Cronos
Family: Greek · Role: king of Heaven · First appears: Book 5 · Chapter 7
In the golden age, Cronos was the first king of Heaven, and mortals built a temple to him at Olympia. There, Zeus either contended with him for Heaven’s sovereignty or established the games after defeating him. At Drepanum, Cronos mutilated his father Uranus and threw the sickle into the sea.
At Arne and later at Rhea’s Cave, Rhea protected her children from Cronos: she hid Poseidon and deceived Cronos with a foal, then substituted a stone for the newborn Zeus. At Platæa and Petrachos, she was also said to have presented or used a swaddled stone to deceive him. Elsewhere, Ilithyia was identified with Fate and described as older than Cronos.
Relationship record
Life events
- A temple was built to Cronos at Olympia during the golden age.(Book 5 · Chapter 7 · 📍 Olympia)
- “Cronos was the first king of Heaven, and that he had a temple built to him at Olympia by the mortals who then lived, who were called the golden age”
- Zeus contended with Cronos for sovereignty of Heaven, or established the games after defeating him.(Book 5 · Chapter 7 · 📍 Olympia)
- With: Zeus
- “And some say that it was there that Zeus contended with Cronos about the sovereignty of Heaven, others say he appointed these games after his success over Cronos.”
- Cronos mutilated Uranus and threw the sickle into the sea.(Book 7 · Chapter 23 · 📍 Drepanum)
- With: Uranus
- “it was here that Cronos threw the sickle into the sea, with which he had mutilated his father Uranus”
- Rhea hides Poseidon and deceives Cronos with a foal, later substituting a stone for Zeus.(Book 8 · Chapter 8 · 📍 Arne)
- Olen identifies Ilithyia with Fate, declares her older than Cronos, and calls her Eulinus.(Book 8 · Chapter 21)
- Rhea bore Zeus, while Cronos was deceived with a stone instead of the child.(Book 8 · Chapter 36 · 📍 Rhea’s Cave)
- Rhea presented Cronos with a swaddled stone, pretending it was her newborn child.(Book 9 · Chapter 2 · 📍 Platæa)
- With: Rhea
- “As you enter it Rhea is before you carrying to Cronos the stone wrapt up in swaddling-clothes, pretending it was the child she had just given birth to.”
- Rhea deceived Cronos with a stone instead of Zeus.(Book 9 · Chapter 41 · 📍 Petrachos)
- With: Rhea
- “They say that it was here that Cronos was deceived by Rhea with a stone instead of Zeus”
Book 5 · Chapter 7
- rivals with Zeus “And some say that it was there that Zeus contended with Cronos about the sovereignty of Heaven, others say he appointed these games after his success over Cronos.”
Book 7 · Chapter 23
- parent: Uranus “with which he had mutilated his father Uranus”
- with Uranus (Cronos mutilated Uranus.) “Cronos threw the sickle into the sea, with which he had mutilated his father Uranus”
Book 8 · Chapter 2
- with Zeus (They were represented wrestling in the Olympian games.) “and in which they represent Cronos and Zeus wrestling”
Book 8 · Chapter 8
- with Rhea (Rhea deceived Cronos about Poseidon's birth.) “And Rhea told Cronos that she had given birth to a foal, and gave him a foal to eat up instead of the little boy”
Book 8 · Chapter 21
- with Ilithyia (Ilithyia is described as older than Cronos.) “says that she was the same as Fate, and older than Cronos.”
Book 8 · Chapter 36
- enemies with Rhea (Cronos is described as threatening to attack Rhea.) “Rhea when she was pregnant with Zeus came to this mountain, and got the protection of Hoplodamus and the other Giants with him, in case Cronos should attack her”
Book 9 · Chapter 2
- with Rhea (Rhea presented Cronos with a stone disguised as a child.) “As you enter it Rhea is before you carrying to Cronos the stone wrapt up in swaddling-clothes, pretending it was the child she had just given birth to.”
Book 9 · Chapter 41
- with Rhea (Rhea deceives Cronos.) “They say that it was here that Cronos was deceived by Rhea with a stone instead of Zeus”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.