HESIOD’S THEOGONY

THE CREATION
The Greek story of creation comes to us from a source known as ‘Theogony’ written by Hesiod.
In the beginning, there was a void, the Chaos, which was filled with nothing but gases. Out of this void came a female
goddess known as Gaia (the Earth).
Gaia did not have a partner to bear children with so it was necessary for her to have children by herself. These were
known as parthenogenetic births (asexual production).
Gaia gave birth to Uranus (the male Sky God). Uranus became Gaia’s husband and they produced three sets of
children: the three one-eyed Cyclopes, the three hundred-handed Hecatoncheires, and the twelve Titans.
THE FIRST GENERATION
Gaia gave birth first to the mighty Titans. These creatures were immortal and possessed great strength and power.
Gaia then gave birth to the Cyclopes, who were monstrous creatures with one bulging eye in the center of their
foreheads.
Then Gaia gave birth to the hideous Hecatoncheires, who were creatures with broad shoulders, fifty heads and one
hundred arms.
Uranus saw the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires as vile creatures. With the birth of each, he would imprison them away
beneath the earth. The imprisonment of her children saddened Gaia and she devised a plan to seek vengeance.
Gaia gathered her children, the mighty Titans, and told them of her plan to overthrow her husband Uranus. However,
the Titans were very afraid of their father; at first, no one would volunteer to overthrow the ruler of the heavens.
Then it was Cronus, the youngest of the Titans who hated his father Uranus, who stepped forward to do the deed.
Gaia gave to the youngest Titan a sickle and told him to lie in wait for his unsuspecting father.
As Uranus was preparing to lay with Gaia, Cronus approached from behind and used the sickle to cut off the genitals
of his father. He then threw them in the ocean.
The blood from the detached member of Uranus mixed with the foam of the ocean. From the foam rose a beautiful
figure, Aphrodite (Goddess of Beauty), one of the original Olympians.
THE SECOND GENERATION
The key figure of the second generation was Cronus, who, with his Titan sister Rhea, produced the first six Olympic
Gods; Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Hades, Hera and Zeus.
Cronus was very afraid of being overthrown by his offspring, as he had betrayed his own father, Uranus. To avoid this
problem, Cronus ate his children as they were born.
After Cronus had eaten the first five Olympic Gods, Rhea tricked him by giving him a stone wrapped in a blanket
rather than giving him Zeus to consume. Zeus then conspired against Cronus and with the help of Metis, another
Titan, presented his father with a poison which made Cronus vomit the five children and the stone. This can be seen as
a rebirth of the children and now Zeus was viewed as the oldest of the children instead of the youngest. We see Zeus
as a savior and also the most important of the Olympic Gods.
THE TITANOMACHY: GODS VS TITANS
Cronus was still in command, and yet to be defeated. He was too old to protect himself from the attacks of his
children, but he enlisted the help of the faithful Titans, who also feared the new generation of gods. This led to a
decade-long war between the Titans and the Olympians, remembered by generations hence as the Titanomachy. Atlas
became the Titans’ leader and led his armies to many victories.
The Titans made their camp on Mount Othrys, while Zeus and the Olympians were stationed on Mount Olympus.
Some of the Titans switched sides and fought for the Olympic gods. One such Titan was Prometheus (Foresight).
At one point, it even seemed that Zeus would be defeated. However, at the advice of Gaia, he went to Tartarus and
released the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires. In gratitude, the Cyclopes provided Zeus with his signature
thunderbolt.
The Titans eventually lost the war and the defeated Titans (but including the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires) were sent
to Tartarus. As a result, Zeus could finally consider himself the King of the Universe.
THE FINAL CHALLENGE
Just after the Titanomachy, his grandmother Gaia, outraged by the imprisonment of her children, issued forth one last
child of her by parthenogenetic birth, the monstrous Typhon. This serpent-like creature climbed Mount Olympus in
an attempt to defeat Zeus, but this attempt failed.
