How many Hekatoncheires, or hundred-handed giants, were there? There were three.
The Hekatoncheires were three enormous beings in Greek mythology: Cottus, Briareus, and Gyges. Each had fifty heads and one hundred arms, making them formidable figures in the succession myths surrounding Uranus, Cronus, and Zeus.
They were children of Uranus, the sky, and Gaia, the earth. In the standard tradition, Uranus imprisoned them, along with the Cyclopes, because he feared their power. After Cronus overthrew Uranus, the Hekatoncheires remained confined until Zeus released them during the Titanomachy, the war between the Olympians and Titans.
Their strength helped Zeus and his allies defeat the Titans. Afterward, the Hekatoncheires guarded the imprisoned Titans in Tartarus. Briareus is also known as Aegaeon in Homer, while Gyges may appear as Gyes in some texts. The name Hekatoncheires comes from Greek words meaning “hundred” and “hand.”