Giants (Gigantes)
The Gigantes or giants were a class of extremely large and often monstrous creatures who were closely related to the gods. According to Hesiod's Theogony, the first Giants, three Cyclopes and three Hekatoncheires were born from the union of Gaea (earth) and Uranus (heaven) who also gave birth to the Titans.
Some giants arose from the spilt blood of Uranus which fell on earth, after Cronus and his brothers castrated him, while many others were born out of Gaea, when she started plotting against the Olympian gods due to the imprisonment and oppression of her children, the Titans. She inspired them to rebel against Zeus and the established order which led to a war called Gigantomachy.
The Elder Giants of Creation
Individual Giants and Minor Tribes
Agrius
- a man-eating Thracian giant who was a half-man and half-bear hybrid. He was transformed into a bird by the gods, along with his companion Oreius, as a punishment for their cannibalism.
Agrius & Thoas
- giants that opposed the Fates during Gigantomachy and were consequently beat to death with bronze clubs by the Moirai (another name for the Fates).
Alcyoneus
- the eldest of the Thracian giants. He led the rebellion against the Olympian gods and was said to be immortal in his homeland Pallene. He was later slain by Heracles who came to aid the Olympians.
Aloadae
- twins who attempted to storm Olympus and later imprisoned Ares, who confronted them, in a bronze jar for thirteen months.
Alpos
- a Sicilian giant who terrorised the nearby area. He had many arms and a head covered with vipers. He was slain by Dionysus.
Antaeus
- a Libyan giant who challenged all bypassers to a wrestling match. He killed them and collected the skulls because he wanted to build a temple out of them to honor his father Poseidon. He was slain by Heracles in a wrestling match.
Argus Panoptes
- a hundred-eyed giant, tasked by Hera to guard Io from Zeus. Argus never closed all of his eyes, only a few needed to sleep at the same time. Zeus sent his messenger Hermes to slay the giant and free Io.
Chrysaor
- a son of Poseidon and Medusa, sometimes said to be a giant, while in some cases he was described as a winged boar.
Clytius
- a giant killed by Hecate during Gigantomachy. The goddess used torches to burn the giant out of existence.
Damastor
- a giant who fought Athena during Gigantomachy. He was a brother of Pallas and attacked the goddess with a rock which he thought was a weapon but was instead his brother's petrified body.
Echion
- a giant immobilized by Athena during Gigantomachy. Being unaware of the power of Medusa's gaze, he sought to end the life of the goddess but was instead turned to stone.
Enceladus
- one of the Thracian giants who was fighting against the Olympians. He was struck by the spear of Athena and was buried underneath Mount Etna.
Ephialtes
- a giant crippled by the combine effort of Apollo and Heracles during Gigantomachy. Apollo disabled the giant by striking an arrow to his left eye and Heracles did the same thing to his right eye.
Eurytus
- a giant killed by Dionysus during Gigantomachy. He targeted the god specifically but Dionysus fought back and used his staff, the thyrsus, to slay the giant.
Gegenees
- earth-born tribe of six-armed giants, fought by Jason and the Argonauts on the Bear Mountain in Mysia. It was one of their encounters on the way to Colchis.
Geryon
- a three-bodied, four-winged giant who dwelt on the red island of Erytheia. He was encountered and defeated by Heracles in his tenth labour.
Gration
- a giant that fought Artemis during Gigantomachy. In the end, the goddess prevailed with her bow and arrows.
Hippolytus
- a giant killed by Hermes during Gigantomachy. The giant stood no chance against Hermes who used the helm of darkness to strike invisibly and unexpectedly.
Laestrygonians
- a tribe of man-eating giants, encountered by Odysseus and his men. They destroyed all but one ship, by throwing rocks off the cliffs when Odysseus and his men were trying to escape.
Mimas
- a giant, brother of Pelorus, killed by Ares during the Gigantomachy. Alternatively, he was killed by the barrage of metal missiles of god Hephaestus.
Pallas
- a giant destroyed by Athena during the Gigantomachy. The goddess used the head of Medusa to petrify the giant or, alternatively, she flayed him to death.
Palleneus
- a giant killed by Athena during the Gigantomachy. The giant got close enough to attack her with a sword but a part of him got petrified in the process. The goddess then ended his life with the strike of her sword from close range.
Pelorus
- a giant having two serpents as the lower part of the body who was defeated by Ares during the Gigantomachy. His chest was split from the serpents and trampled by the god in his fury while riding a chariot.
Polybotes
- a giant who fought Poseidon during the Gigantomachy. He was defeated by the god, when Poseidon ripped off a part of island Cos with his trident and hurled it at him.
