Gaea

Dictionary: Gae·a (jē'ə) pronunciation

also Gai·a

(gā'ə)
n. Greek Mythology
The goddess of the earth, who bore and married Uranus and became the mother of the Titans and the Cyclopes.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Gaea

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Gaea, terra-cotta statuette from Tanagra, Greece; in the Musée Borély, Marseille. (credit: Giraudon/Art Resource, New York)

Greek goddess of the earth. She was both mother and wife to Uranus, or Heaven, from whom she was separated by her son Cronus, a Titan. According to Hesiod, she was the mother of all 12 Titans, as well as of the Furies and the Cyclopes (see Cyclops). She may have originated as a mother goddess worshiped in pre-Hellenic Greece before the introduction of the cult of Zeus.

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Gaea

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Gaea (jē'ə), in Greek religion and mythology, the earth, daughter of Chaos, both mother and wife of Uranus (the sky) and Pontus (the sea). Among Gaea's offspring by Uranus were the Cyclopes, the Hundred-handed Ones (the Hecatoncheires), and the Titans. To Pontus she bore five sea deities. Because Uranus had imprisoned her sons she helped bring about his overthrow by the Titans, who were led by Kronos. She was worshiped as the primal goddess, the mother and nourisher of all things. The Romans identified her with Tellus.

Mythology Dictionary: Gaea

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(jee-uh)

also Gaia (GAY-uh)

The Greek goddess of the Earth and primal mother figure, who gave birth to the sky, the mountains, and the sea. She was also the mother of the giant Titans and the Cyclopes (see Cyclops).

Best of the Web: Gaea

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Some good "Gaea" pages on the web:

Greek Mythology
www.pantheon.org

Learn More

	Nereus (sea god)
	Mnemosyne (in Greek Mythology)
	Tethys (in Greek religion and mythology)

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Copyrights:

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more
		Mythology Dictionary. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Read more