Metis was a pre-Olympian goddess of wisdom, counsel, and deep thought, belonging to the Oceanids. She played a critical role in the early history of the gods as the first wife and trusted advisor to Zeus.
Her influence was instrumental in the liberation of Zeus's siblings from the stomach of Cronus. However, her fate was sealed by a prophecy stating she would bear a son more powerful than his father. Consequently, Zeus swallowed her, though she later assisted in the birth of their daughter, Athena, who emerged from the forehead of the king of the gods.