Briareos
One of the Hecatoncheires (Hundred-Handed Giants), beings of immense power with fifty heads and one hundred arms, allies of Zeus in the Titanomachy.
The Myth of Briareos
Briareos, along with his brothers Cottus and Gyges, was among the most powerful beings ever born. The offspring of Ouranos and Gaia, the three Hecatoncheires were so fearsome that Ouranos imprisoned them in Tartarus at birth. When Zeus needed allies against the Titans, Gaia advised him to free them. They proved decisive in the war: hurling three hundred boulders simultaneously against the Titans. After the victory, they remained as guardians of Tartarus, watching over the imprisoned Titans. Homer mentions Briareos by a second name — Aigaion — and notes that men and gods used different names for him. Thetis called on Briareos when the Olympians threatened to bind Zeus, and the giant's mere presence was enough to dissuade them.
Parents
Ouranos,Gaia
Symbols
Fun Fact
Homer notes that mortals called him Aigaion while the gods called him Briareos — one of the few instances in the epics of mortals and immortals using different names for the same being.
Explore Further
Hecatoncheires
🐉 creatureHundred-handed giants
The Hecatoncheires were three giants, each with a hundred hands and fifty heads — the most powerful beings born before the Olympians.
Gegenees
🐉 creaturegiants
Six-armed earth-born giants who attacked the Argonauts on Bear Mountain
Alcyoneus
🐉 creaturegiants
The mightiest of the Gigantes, immortal within his homeland, who stole the cattle of Helios
Aloadae
🐉 creaturegiants, rebellion
Twin giants who grew nine fathoms each year and attempted to storm Olympus by stacking mountains, threatening the gods before Artemis or Apollo destroyed them.
Cyclops
🐉 creatureOne-eyed giant
Race of one-eyed giants. The original three Cyclopes forged Zeus's thunderbolts; later Cyclopes were savage shepherds, the most famous being Polyphemus.
Otus
🐉 creaturegigantic, rebellion
One of the Aloadae — twin giants of extraordinary size who attempted to storm Olympus and imprisoned the god Ares in a bronze jar.
Polybotes
🐉 creaturegiants,Gigantomachy
One of the Giants who fought the gods in the Gigantomachy, pursued by Poseidon across the sea and finally crushed beneath the island of Nisyros, which Poseidon broke off from the island of Cos.
Aloadae
🐉 creaturewar,giants
Twin giants of enormous strength — Otus and Ephialtes — who attempted to storm Olympus by stacking mountains on top of one another.
Ephialtes
🐉 creaturegigantic, rebellion
Twin brother of Otus among the Aloadae giants, whose combined assault on Olympus was among the most audacious acts of defiance against the gods.
Aegaeon
🏔 titansea storms, hundred-handed giants
A Hecatoncheir associated with sea storms, sometimes identified with Briareos under his mortal name.
Centimani
🐉 creaturecosmic warfare, imprisonment
The Hundred-Handed Ones — Briareus, Cottus, and Gyges — titanic beings of overwhelming force who helped Zeus win the war against the Titans.
Typhon
🐉 creatureMost powerful monster who challenged Zeus
Typhon was the most fearsome monster in Greek mythology — a giant with serpent heads who nearly overthrew Zeus and would have ruled the cosmos.