THE CREATION OF HUMAN RACE
The immortal Gods thought that it would be interesting to create beings similar to them, but mortal, in order to inhabit
the earth. As soon as the mortals were created, Zeus, the leader of the Gods, ordered Prometheus and Epimetheus, to
give these beings various gifts in the hope that the mortals would evolve into interesting beings, able to amuse the
Gods.
It was Prometheus, who created man. Before stealing the divine fire and gifting it to humankind, Prometheus had also
“molded men out of water and earth.”
PROMETHEUS VS ZEUS
Things got sour between Prometheus and Zeus soon after Zeus had established himself as the sovereign ruler of all
gods and men. The primary cause for this was Zeus’ brutal treatment of humankind, which, in the eyes of Prometheus,
deserved a far better master.
PROMETHEUS AND THE TRICK AT MEKONE
The conflict between Zeus and Prometheus seems to have started at Mekone when Zeus charged Prometheus with the
task of dividing the meat of a great ox into two meals, one for the gods and the other one for the humans. Prometheus
tried tricking Zeus by producing one portion of bones wrapped in fat, and another one consisting of the finest meat
covered with the ox’s insides. Zeus chose the fat-covered bones, thus setting a tradition which allowed humans, from
that day forward, to keep the meat for themselves and sacrifice only the bones to the gods.
PROMETHEUS AND THE STEALING OF FIRE
Angered by Prometheus’ trick, Zeus tried punishing humankind by hiding from them the gift of fire. Prometheus
didn’t think this just, so he stole the fire from Olympus and brought it back to earth. Fire is a symbol of intelligence
and was only meant for the gods.
PROMETHEUS’ PUNISHMENT
As a punishment for stealing the fire, Prometheus was chained to a rock where vultures would eat his exposed liver.
Every day the eagle tore a part of Prometheus’ liver which grew back again during the night so that the unbearable
torment could go on indefinitely. Prometheus was later freed by the Greek hero, Heracles.
HUMANKIND’S PUNISHMENT: THE CREATION OF PANDORA
Pandora was the first mortal woman in Greek mythology. Following the instructions of Zeus, she was molded by
Hephaestus and endowed with gifts by all the other Olympians Gods. They called it Pandora, meaning ‘All-
Endowed’.
One of the gifts from the Olympians Gods was a jar full of all the evils and diseases. With the jar in hand, Pandora
was given in marriage to Epimetheus, Prometheus' brother, who accepted the divine gift despite his brother's
warnings to never take a gift from Olympian Zeus.
One day, out of curiosity and not out of malice, Pandora lifted the lid of the jar, thus suddenly releasing all evils and
diseases into the world. Shocked by what had happened, she quickly tried to put the lid back, managing to merely trap
Hope inside it. That is why Hope is the last thing that dies in man: even though deceitful from time to time, it is the
only consolation humans have for all the troubles Pandora let loose on the world.
 OVID: METAMORPHOSES
THE CREATION
Ovid begins the ‘Metamorphoses’ by invoking the gods. He asks them to inspire his work, which opens with the
creation of the world and continues on to the present day, and he wishes to show how many small transformations, or
metamorphoses, created the story of the world and civilization.
He begins his poem in a time before there was a world. All that existed in the beginning was chaos until an unnamed
god began to create order. The change from chaos to order is the first instance of transformation in the poem. The god
goes on to create the Earth separate from the sky. He fills the universe with creatures. He puts fish in the sea, animals
on the land, and birds in the air. But the world needs a ‘holier creature’ and so ‘man’ comes. Man was either made by
the creator in hopes of a better universe or by the god Prometheus sprinkling divine raindrops on earth to create the
likenesses of gods. Animals walk on four feet and look down, but man stands up and looks at the sky. In this way, dirt
was metamorphosed into man.
THE FOUR AGES OF MAN
Ovid explains that the first age on earth is the Golden Age. This age has no laws or punishments, and the people do
what is right of their own free will. The Earth provides for the people and the people take what they need. The people
practice peace and enjoy eternal spring.
When Saturn is banished to Tartarus, Jupiter (Jove), Saturn’s son, takes the throne and the Silver Age starts. Spring
is broken into summer, fall, winter, and a short spring. People, who used to live in caves, take shelter from the weather
in houses.
