The Story of Uranus
Uranus was the primordial god of the sky. According to Hesiod, Gaia, the Earth, gave birth to him on her own so that he could cover her on every side and be a home for the gods. He then became her husband, and the first ruler of the cosmos.
Each night Uranus spread himself over Gaia, the starry sky lying close against the earth. Together they had many children, the twelve Titans, the three one eyed Cyclopes and the three Hundred Handed Ones. These last six were huge and terrifyingly strong.
Uranus hated these children from the start. As each one was born, he pushed them back deep inside Gaia and would not let them see the light. Gaia groaned under the weight and pain, and she began to plot against him.
She made a great sickle of adamant and asked her sons to help her. Only Cronus, the youngest Titan, dared to agree. When Uranus came down at night to lie with Gaia, Cronus sprang from his hiding place and cut him down with the sickle.
From the drops of Uranus's blood that fell on the earth sprang the Furies, the Giants and the ash tree nymphs called the Meliae. His severed parts fell into the sea, and from the white foam around them rose Aphrodite, the goddess of love. With the sky now lifted away from the earth, Cronus became the new king.
Uranus did not leave quietly. He cursed his sons, calling them Titans, and together with Gaia he warned Cronus that he too would be overthrown by his own child. That prophecy came true when Zeus defeated Cronus and the Titans.
Uranus had little worship in Greece, since he was seen as a distant figure of the oldest age. Yet his story set the pattern of fathers and sons fighting for power that runs through Greek myth. The Romans called him Caelus, and the seventh planet, discovered in 1781, was later named Uranus after him.
Famous Myths About Uranus
The Imprisoned Children
Uranus despised some of his children, especially the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones, and pushed them back deep inside Gaia. Her pain and anger drove her to plot against him.
Overthrown by Cronus
As Uranus came down to lie with Gaia, Cronus ambushed him with a sickle and cut him down. From the drops of his blood sprang the Furies and the Giants, and from the foam around his severed parts rose Aphrodite.
Uranus's Family Tree
Parents of Uranus
Wife of Uranus
Children of Uranus
Frequently Asked Questions About Uranus
Who is Uranus in Greek mythology?
Uranus is the primordial god of the sky and the first ruler of the cosmos.
Who are Uranus's parents?
Uranus was born from Gaia, the earth, on her own, and he later became her husband.
Who are Uranus's children?
With Gaia, Uranus fathered the twelve Titans, the three Cyclopes and the three Hundred Handed Ones. He hated these children and locked some of them deep inside the earth.
What happened to Uranus?
His son Cronus attacked him with a sickle and took his power. From the drops of his blood came the Furies and the Giants, and from the sea foam rose Aphrodite.
What is Uranus's Roman name?
The Romans called Uranus Caelus, but the planet Uranus takes its name from the Greek form.
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