Torch

In the frieze of the Altar of Zeus of Pergam (Berlin), it is conjecture that the goddess fighting behind Helios is Tea.

In Greek mythology, Thea or Aunt (in Greek Θεία, also Teia, Thea, Thia or Theia), was considered the Titan from whom all light comes, and less frequently described as Etra (Αιθρη, Aethra, which suggests the feminine form of "ether", luminous sky). > (Ευρυφαεσσα Euryphaessa, «widely shining») and probably also Icnea (Ιχναιη, Ichnaea, something like "tracker or observer"); in this invocation Thea was a prophetess goddess of the oracular temple of Ftía, just as her other sisters intervened in other oracles, especially Themis.

Thea is one of the Titans, and therefore the daughter of Uranus and Gaea. 34;, and she gave birth to the luminaries of the heavens: "high Helios, bright Selene and Eos who gives light to all beings on earth and the immortal gods who inhabit the vast sky." Thea here appears as a goddess of brilliance in particular and glory in general, but Pindar's allusion to her as the "Many-Named Tea" is revealing, suggesting the assimilation not only of similar mother goddesses such as Phoebe and Leto, but perhaps as well. of more universal mother goddesses such as Rhea and Cibeles. After the Titanomachy, he went to live in the palace of Helios, located in the currents of the Ocean River, where he waits every night for his son, who travels in a huge golden cup. Helio is usually described as a god who all sees it, a trait implicitly attributed to Thea.

Pindar praises Theia in his 5th isthmian ode:

Mother of the Sun, Thea of many names, for you men honor the gold above all else; and for the value you give them, O queen, the ships face in the sea and coffers of anointed horses do wonders in racing of swift turns.

The ancient Greeks believed that the eyes emitted an invisible beam of light, much like a lamp, that allowed them to see everything they touched. Therefore, Thea, as mother of sight (thea), was also the mother of the sun, the moon and the dawn, which emit their own light. Others, by extension, believe her to be a goddess of sight or that she endowed gold, silver and gems with their brilliance and intrinsic value.

Other uses of Tea

The mythological role of Thea as mother of the moon was enough to name a hypothetical planet called Thea, which, according to the theory of the great impact, collided with the Earth, causing the creation of the moon.