Then the Bronze Age comes, bringing weapons.
Next the Iron Age comes, and evil invades the earth. Cruelty and deception replace loyalty and truth. People become
violent, lustful, and greedy. They sail from their homelands, chop down the trees, and put boundaries around their
cities. They strip the earth of its food and mine for gold and iron to make weapons. Wars break out. Finally, Justice the
Maiden (Astraea) abandons the bloody earth.
THE FLOOD
Jupiter decides to punish humanity and purify the world from sin. He starts to strike the earth with lightning, but he
worries that the heavens will catch on fire. So, Jove gathers storm-clouds instead. He imprisons all the winds, and then
releases Notus, the wind of the South. Notus flies over the earth, bringing gloom and pouring rain. Farmers weep as
their crops are flattened. Jove calls his brother, the sea god Neptune, and tells him to let loose his strength. Neptune
strikes the earth with the sea, causing the rivers to burst their confines. After the flood, the land and the sea can no
longer be distinguished. In this way, he returns the universe to some of the chaos which governed it before the
creation.
THE REBIRTH
Jove is glad that the only two survivors of the flood are Deucalion and Pyrrha, both free from sin. He sends away the
storm-clouds and Triton, a demigod of the sea, blows his conch shell horn to restrain the sea. Deucalion looks around
the restored land and cries because of how empty it feels. He wishes he had the skill of his father, the god Prometheus,
to create human life. Deucalion and Pyrrha cry together and then go to a cave to pray to Themis, goddess of
prophecy. Themis responds to Deucalion and Pyrrha, telling them to undress and to throw the bones of their mother
behind their backs. Deucalion suggests that Themis must mean for them to throw aside Mother Earth’s bones,
rocks. Pyrrha agrees to try, so the two undress and scatter some rocks behind them. At once, the stones lose their
hardness, expand, and take the form of humans. In this way, a new, hardworking race is started.
CALLISTO
As Jupiter journeyed back and forth, he catches sight of a beautiful virgin huntress named Callisto who is the favorite
of the virgin goddess Diana. Jupiter disguises himself as Diana and approaches Callisto, who rises and expresses her
love for Diana. Jupiter kisses Callisto, giving away his true identity. Callisto struggles, but Jupiter overpowers her and
rapes her. Diana appears with her group of virgins, but Callisto runs away, fearing Diana is Jupiter again. When she
spots Diana’s followers, however, she is reassured. Callisto is ashamed that she is no longer a virgin anymore.
Guessing Callisto’s secret, Diana leads the virgins to a stream and tells them to undress and bathe. Callisto tries to
hide her belly as she undresses, but the virgins notice her pregnancy and banish her.
Queen Juno hears of Jupiter’s infidelity. Furious, she finds Callisto, who has just given birth to Jupiter’s son, Arcas.
She transforms Callisto into a hideous bear so that her beauty won’t tempt Jupiter again. Arcas grows up to be 15
years old. One day, while hunting, he encounters a bear. He runs from it, unaware that it is his mother. He tries to kill
the bear with his spear, but Jupiter blocks the blow. Jupiter then transports mother and son through space and implants
them as constellations in the sky.
MINERVA (ATHENA) AND ARACHNE
The Muses’ story makes Minerva realize that she also needs to demand praise from those who dare to deny her power.
She thinks of Arachne, a girl who has become famous because of her artistry. However, Arachne claims to have
become great at weaving all on her own without the help of Minerva—goddess of weaving. Arachne suggests a
contest between herself and Minerva, confident that she will win. Minerva weaves a tapestry that depicts the gods
wielding their particular powers. In the center, she depicts herself producing olive trees while the gods watch,
impressed. In two corners of the tapestry, she depicts two mountains that represent two mortals who once aspired to
be Jupiter and Juno. In the other two corners, she depicts two women who competed with Juno and were turned into
birds. Arachne weaves a tapestry that depicts Jupiter kidnapping Europa in the disguise of a bull. She depicts many
other women whom Jupiter kidnapped and raped by disguising himself to trick them. She depicts Neptune’s
deceptions and affairs, and shows Apollo and Bacchus disguising themselves to overpower women. Not even the
goddess of envy could have criticized Arachne’s skillful tapestry.
