Skip to main content
Greek Mythology Notes

Clytius

🏔 titanΚλυτίος
Titan of fame and renown

A Titan whose name means famous, one of the elder generation who fought against the Olympians.‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍

The Myth of Clytius

Clytius was a figure from the Titan generation whose name derives from klytos, meaning famous or renowned.‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍ In some traditions he appears among the combatants of the Gigantomachy rather than the Titanomachy, reflecting the frequent blurring between Titans and Giants in Greek mythology. Hecate defeated him with her torches during the battle, an ironic fate given that fire and light were traditionally Titan domains. Other sources place a Clytius among the sons of Eurytus, king of Oechalia, connecting the name to the heroic rather than divine generation. The multiplicity of figures named Clytius across Greek mythology reflects how the Greeks recycled meaningful names — klytos being among the most prestigious epithets in their naming system, appearing in compounds like Clytemnestra (famous schemer) and Eurycleia (wide fame).

Fun Fact

The root klytos (famous) in his name is cognate with the English word loud — fame was literally about being heard.

Words We Inherited

English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.

kleos

Explore Further

Megamedes

🏔 titan

Great Cunning

A barely attested Titan known only as the father of certain nymphs, representing the vast, anonymous background of divine genealogy in Greek religion.

Kratos

🏔 titan

strength, might, power

The personification of strength and ruling power, son of Pallas and Styx, divine executor of Zeus's commands.

democracyaristocracyautocracy

Clymene

🏔 titan

Fame, Renown

An Oceanid-Titaness best known as the mother of Prometheus, Atlas, and the other sons of Iapetus who shaped humanity's early story.

Kreios

🏔 titan

Titan of constellations

A Titan associated with the heavenly constellations, father of Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses through his union with Eurybia.

Astaeus

🏔 titan

Titan associated with the stars

A Titan connected to stellar lore, sometimes conflated with Astraeus the father of the winds.

astralastronomyastronaut

Menoetius

🏔 titan

Hubris, Recklessness

A second-generation Titan struck down by Zeus for his violent pride during the war between gods and Titans.

Eidyia

🏔 titan

knowledge, the knowing one

The youngest of the Oceanids, whose name means "the knowing one," wife of Aeetes and mother of Medea.

Anytus

🏔 titan

Titan who raised Despoina

One of the Titans who nursed the secret daughter of Demeter and Poseidon in Arcadia.

Pheme

🏔 titan

fame, rumor, report

The primordial goddess of fame, rumor, and report, who spread news both true and false across the world.

fameinfamousblaspheme

Aegaeon

🏔 titan

sea storms, hundred-handed giants

A Hecatoncheir associated with sea storms, sometimes identified with Briareos under his mortal name.

aegean

Perses

🏔 titan

Titan of destruction

Perses was the Titan of destruction and ravaging — father of Hecate, the great goddess of crossroads and magic.

Perseus

Perses

🏔 titan

Titan of destruction and ravaging

A Titan associated with destruction who fathered Hecate, the goddess of crossroads and magic.

Persian