Timeless Myths Logo
Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names
Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
Bacchus Ceres Diana Juno Jupiter Mars Mercury Minerva Neptune Pluto Venus Vesta Vulcan
Amun Anubis Aten Atum Babi Bastet Bes Geb Hapi hathor heqet Horus Isis Khepri Khnum Khonsu Maat Nephthys Nut Osiris Ptah Ra Seshat Seth Shu Sobek Thoth
Alfheim Baldur Freya Freyr Frigg Heimdallr Helheim Idun Jotunheim Loki Nerthus Njord Odin Thor Tyr
Aengus Arawn Badb Brigid Cailleach Ceridwen Cernunnos Cu Chulainn Dagda Danu Gwydion Herne the Hunter Lugh Medb Morrigan Neit Nuada Taliesin Taranis
Chalchiuhtlicue Coatlicue Huitzilopochtli Mictlantecuhtli Mixcoatl Ometeotl Quetzalcoatl Tezcatlipoca Tlaloc Tonatiuh Xipe Totec Xochiquetzal Xolotl
Amaterasu Ame no Uzume Benzaiten Bishamonten Daikokuten Ebisu Fujin Fukurokuju Inari Izanagi Kagutsuchi Raijin Susanoo Tsukuyomi
Caishen Cangjie Dragon King Eight Immortals Erlang Shen Fuxi Guanyin Hou Yi Huxian Jade Emperor King Yama Leizi Lu-ban Mazu Nezha Nuwa Pangu Shennong Sun Wukong Xiwangmu Yue Lao Zhong Kui
Norse Classical Celtic Arthurian
Literature Stories Names
  1. Mythology Gods
    Aztec Gods Egyptian Gods Japanese Gods Chinese Gods Roman Gods Celtic Gods Greek Gods Norse Gods
  2. Greek Gods
    Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Athena Atlas Coeus Crius Cronus Demeter Dionysus Gaia Hades Hephaestus Hera Hermes Hestia Hyperion Iapetus Mnemosyne Oceanus Phobos Phoebe Poseidon Prometheus Rhea Tethys Themis Uranus Zeus
  3. Gaia

Gaia

Gaia: Beautiful Mother Earth Goddess and Bearer of Greek Gods

Gaia, Titan of the first generation, was mother earth in Greek mythology. She was there at the beginning of all things. Along with her son Uranus, she was the start of all life. But read on to find out how and why she begged her children to take down their father and end his reign.

Gaia, the mother goddess or Greek goddess of the earth

Who Was Gaia in Greek Mythology?

Gaia was the mother goddess or Greek goddess of the Earth. Like the God of Christianity, she was there at the beginning of all things and, from her, all life sprung. She was more like a force instead of an actual being. She represented the earth, and she actually was the earth as well.

It is a difficult concept to grasp, but she essentially was what she represented. After she bore the gods, she became a symbol of both fertility and agriculture, both things related to life. She joined her granddaughter Demeter in being worshipped for agriculture. Gaia bore her first child, Uranus, and together they brought about life for the rest of the deities.

She bore both gods and monsters and because of her Greek mythology could actually begin. However, not all things went as well as she’d hoped. Sometimes she had to intervene so that things could be made better. Gaia’s name is still remembered today in certain groups that worship past deities.

Family of Gaia, the Mother Goddess of All

Gaia seemed to have no lover of her own to help create Uranus, her firstborn. But she had this son and took him as her lover after he was created. Gaia and Uranus created the famed gods, but later, they each had other gods/goddesses on their own or with others. With Uranus, Gaia was the mother to:

  • The Titans

  • The Cyclopes

  • The Hecatoncheires, monsters with 100 hands and 50 heads each

  • Later in life, because of a mistake by Hephaestus, god of the forge, she bore Erichthonius

  • She also had a child named Typhon with Tartarus, the god and namesake of the bowels of “Hell”

  • In some stories, with her nephew Poseidon, Gaia had the giants Antaios and Kharybdis, among other children

  • The Story of Gaia, Mythology of the Mother Earth

Gaia took part in a few myths. But, as mentioned before, she was more like a presence than an actual character in the stories. She represented the earth and was the earth at the same time.

