Gigantes, Giants (Greek mythology)
The Gigantes (“the earth-born”) or Giants (Greek mythology) were a race of giants borne out of the battle between Uranus and Kronos. They were the sons of Gaea and Tartarus (Protogenoi). When the gods took over from the Titans, Gaia became vengeful and gave birth to the Gigantes. Hesiod mentions the Gigantes in his Theogony and provides information about them. These were the 24 giants who emerged from the blood shed on the Earth from the genitals of Uranus. Uranus was killed by Cronus in Phleora within the borders of Thrace. Hesiod describes them as having gleaming armor and long spears. Other authors postdating him also described them as very tall and strong. They were enormous monsters with bodies shaped as a snake and heads shaped as a bull and lion. The Gigantes, the most famous of whom were Alcyoneus, Ephialtes, Eurytos, Thyrso and Encladus, attacked Olympus by pilling mountains one on the top another, to end the rule of the Olympians. They were born to oppose a certain god. For example, Porphyrion was born to oppose Zeus.
Gigantes are believed to be the source of volcanoes, thermal activity and great seismic events such as the volcanoes of Etna and Vesuvius, since they were buried beneath the mountains. Some scholars believe that the Gigantes might have represented the primitive tribes of Thrake (Thrace), north of Greece, whose barbarian culture unfavorably contrasted with Greek civilisation. According to some, the Thrakians were born from the blood or ashes of the vanquished giants.
List of the Gigantes
This is the list of the Gigantes and the god he opposed:
Agrios (or Agrius): Ancient Greek: Ἄγριος means “wild, savage”) in Greek mythology, is a name that may refer to: Agrius, one of the Giants, sons of Gaia. He, together with Thoon, was clubbed to death by Moirai with maces made from bronze, during the Gigantomachy, the battle of the Giants versus the Olympian gods.
Aigiaon (Aegaeon): was the god of the storms of the Aegean Sea and an ally of the Titanes in their war against the gods. He was named Aigaion after the Aegean Sea (Pontos Aigaios in Greek) but his name also means “Stormy One” and “Goatish” from the Greek word aigis.
Alkyoneus (Αλκυονευς): Hades-Since Alcyoneus is the only Giant who could not be killed in his homeland of Pallene, Herakles on Athena’s advice dragged him out of his homeland and killed him. Alcyoneus was also the only Giant that did not require joint effort of a God and Mortal
Aristaios (Ἀρισταῖος) was the culture hero credited with the discovery of many useful arts, including bee-keeping; he was the son of the huntress Cyrene and Apollo
Damasen (Δαμασην) was a Lydian giant son of Gaia and was nursed by Eris (“discord”). Ares-Being a relatively peaceful Giant, Damasan did not participate in the war.
Damysos (Δαμυσος): A swiftest of the Gigantes who was slain in the war against the gods. Kheiron exumed his body and extracting the swift “astragale” from his foot placed it in the heel of the hero Akhilleus.
Emphytos (Εμπφυτος): One of the Gigantes.
Enkelados (Εγκελαδος): Athena-Athena threw the island of Sicily on Enkelados and while he was not killed he was imprisoned
Ephialtes: Apollo and Herakles shot its eyes out with arrows
Euboios One of the Gigantes.
Euphorbos One of the Gigantes.
Euryalos One of the Gigantes.
Eurytos or Eurytos (Εὔρυτος) is the name of several characters in Greek mythology, and of at least one historical figure. Eurytus, king of Oechalia, Thessaly, and father of Iole and Iphitus. … Eurytus, son of Hippocoön was killed, along with his brothers, by Heracles.
Gration – Artemis- Gigante slain by Artemis with her bow in the Giant War
Hippolytos – Hermes-A Gigante slain by Hermes with his sword and wearing the cap of invisibility (Hades’ Helm of Darkness) in the war against the gods
Hyperbios One of the Gigantes.
Khthonios One of the Gigantes.
Klytios (Κλυτιος) or Clytius: Hekate- Slain by Hercules and was burned with Hecate’s torches.
Leon (Λεων): Leon was a leonine Gigante slain by Herakles in the war against the gods. The hero made a cloak of his skin. A lion-headed Gigante does occur in the famous Pergamon reliefs depicting the War of the Giants. The God that helped him is unknown
Mimas – Hephaestus-Mimas was buried under a heap of Molten Metal, while he did not die, he is buried under what is now Mt. Vesuvius
Mimon was one of the Gigantes who attempted to overthrow Olympus in the Gigantomakhia. Mimon was slain in combat by Ares and Herakles.
