Theia, also called Thia, Thea and Euryphaessa

These sources and notes support the main Theia Profile Page

Notes:

1. Theia was apparently the daughter of the Gaea or the union of Uranus(Hesiod) and Gaea(Hesiod, Clement) or Aether and Gaea(Apollodorus).

2. Theia was a lover(Hesiod) and wife(Homeric hymn to Helios) of Hyperion and gave birth to Helios, Selene and Eos(Hesiod). these were the children of Aethra and Hyperion(Hyginus). But some researchers are equating Aethra with Theia.

3. Thea(Θεα) in greek means "goddess" and also "sight". And Euryphaessa(Ευρυφαεσσα) means "far-shining". Therefore she was believed to be the goddess of sight and light-shinning, from who all the light proceeded. Theia was also described as the mild-eyed goddess, the far shinning one, who bare Helios who also shines far away(Homeric hymn to Helios).

4. Theia was described as the mother of the sun, but also a shining goddess after whom the men honor gold as the most powerful shining object. She was associated with shining metals(Pindar).

Apollodorus
Clement
Hesiod
Homeric hymns
Hyginus
Pindar
References

APOLLODORUS LIBRARY, Book 1, translated by J. G. FRAZER

[1.1.3] And again he begat children by Earth, to wit, the Titans as they are named: Ocean, Coeus, Hyperion, Crius, Iapetus, and, youngest of all, Cronus; also daughters, the Titanides as they are called: Tethys, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Dione, Thia.

[1.2.2] Now to the Titans were born offspring: to Ocean and Tethys were born Oceanids, to wit, Asia, Styx, Electra, Doris, Eurynome, Amphitrite, and Metis; to Coeus and Phoebe were born Asteria and Latona; to Hyperion and Thia were born Dawn, Sun, and Moon; to Crius and Eurybia, daughter of Sea (Pontus), were born Astraeus, Pallas, and Perses;

CLEMENT, RECOGNITIONS, Book 10, translated by REV. THOMAS SMITH

Chapter [17] - GENTILE COSMOGONY - From the heaven they say that six males were produced, whom they call Titans; and in like manner, from the earth six females, whom they called Titanides. And these are the names of the males who sprang from the heaven: Oceanus, Coeus, Crios, Hyperion, Iapetus, Chronos, who amongst us is called Saturn. In like manner, the names of the females who sprang from the earth are these: Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Tethys, Hebe [Phoebe].

Chapter [31] - HESIOD COMOGONY - But to this Hesiod adds, that after chaos the heaven and the earth were made immediately, from which he says that those eleven were produced (and sometimes also he speaks of them as twelve) of whom he makes six males and five females. And these are the names that he gives to the males: Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, Chronos, who is also called Saturn. Also the names of the females are: Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Tethys. And these names they thus interpret allegorically. They say that the number is eleven or twelve: that the first is nature itself, which also they would have to be called Rhea, from Flowing; and they say that the other ten are her accidents, which also they call qualities; yet they add a twelfth, namely Chronos, who with us is called Saturn, and him they take to be time. Therefore they assert that Saturn and Rhea are time and matter; and these, when they are mixed with moisture and dryness, heat and cold, produce all things.

HESIOD, THEOGONY, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

[134] But afterwards she lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire.

[371] And Theia was subject in love to Hyperion and bare great Helius (Sun) and clear Selene (Moon) and Eos (Dawn) who shines upon all that are on earth and upon the deathless Gods who live in the wide heaven.

HOMERIC HYMNS, Hymn to Helios, translated by H. G. EVELYN-WHITE

[1] And now, O Muse Calliope, daughter of Zeus, begin to sing of glowing Helios whom mild-eyed Euryphaessa, the far- shining one, bare to the Son of Earth and starry Heaven. For Hyperion wedded glorious Euryphaessa, his own sister, who bare him lovely children, rosy-armed Eos and rich-tressed Selene and tireless Helios who is like the deathless gods.

HYGINUS, FABULAE, translated by MARY GRANT
From Hyperion and Aethra, Sol, Luna, Aurora.

PINDAR, ISTHMIAN ODES, ISTHMIAN 5, translated by D. A. SVERILEN

[1] Mother of the Sun, Theia of many names, for your sake men honor gold as more powerful than anything else;

[5] and through the value you bestow on them, o queen, ships contending on the sea and yoked teams of horses in swift-whirling contests become marvels. And in athletic contests, someone who has wreathed his hair with many garlands has achieved longed-for fame, when he has been victorious with his hands

[10] or with the swiftness of his feet. But the valor of men is judged by gods, and there are only two things that cultivate the sweetest flower of life in blossoming prosperity: to have good fortune and a noble reputation.

REFERENCE by Theoi Project
NOTES : 1. The ancient Greeks believed that the eyes emitted a beam of light, much like a lamp, which allowed one to see whatever it fell upon. Hence Theia the mother of sight (thea), was also the mother of light-beaming sun, moon and dawn.