Gaia’s Random Origin and Then On to Family

The famous poet Hesiod wrote “Theogony,” in which he described many aspects of Greek mythology, including the beginning of Gaia. Gaia was the first deity to be “created” out of the nothingness and the chaos that was there at the beginning of time. Her beginning is very similar to other mythologies that have “first gods,” and they simply appeared out of nowhere and nothing. After she was created, she bore her first child who later became her lover: the Titan Uranus.

With Uranus, she created the world, and she created it to her liking. Together, they bore many children. These were the Titans, and Hesiod’s writing describes it better:

“She lay with Heaven and bore deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis, and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of Gaia’s children, and he hated his lusty sire.”

After that, she had the Cyclopes. Their names were Brontes, meaning “thunder,” Steropes, meaning “lightning,” and Arges, meaning “bright.” The Hecatoncheires were named Cottus, Briareos, and Gyges. She had other lovers after Uranus was overthrown, and she helped set into motion a pattern of overthrows.

Gaia Takes Revenge Against a Cruel and Unloving Father

Gaia, beautiful mother earth goddess and bearer of Greek gods

Uranus was not a good Titan. He was constantly in fear of being overthrown, and his seat in the universe being taken by one of his children. Therefore, he had no love for his children, and to keep his place protected, he threw them all into Tartarus. Tartarus was the deep abyss of the earth where souls were sent to suffer. In this sense, it was very similar to Hell.

Gaia was deeply saddened by this, and she knew she had to do something to save her children and keep them from constant abuse. So she created a sickle, and she told her children that if one of them could castrate their father, he would be overthrown, and they would be saved. Cronus, who always hated Uranus, was the one child who stepped up to the plate. Saved from Tartarus for this task, Cronus swung the sickle and cut off his father’s genitals.

He threw them into the sea, and Uranus met his end. Cronus took his place as the ruler of the universe. But even though Uranus’ time was ended, it didn’t mean that his bloodline was. From the genitals thrown into the sea, all kinds of creatures sprung up. Those creatures included the beautiful goddess of love and sex, Aphrodite.

Cronus Receives His Comeuppance, but Gaia Tries to Help

Cronus, because of what he did to his father, had the very same fears of being overthrown. He turned into just as much of a cruel and tyrannical father that his own father was. His wife and sister Rhea became pregnant, and he decided to swallow all the children so that they could never overthrow him. He did, one by one, but Rhea turned to Gaia for help.

They decided to hide the last child away on an island. When Rhea returned, she gave Cronus a rock in swaddling cloth to swallow. He did so, thinking it was a child. All the while, Zeus was growing stronger day by day being raised by Gaia on this island. He eventually returned, and with his grandmother’s advice, he overthrew his father and freed his siblings from his belly.

Zeus became the new king of the gods. He also became the ruler of Mount Olympus and fathered many other gods and goddesses. However, his victory was short-lived.

Gaia and the Titanomachy: She Wasn’t Finished Yet

Zeus became the new ruler, but after he defeated his father, he threw the rest of the Titans into Tartarus, just like his grandfather had done. Gaia didn’t like this, as she had freed them once before with the help of Cronus. So, she decided to plot against her grandson this time. Because Tartarus was the embodiment of Hell as well as a sort of deity, she laid with him and bore a son named Typhon.

This was the god who sought war against Zeus in the Titanomachy. Zeus ended up freeing the Cyclops from Tartarus at the time so that they could help him fight against this god. He won in the end, and he threw the defeated Titans into Tartarus once again.

Gaia and Her Surprise Son: Erichthonius, a Future King

Gaia, of course, didn’t have all her children with her son and lover Uranus, but this one came as a sort of surprise. It depends on the story or myth, but legend had it that the goddess of wisdom, Athena, was pursued by her brother Hephaestus.

He was the god who had helped her to emerge from her father’s forehead by splitting Zeus’ head with an ax. Because of that, he might have asked to marry her or assumed that he was owed a sexual encounter.

