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There were many deities associated with various realms according to the ancient Greeks, whether
this be air deities, earth deities or even deities that affected the less corporeal aspects of life
such as emotions, thoughts or dreams. But it was the sea deities that appeared to be most revered,
perhaps even the most believed, given that the waters themselves provided evidence of
the gods’ existence. From the crashing of waves or the emergence of rapids to the more serene
calmness of a still lake, every essence of the waters were orchestrated by the gods.
The stormy tides were not just an arbitrary motion of the ocean, but could instead be interpreted as
the anger of the sea gods. Meanwhile, the thunder of a cataract was not just an element of nature,
but instead a god’s gift to the mortals, a source for which they could bathe and cleanse themselves.
Naturally, when one thinks of a water deity, they are most likely to consider Poseidon or Oceanus or
perhaps even his wife, Tethys but there were many deities and divine creatures that also occupied
the waters from Oceanids, Sirens or even more gargantuan creatures like Scylla, Caribdis or
the Hydra. Amongst these were the Titan deities, those who were perhaps long forgotten to even the
ancient Greeks themselves after their deposition by Zeus and their gradual erosion of popularity.
One such Titan who belonged to the waters was Eurybia, the daughter of the earth goddess Gaia.
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And now back to Eurybia…
Eurybia is remembered today as a minor goddess - a deity who though may have had some prominence
within her realm, was ultimately established to provide a contextual narrative for the
later deities - an ancestor of these more popular characters, if you will. Her character therefore
was most prominently used to identify the parentage of deities such as Astraeus, the
Titan god of the dusk, Pallas, the Titan god of battle and Perses, the Titan god of destruction.
It was with a more notable Titan in Crius, one of the infamous brothers of the mad titan Cronus
who Euribya would deliver these children to and it was Crius who was determined to be her husband.
Hesiod tells us in his Theogony that “Euribya,
shining among goddesses, was joined in love with Crius, and brought forth the great Astraeus,
the Starry-One and Pallas the Warrior and Perses the Destroyer.”
With this, Eurybia may also be considered as the grandmother of the Anemoi, or the winds as well
as the Astra, or the planets, those who were born to her son Astraeus through his wife Eos.
These winds and planets, or these grandchildren that were produced by her son and daughter in law
could also be associated as elements that affected the waters, those which decided on the calmness
or volatility of the waves on any given day. This is quite fitting given that Eurybia was
believed to maintain some mastery over the sea, including the manipulation of constellations,
the weather and again the power of the wind. It’s possible then that some may have consulted Eurybia
when sailing the seas, hoping that she would provide them with smooth waters
and safe conditions for which to sail and navigate. She was also believed to have been
the grandmother of the goddess of witchcraft Hecate, who was born from Perses and Asteria.
Euribya’s association with the sea is natural given that her parents were also deities that
presided over the natural elements. Her mother Gaia was of course the primordial goddess of the
earth, whilst her father was believed to have been Pontus, the primordial god of the sea - a deity
long presiding before the likes of Poseidon or even Oceanus. As we’ve seen in many families
of the gods, it’s not uncommon at all to see one deity adopt features of their parents’ dominion,
or perhaps in more extreme cases, usurp the parent completely. In Euribya’s case,
it would appear that she was more influenced by her father’s realm of the waters
and proceeded to acquire some control of these waters by utilizing the winds or the weather,
perhaps borrowing from her mother’s powers over the earth.
Hesiod tells us once more of Euribya’s parentage, as well as her siblings, saying “And Pontos
(the sea) begat Nereus and yet again he got great Thaumas and proud Phorcys,
being mated with Gaia (the earth), and fair cheeked Ceto and Euribya who has a heart of flint
within her.” Whilst little is known of Euribya’s personality, some have deduced that Hesiod’ words
here provide us with some insight as to how hot tempered she may have been. By describing her
as having a heart made of flint, Hesiod may have been suggesting that Eurbiya was quick to anger
or excitement given that flint stones are used to create a spark for fires. In ancient times,
flint was also used for weapons, and so it could be an indication that Euribiya was
much less accustomed to calming the waters, but instead more akin to provoking them.
As always guys, if you’ve enjoyed today’s episode of Greek Mythology Explained, then
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Furthermore, if you like Greek Mythology as much as I do, you might want to check out
our book Greek Mythology Explained, where we retell a couple of a favourite myths
and explore the meanings and themes behind them. With that being said, I hope you all have a good
evening and I’ll see you in the next one. Until next time!