Japet (mythology)
See also: Japet
In the Greek Mythology, Japet (in Greek old Ίαπετός / Iapetós ) is a Titan, wire of Ouranos (Sky) and of Gaïa (Earth), father of the Titans Prométhée, Épiméthée, Ménœtios, Hespéros and Atlas, husband of a girl of his brother Océan, the Océanide Clymène or of another Océanide of the name of Asia. Certain authors quote rather his sister Téthys, the nymph Asopis or the goddess Libya. Lastly, certain isolated traditions, give birth to Prométhée from its union with his/her own sister THEMIS and do it father of Titanide Anchiale.
Myth
Japet is one of the four Titans which conspire with Cronos against their Ouranos father. He and his/her brothers is placed at the four corners of Cosmos and as soon as the Sky goes down to join the Earth, quickly, maintain it while Cronos the châtre with a sickle. In this myth, Japet probably personifies one of the large supposed pillars formerly to separate the Sky from the Earth, or whole Cosmos. He is probably regarded as Titan of the pillar of the Western, on the side of the world of deaths.
At the time of the Titanomachie, after ten years of combat, Japet is imprisoned in the Tartar by Zeus, the Titans having lost against the Olympiens helped by the Cyclops and the Hécatonchires under the council of Gaïa.
Again, being held under the bases of Cosmos, at the ends of the Earth where, according to Hésiode, Ground, Sky and Sea have their roots: a cosmic pillar similar to its probable role.
The Latin authors only arrange more readily Japet among the Géants resulting from the Ground, for Virgile, or of this one and the Tartar according to Hygin.
Descent
Being the father of Prométhée, he is regarded by the Greek as the ancestor of the human race. Its descendants, Prométhée, Atlas, and well of others, are often indicated by the patronyms Japélides or Japétionides.
Assimilation
As a distance ancestor of Humanity (by his sons Atlas, Prométhée and Épiméthée), Japet finds a perfect echo in the Hebraic tradition in the person of Japhet, one of three wire of Noah. Besides one will note in the passing that Deucalion the son of Prométhée, “Greek Noah”, was the grandson of Titan Japet.
Note
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