Hundred-Handed (Hecatoncheires)

Hecatoncheires (Ἑκατόγχειρες) or the Hundred-Handed were offspring of Uranus and Gaea. The three brothers were named Briareus (Obriareús), Cottus and Gyges. Sometimes, Aegaeon was used instead of Briareus.

The Hundred-Handed had a hundred hands and fifty heads. Their gigantic size and their ugliness frightened their father, Uranus, who was ruler of the universe. Uranus threw his sons into Tartarus, the deepest region of the Underworld. This caused great pain to Gaea.

When Gaea gave birth to another set of ugly, giant sons, the Cyclops were met with a similar fate as their elder brothers. The Cyclopes were also imprisoned in Tartarus. Only the Titans, who were fairer in looks, escaped the fate of imprisonment.

When Cronus, the youngest of the Titans, overthrew his father and became supreme ruler of the universe. Gaea hoped that Cronus would release her sons who were imprisoned in Tartarus. Cronus refused to release them, so Gaea foretold that he would meet a similar fate as his father.

War broke out between the Titans and the sons of Cronus, known as the Olympians. The Olympians were the younger gods, led by their youngest brother Zeus. The Cyclops made weapons for the Olympians. The Titans and Olympians were evenly matched, until Zeus released the Hecatoncheires from Tartarus. With the help of the Hecatoncheires, Zeus and his brothers were able to throw Cronus and the other male Titans into prison.

Zeus set the Hecatoncheires to watch and guard the Titans, who were imprisoned in Tartarus.

See the Creation for more details about their involvement in the war between the Titans and the Olympians.

According to the geographer Pausanias, Briareus acted as judge, when the gods Poseidon and Helius contended over who would be the patron god of Corinth. Poseidon lost Athens and Argos to Athena and Hera, respectively. Briareus wisely gave Isthmus to Poseidon, while Helius received the Acrocorinth. Both gods were honoured in Corinth.

Briareus was also the son-in-law of Poseidon, when he married the sea god's daughter, Cymopoleia.