The Story of Tartarus
Tartarus was both a primordial god and the deep, dark abyss that lies far beneath the earth. Hesiod names him among the first beings to appear, right after Chaos and Gaia. As a place, Tartarus was the lowest part of the universe, far below even the realm of Hades.
Hesiod gives a vivid picture of its depth. A bronze anvil dropped from the sky would fall for nine days and nights before reaching the earth, and fall another nine days to reach Tartarus. It was surrounded by a bronze wall, with night poured around it in three layers.
Long before Zeus, Uranus locked some of his children deep inside the earth, and Cronus later imprisoned the Cyclopes and the Hundred Handed Ones in Tartarus. After the Olympians won the war of the Titans, Zeus shut the defeated Titans inside, behind bronze gates made by Poseidon. The Hundred Handed Ones stood guard over them.
As a god, Tartarus lay with Gaia and fathered Typhon, the most fearsome monster in Greek myth. Typhon had a hundred serpent heads and challenged Zeus for control of the world. After a terrible battle, Zeus defeated him with thunderbolts and cast him back into Tartarus.
In later myths, Tartarus became the place where the worst sinners were punished. Tantalus stood forever reaching for food and water he could never reach, and Sisyphus pushed a boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down. For the Greeks, Tartarus was the ultimate prison, a place of darkness from which there was no escape.
Famous Myths About Tartarus
The Prison of the Titans
After the Olympians won the war against the Titans, Zeus imprisoned the defeated Titans in Tartarus, behind bronze gates. Hesiod says an anvil dropped from earth would fall for nine days before reaching it.
Father of Typhon
Gaia lay with Tartarus and gave birth to Typhon, the most fearsome monster in Greek myth. Typhon challenged Zeus for control of the world, but Zeus defeated him and cast him back into Tartarus.
Tartarus's Family Tree
Parents of Tartarus
Partners of Tartarus
Children of Tartarus
Frequently Asked Questions About Tartarus
Who is Tartarus in Greek mythology?
Tartarus is both a primordial god and the deep, dark abyss far below the underworld where the worst offenders were imprisoned.
Who was imprisoned in Tartarus?
Zeus locked the defeated Titans in Tartarus behind bronze gates, guarded by the Hundred Handed Ones. Famous sinners such as Tantalus and Sisyphus were also punished there.
How deep is Tartarus?
Hesiod says a bronze anvil dropped from the sky would fall for nine days to reach the earth, and another nine days to fall from the earth to Tartarus.
Who is Tartarus's child?
With Gaia, Tartarus fathered Typhon, the monstrous giant who challenged Zeus for control of the cosmos.
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