All Greek gods are the offspring or descendants of the first two gods, Uranus and Gaia. Uranus’ name means “sky” and Gaia’s name means “earth”. Uranus and Gaia had two children, Cronos and Rhea, who were the first Titans.

Cronos and Rhea then had six children, of which four were the first Olympian gods (Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Demeter) and two went on to live away from Olympus but often would visit or be part of life there (Hades and Hestia).

Uranus also had Aphrodite, all on his own, who also became an Olympian god.

Zeus and Hera married, and together (except for one) they had another seven children who became Olympian gods as well.

These are the main elements of the Greek god’s chart.

According to a Cretan myth that was later adopted by the Greeks, Cronus, king of the Titans, upon learning that one of his children was fated to dethrone him, swallowed his children as soon as they were born. But , his wife, saved the infant Zeus by substituting a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and hiding Zeus in a cave on Crete.