Prometheus, Epimetheus and Atlas were just a few of them. And in the third allotment, with Themis' consent and not by force, another Titanis (Titaness), child of Khthon (Chthon, Earth), Phoibe (Phoebe), took her seat here. Her Lunar Legacy. He is often depicted playing a golden lyre. Leto - Titan goddess of modesty and motherhood. Facts about PhoebePhoebe features in the Creation myth of the ancient Greeks which are based on the idea that these supernatural beings resembled mortals but were of gigantic proportions and possessed great magical and mystic powers. In some accounts, Phoebe found the responsibility too much of a burden to bear and passed it on to her grandson, Apollo, as a gift on his birthday. When Uranus retreated to the heavens, hed lost nearly all his powers so Phoebes brother Cronus took over the position of Supreme God, the god of all gods. Phoebe, though not very well known on her own, is associated with many powerful aspects of Greek mythology. Following the Titanomachy, the legendary war between the Titans and their Olympian children, Phoebe was spared from the fates of her siblings for siding with Zeus and the other gods. . : Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. The "chiefest of the goddesses" are the Titanides. Her offspring includes Asteria and Leto. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. In Hesiod she is Zeus's second consort and by him the mother of the Horae ( see Hora ), the Moirai, and, in some traditions, the Hesperides. When Phoebe was born, Uranus was the ruler of the cosmos but he didnt feel secure in his position. The Titans were the descendents of the first gods or divinities, called the primordial or primeval gods, who were born out of Chaos. "She [Gaia, the Earth] lay with Ouranos (Uranus, the Sky) and bare deep-swirling Okeanos (Oceanus), Koios (Coeus) and Krios (Crius) and Hyperion and Iapetos, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoibe (Phoebe) and lovely Tethys. .adslot_1 { width: 300px; height: 250px; } The Imprisonment of Phoebe and the TitansAccording to the ancient Greek Creation myth Uranus, the father of Phoebe and the other Titans, was terrified of the massive size and strength of his gigantic children and to prevent them rebelling against him, Uranus seized them immediately after their birth and hurled them down into a dark abyss called Tartarus, where he kept his Titan children in chains. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Each one of them was the discover of things of benefit to mankind, and because of the benefaction they conferred upon all men they were accorded honours and everlasting fame. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [2] "Again, Phoibe (Phoebe) came to the desired embrace of Koios (Coeus). Her name, meaning "bright", was also given to a number of lunar goddesses like Artemis and later the Roman goddesses Luna and Diana, but Phoebe herself was not actively treated as a moon goddess on her own right in ancient mythology. [1], Through Leto, Phoebe was the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. Although they won, his own son cast him into Tartarus, canceling out the victory. The result was that Phoebes powers gradually began to diminish and her fame began to decrease steadily. Her epithet was Gold-Crowned, but her name, like Apollos forename Phoebus, signified brightness. She was not very active in mythology, but her lineage is the most interesting part of her story. . Copy This Storyboard Copy This Storyboard More options Phoebe was a daughter of Uranus and Gaea, but not directly involved in the overthrow of Uranus by her brother Cronos. She is often depicted with the moon as her symbol. She was also the goddess that gave gold, silver, and other gems with their sparkle or brightness. After them was born Kronos (Cronus). Kronos was the King of the Titans and the god of destructive time. In classical mythology, Phoebe is the by-name of Artemis, goddess of the moon and of hunting. 2 (trans. Phoebe: Complete Guide to the First Goddess of Intellect - Timeless Myths ", Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. months[10] = "Looking for accurate facts and impartial information? Also she bare Asteria." Homeric Hymn 3 to Delian Apollo 61 ff (trans. [1.1] OURANOS & GAIA (Hesiod Theogony 132, Aeschylus Eumenides 6, Apollodorus 1.8, Diodorus Siculus 5.66.1), [1.1] LETO, ASTERIA (by Koios) (Hesiod Theogony 404, Apollodorus 1.9, Hyginus Preface) For other persons in myth named Phoebe, see, Compare the relation of the comparatively obscure archaic figure of, Although usually the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, as in, Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-franais, Online version at Harvard University Press, Online version at the Perseus Digital Library, Classical mythology in western art and literature, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phoebe_(Titaness)&oldid=1161852747, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, Robertson, D.S., "The Delphian Succession in the Opening of the Eumenides", This page was last edited on 25 June 2023, at 12:31. She's the consort of Coeus, the intellectual God of Tricky Questions, and the two of them must have some fascinating conversations. From Athena to Zeus: Basics of Greek Mythology, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Phoebe-Greek-mythology. She was incredibly beautiful and Zeus tried to seduce her. MAJOR TITANS : THE URANIDES & IAPETIONIDES. ", Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. [13] Phoebe, wearing a diadem and a very creased dress, is seen wielding a flaming torch and fighting next to her other daughter Asteria.