Illustration of Odysseus tied to a ship's mast

The Odyssey

by Homer

Start Free Trial

Student Question

What were female Titans called in The Odyssey?

Quick answer:

In "The Odyssey," female Titans are sometimes called Titanesses, but generally, both male and female are referred to as Titans. Key female Titans include Gaea, the earth-mother; Rhea, mother of Zeus; Tethys, mother of rivers and sea nymphs; Mnemosyne, mother of the Muses; Themis, mother of the Fates; Coeus, mother of Leto; Dione, mother of Aphrodite; Thea, mother of Helios, Eos, and Selene; and Metis, mother of Athena.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

Sometimes you will see females referred to as Titanesses, but most often both male and female were called Titans. In mythology, they are the "elder gods," meaning they came before the more familiar Greek gods and goddesses. I've listed for you below the names of the female Titans and a brief description of each.

  • Gaea: the earth-mother goddess; mated with Uranus to produce the other Titans
  • Rhea: the wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus
  • Tethys: the wife of Oceanus; they gave birth to the rivers and to sea nymphs
  • Mnemosyne: the Titan of memory and the mother of the Muses
  • Themis: the Titan of justice and order and the mother of the Fates and the seasons
  • Coeus: Titan of the moon and mother of Leto
  • Dione: the mother of Aphrodite
  • Thea: Titan of sight and "shining light of the clear blue sky"; wife of Hyperion and mother of Helios the Sun, Eos the Dawn, and Selene the Moon
  • Metis: Titan of the forth day and the planet Mercury; she was also the mother of Athena. Zeus was worried about the prophecy that the second child of Metis would replace him. To prevent that from happening, Zeus ate her. It is said that she is the source for his wisdom and that she still advises Zeus from his belly.

Get Ahead with eNotes

Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.

Get 48 Hours Free Access
Approved by eNotes Editorial