Rhea
Cronus’s sister and consort, and the mother who saves Zeus and reverses the swallowing crisis.
Overview
Rhea is the Titan daughter of Gaia and Uranus, sister and consort of Cronus, and mother of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. The story moves her from grief at the swallowing to deliberate action: before the youngest child is born, she asks her parents for help, entrusts the newborn to Gaia to be hidden in Crete, and gives Cronus a swaddled stone. Hesiod does not add the Curetes, Amalthea or Metis’s drug; those later details remain a labelled Pseudo-Apollodoran alternative.
Key facts
Mother of six children
Rhea and Cronus are parents of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.
Saving the child and substituting the stone
She asks her parents for help and entrusts newborn Zeus to Gaia, who carries him to Crete and hides him, while Rhea gives Cronus a swaddled stone to swallow.
Relationships
- Gaiamother of
Gaia is the mother of Rhea.
- Uranusfather of
Uranus is the father of Rhea.
- Cronussiblings
Cronus and Rhea are Titan siblings, both children of Gaia and Uranus.
- Cronusconsort with
Cronus and Rhea join and become parents of the six later Olympian siblings.
- Hestiamother of
Rhea is the mother of Hestia.
- Demetermother of
Rhea is the mother of Demeter.
- Heramother of
Rhea is the mother of Hera.
- Hadesmother of
Rhea is the mother of Hades.
- Poseidonmother of
Rhea is the mother of Poseidon.
- Zeusmother of
Rhea is the mother of Zeus.
- Cronusdeceives with a swaddled stone
Rhea gives Cronus a swaddled stone, which he swallows as though it were the child.
Story appearances
- Birth of the GodsMother who saves the youngest and reverses the swallowing
She bears the six siblings and asks her parents for help; Gaia receives and hides Zeus while Rhea deceives Cronus with a swaddled stone.
- The TitanomachyMother who preserves the successor
Mother who preserves the successor within the struggle between the older Titans and Zeus' side.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.
- Hesiod, Theogony, Lines 126–153: Gaia brings forth Sky, Mountains and Sea, then the children of Gaia and Uranus
- Hesiod, Theogony, Lines 453–467: Rhea bears six children and Cronus swallows them because of the succession prophecy
- Hesiod, Theogony, Lines 468–491: Rhea seeks help, Zeus is hidden in Crete and a swaddled stone is substituted
- Hesiod, Theogony, Lines 492–506: Cronus releases the children, Zeus sets up the stone, frees the Cyclopes and receives thunder
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 1.2.1: Metis' drug, ten-year war, Gaia's prophecy, Campe, three weapons, Titan imprisonment and division by lot