then ruled by Uranus), Earth (by Gaea) and Sea (Pontus).

Furthermore, according to the Pelasgian myth (thanks Paleothea!) narrating the story of how the goddess Eurynome gave everyone everything, Tethys and Oceanus received dominion over the Planet Venus and its Essence of love. The planetary power seemed VERY appropriate for them, considering the number of children they have had; Tethys is surely one prolific woman!

(She must've gotten the trait from her mother Gaea.)

Tethys, like the other Titanides remained neutral during the Titanomachy (Although she served as Hera's protector up until then). Thus, she still retained her powers after her brothers' downfall.

And the river flows to the sea. As what I have pointed out earlier, Tethys had started out as a freshwater goddess, as opposed to the salty sea. But as time passed by, people came to identify her also as a deity of the brine. Yeah, I know it's because of the Ocean stream being identified with the Atlantic Ocean, geography becoming more accurate and stuff, but I still came up with a more dramatic story for this:

(ALERT: I composed this one. No historical references. Just sayin'.)

As a royal couple, Tethys and Oceanus wanted only the best of the best for their children. Of course they allowed their children to be with whomever they want, although they would prefer it if they marry those who belong to their caste, and who are worthy of their reputation.

In one instance, they betrothed their daughter Doris to the crowned prince Nereus, son of Pontus (who was the Sovereign of the Seas back then). Part of the prenuptial agreement stated that they had to share in the dominion over the Sea (pratical parents, actually). With their daughter now the crowned princess of the sea, the couple held some sway over the briny waters. Time passed and they eventually acquired the rule of it; both of them becoming embodiment of ALL the waters in the world (the Sea and the Ocean still remained two separate kingdoms, though). In this guise, Tethys came to be identified with Thalassa, the real female embodiment of the sea.

Nereus and Doris' wedding might have looked like this.
Credits  to Maui Wedding for this pic.

(The prenup proved to be disadvantageous on Pontus' side, as he clearly did not acquire powers over the realm of freshwater. Oh, well, he might have just been a typical old man who only wanted to have grandchildren.)

Fortunately for Doris, Nereus was a loving and faithful husband. A proof of their happiness is their fifty Nereid daughters. (Why do water gods always have tons of children???)

Had I been there, I would've suggested this to be part of their wedding soundtrack:

The more, the merrier: Tethys' family motto

No shortage of sons and daughters
Tethys was notably a nurturing goddess of fertile ocean. True enough, she and her husband, Oceanus, were among (if not THE) the busiest couples ever documented in myth. Together, they had parented a staggering number of:

• 3,000 OCEANID DAUGHTERS, nymphs and goddesses of the Great River; and
• ALL THE RIVER GODS in the world (Some say, they also numbered 3,000 but who knows? There could have been more.)

And yes, those two could populate an entire continent with just their immediate family. I was planning to name every one of them here, but then again I thought... better not. And seriously, these guys here need some serious and in-depth family planning advice.

Being a dutiful mother to these lot, she fed her children's streams by drawing water from Oceanus through subterranean aquifers (Thanks, Theoi for that one!). Awww... a mother's love!

On fostering the Queen
Tethys' nurturing quality was not just exemplified in raising her own children, but her sister Rhea's daughter as well. She raised and educated Hera back when she was still a little Titan princess. One of the proudest nanny moments for Tethys must have been when her goddaughter Hera was crowned Queen of Olympus (I can almost see her getting teary-eyed, tsss).

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor by Helen Glazer

A long time after, Hera was so displeased with one of Zeus' extramarital affairs (again, mythology readers have grown used to it) that she came down to Tethys to ask for help. According to Theoi.com:

Tethys, to honour her foster-daughter Hera, forbade the constellation Ursa Minor to set into the waters of Oceanus.

*A little background on the story, the Ursa Major used to be Zeus' lover Callisto who was changed to a bear, was accidentally shot by her son (who was also changed to a bear as Ursa Minor), and was placed in the sky as a constellation.*

Tethys, as the goddess-wife of the great earth-encircling River Oceanus, oversaw the rising and setting of the heavenly bodies--the Sun, Moon, Dawn, Starry Constellations, and Clouds. As such, she cursed both the constellations forever to circle the sky and never drop below the horizon, hence explaining why they are circumpolar.

The last few drops of Tethys

When the Olympians came to power, Oceanus and Tethys had to relinquish the rule of the seas to the upstart god Poseidon. The couple went back to their home turf, Ocean, and lived (or are still living) their retired lives undisturbed.

Postscript: Scientific Tethys(es?)

