This article is about the leader of the Titans and father of Zeus. For the primeval Greek god of time, see Chronos.
Cronus (or Kronos; Greek: Κρόνος; Krónos) was the Titan God of the Harvest, agriculture, vegetation, fertility, the ages and the destructive forces of time, and King of the Titans. Also known as Father Time.
Cronus was the son of Gaia and Uranus in Greek mythology. His wife was the Titaness Rhea. He was the leader of the Titans. His Roman counterpart is Saturn. He is often confused with Chronos, the Greek god of time.
Cronos was born to Gaia and Uranus as their last Titan child. He was asked by Gaia to kill Uranus for imprisoning their children, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, in the depths of Tartarus. He was given a sickle (named the scythe) which he used to castrate Uranus when he was going to have intercourse with Gaia. He then became the King of Gods.
He married his sister, Rhea, and had six children: Demeter, Hestia, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Zeus. He was also the father of Chiron, who was born to Philyra. But when Gaia asked him to free her children from Tartarus, Cronos refused. She warned him that if he refused to let them go, that one of his children would betray and kill him, just as he did to Uranus. He then ate all of his children, one by one, as they were born. When his sixth child, Zeus, was born, Rhea decided that she could no longer continue bearing children only to have them eaten. She swaddled a rock in a baby's cloth and gave that to Cronos instead. He gladly ate it while Zeus lived on. When Zeus grew up, he approached his father as a stranger, and gave him a drink that made him throw up his siblings, who as immortal gods had survived in Cronos' stomach.
Titanomachy
Once Zeus and his brothers and sisters were free, they decided to go to war with him and his Titan siblings. Cronos did not lead this war, for he was already defeated, so his nephew Atlas, led the forces of the Titans. However, the Titans lost the war against the Gods when they freed the Hecatonchires and Cyclopes at Gaia's urging. He was then cut up by Zeus with his own scythe, the one that he had used on Uranus.
Punishment
Different versions of Cronus' punishment exist. Some versions of the story have him ruling over Elysium in Hades, while other versions have him trapped deep in the bowels of Tartarus, constantly tortured. And yet another is that he was made drunk, and cast off in a cave, in which he was drunk forever.
Powers & Abilities
Cronus was the most powerful and the youngest of all the first generation Titans Deities, with great elemental powers. He was the King of the Titans which only added to his power, and he fathered the first generation Olympian Deities.
Highly Advanced Chronokinesis
Time Manipulation
Age Manipulation
Advanced Disintegration
Time Theft
Temporal Cognition
Temporal Deceleration
Temporal Looping
Temporal Rewind
Temporal Stasis
Highly Advanced Chlorokinesis
Vegetation Manipulation
Plant Enhancement
Plant Growth Inducement
Plant Healing
Harvest Manipulation
Fertility Manipulation
Food Manipulation
Autumn Manipulation
Atmokinesis
Aerokinesis
Lightning Summoning
Advanced Telekinesis
Energetic-Fading Teleportation
Essence Reading
Supernatural Aura-Presence
Invulnerability
Titan Physiology
Elemental Form-Mimicry
Greatly Enhanced Height-Size
Size Augmentation
Superhuman Physiology
Advanced Superhuman Strength
Enhanced Charisma
Immortality
Spell Casting
Divine Soul
Enhanced Power
Weapons
Scythe of Cronus
Divine Weapon
Indestructible Item
Divine Magic
Divine Slaying
Family Tree
Cronus (m. Rhea)
Zeus (m. Plouto)
Tantalus (m. Euryanassa)
Pelops (m. Hippodamia)
Atreus (m. Aerope)
Agamemnon (m. Clytaemnestra)
Iphigenia
Electra (m. Pylades)
Orestes (m. Hermione)
Menelaus (m. Helen)
Hermione (m. Orestes)
Anaxibia (m. Strophis)
Pylades (m. Electra)
Thyestes (m. Aerope)
Alcathous
Periboa (m. Telamon)
Ajax
Astydaemia (m. Alcaeus)
Amphitryon (m. Alcmene)
Heracles (m. Hebe) (adopted)
Alexiares
Anicetos
Iphicles
Nicippe (m. Sthelenus)
Eurystheus
Pittheus (m. ?)
