Rhea was a goddess of the Earth. Rhea a Earth God, was responsible of fertility in the soil, for women and motherhood. She inherited most of her mother Gaia/Gaea’s responsibilities. Rhea, the “Mother Of The Gods”, was named after the Greek words “flow” or “ease”. Rhea, the goddess motherhood was not just about saving her children. Rhea’s parents are Gaia the goddess of Earth and Uranus the god of sky.
Rhea’s portrait shows her as a motherly, beautiful woman. She was a sibling of Cronus and Hyperion. She married Cronus God of Time and had six kids including Hesita Demeter Hera Haides Poseidon Zeus. Rhea has many similarities to her mother. She was married with Kronos who also goes by the name Cronus. Kronos feared that he would lose his son and be replaced as King as the Gods as he had been with his own father Ouranos. Rhea was tired of losing children this way, so she convinced Kronos that a wrapped stone would be taken instead of Zeus. Zeus grew up in a Crete cavern by Almatheia. A group militants called kouretes protected him by covering his cries. Zeus fought against his father to free his siblings. Rhea, a matronly goddess with a turret-crowned crown is often shown standing between two lions on a chariot or standing in front of a pair of lions. Her role as a goddess of fertility is also represented by the moon. Her sacred animals are a lion and a fruit-bearing tree.
As cronus’ wife, she represented eternal time and generations. As with everyone, she had her own strengths and weakness. Her strengths included being a fertile Mother Goddess and her ability to be crafty and brave in order to defend her child. She was weak because she allowed Cronus to eat her children for far too long. Rhea, the goddess motherhood was not just about saving her children. Rhea, a powerful goddess of importance, did what else? Rhea’s mother is Zeus, god of thunder and lightning. Rhea also father to gods.