Either way, he tried to press himself upon Athena. But Athena fought back. Just as he was about to ejaculate, Athena pushed him away, and Hephaestus sent his seed into the ground. Since Gaia was the earth, she was impregnated by this, and she bore a son named Erichthonius.

Athena was forever a virgin goddess, but Gaia gave Erichthonius to her to raise as her adopted son. And Erichthonius would later become an early king of Athens.

Gaia, the Mother Goddess, as Represented in Artwork

Gaia was most often represented in this role, as the mother of Erichthonius, giving her son to Athena. She was also often shown as a matronly woman, portraying her mother goddess aspect, or she was seen lying upon the earth.

How Was Gaia Worshipped?

Gaia’s cult mainly worshipped her under the name of “Anesidora” which meant “giver of gifts.” She and Demeter were worshipped together as goddesses of fertility and agriculture. Because she was a goddess of the earth, it was important that black animals were sacrificed to her.

Gaia in Pop Culture

Gaia still has a legacy today and appears in some pop culture:

  • In Wicca, she is still worshipped as a mother goddess.

  • The naturalist and author James Lovelock has written a lot about this goddess in many of his books. Many believe that Lovelock used Gaia in a perfect combination of both science and the spiritual world.

  • She also appears in the book series, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians.”

  • There are also a few skincare and other cosmetics companies with the name “Gaia” in them.

Conclusion

Fountain of Gaia, mother earth of Greek mythology in Italy

Take a look at the main points about Gaia covered in the article above:

  • Gaia was the Greek version of a mother goddess or Mother Earth. She was the deity that was there at the beginning of all things. She was born out of the nothingness and chaos that was there before all life.

  • Gaia was the representation of the earth, but she also was the earth. She later became a goddess of fertility and agriculture as well. She was very similar to her granddaughter, Demeter.

  • Gaia’s first child was Uranus and, with her son, she bore many children. Together they made the world as they wished, and they were the start of all life. She and Uranus had the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Hecatoncheires, monsters with a hundred hands and fifty heads each

  • She also had a son Erichthonius and Typhon with other lovers.

  • Uranus turned out to be a cruel and unloving father. Because he was constantly afraid of being overthrown, he sent all his children to Tartarus, the Greek version of Hell. Gaia was furious, and she decided it was time that one of her children overthrew their father. She made a sickle and offered it to them, and Cronus took her up on it. He cut off his father’s genitals and threw them into the sea.

  • Because of that, many creatures sprung into life. Even Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born from Uranus’ genitals and seafoam

  • Cronus became the ruler of the universe but, with Gaia’s help later on, he would meet the same fate as his own father. When Cronus had children, he swallowed them to keep them from overthrowing him. But his wife and mother protected his final son, Zeus, and took him to an island. When Zeus was ready, he came back and overthrew his father.

  • Zeus threw all the Titans into Tartarus, and Gaia took her revenge. She bore a son with Tartarus, Typhon, who challenged Zeus. Zeus brought out the Cyclops from Tartarus to fight against the Titans. But when he won, he sent them all to Tartarus again.

  • Gaia had another child, but it was sort of a surprise one. When Athena, the goddess of wisdom was born, she had a little help from her brother Hephaestus to help her emerge from her father’s head. Hephaestus pursued her, and when he tried to have sex with her, Athena pushed him away. He ejaculated into the ground. Gaia was impregnated, and when she had her son Erichthonius, she gave him to Athena to raise as her adoptive son. Erichthonius became a later king of Athens.

  • In art, she’s seen as a matronly woman, and she’s often in the scene of handing Erichthonius off to Athena.

  • In pop culture, she can be seen in “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” and many of James Lovelock’s books.

  • She is also still worshipped in Wicca circles as a mother goddess.

How can we forget the Titan goddess who started it all? Gaia’s legacy lives on because she was the spark of life that set everything into being. It’s too bad that she wasn’t always happy with the way things turned out, but that’s no surprise. Her descendants made a mess of things, and even though they were deities, they were also so very human.

