CRONOS (Roman name: SATURN) was the king of the Titans, a race of Gods that created the universe and the Olympian Gods.  The mythical figure, Father Time, is modeled on Cronos.

Cronos is interesting to me because he is said to have fled the wrath of Zeus and moved to Rome, changed his name to Saturn, and invented a holiday that was named Saturnalia. It was a time called the Golden Age, when the Romans exchanged gifts and ate well.

The story of Cronos was a gruesome one.  If you are disturbed easily, you may not want to read this.

Cronos was a happy fellow who killed his father and ruled heaven. He felt like he was the king of the universe (which he was) until one night, he fell asleep and had a dream that his kids overthrew him and all the other Titans. When he awoke, he told the story to his wife, and she told him not to believe in dreams.  But Cronos didn’t listen; he thought up a plan to get rid of his children.  A couple of months later, his daughter, Demeter, was born.  Cronos said to his wife, "Rhea, pass the baby to me please."  Rhea passed the baby to Cronos and, Cronos gobbled the baby up.  Then he ate Hades, Hera, Hestia, and Poseidon.  But, the last baby, Zeus, wasn’t eaten.  Rhea hid him under a cot and wrapped a rock in a baby blanket.  She put the rock in a cradle, and Cronos, the greedy baby guzzler, ate the rock instead of  Zeus.

Later, when Zeus had grown up, he arranged for Cronos to drink a potion that caused Cronos to throw up and vomit all the babies, who somehow lived!&nbs