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allowed to roam free for the aid they had provided to Zeus throughout the war. Zeus was therefore left with those Titans who had fought on Cronus' side.
Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Menoetius, the Gigantes, and Campe were all sent to the deepest depths of the Underworld. Imprisoned in Tartarus, the Hecatonchires though free, stayed as guards over their siblings. In some accounts Cronus was also imprisoned, though in others he fled after the war, Zeus tracked him down and the killed him with a thunderbolt.
Atlas was singled out for special punishment, as the leader of the Titans on the battlefield. The ten year war had taken a toll on the sky, Uranus, and Atlas was charged with holding the heavens for all eternity. Atlas stood alone until his meeting with Heracles. As one of Heracles' Twelve Labours, Heracles needed to get the Golden Apples that grew in the garden of Hera. Hercules was advised Prometheus to send Atlas to retrieve the apples, as the garden was tended by Atlas' daughter the Hesperides. To allow this to occur, Heracles offered to hold the heavens. Atlas though he collected the apples, then saw Hercules as a ready made substitute for himself for eternity, and therefore offered to deliver the apples himself. Hercules saw through the lie, and tricked Atlas to take the heavens again, whilst Hercules adjusted his cloak as padding. Even with this popular story there are different versions, and Hercules is often credited on releasing Atlas, by building the Pillars of Hercules to hold the heavens in Atlas' place.
The majority of the Titans, who roamed free, had little influence on the later tales of the Olympian gods. Three though crossed the path of Zeus and suffered.
Prometheus was the wisest of the Titans, and made himself the benefactor and protector of man. Prometheus tricked Zeus into allowing man to keep the best parts of any sacrificed animals. In retribution Zeus took the gift of fire from mankind. Prometheus steels fire from Mount Olympus and gives it back to man.
Angered once too often, Zeus punishes Prometheus by chaining him to a rock. Every day an eagle, or vulture would tear out the Titan's liver. There he was to stay until he foretold who would succeed Zeus. Prometheus never had to tell Zeus the answer, though as he was rescued by Heracles.
Prometheus' brother was punished by Zeus for failing to give a positive trait to every animal. His punishment was not so severe as his brother, as his transgression was not so great. He accepted Pandora as his wife, as a gift from Zeus. Ultimately leading to the opening of Pandora 's Box, and the release of evil into the world.
The female Titan, Metis, had helped Zeus in the rescue of his siblings. Metis ended up being the first wife of Zeus, and gave birth to her first child, Athena. A prophecy was made though that Metis' second child would replace Zeus. To avoid any chance of this happening, Zeus ate her. Though ingested it would be said that Metis would remain the source of Zeus' wisdom and knowledge in the future.
The Titans were in many ways the original gods, which were relegated by a younger generation of Olympians. The relegation should not be confused with the way previous religions had been relegated by the Hellenes Greeks. Female gods such as Hera, Medusa and Persephone had been much more powerful before the inception of the Olympic gods.
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