Former gods The Titans, as a group, represent a pre-Olympian order.Hansen, p. 302: "As a group the Titans are the older gods, the former gods, in contrast to the Oympians, who are the younger and present gods". Hesiod uses the expression "the former gods" () in reference to the Titans.West 2007, p. 162; Hard, p. 35; West 1997, pp. 111, 298; Hesiod, Theogony 424, 486. As noted by Woodard, p. 154 n. 44, Theogony 486: Οὐρανίδῃ μέγ’ ἄνακτι, θεῶν προτέρων βασιλῆι, which some interpret as meaning Cronus "former king of the gods" (e.g. Evelyn-White), others interpret as meaning Cronus "king of the former gods" (e.g. Most, pp. 40, 41; Caldwell, p. 56; West 1988, p. 17), for an argument against "former king" see West 1966, p. 301 on line 486 θεῶν προτέρων. They were the banished gods, who were no longer part of the upper world.Hard, p. 35: "The essential point is that the Titans [are] the former ruling gods who were banished from the upper world when the present devine order was established."; West 1983, p. 164: "The Titans are by definition the banished gods, the gods who have gone out of the world"; West 1966, p. 200 on line 133. Rather they were the gods who dwelt underground in Tartarus,Gantz, pp. 45–46; West 1966, p. 200 on line 133; Hesiod, Theogony 729 ff., 807–814; Homer, Iliad 8.478–481, 14.274, 14.278–279; 15.225; Aeschylus (?), Prometheus Bound 221. and as such, they may have been thought of as "gods of the underworld", who were the antithesis of, and in opposition to, the Olympians, the gods of the heavens.Woodard, pp. 96–97; West 1966, p. 201. Hesiod called the Titans "earth-born" (chthonic),Woodard, p. 97; Hesiod, Theogony 697. and in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, Hera prays to the Titans "who dwell beneath the earth", calling on them to aid her against Zeus, just as if they were chthonic spirits.Gantz, p. 46; Homeric Hymn to Apollo (3) 334–339. In a similar fashion, in the Iliad, Hera, upon swearing an oath by the underworld river Styx, "invoked by name all the gods below Tartarus, that are called Titans" as witnesses.Athanassakis and Wolkow, p. 140; Burkert 1985, p. 200, which gives the Titans as an example of "chthonic gods"; Homer, Iliad 14.270–279.
Former gods The Titans, as a group, represent a pre-Olympian order.Hansen, p. 302: "As a group the Titans are the older gods, the former gods, in contrast to the Oympians, who are the younger and present gods". Hesiod uses the expression "the former gods" () in reference to the Titans.West 2007, p. 162; Hard, p. 35; West 1997, pp. 111, 298; Hesiod, Theogony 424, 486. As noted by Woodard, p. 154 n. 44, Theogony 486: Οὐρανίδῃ μέγ’ ἄνακτι, θεῶν προτέρων βασιλῆι, which some interpret as meaning Cronus "former king of the gods" (e.g. Evelyn-White), others interpret as meaning Cronus "king of the former gods" (e.g. Most, pp. 40, 41; Caldwell, p. 56; West 1988, p. 17), for an argument against "former king" see West 1966, p. 301 on line 486 θεῶν προτέρων. They were the banished gods, who were no longer part of the upper world.Hard, p. 35: "The essential point is that the Titans [are] the former ruling gods who were banished from the upper world when the present devine order was established."; West 1983, p. 164: "The Titans are by definition the banished gods, the gods who have gone out of the world"; West 1966, p. 200 on line 133. Rather they were the gods who dwelt underground in Tartarus,Gantz, pp. 45–46; West 1966, p 200 on line 133; Hesiod, Theogony 729 ff., 807–814; Homer, Iliad 8.478–481, 14.274, .14.278–279; 15.225; Aeschylus (?), Prometheus Bound 221. and as such, they may have been thought of as "gods of the underworld", who were the antithesis of and in opposition to, the Olympians, the gods of the heavens.Woodard, pp. 96–97; West 1966, p. 201. Hesiod called the Titans "earth-born" (chthonic),Woodard, p. 97; Hesiod, Theogony 697. and in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, Hera prays to the Titans "who dwell beneath the ea,rth", calling on t,hem to aid her against Zeus, just as if they were chthonic spirits.Gantz, p. 46; Homeric Hymn to Apollo (3) 334–339. In a similar fashion, in the Iliad, Hera, upon swearing an oath by the underworld river Styx "invoked by name all the gods below Tartarus, that are called Titans" as witnesses.Athanassakis and Wolkow, p. 140; Burkert 1985, p. 200, which gives the Titans as an example of "chthonic gods"; Homer, Iliad 14.270–279.