Cronus was the youngest child of Gaea, the earth; and Uranus, the sky, in Greek mythology. Unlike most gods, he did not represent a place, event, function, or quality. Cronus belonged to the race of gods known as Titans. The Roman god Saturn became identified with him.
Uranus feared his children and confined them within Gaea’s huge body. With Gaea’s help, Cronus castrated and deposed Uranus and became king of the Titans. Cronus married his sister Rhea, and they had six children. Cronus feared that his children would depose him, and so he swallowed the first five of them at birth. Rhea hid the last child, Zeus, on the island of Crete. Then she tricked Cronus by giving him a large stone wrapped in baby clothes. After Zeus grew to manhood, he tricked Cronus into vomiting up his brothers and sisters. Together, they deposed their father, and Zeus then became the king of the gods.
See also Mythology (Greek mythology); Titans.
