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Gigantes
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Image:Dionysos Giant Louvre G434.jpg thumb| 300px|Gigantomachia: [[Dionysos attacking a Gigante, Attic red-figure ''pelike'', ca. 460 BC,
Louvre]]
In
Greek mythology, the '''Gigantes''' were a race of giants, children of
Gaia (mythology) Ge (the primordial
Earth mother), who was fertilized by the blood of
Uranus (mythology) Ouranos that resulted from his
castration by
Cronus.
The primordial Gigantes rose up in arms against the Olympians in an attempt to end the Olympian reign. They tested the strength of the
Twelve Olympians Olympian gods in what is known as the ''Gigantomachia'' or
Gigantomachy. Led on by Alcyoneus and
Porphyrion, the Gigantes hoped to reach the top of
Mount Olympus by stacking the mountain ranges of
Thessaly,
Pelion and
Ossa, on top of each other. The Olympians called upon the aid of
Heracles after a prophecy warned them that he was required to defeat the Gigante. Heracles slew not only Alcyoneus, but dealt the death blow to the Gigantes who has been wounded by the Olympians. "Power is latent violence, which must have been manifested at least in some mythological once-upon-a-time. Superiority is guaranteed only by defeated inferiors,"
Walter Burkert remarked of the Gigantomachy (Burkert p 128)
Image:Encelade_versailles.jpg thumb|left|300px|Fountain of the Gigantes in the gardens of [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]]
This battle parallels the
Titanomachy, a fierce struggle between the upstart Olympians and their older predecessors, the
Titans (who lost the battle). In the Gigantomachia, however, the Olympians were already in power when the Gigantes rose to challenge them. With the aid of their powerful weapons and
Hercules, the Olympians defeated the Gigantes and quelled the rebellion, confirming their reign over the earth, sea, and heaven, and confining the Gigantes to the
Netherworld.
Whether the Gigantomachia was interpreted in ancient times as a kind of indirect "revenge of the
Titans" upon the Olympians—as the Gigantes' reign would have been in some fashion a restoration of the age of the Titans— is not attested in any of the few literary references. In iconic representations, however, the Gigantomachy was a favorite theme of the Greek vase-painters of the fifth century (''illustration above right'').
The Gigantes were ''Alcyoneus'' or ''Alkyonios'', ''
Athos (mythology) Athos'', ''Clytias'' or ''Klytias'', ''
Enceladus (mythology) Enceladus'' (or ''Enkelados''), ''Echion'' and ''Pallas''.
{{Commonscat|Gigantes}}
References
*
Walter Burkert, ''Greek Religion'' 1982. p 128
-
''Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities'': "Gigantes"
Category:Greek legendary creatures
cs:Gigant
da:Gigant
de:Gigant (Mythologie)
es:Gigante (mitologÃa griega)
fr:Géant (mythologie grecque)
it:Giganti
he:×’×™×’×?× ×˜×™×?
lt:Gigantai
nl:Gigant
ja:ギガス
pl:Gigant
sl:Gigant
fi:Gigantit
sv:Giganter
ru:Гиганты
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