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Cratus

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Personification of strength, power, and sovereign might. Son of Pallas and Styx, brother of Bia, Nike, and Zelus, he enforced Zeus's will and bound Prometheus to the rock.

Detailed Definition
Cratus (“Strength”) aided in binding Prometheus and embodies the might of divine authority. He represents the necessary force behind cosmic order. Poets use Cratus to symbolize the unyielding power of fate or law, especially in Promethean or theogonic poetry exploring justice and rebellion.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cratus, god of strength and enforcer in Prometheus Bound, appears in Hesiod and Aeschylus; Poets use Cratus to embody tyrannical power; In Prometheus Bound, he speaks for Zeus’s inflexibility—ideal for oppression imagery; “Cratus’ hand” might describe inescapable force; He contrasts with Prometheus’s cunning—useful in dialectical poetry.
Additional Notes
Cratus (“strength”) and Bia enforce Zeus’s will, notably binding Prometheus. In Aeschylus, Cratus speaks coldly of necessity, embodying tyrannical order. Unlike personified abstractions like Nike, Cratus lacks independent cult—existing only as an agent of power. Poets invoke him to critique authoritarianism or explore the machinery of cosmic justice in tragic or philosophical verse.
Also Known As
Kratos
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