Astronomical/Astrological
symbol of Tethys. (Source)

To the Einsteins and Galileos out there, Tethys may refer to TWO distinct bodies:

• Tethys Moon in Saturn, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1684.
• Tethys Sea, a ancient body of water that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia during much of the Mesozoic era, before the opening of the Indian and Atlantic oceans during the Cretaceous period.

Interesting how scientific people name things.

Mnemosyne: Remembering the Titan Muse

My own version of Mnemosyne.

"Mnemosyne I call, the Queen, consort of Zeus, Mother of the sacred, holy and sweet-voiced Muses. Ever alien to her is evil oblivion that harms the mind, she holds all things together in the same dwelling place, in the mind and soul of mortals, she strengthens the powerful ability of humans to think. 

Most sweet, vigilant, she reminds us of all the thoughts that each one of us is for ever storing in our hearts, overlooking nothing, rousing everyone to consciousness. But, blessed goddess, awaken for the initiates the memory of the sacred rite, and ward off forgetfulness from them."

- Orphic Hymn to Mnemosyne

People nowadays only recall Mnemosyne as the mother of the more famous Muses. Or perhaps as the root word of the word mnemonics. But there's more to her than that. She was a Titan princess, an ancient diva and a really foxy lady.

'In Loving Memory' of Mnemosyne

Please don't be misled by the title, Mnemosyne did not just die. In fact, she was one of only a few Titans whose blessing stayed with mankind the longest. Why so? Because Mnemosyne is MEMORY, that one gift that distinguishes us, humans, from other creatures in the world.

A little information about her family, she was a principal Titaness, daughter of Father Uranus and Mother Gaea. She had no legal husband, but was 'god-fondled' by Zeus from whom she became the mother of the NINE muses, patronesses of the arts. If you're curious about this affair, just read on. I'm gonna tell their story later.

Also, aside from her hall in Othrys (the home of the Titans), Mnemosyne used to own a villa on the hills of Eleuther. It was where she conceived her nine lovely daughters (Source).

Memoirs of a Diva. Once upon a time, Mnemosyne was a member of the divine trio (at one time a quartet, even a quintet) known as the TITAN MUSES. As daughters of King Uranus and the goddesses of music, they were like the most famous superstars of that time. The band was composed of:

• Melete, the Muse of Practice;
• Aoide, the Muse of Song; and
• Mneme (Mnemosyne's 'nickname'), the Muse of Memory

(Fans back then must have realized that just saying her name can be a real pain in the ass so they had to call her something shorter and easier to remember. Orz)

The other two former members of the group were:

• Arche, the Muse of Beginning; and
• Thelxinoe, the Muse of Charm.

As a diva goddess, Mnemosyne possessed great powers in the strength of her voice, enabling her to create sonic effects to shatter glass or to hypnotize others with a word (Source). Just imagine modern rock concerts  having the same effect.

On a more serious note, Mnemosyne used this gift to give kings and poets their powers of authoritative speech. In Rome, the name Moneta served as her cognate derived from Latin monēre (which means to remind, warn, or instruct).

Being her Uranus' favorite daughter, Mnemosyne was so affected by her father's ousting that she did not readily accept the position in the Titan Council offered to her by Cronus. Her office was filled in by the Oceanid Dione until the time Mnemosyne was ready. 

A Goddess to Remember. Mnemosyne’s work was not all glitz and glam – as, in actuality, she was one on the geeky side. She was at first the inventress of language and words. According to Goddess Gift:

She was given responsibility for the naming of all objects, and by doing so gave humans the means to dialog and to converse with each other. 

In addition to that, she was also the goddess of memory and remembrance. Her role was very important, so to speak, especially in the ancient times when writing and literacy had not yet been invented. She represented the rote memorization required to preserve the stories of history and sagas of myth. As such, she became the owner of all the tales (Even though, there are not much stories about herself).

Mnemosyne embodied an oral culture that communicated the soul through their stories and metaphors. Back then, it was critical to the well-being of an individual or a society who had to rely solely on the lessons passed on in an oral history. However, as Maicar’s Greek Mythology Link puts it:

Mnemosyne is a great goddess, not only in the illiterate era when minstrels sang relying on what they found printed in their hearts, but at all times. For the mere act of being could not be apprehended without her; and man, in order to be, must be able to remember that he is, lest his very identity vanishes behind the clouds of inexplicable confusion. And once he remembers who he is, he still needs Memory in order to acquire and practise any science, art, or skill. For also knowledge is inseparable from Memory, by which all things that are and have been may be learned and recalled.

And that was how crucial her role was. Phew. Big responsibilities.