Molios: Molios was one of (if not the first) of the Gigantes to be slain. He was killed by Helios and an unnamed hero (most likely Herakles).
Mylinos: Mylinos was a Gigante slain by Zeus
Ouranion: One of the Gigantes.
Pallas (Πάλλας) was one of the Gigantes (Giants), the offspring of Gaia, born from the blood of the castrated Uranus.
Pankrates is one of the Gigantes who was killed in the Olympian war against the giants. Like many of the Gigantes he is recognized by his name on pottery. Reconstructed shards show Pankrates on a black figure vase (not shown) armed with the shaft of a spear who is taking on Herakles who sholders a bow but is holding Pankrates’ shield arm. Herakles is armed with a red covered sword presumably showing blood. Since the records of Pankrates come from pottery and no god is shown by his side it is unknown who assisted Herakles in killing Panakrates.Peloreus
Phoitos Gigante slain by Hera in the war against the gods.
Polybotes (Πολυβωτης): Poseidon-Poseidon buried Polybotes by throwing part of the island of Kos, thus creating a new island Nisyrus
Porphyrion also known as Eurymedon (Πορφυριων or Ευρυμεδων) – Zeus-The King of the Gigantes who attempted to rape Hera in the war against the gods. Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt and Herakles with an arrow
Rhoikos One of the Gigantes.
Skyeus (Συκευς) Gigante pursued by Zeus to Kilikia where Gaia (the Earth) transformed him into a fig-tree to escape the god.
Theodamas One of the Gigantes.
Theomises One of the Gigantes.
Thoon or Thoas (Θοων)-Clubbed to Death by the Fates with Bronze clubs
Gigantomachia, Gigantomachy
The Olympian gods were constantly entwined in a struggle for power and rule over the cosmos, replacing one leader with another and overthrowing the ways and thoughts of the past. The Gigantomachy was probably the most important battle that happened in Greek mythology. Also engaged in this war were Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Hephaestus, Hermes, Hecate and even the Moirae. As was typical in these battles, there had been a prophecy. After the prophesy stating that they could only be beaten by a mortal, Zeus called his son Heracles for help, found the magic grass on the Earth and prevented the giants from using it. The giants and Olympians fell upon each other. Apollo the god killed Ephialtes with his famous arrow, and Artemis killed Eurytos. Heracles was chasing Alcyoneus. Ech time he slammed the giant on the ground, he gained strength from the earth and stood up again. He was not to be killed on the lands where he was born. Therefore, Athena advised Heracles that he take him to other lands. So Heracles slung him over his back, took him somewhere else and killed him there with an arrow. Witnessing the defeat, Enceladus had hardly begun to flee when Athena threw the island of Sicily at him. Thus Olympian gods continued their dominion after defeating the Titans, and subsequently the Gigantes, who were another type of giant creatures. The war, which was known Gigantomachia, waged between the Gigantes and the Olympians for ten years.[1]
Gigantomachy in Art
Beginning from the 6th century BC, this strife retained its popularity including during the Roman period. This could be seen in a black Athenian vase dating to 550 BC. Additionally, this war has been illustrated in the friezes and embossments of many temples. For instance in Greece, in the Temple of Athena in Corfu[2], in the Delphi Treasury Building[3], and the eastern metopes of the Parthenon[4], this theme is seen. It is also decipted in the metopes of the two temples in Selinus Sicily, which date to the 6-5th centuries BC, on a frieze of the Temple of Poseidon[5] in Sounion from 5 century BC, and on the embossed metopes of Heraion of Argos. In Anatolia, the same theme is featured on the eastern frieze of the Temple of Hecate at Lagina[6], at the Temple of Athena at Priene, on the embossed gate of Agora at Aphrodisias. This was also a preferred theme for ceiling frescoes during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. However, the most outstanding illustration of this seen at the Altar of Zeus in Pergamum (Pergamon). This altar, which was erected in memory of the victory won by King Eumenes II of the Pergamum (197-157 BC) against the Galatians, has four stories. It is shaped as a horse shoe, measures 35, 64 x 33,40 m and has a podium with five steps. Above this is a frieze and on the upper-most section is stoa surrounded by columns. The majestic external staircase to the West is 20 m wide. The whole building was 10 m high. Surrounding the building were friezes measuring 120 m long anda re made up of 118 m embossments deciptingthe war between the gods and the Gigantes. The friezes are in the form of high relief and they include all of the gods. All four sides of the altar illustrate the war between the gods and giants as told in Hesiod’s Theogony, in the form of high relief and in manner reflecting the Pergamum sculpture. On the eastern side Zeus, Athena, Nike, Ares after them Leto, Artemis, Apollo and Hecate. Heracles is situated near Zeus.