[14]. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) : Phoebe was beautiful, and perhaps one of the calmer Titans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) Javascript is switched off in your browser. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Instead, she took her place at the oracle of Delphi. They have spent the past two years working as a freelance journalist, as well as a substitute teacher in Houston. PHOEBE (Phoib). Check out the Siteseen network of educational websites. Phoibe was the third goddess to hold the great oracle of Delphoi (Delphi) which she in turn bestowed upon her grandson Apollon. gave it [the oracle of Delphoi] as a birthday gift to [her grandson] Phoibos (Phoebus) [Apollon], who has his name from Phoibe . Phoebe, a titan, was one of these people. Selene, one of her nieces, who was considered to be the personification of the moon. Article last revised on September 06, 2018 by Rowan Allen. Apollo, one of the most famous of the Greek gods, was the god of the sun, oracles, knowledge, poetry, and songs, among other things. Pronunciation: Coming soon If Phoebe was the goddess of the moon, she would have enjoyed some beneficial powers, such as being able to fly, the ability to attract and repel objects, and the ability to conjure a silver light on demand. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Create your account. "[11] Robertson also speculates that in Zeus' turn to make the gift, Aeschylus could not report that the oracle was given directly to Apollo, who had not yet been born, and thus Phoebe was interposed. Interestingly, it was Perses who later married Phoebes daughter Asteria. 136, 404, &c.; Apollod. ", Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. Theia () was the Titaness of sight and shining. Romans on the other hand associated Artemis, Hera and Selene to the moon amongst others, but there was no mentioning of Titaness Phoebe. The 12 Elder Greek Titans each have some interesting powers, symbols, stories and facts. For all media enquiries please contact us here. Oldfather) (Greek historian C1st B.C.) To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. In Greek mythology, Phoebe ( / fibi / FEE-bee; Ancient Greek: , romanized : Phob, associated with phobos, "shining") was the name or epithet of the following characters: Phoebe (Titaness), one of the Titans, grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. Dani Rhys has worked as a writer and editor for over 15 years. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. "Ouranos (Uranus, Sky) . Phoibe was also the Titan-goddess of the Delphic oracle which was reputed to lie upon the earth's navel. months[1] = "Find information about the instructive websites produced by international publisher Siteseen Ltd. "; greek-gods.org (c) Copyright 2023, all rights reserved. Through them, Phoebe's grandchildren were Hecate, Artemis, and Apollo. People came from across Greece (and even across Europe and West Asia) to ask the priestess a question. BBCODE: To link to this page in a forum post or comment box, just copy and paste the link code below: Here's the info you need to cite this page. "The Titanes (Titans) numbered six men and five women, being born, as certain writers of myths relate, of Ouranos (Uranus, Sky) and Ge (Gaea, Earth), but according to others, of one of the Kouretes (Curetes) and Titaia (Titaea), from whom as their mother they derive the name they have. Phoebes symbols include the Oracle of Delphi and the moon, because of her granddaughter Artemis. This priestess would then interpret the will of Apollo, who spoke through her (according to Greek beliefs). Some stories suggest that Phoebe was also the mother of Perses and Pallas, sons of Crius, who was another son of Gaia and Uranus. Phoebe's other daughter was Leto, a Titaness of modesty and motherhood. Phoebe became the third goddess to hold the Oracle of Delphi, a position that was originally held by her mother Gaia. : "Leto, most glorious daughter of great Koios (Coeus)." Since Phoebe hadnt taken any sides during the war, she escaped punishment and was allowed to remain free. Both would proved to have a large and lasting impact on the Olympians and the Greek world. Themis | Greek goddess | Britannica Then the goddess through the love of the god conceived and brought forth dark-gowned Leto . Gaia passed it on to her daughter Themis who then passed it on to Phoebe. [9], According to a speech that Aeschylus puts into the mouth of the Delphic priestess herself in The Eumenides, Phoebe received control of the Oracle at Delphi from her sister Themis, who herself had received it from their mother Gaia, and then passed it on Apollo, her grandson, as a gift for his birthday:[10] D. S. Robertson noted "Phoebe in this succession seems to be his private invention," reasoning that in the three great allotments of oracular powers at Delphi, corresponding to the three generations of the gods, "Ouranos, as was fitting, gave the oracle to his wife Gaia and Kronos appropriately allotted it to his sister Themis.