About Encelades – A Giant of Greek mythology
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Enceladus was one of the Giants in Greek mythology, who were the offspring of Gaia, conceived from blood that fell from heaven. Enceladus was the son of Gaia and Uranus, who was born in the war between his parents’ generation. The Giants were both Gaia’s revenge on Uranus for castrating her and a tithe to Tartarus, who had released them from their prison after Cronus’s victory over his father. Out of all the Giants, Enceladus is often portrayed as especially brutal, even more so than Polybotes with whom he eventually joined forces against Zeus in order to take over Mount Olympus.
Presence in Mythology
Enceladus was the only Giant who lived on the Earth, apart from Antaeus and Porphyrion, who lived in Libya and Thebes respectively. Unlike his brothers, they were born of Gaia after Uranus’ blood fell on her. When waging war against the Olympian gods, Enceladus fought Hera and Athena in particular, and even though he almost killed them with boulders thrown from a hill just outside Delphi, Zeus saved them both by making an island fall upon him at that place to cover him so that he could not see. According to some sources, Enceladus’ son Mamers attempted to kill the infant Heracles and it was this that led to him being struck by Father Zeus.
Mentioned in Prometheus
He is mentioned in Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound: “The way that you plotted craftily against the Titans and now against me, the one who bears your son within me.” (tr. Walton): In Hesiod’s Theogony, he is called “Ancaeus” or “Antaeus”, son of Uranus and Gaea. Enceladus was said to have taken part in the Gigantomachy, against the Olympian gods. He hurled rocks at Zeus while Zeus hurled his thunderbolts at him, and neither were able to prevail.
Earthquake and Volcanic Eruption
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions were attributed to Enceladus by the Greeks. Enceladus was envisioned by the ancients as being responsible for any earthquakes occurring in the region of Sicily. They believed that he would hold the world in the hollow of his footsteps for a flight.
Demigods and Giants
In the myths, Enceladus was sometimes identified with Mamers and Polybotes. They were also both said to have been defeated by Heracles. It is thought that they were both giants, who however lived in different parts of Greece: Mount Etna’s crater was thought to be Enceladus; as opposed to Mamers on Crete.
In coclusion, Encelades was the only Giant who lived on Earth, apart form his brothers with whom he fought against the Olympian gods. Enceladus was the son of Gaia and Uranus, who was born in the war between his parents’ generation. The Giants were both Gaia’s revenge on Uranus for castrating her and a tithe to Tartarus, who had released them from their prison after Cronus’s victory over his father. Out of all the Giants, Enceladus is often portrayed as more brutal than Polybotes with whom he eventually joined forces against Zeus in order to take over Mount Olympus.
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Categorized in: Greek Mythology
This post was written by Greek Boston
