Uranus

Uranus the Heaven, in the Greek mythology, was the son and husband of Gaea (also spelled Gaia) the Earth, and by her was the father of the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans. He hated his children, particularly the Hecatoncheires. He imprisoned them by pushing them into the hidden places of the earth, Gaea's womb. Children were at birth thrust down by him to Tartarus to the grief of Gaea. The enraged Gaea then plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to get her children to attack Uranus. All were too afraid except, the youngest born Titan, Cronus (also spelled Kronos or Cronos).

At mother's instigation Cronus became ready to attack his father Uranus. Gaea and Cronus set up an ambush of Uranus as he lay with Gaea at night. Cronus grabed his father and unmanned him by castrating him with the stone sickle given to him by his mother. He threw the severed genitals into the ocean. However, the fate of Uranus is not clear. He either died, withdrew from the earth, or exiled himself to Italy. As he departed he promised that Cronus and the Titans would be punished.

From his spilt blood born the Giants, the Ash Tree Nymphs, and the Erinnyes. From the sea foam where his genitales fell came Aphrodite.

Cronus unmanned him and seized the throne of the Universe, to be himself supplanted in turn by his son Zeus. Uranus the god was symbolized by the planet Uranus.

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