From Heroes to Gods

Act 3: The Agony

       “ I have opened my eyes to reality for I’ve been struck by lightning that shines through the relentless storm. Drowning in deepest seas and being consumed by earth itself as I crawl my way back to this never ending struggle, the creatures return to haunt me as they want me back in the cold dark abyss…….

.....I have found pain….”

    Its like so many years I have stayed in this unknown realm, I witnessed the crowning of a new ruler.

    After the exile of Uranus, Cronus the youngest of the titans was proclaimed the new ruler of the new made world.

    The apparition once again carried me away to another time and told me to witness the second rebellion. I was puzzled by things that the apparition said for all his words are made out of riddles.

    I was brought to another time wherein Cronus married his sister Rhea and under his rule the titans had many off springs. As we walk further I have been informed that Gaea and Uranus has prophesied that Cronus could be overthrown by one of his sons.

     The next scene made my stomach twist, how could a father do this to his children? I ask myself. To avoid the prophecy to be fulfilled, Cronus devoured each of his children as they were born. Rhea was furious on the acts of his husband.

      When it came time to give birth to her sixth child, Rhea hid herself, then she left the child to be raised by nymphs. To conceal her act she wrapped a stone in swaddling cloths and passed it off as the baby to Cronus, who swallowed it.

    Once again I was carried away to another place filled with mountains and long streaming rivers. The apparition told me that we were in Crete the place wherein Rhea hid their sixth son.

        In our stay there I’ve met a young lad, strong as the pillars of Babylon and as gorgeous as the seaside sunset. He is Zeus the sixth child of Cronus and Rhea which was raised by nymphs in the island of Crete.

      As we spoke with Zeus, he then told us that he will go back to mount Olympus and seek vengeance on his father. Zeus has consulted Metis on how to defeat his father, Zeus showed us a drink that was created by Metis. This drink was designed to make Cronus vomit his siblings which he consumed.

         We accompanied Zeus on his journey to mount Olympus there we saw Rhea and Cronus. The apparition told me to stay back and watch.

         Now I understand, this is the second rebellion and this was the prophecy Gaea have foretold I am able to witness a battle that no mortal could ever live to tell the tale. Rhea convinced Cronus to accept his son and Zeus was allowed to return to Mount Olympus as Cronus's cupbearer.

        This gave Zeus the opportunity to slip Cronus the specially prepared drink. This worked as planned and the other five children were vomited up. Being gods they were unharmed. They were thankful to Zeus and made him their leader.

          Cronus was yet to be defeated. He and the Titans, fought to retain their power. Atlas became their leader in battle and it looked for some time as though they would win and put the young gods down. However, Zeus was cunning. He went down to Tartarus and freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires. Prometheus joined Zeus as well. He returned to battle with his new allies.

           The Cyclopes provided Zeus with lightning bolts for weapons. The Hecatoncheires he set in ambush armed with boulders. With the time right, Zeus retreated drawing the Titans into the Hecatoncheires's ambush.

           The Hecatoncheires rained down hundreds of boulders with such a fury the Titans thought the mountains were falling on them. They broke and ran giving Zeus victory. Zeus exiled the Titans who had fought against him into Tartarus. Except for Atlas, who was singled out for the special punishment of holding the world on his shoulders. However, even after this victory Zeus was not safe.

           Gaea angry that her children had been imprisoned gave birth to a last offspring, Typhoeus. Typhoeus was so fearsome that most of the gods fled. However, Zeus faced the monster and flinging his lighting bolts was able to kill it. Typhoeus was buried under Mount Etna in Sicily. Now, Cronus has been exiled Zeus has all the rights to reclaim his position as the chief god in mount Olympus.