Hecatoncheires
In its own language: Ἑκατόγχειρες
from Greek hekaton, hundred, and cheir, hand or arm
Three giant brothers of Greek myth, each with fifty heads and a hundred arms
The Hecatoncheires are three monstrous giants in Greek mythology, Cottus, Briareus and Gyges. Each is described with fifty heads and a hundred arms, and in the main tradition they are children of Uranus and Gaia who fight beside Zeus against the Titans.
- Each of the three is described with fifty heads and a hundred arms.
- Their name comes from Greek words for hundred and hand or arm.
- In Hesiod they are last-born children of Uranus and Gaia; Apollodorus says first.
- Briareus is also called Aegaeon, the name used by mortals in Homer.
- Solinus reports worship of Briareus at Carystus and Aegaeon at Chalcis.
What it is
The Hecatoncheires are three giants in Greek myth: Cottus, Briareus and Gyges. Their name means Hundred-Handers, and each is said to have fifty heads and a hundred arms. They are described as huge and very strong. In the usual account they are sons of Uranus, Sky, and Gaia, Earth, born alongside the Titans and the Cyclopes. They are best known as allies of Zeus in the Titanomachy, the war against the Titans, and as guards of the defeated Titans in Tartarus. Poets and writers of myth tell their stories, with different details about their birth order and about Briareus or Aegaeon.
Where it comes from
In the standard tradition their parents are Uranus and Gaia. Hesiod makes them the last-born of these children, while Apollodorus makes them the first. A lost epic, the Titanomachy, seems to keep another version: there Aegaeon is a son of Gaia and Pontus, the sea, and fights for the Titans. The name Aegaeon has links to the sea, and one view, linked to Lewis Richard Farnell, treats him as an older sea giant whose title Poseidon took over. Palaephatus gave a rationalised account, explaining the myth as ordinary history, in which Cottus and Briareus were men from a city called Hecatoncheiria.
Hecatoncheires, drawn and placed
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
- Lineage
- Greek mythology
Peoples and places
The Hecatoncheires belong to Greek myth, and Briareus or Aegaeon had a strong tie to the island of Euboea. Solinus names Carystus as a place where Briareus received worship, and Chalcis for Aegaeon. Aegaeon was also named as a ruler of Carystus, and Briareus as father of Euboea. In a Corinthian legend Briareus settled a dispute between Poseidon and Helios, giving the Isthmus to Poseidon and the Acrocorinth to Helios. They are counted with the Titans and the Cyclopes as children of Uranus and Gaia.
What people believe
Their story belongs to the Greek succession myth. Uranus is overthrown by Cronus, Cronus by Zeus, and Zeus becomes the final ruler of the cosmos. Gaia foretells that the Olympians will win with the help of the Hundred-Handers. After the Titanomachy the Titans are held in Tartarus, with the Hundred-Handers as guards. Other versions make Briareus or Aegaeon a sea figure, a son of Pontus or Thalassa, and connect him with Poseidon. The stories vary by author and by lost poem.
How scholars and sceptics see it
The stories come from poets and writers of myth such as Hesiod, Homer, Apollodorus and Ovid, and from scholia, ancient notes on texts. Palaephatus read Cottus and Briareus as ordinary men from a city called Hecatoncheiria. Possible origins are also weighed: Briareus and Aegaeon may once have been separate figures, and Aegaeon may have been an older sea giant whose title Poseidon inherited, a view linked to Lewis Richard Farnell. The lost Titanomachy may preserve a tradition older than Hesiod's.
Compare and confuse
The group is also called the Hundred-Handers or, in Latin, the Centimanes. Its members are often grouped with the Titans and the Cyclopes, the other children of Uranus and Gaia. Briareus has a second name, Aegaeon, which Homer says is used by mortals while the gods call him Briareus. The spelling Gyes appears in some texts for Gyges. Cottus is a name common in Thrace and may be linked to the goddess Kotys.
Questions people ask about Hecatoncheires
What are the Hecatoncheires?
They are three monstrous giants of Greek mythology, Cottus, Briareus and Gyges. Each is described with fifty heads and a hundred arms, and their name means Hundred-Handers.
Where do they come from?
In the standard tradition they are children of Uranus, Sky, and Gaia, Earth. Their stories are told in Greek poetry and writing about myth, especially Hesiod's Theogony, Homer's Iliad and later writers such as Apollodorus.
What did they do in the Titanomachy?
Gaia foretold that the Olympians would win with their help. Zeus released them, and they fought beside the Olympians against the Titans; afterwards the Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus with the Hundred-Handers as guards.
Was Briareus on the side of Zeus or the Titans?
In Hesiod and Homer, Briareus is a loyal ally of Zeus. A lost epic, the Titanomachy, seems to have told a different story, with Aegaeon as a son of the sea and a fighter for the Titans. Latin poets also make him an enemy of the gods.
Why is Briareus also called Aegaeon?
Homer says the gods call him Briareus while mortals call him Aegaeon. The name Aegaeon has links to the sea, and some ancient accounts connect him with Poseidon or treat him as an older sea figure.
Good reading and sources
- Hecatoncheires on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Hecatoncheires", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-18.
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