TITYOS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Tityos was a giant in Greek mythology, and one of those individuals who would ultimately face eternal punishment, like Sisyphus and Tantalus, in Tartarus for his crimes.
Tityos Born of the Earth
Tityos was a son of Zeus, born due to the god’s wandering eye; for Zeus had spied the beautiful Elara. Elara was the daughter of Orchomenus, the king of the Thessalonian city that was also called Orchomenus.
Zeus would have his way with Elara, but then sought to keep his infidelity secret from his wife Hera, and to this end, Zeus hid Elara beneath the surface of the earth. Being hidden in the earth though, caused the baby that Elara was carrying in her womb to grow to an enormous size, and eventually Elara’s womb split, presumably killing Elara in the process.
The unborn baby Tityos was then carried to its due date by Gaia, and once the time had come the giant Tityos would emerge from the earth at a cave upon Euboea, a cave subsequently known as Elarion after Tityos’ mother.
Zeus would have his way with Elara, but then sought to keep his infidelity secret from his wife Hera, and to this end, Zeus hid Elara beneath the surface of the earth. Being hidden in the earth though, caused the baby that Elara was carrying in her womb to grow to an enormous size, and eventually Elara’s womb split, presumably killing Elara in the process.
The unborn baby Tityos was then carried to its due date by Gaia, and once the time had come the giant Tityos would emerge from the earth at a cave upon Euboea, a cave subsequently known as Elarion after Tityos’ mother.
Tityos Attacks the Goddess LetoTityos would only do one deed of note in his life, a deed possibly encourage by the goddess Hera, for it was said that Hera encouraged Tityos to rape the goddess Leto.
Tityos attempted to do just that as Leto walked by the town of Panopeus in Phocis, as the goddess travelled to Delphi. |
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As Tityos came upon Leto, the goddess called out for help, and quickly Artemis and Apollo, the children of Leto were by their mother’s side, shooting their arrows at the giant, before Tityos was dispatched with a golden sword.
Tityos - Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652) - PD-art-100
Tityos in Tartarus
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Now some tell of how the grave of Tityos was to be found at Panopeus through antiquity, but it was also said that Tityos was cast by Apollo, or Zeus, into Tartarus to face eternal punishment for his attempts to rape Leto.
The form of Tityos’ punishment would see the giant stretched out, and pinned down, in Tartarus, and there each day two vultures would descend upon Tityos to eat his liver, and Tityos would be unable to fight them off. Each night though, the liver of Tityos would regenerate to enable the punishment to restart the next day. The punishment of Tityos is of course almost identical to that of the Titan Prometheus; for Prometheus would have his liver plucked out each day by the Caucasian Eagle. It was said that Odysseus observed Tityos and his punishment when the Achaean hero descended into the Underworld, and it is from Homer that the size of Tityos is ascertained (although it varies upon the translation being read). It was commonly said that Tityos covered nine acres of ground, although it was also said that Tityos was of a height of 9 plethra, so roughly 900 feet. |
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Tityos - Titian (c1488-1576) - PD-art-100
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