Giant, in Greek and Roman mythology, belonged to a race of beings that looked like people, but were much bigger. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed people had grown smaller as time passed. They thought their ancestors had been huge individuals of great strength and power.
Giants, in Greek legend, represented the elements of nature, such as earth, air, and water. They were said to have been born from the blood of Uranus (Heaven) which fell into the lap of Gaea (Earth).
Giants appear in every country’s mythology. For example, Welsh giants are well known through the story of Jack the Giant Killer.
Races of giants are first spoken of in the Bible in Genesis 6:4. One giant, King Og of Bashan, had a bed 9 cubits long. A Hebrew cubit is 17.58 inches (44.7 centimeters), and 9 cubits is over 13 feet (396 centimeters). Goliath, who was killed by David with a stone from a sling, is the best-known giant in the Bible. According to the Bible story, Goliath stood about 91/4 feet (282 centimeters) tall.