Mnemosyne lays Nonuplets

(Trivia: Nonuplets - Nine Twins, say... the Muses) 

This must have made the headlines back then. But, yeah, anything could be a headline when you're living in a world of gods. But how did this tale come to be? I found a nice story set after the Titanomachy regarding the birth of the nine Muses at Goddess Gift (I'm using this site quite a lot these days). It goes like this:

After Zeus led the war against the Titans and established himself as the leader of the Olympians, he feared that, even though he might be immortal, his great victories and decisions might soon be forgotten.

Longing for a way to preserve the memory of his many great feats, he dressed as a shepherd and went to find Mnemosyne. They slept together for nine nights before he returned to his home on Mount Olympus. (By the way, Zeus was still single so this was not one of his famous extramarital affairs.)

Zeus got his wish. Nine months later Mnemosyne gave birth for nine days, each day delivering a daughter. Collectively they were known as the Muses and were described as "having one mind, their hearts set upon song and their spirit free from care".

No banquet on Mount Olympus was complete without them. Seated near the throne of their father, they entertained the guests, singing not only of the greatness of Zeus, but about the marvelous feats of the Greek heroes and the creation of the heavens and the earth and all its wondrous creatures. 

And thus, Mnemosyne became the Mistress of the Arts, and the number 9 became her sacred number. The convenience that is Greek mythology. Tsk. Tsk.

... And the goddess lies LOW

After so many things that had happened in her divine life and her daughters having become full blown celebrities themselves, Mnemosyne decided to step out of the lime light. She became a minor oracular goddess in the oracle of Trophonius at Lebadeia; just like her sisters. 

Also, in her decision to lie low, she got really low like Underworld low. Mnemosyne presided over the Pool of Memory in Hades, counterpart to the River of Oblivion, Lethe. The ancients believed that when one died and crossed into the Underworld one would be given a choice . . . whether to drink from the river Lethe where you would forget all the pains and terrors of your previous life (and with them, the lessons they brought), or whether to drink from the Mnemosyne, the spring of memory. Those who chose to forget had to be reborn, to return to earth to learn the lessons they needed.  Those who had chosen to remember were admitted to the Elysian Fields where they would spend eternity in comfort and peace.

Sacred springs and fountains thereafter became sacred to her.

What a nice retirement for a nice goddess.

Remember not to forget. Even so, Mnemosyne stayed in our memory… to literally help our memory. From her name (or she was named after it… either way is fine by me) came our modern word Mnemonics. According to the FREE Dictionary (Hallelujah, it’s free):

mne·mon·ic (n-mnk)

adj. Relating to, assisting, or intended to assist the memory.

n. A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.

And that’s Mnemosyne for us all.

Clash Of The Titanides

I believe that everyone with the slightest knowledge on Greek mythology will at least have an idea or two about the race of beings called TITANS.

Yes. Of course. The Titans. They are ugly giants who fought with Kratos against the Olympians in God of War. In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, they are the meanies who took camp on Mount Tam and attempted to storm Olympus which was located on top of the Empire State Building. And lastly, they are the villains released by Hyperion on the Immortals.

In all of those stories (and more), the Titans were generally represented as the eternal enemies of the gods. (I've omitted some parts here as this incites some 'unfavorable' reaction from readers^^). But this notion is not entirely true. The Titans are actually just another race of gods. Some of them were allies of the Olympians; others were even benefactors of mankind. And so to the remaining Titan population, this treatment seems rather unfair and utterly racist (I repeat. They're just another race of gods. No modern implications. Promise.).

And so as the self-proclaimed divine archivist myself, I let them use this blog as a means to clear up their names, particularly the female Titans, upon the request of a concerned Titaness (whose profile is confidential, sorry).

Femme Fatales, the Titanides

The Six Principal Titanides made by me. Yes. Me.

As what I've said, not all the Titans are hideous gigantic monsters (let's admit that some of them actually are) led by their paranoid and cannibalistic king, Cronus (or Kronos, whatever). Also belonging to this race are the Titanides, or the female Titanesses (OMG. This is an extreme case of redundancy).

According to Theoi.com:

The TITANIDES were the six earth-goddess daughters of Heaven (Ouranos) and Earth (Gaia). They were the female counterparts of the Titanes, the primal gods of time, divinities of both Heaven and the Tartarean pit, the cosmic inverse of heaven.

The Titanides represented different aspects of their mother Gaia the Earth: Tethys was the nourishing waters of subterranean springs, nurse of all life; Rheia was nature's fertile mother, and lady of the wilds; Themis was earth's natural order, and prophetic voice; Phoibe was earth's oracular midpoint (Delphoi); Theia was sight, the all-seeing all-knowing earth; Mnemosyne was memory, the preservation of earthly history.

