Home › Glossary › Letter R

Rhea

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Titaness in Greek mythology, mother of Zeus and other Olympians; she symbolizes maternal cunning and the overthrow of primordial tyranny.

Detailed Definition
Rea is the Titaness who saved Zeus from being devoured by Cronus by tricking him with a stone. As mother of the Olympians, she embodies maternal cunning and protection. Poets invoke Rhea as a symbol of nurturing resistance against oppressive forces and the preservation of divine order.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Hesiod’s "Theogony," Rhea hides Zeus from Cronus, symbolizing maternal cunning and salvation; In the "Homeric Hymn to Apollo," Rhea joins other goddesses in divine councils; In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Prometheus Unbound,” Rhea (as Cybele) represents ancient earth wisdom; In Robert Graves’s “The Greek Myths,” Rhea embodies the Great Mother archetype; In modern eco-poetry, Rhea often signifies nurturing earth and cyclical renewal; In Louise Glück’s “The Wild Iris,” Rhea’s protection echoes in maternal resilience.
Additional Notes
Rhea, Titaness and mother of Zeus, Hera, and other Olympians, symbolizes maternal protection (she saved Zeus from Cronus) and the older, chthonic order; poets invoke her to explore generational conflict, the earth-mother archetype, or the transition from Titan to Olympian rule—her association with Cybele links her to ecstatic worship and natural cycles.
Also Known As
Titaness of Motherhood Mother of Gods Cretan Queen
Skip to main content