father. He drove Heaven, his father, and
Earth, his mother, far apart. And far apart they stay, for they have
never been able to come near each other since. And Cronos married to
Rhea had for children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Aidoneus, and Poseidon,
and these all belonged to the company of the deathless gods. Cronos was
fearful that one of his sons would treat him as he had treated Heaven,
his father. So when another child was born to him and his wife Rhea he
commanded that the child be given to him so that he might swallow him.
But Rhea wrapped a great stone in swaddling clothes and gave the stone
to Cronos. And Cronos swallowed the stone, thinking to swallow his
latest-born child.

That child was Zeus. Earth took Zeus and hid him in a deep cave and
those who minded and nursed the child beat upon drums so that his cries
might not be heard. His nurse was Adrastia; when he was able to play
she gave him a ball to play with. All of gold was the ball, with a
dark-blue spiral around it. When the boy Zeus would play with this ball
it would make a track across the sky, flaming like a star.

Hyperion the Titan god wed Theia the Titan goddess, and their children
were Hellos, the bright Sun, and Selene, the clear Moon. And Coeus wed
Phoebe, and their children were Leto, who is kind to gods and men, and
Asteria of happy name, and Hecate, whom Zeus honored above all. Now the
gods who were the children of Cronos and Rhea went up unto the Mountain
Olympus, and there they built their shining palaces. But the Titan gods
who were born of Heaven and Earth went up to the Mountain Othrys, and
there they had their thrones.

Between the Olympians and the Titan gods of Othrys a war began. Neither
side might prevail against the other. But now Zeus, grown up to be a
youth, thought of how he might help the Olympians to overthrow the
Titan gods.

He went down into the deep parts of the Earth where the giants Cottus,
Briareus, and Gyes had been hidden by their father. Cronos had bound
them, weighing them down with chains. But now Zeus loosed them and the
hundred-armed giants in their gratitude gave him the lightning and
showed him how to use the thunderbolt.

Zeus would have the giants fight against the Titan gods. But although
they had mighty strength Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes had no fire of
courage in their hearts. Zeus thought of a way to give them this
courage; he brought the food and drink of the gods to them, ambrosia
and nectar, and w