The six original Titanesses were:

1. Tethys, Queen of Ocean;
2. Theia, goddess of light;
3. Phoebe, moon goddess;
4. Themis, goddess of justice;
5. Mnemosyne, goddess of memory; and
6. Rhea, Queen of Heaven

As emanations of their mother, the Great Goddess Gaea, we can just assume that these divinities were no small deal. Before the Olympians took over, the Titanides were the A-list goddesses of the known world. These... ehem... ladies, might also have once had superhuman capabilities (discussed here). On the other hand, they served as the gentler, if not better, counterparts of their Titan husbands/brothers. To keep the scales balanced, so to say.

Titans' Next Top Model. I got the base here. Thankies!

However, Mother Earth's daughters are not the only ones who were given the title. Different sources speak of different goddesses who were also honored as Titanides. Even the names of the principal six differ from author to author. From this point of view, it seems to me that what happened was just a really ancient cycle of America's Next Top Model where everyone has his top picks.

Among the more famous contenders are:

1. Dione, oak goddess (an Oceanid, daughter of Oceanus);
2. Metis, a goddess of wisdom (another Oceanid);
3. Clymene, goddess of fame (Oceanid. Affirmative);
4. Eurynome, meadow goddess (Oceanid, and a mermaid on that note);
5. Styx, goddess of oaths (Oc-... oh no! Not an Oceanid; but she was their sister though);
6. Leto, goddess of daylight;
7. Asteria, goddess of stars (Leto's sister);
8. Selene, moon goddess;
9. Eos, dawn goddess (Selene's sister);
10. Aura, goddess of breezes; and
11. Anchiale, little known goddess of the warmth of fire.

Alas for them, the Uranid (daughters of Uranus, that is) sisters still got the top spots.

The Seven Planetary Powers

I read this random tidbit from a site I accidentally found. It's called Paleothea. If you think of yourself as a feminist and a myth geek at the same time, then this site is perfect for you. Just sayin'.

Okay, the story goes like this:

In the Pelasgian myth, there was this Creatrix goddess known as Eurynome (not to be confused with the Oceanid of the same name). She created the Seven Planetary Powers, putting a Titaness and a Titan over each. Theia and Hyperion were given the Sun and the power of illumination; Phoebe and Atlas were given the Moon and the power of enchantment; Dione and Crius were given the planet Mars and the power of growth; Metis and Coeus were given the planet Mercury and the power of wisdom; Themis and Eurymedon were given the planet Jupiter and the power of law; Tethys and Oceanus were given the planet Venus and the power of love; and Rhea and Cronus took the planet Saturn with the power of peace. (Source)

Source: click here

(Seriously. This myth makes me think of Sailor Moon and other magical girl group types of anime. Yay! Otaku Represent! XD)

From reading and rereading this myth, I've noticed TWO things: 

• It should be noted that seven, instead of six Titanesses were mentioned in this particular story; and
• Mnemosyne was replaced by either Dione or Metis in the lineup. I bet she did not let this issue just pass.

The Essence of Being Women: The Titanides' Case

Sushmita Sen once said, "Just being a woman is God's gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman."

And that answer won her the crown for a certain beauty pageant years ago. Well, it's just because it's true... as in the case of the Titan goddesses of Greek mythology.

One main reason why the Titanides became really important in myths is because of their children:

• Tethys was the mother of 3000 Oceanides and All the river gods (she's one busy wife!);
• Theia was the mother of Helios, Selene and Eos (mother of the Winds);
• Phoebe was the mother of Leto and Asteria, who were the mothers of the twins Apollo and Artemis and Hecate respectively;
• Themis was the mother of the Seasons and the Fates;
• Mnemosyne was the mother of the Muses;
• Rhea was the mother of the original Olympians Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter and Hera;
• Dione was the rumored mother of Aphrodite (no one has confirmed this yet, although we're open to hear Dione's side);
• Metis was the supposed 'mother' of Athena (I'll have to explain this in the future);
• Clymene was the mother of Atlas and Prometheus and the ancestress of mankind;
• Eurynome (the Oceanid, not the Creatrix) was the mother of the Graces;
• Styx was the mother of Victory, Force, Violence and Zeal;
• Anchiale was the mother of the Dactyls.

Their children became the main characters of most of the mythical stories that we know today, and were figures of mass interest. And so, the Titanides were ever renowned in myths as the Mothers of the Gods. You may want to visit a rather persuasive discussion about these 'Mothers' here.

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For the next few days, I will be putting individual entries of the abovementioned Titanides. I just thought that you might be interested in each of these goddesses' personal issues. Stay tuned.