Flavius Sallustius (4. Jhdt. u.Z.) gibt in seinem Werk Περὶ θεῶν καὶ κόσμου (IV) einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten:

Of myths some are theological [θεολογικοί], some physical [φυσικοί]; there are also psychical [ψυχικοί] myths and material [ὑλικοί] myths and myths blended from these elements.

Theological myths are those which do not attach themselves to any material objects but regard the actual natures of the gods. Such is the tale that Kronos swallowed his children; since the god is intellectual [νοερός], and all intellect is directed towards itself, the myth hints at the god’s essential nature.

Again, it is possible to regard myths in a physical way when one describes the activities of the gods in the universe; so some before now have thought Kronos [Κρόνος] to be Chronos or Time [χρόνος], and calling the parts of Time children of the whole say the father swallows his children [τὰ δὲ μέρη τοῦ χρόνου παῖδας τοῦ ὅλου καλέσαντες καταπίνεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τοὺς παῖδάς φασιν].

The psychical interpretation lies in considering the activities of the soul itself: the thoughts of our souls, even if they go forth to others, still remain in their creators [ἀλλ’ οὖν ἐν τοῖς γεννήσασι μένουσιν].

The worst explanation, the material, is that which the Egyptians because of their ignorance used most; they regarded and described material things as gods, earth as Isis, moisture as Osiris, heat as Typhon, or water as Kronos, the fruits of the soil as Adonis, wine as Dionysos.
[...]

(Sallustius: Concerning the Gods and the Universe. Ed. by Arthur Darby Nock. Cambridge 1926, pp. 4-7)

Hier findet sich also ein Hinweis auf die Deutung von Kronos als Chronos (Zeit), wobei Sallustius freilich darauf hinweist, daß sie nicht von ihm stammt, sondern älter ist.