Aethra (m. Aegeus)
Theseus (adopted)
(m. Poseidon)
Theseus
Eurydice (m. Electryon)
Eurydice (m. Creon)
Niobe (m. Amphion)
The Niobids
Broteus
Tantalus
(m. Hera)
Ares (m. Sterope)
Oenomaus
Hippodamia (m. Pelops)
Atreus (m. Aerope)
Agamemnon (m. Clytaemnestra)
Iphigenia
Electra (m. Pylades)
Orestes (m. Hermione)
Menelaus (m. Helen)
Hermione (m. Orestes)
Anaxibia (m. Strophis)
Pylades (m. Electra)
Thyestes (m. Aerope)
Alcathous
Periboa (m. Telamon)
Ajax
Astydaemia (m. Alcaeus)
Amphitryon (m. Alcmene)
Heracles (m. Hebe) (adopted)
Alexiares
Anicetos
Iphicles
Nicippe (m. Sthelenus)
Eurystheus
Pittheus (m. ?)
Aethra (m. Aegeus)
Theseus (adopted)
(m. Poseidon)
Theseus
Eurydice (m. Electryon)
Eurydice (m. Creon)
(m. Antiope)
Amphion (m. Niobe)
The Niobids
Zethus (m. Thebe)
(m. Aegina)
Aeacus (m. Endeis)
Peleus (m. Thetis)
Achilles
Telamon (m. Periboa)
Ajax
(m. Hesione)
Teucer
(m. Danae)
Perseus (m. Andromeda)
Electryon (m. Eurydice)
Alcmene (m. Amphitryon)
Iphicles
(m. Zeus)
Heracles (m. Hebe) (adopted)
Alexiares
Anicetos
Alcaeus (m. Astydaemia)
Amphitryon (m. Alcmene)
Heracles (m. Hebe) (adopted)
Alexiares
Anicetos
Iphicles
Sthelenus (m. Nicippe)
Eurystheus
Gorgophone (m. Oibalos)
Tyndareus (m. Leda)
Clytaemnestra (m. Agamemnon)
Iphigenia
Electra (m. Pylades)
Orestes (m. Hermione)
(m. Aegisthus)
Pollux
Castor (adopted)
Helen (m. Menelaus) (adopted)
Hermione (m. Orestes)
Icarius (m. Asterodia)
Penelope (m. Odysseus)
Telemachus (m. Circe)
Italus
(m. Maia)
Hermes (m. Penelopeia)
Pan
Autolycus (m. Amphithea)
Anitcleia (m. Laertes)
Odysseus (m. Penelope)
Telemachus (m. Circe)
Italus
Cepheus (m. Procris)
Arcesius
Laertes (m. Anticleia)
Odysseus (m. Penelope)
Telemachus (m. Circe)
Italus
(m. Europa)
Minos
Sarpedon
Rhadamanthys
(m. Semele (Thyone))
Dionysus
Poseidon (m. Libya)
Agenor (m. Telephassa)
Cadmus (m. Harmonia)
Semele (Thyone) (m. Zeus)
Dionysus
Ino (Leucothea) (m. Athamas)
Melicertes (Palaemon)
Agave (m. Echion)
Pentheus
Polydorus (m. Nycteis)
Labdacus
Laius (m. Jocasta)
Oedipus (m. Jocasta)
Antigone
Polynieces
Eteocles
Ismene
Europa (m. Zeus)
Minos
Sarpedon
Rhadamanthys
(m. Alkyone)
Nycteus (m. Polyxo)
Antiope (m. Zeus)
Amphion (m.Niobe)
The Niobids
Zethus (m. Thebe)
Nycteis (m. Polydorus)
Labdacus
Laius (m. Jocasta)
Oedipus (m. Jocasta)
Antigone
Polynieces
Eteocles
Ismene
Lycus
In Popular Culture
Films
The Titan Cronus/Kronos as depicted in Wrath of the Titans
Cronus appears as the main antagonist in the 2012 film Wrath of the Titans. In the film he is named Kronos, he is depicted as been gigantic in size, bigger than the Kraken, and capable of generating torrents of lava from his hands. Kronos is freed from the underworld prison known as Tartarus after Hades and Ares transfer almost all of Zeus power to him. Kronos then attacks the Argive camp killing hundreds of soldiers, and also weakens a recovered Zeus and a reformed Hades. Kronos is ultimately destroyed by Perseus with the Spear of Triam.