By Timeless Myths

Greek Gods:

  • • Aphrodite
  • • Apollo
  • • Ares
  • • Artemis
  • • Athena
  • • Atlas
  • • Coeus
  • • Crius
  • • Cronus
  • • Demeter
  • • Dionysus
  • • Gaia
  • • Hades
  • • Hephaestus
  • • Hera
  • • Hermes
  • • Hestia
  • • Hyperion
  • • Iapetus
  • • Mnemosyne
  • • Oceanus
  • • Phobos
  • • Phoebe
  • • Poseidon
  • • Prometheus
  • • Rhea
  • • Tethys
  • • Themis
  • • Uranus
  • • Zeus
Gaea (Earth)

Gaea (Earth)

The personification of earth and the goddess of the earth. Gaea was also known as Gaia or Ge, but to the Romans she was known as Terra Mater and Tellus . According to Diodorus Siculus, her name was also Titaea. Gaea was born together with Nyx ("Ni...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Gaea and her Daughters

Gaea and her Daughters

In Greek mythology, Gaea and her daughters – Rhea , Themis and Dione – were the earliest earth and mother goddesses. These goddesses played decisive roles in Hesiod's Theogony , where they made or removed rulers. Gaea Gaea (Γαἳα) was seen as the e...

June 22nd, 2003 • Jimmy Joe
Uranus

Uranus

Uranus: The Titan and Greek God of the Sky, Heavens, and Air Uranus, titan of the first generation, was the primordial Greek god of the heavens, the sky, and the air. He was there at the beginning of time. His mother, Gaia, had him as her first ch...

April 2nd, 2002 • Timeless Myths
Primeval Deities

Primeval Deities

The Ancient Deities found on this page consist of the primeval beings that came into existence since the beginning of time, and who were involved with the creation of the universe. These are deities who came before the time of the Titans and the O...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Uranus (Sky)

Uranus (Sky)

The sky and the god of the sky. Uranus was the son of Gaea and possibly of Aether . Uranus married his mother and became the first supreme ruler of the world. (According to the Orphic myth, Gaea and Uranus were not mother and son. Rather they were...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Rhea

Rhea

Rhea: Mother of the Olympian Gods Rhea, Titan goddess of fertility and motherhood, may have played only a supporting role in the famous stories of Greek mythology. Still, the classic Greek pantheon wouldn’t even exist without her. Of all the godde...

April 2nd, 2002 • Timeless Myths
Tethys

Tethys

Tethys: Spirit of Water and Mother of Thousands Tethys, Titan of flowing water, was one of the more obscure first-generation Titans in Greek mythology. She didn’t play much of an active role in many myths, but she is remembered for her impressive ...

April 2nd, 2002 • Timeless Myths
Rhea (Ops)

Rhea (Ops)

Titaness and earth-goddess. Rhea was the daughter of Uranus and Gaea . According to Diodorus Siculus, Rhea's other name was Pandora. Rhea was identified by the Romans as the goddess Ops and Magna Mater. Rhea married her brother Cronus and was the ...

April 19th, 1999 • Jimmy Joe
Tellus (Terra Mater)

Tellus (Terra Mater)

Tellus or Terra Mater was an ancient earth goddess. Tellus was later identified with the Greek Gaea and the Phrygian Cybele . Her temple dated back as far as 268 BC, situated on the Esquiline Hill. Each year, the Romans honoured her with three fes...

September 10th, 2000 • Jimmy Joe
Mother Goddesses

Mother Goddesses

During the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age, the mother goddesses were very prominent in Crete, the Cyclades and on mainland Greece. This page not only looks at Hellenic mother goddesses in Greek mythology, but also looks briefly at a couple of...

June 22nd, 2003 • Jimmy Joe

Explore Myths

All Stories

Characters

All Articles

Search

Site Map

Mythologies

Norse Mythology

Classical Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Mythology Gods

Ancient Literature

About Us

Introduction

About Jimmy

Bibliography

FAQs

Retro Version

Resources

Timeless Myths

All Stories

All Articles

Characters

Copyright Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Contact

© 1999-2025

Timeless Myths

© 2025 Timeless Myths