FREE ESSAY ON THE GIANTS REVOLT

THE GIANTS REVOLT

The Giants' Revolt
Enraged because Zeus had confined their brothers, the Titans, in Tartarus, certain tall
and terrible giants plotted an assault on Heaven. They had been born from Mother Earth at
Thracian Phlegra, 
twenty-four in number. Without warning, they seized rocks and fire-brands and hurled them
upwards from their mountain tops, so that the Olympians were hard 
pressed. Hera prophesied that the giants could never be killed by any god, but only by a
single, lion-skinned mortal; and that even he could do nothing unless the enemy were
anticipated in their search for a certain herb of invulnerability, which grew in a secret
place on earth. Zeus at once took counsel with Athene; sent her off to warn Heracles, the
lion-skinned mortal; and forbade Eos, Selene, and Helius to shine for a while. Under the
light of the stars, Zeus groped about, found the herb, and brought it safely to Heaven.
The Olympians could now join battle with the giants. Heracles let loose his first arrow
against Aclyoneus, the enemy's leader. He fell, but sprang up again revived, because this
was his native soil of Phlegra. 'Quick!' cried Athene. 'Drag him away to another
country!' Heracles caught Aclyoneus and dragged him over the Tracian border, where he
despatched him with a club. Then Prophyrion l