Cratus
Personification of strength and raw power, one of the enforcers of Zeus's will, son of Styx and Pallas.
The Myth of Cratus
Cratus and his siblings — Bia (force), Nike (victory), and Zelus (rivalry) — were the children of the Titans Pallas and Styx. When Zeus called on the gods to join him in the war against the Titans, Styx was the first to bring her children to his side. As a reward, Zeus decreed that oaths sworn by the river Styx would be inviolable forever, and that her children would always dwell with him on Olympus. Cratus and Bia appear most vividly at the opening of Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, where they drag Prometheus to his rock and instruct Hephaestus to chain him. Cratus speaks with brutal directness, showing no sympathy for the Titan's suffering. He embodies compulsory authority.
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Fun Fact
The suffix -cracy in "democracy," "autocracy," and dozens of other English words descends from the Greek kratos — the same root as Cratus's name.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Cratos
🐉 creatureforce,divine personification
Divine personification of strength and power, son of Pallas and Styx, who with his sister Bia oversees the chaining of Prometheus on behalf of Zeus.
Apate
daimondeceit, fraud, deception
Personification of deceit and fraud, one of the spirits released from Pandora's jar according to some accounts.
Daimon
💭 conceptSpirit or divine force guiding individuals
A daimon was a spirit — neither fully god nor mortal — that guided, protected, or afflicted individuals, and whose meaning shifted from divine power to the Christian "demon."
Momus
daimonblame, criticism, mockery, satire
Spirit of mockery, blame, and criticism, known for finding fault with the works of gods and mortals alike.
Arae
🐉 creatureCurses, vengeance
Spirits of curses who personified the destructive power of spoken imprecations and oaths
Daimon
💭 conceptA divine spirit between gods and mortals
The concept of a guiding spirit assigned to each person — neither fully god nor fully human, but a mediating presence.
Daemon
💭 conceptReligion and Spirit
A divine spirit or guiding force in Greek religion, intermediate between gods and mortals.
Kratos
🏔 titanstrength, might, power
The personification of strength and ruling power, son of Pallas and Styx, divine executor of Zeus's commands.
Menoetius
🏔 titanHubris, Recklessness
A second-generation Titan struck down by Zeus for his violent pride during the war between gods and Titans.
Zelus
🐉 creaturedivine personification,rivalry
The divine personification of zeal, rivalry, and jealous dedication — one of the four children of Pallas and Styx who joined Zeus at the start of the Titanomachy and remained as his permanent attendants.
Menoetius
🏔 titanTitan of violent anger and rash action
A Titan struck down by Zeus for his hubris and violent temper during the war between Titans and Olympians.
Horkos
⚡ godOaths, the binding power of sworn promises
The daimon who punished oath-breakers, making the sworn word a sacred and dangerous act