On the southern side, Helios the god of Sun is in combat, while his sister Eos, the goddess of dawn is riding a horse before him. Selene, the Moon goddess, is following Helios. On the northern side, Nyx, the goddess of the Night, is fighting. Surrounding her are her relatives Eris the Goddess of strife, and Moirae who spread destiny.
On the western side, gods and goddesses relating to the sea such as Poseidon, Amphitrite, Nereus,Doris, Oceanus and Tethys are fighting. On the internal section of the altar, there are friezes of Telephus, the legendary founder of Pergamum. On these friezes, which are made up of thirty images, the life of Telephus, the son of Heracles and Auge, is described (This will be elaborated on in the section Trojan Expedition I).
Carl Humann[7], who was is in Western Anatolia for the construction of the highway between Ayvalık and Pergamum, recorded that, in 1869, he as in Bergama (Pergamum), where he obtained some pieces on the Pergamum Hill and sent them to Berlin. Later, Professor Alexander Conze[8], who became the administrator of the Berlin Museum, became the first person to appreciate the value of these pieces. In 1878, the first excavations started in Pergamum. The friezes found here belonging to the Altar of Zeus were shipped to Germany in containers on a ship docked in Dikili. Even though the artifacts were taken to Russia during the Second World War, they were restored at the end of the war. These artifacts were erected again after the building of a museum named Pergamum Museum[9].
Sources
Andrews, Tamra, Dictionary of Nature Myths: Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky, Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 9780195136777.
Claudian, Claudian with an English translation by Maurice Platnauer, Volume II, Loeb Classical Library No. 136. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd.. 1922. ISBN 978-0674991514
Ed. Hornblower, Simon and Spawforth, Antony. The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Grant, Michael, John Hazel, Who’s Who in Classical Mythology, Routledge, 2004. ISBN 9781134509430.
Hanfmann, George, M. A. (1937), “Studies in Etruscan Bronze Reliefs: The Gigantomachy”, The Art Bulletin 19:463-85. 1937.
Kleiner, Fred S. and Mamiya, Chrisitin J. Gardener’s Art Through the Ages. 12th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning Inc., 2005.
Moore, Mary B. (1979), “Lydos and the Gigantomachy” in American Journal of Archaeology 83 (1979) 79–99.
Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873). “Gigantes”
Notes
[1] Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 1
[2] The Temple of Artemis is an Archaic Greek temple inCorfu, Greece, built in around 580 BC in the ancient city of Korkyra (or Corcyra). It is found on the property of the Saint Theodore monastery, which is located in the suburb of Garitsa. The temple was dedicated to Artemis.
[3] olis, city-states of Greece. According to archeological records, the Athenian treasury metopes display the earliest known presence of Theseus in a large-scale sculpture.[3] Prior to this treasury, Theseus
[4] The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron.
[5] The Ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, built during 444–440 BC, is one of the major monuments of the Golden Age of Athens. It is perched above the sea at a height of almost 60 metres.
[6] Lagina (Ancient Greek: τὰ Λάγινα) or Laginia (Λαγινία) was a town in the territory of Stratonicea, in ancient Caria. It contained a most splendid temple of Hecate, at which every year great festivals were celebrated.[2] Tacitus, when speaking of the worship of Trivia among the Stratoniceans, evidently means Hecate.Its site is located near Turgut, Asiatic Turkey.
[7] Carl Humann (first name also Karl; 4 January 1839 – 12 April 1896) was a German engineer, architect and archaeologist. He discovered the Pergamon Altar.
[8] Alexander Christian Leopold Conze (10 December 1831 – 19 July 1914) was a German archaeologist, who specialized in ancient Greek art.
[9] The Pergamon Museum (German: Pergamonmuseum) is situated on the Museum Island in Berlin. The building was designed by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann and was constructed over a period of twenty years, from 1910 to 1930.