The first major Greek god is Gaea, the Protogenoi of the Earth. Her Roman name is Terra and her symbols include fruit and the earth itself. She was one of the first beings in existence and was the mother to some of the most powerful beings in the world. Without her in the myths, nothing would exist except the evils that are the children of Night and Darkness. Here is her story.
Gaea is one of the five children of the Protogenoi of Nothing Chaos. It is said that Gaea was willed to live by herself out of Chaos's desire for life. Gaea's other siblings are the Night Protogenoi Nyx, the Darkness Protogenoi Erebus, the Underworld Protogenoi Tartarus, and the Love Protogenoi Eros. Her children include the Sky Protogenoi Ouranus, the Sea Protogenoi Pontus, the Giants, the original 12 Titans, the Hecatoncheires, and the 3 original Cyclopes. Her husbands / mates include her son Ouranus and her brother Tartarus.
Her powers are almost limitless. She has complete control of the surface of the earth, able to create entire islands, move mountains, and reshape the world as she sees fit. Her will was feared by all in the world, even Zeus feared angering his grandmother. Her wrath led to the destruction of Ouranus and almost led to the destruction of the Olympians. Her love, similarly, is absolute and without question. She will do anything in her power to protect her children, even if death is required.
Two major myths that revolve around Gaea are the story of her children the Titans and the Giants. The first myth is the birth and rise of the Titans. After Gaea separated the elements, her spirit went with the elements and the Sea Protogenoi Pontus and the Sky Protogenoi Ouranus entered into existence. Gaea chose Ouranus to be her husband because he watched over her and was gentler than Pontus. Together, they had 12 children, the Titans: Iapetus, Crius, Pheobe, Coeus, Themis, Mnemosyne, Theia, Hyperion, Tethys, Oceanus, Rhea, and Cronus. Gaea loved all her children. She was pleased that she gave life to the world, so happy that she had 6 more children with Ouranus. These children were slightly different, 3 with one eye and the other 3 with 100 arms, but she did not care; she still loved them. But she did notice a change in her husband.
She grew concerned with Ouranus after he started looking at her children with fear and hate. She even grew fearful of him when he started hitting them. She offered them sanctuary and was displeased when her husband forced her children deep into the earth. Angry that Ouranus betrayed her love and her children's trust, she decided that revenge was the only way to free her children from Ouranus's madness. She gave her youngest child, Cronus, a scythe and told him to get rid of the Sky. She waited and watched as her children freed themselves from Ouranus's madness and felt as his blood fell to her body. Wherever it landed, nymphs were made and spread wilderness across the world.
She loved that her children took over the universe. She watched her family grow and saw new wonders. She gave her family control of herself as her family gained control of the trees, mountains, and the crops. She was happy again, even happier that Cronus was expecting children. Her happiness ended when Cronus gained his father's madness and forced his siblings, the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires into Tartarus, now acting as a prison for immortals. She watched in horror as her grandchildren were eaten.
Fearful for Cronus's last child, she made a secret island and hid Cronus's wife Rhea on it to give birth in secret. Gaea watched and raised her grandchild as Rhea returned to Cronus. Gaea let the child grow up without Cronus knowing of his existence and helped him in the 10-year war between her children and her grandchildren. She saw a new chance of peace with Cronus's children as her children, whom she sill loved, disobeyed her and began to resemble Ouranus.
Gaea was pleased when Cronus's children won and took over the world, but was furious when they sent all the Titans, her children, to Tartarus. She looked to Tartarus for help. He took her and gave her his strength. This led to the creation of Typhon and the Giants, powerful beings that fought against the Olympians (Gaea's grandchildren). Gaea watched as the Olympians barely won with the aid of demigods and Titans. She grew tired of this fighting and decided to let the Olympians rule.
Gaea was known as Mother Nature and the Mother of the World. Her anger was to be feared by all and her love was unquestionable. She wanted universal peace between her children and hated when somebody threatened that peace, even if was her own children. Her favorite children seemed to always anger her and felt her wrath the most. She played a crucial role in the shaping of all the ages, as a mother should play a major role in the lives of her children.
