Tartarus.
The depth beneath the world
Tartarus in Greek Mythology: Primordial Abyss and Titan Prisonis both a primordial depth and a named cosmic being. locates the defeated there and later makes Tartarus the father of through union with .
More than a myth.
A beginning and a place
appears early in ’s creation account after and . The poem does not explicitly make him a child of Chaos. Like Earth or Sky, the name can refer to a cosmic region and participate in . This is one reason a family tree needs explanatory notes beside its lines.
The prison of the Titans
After the , defeated are confined in the deep underworld prison. measures the immense distance with a bronze anvil that would fall for nine days from earth before reaching . Gates and guards make the settlement of the war into a geographical boundary: the former powers remain, but their access to the ruling world is closed.
Tartarus and Hades
can name the god of the dead or his realm; is a deeper region in ’s cosmic arrangement. Later accounts place notorious punishments in underworld landscapes without agreeing on every boundary. Tartarus also joins with to produce , so its narrative role extends beyond being a label for punishment.
Questions about Tartarus
Is Tartarus a god or a place?
In it is both a named primordial presence and the deep region beneath the world. Mythological language often allows a cosmic space to take part in a family.
Who is imprisoned in Tartarus?
places the defeated there after their war with and his allies. Later traditions develop other underworld punishments and arrangements.
It’s a family affair.
Tartarus
The deepest cosmic abyssThe stories of Tartarus.
The war that made Olympus
Ten years. Two generations. One new world.
Before there was a world
An opening, an earth, and the first divine family.
The last storm against Olympus
The Titans are defeated. The new king’s greatest threat is still to come.
Ancient voices.
Enduring stories.
Myths have many tellings. These are the ancient works behind this profile, linked to freely available English translations.
Theogony
Lines 116–122, 713–735, 820–822