ronus was the youngest of the Titans, and was pictured as the ruler of the Titan dynasty. After castrating his father at the instigation of his mother, he became the supreme ruler of the world. By his sister wife, Rhea, he was the father of Zeus and Hera, later rulers of the heavens, of Poseidon and Hades, Demeter and Hestia, all of them Olympian deities.

According to a prophecy of his parents, Cronus was to be dethroned by a son destined to be greater than he was. In order to prevent this prophecy from becoming a reality, Cronus adopted the strange practice of swallowing all his children at birth. Rhea stood this for as long as she could, but she lost patience after Cronus had swallowed five of her offspring.

Before giving birth to her sixth child, she travelled to Lyctos in Crete where she gave birth to Zeus.Rhea then wrapped up a rock in swaddling clothes, and presented it to her husband as their newly born child. The trusting Cronus, having no reason to suspect wife, swallowed the stone and was none the wiser, so Zeus was saved. Years later when Zeus was grown to manhood (or godhood), he gave Cronus a potion that made him disgorge not only the stone, but also Zeus’ three sisters and two brothers. Zeus and his brothers occupied Mount Olympus in Thessaly, and Cronus with The Titans, held Mount Othrys, until he was finally defeated by Zeus’ thunderbolts. Following his defeat he was thrown into Tartarus as he himself had thrown his conquered enemies, his one-eyed (Cyclops) and hundred-handed (Hecatoncheires) brothers.