DAPHNE
Jealous of Apollo’s victory over Python, Cupid points his bow at Apollo. Apollo tells Cupid to put down the bow
because he, Apollo, is the only one who can shoot without missing. Cupid then draws two arrows from his quiver: a
gold one that causes passion, and a lead one that repels passion. Cupid shoots Apollo with the gold arrow and Daphne,
daughter of the river Peneus, with the lead arrow. Afterwards, Daphne avoids all suitors and plays in the forest with no
thought of marriage or sex. By contrast, Apollo falls in love with Daphne and wants to possess her. He approaches her
but she runs away. He runs after her, begging her to stop. Losing his patience, like a predator closing in on its prey, he
comes upon her. Desperate and afraid, Daphne prays to her father, the river Peneus, to take away her beauty. At once,
Daphne turns into a tree. Still in love with her, Apollo decides he’ll crown heroes with her leaves. He makes her
immortal like himself, and she waves her branches in assent.
CORONIS
Apollo’s raven catches Coronis cheating on Apollo with another man named Ischys. Upon hearing about Coronis’
betrayal, Apollo acted quickly and let his hurt and rage fuel him. While Coronis dies in a fire, Apollo feels remorse for
their child and saves his son, Asclepius. Asclepius is sent to be raised by Chiron the centaur, where he learns the craft
of healing. It is here where Apollo’s association with healing becomes present – through his son who will cure death
and become the god of medicine.
NIOBE AND HER CHILDREN
Niobe is proud of her husband Amphion and of her many children. One day, a woman storms speaking a prophecy and
telling the women to pray and offer incense to the goddess Latona and her children. The women obey.
When Niobe sees the women worshipping Latona, she gets angry. She feels that the women should worship her
because her distant relations are gods and she has seven daughters and seven sons. Niobe is wealthy and powerful, but
Latona has no home on earth and only two children. When Latona hears Niobe’s speech, she is furious. She tells her
children, Apollo and Diana, to help her reclaim the honor she deserves. Apollo and Diana fly down at once and land
on the roof of Niobe’s palace. They kill each son with arrows. Amphion kills himself with his sword, unable to bear
the grief of losing his sons. Niobe, hearing of the tragedy, runs to her sons and throws herself on their dead bodies.
She calls out to Latona, boasting that she is still more powerful than her because her grief is stronger than Latona’s
joy. Apollo and Diana kill each of Niobe’s daughters as they attempt to comfort their mother. Niobe begs the gods to
spare her youngest daughter, but they ignore her request. Niobe collapses over her dead children. She turns to stone,
unable to move but still weeping. Then, a wind sweeps her to a mountain top where she grieves for eternity.
ACTAEON
One day, Actaeon and his fellow hunters and bloodhounds are hunting in the mountains. Meanwhile, Diana bathes
nearby in her secret place along the river while her virgin nymphs hold her clothes. Actaeon wanders upon the scene
by mistake. Diana’s virgin nymphs cry out and try to hide Diana, but she is so tall that Actaeon sees her naked body.
Not having her arrows, Diana splashes water at Actaeon and she curses him. Slowly, Actaeon turns into a stag and
loses his voice. As he wanders the woods, his ferocious pack of bloodhounds catch sight of him. Not recognizing their
master, they chase him and shred him to pieces with their teeth. Actaeon’s hunting companions cheer the hounds on,
then look around for Actaeon so he can praise their kill. When Actaeon is dead, Diana’s anger finally subsides.
 HOMERIC HYMNS
TO DEMETER
The hymn opens as Persephone, "slim-ankled" daughter of the goddess Demeter, is in a field picking flowers. As
Persephone goes to pick the flower, the earth opens, and Hades, god of the Underworld, emerges in a gold chariot. He
snatches Persephone and takes her to the Underworld to be his wife. Demeter, goddess of fertility, hears her
daughter’s cries and searches the earth for Persephone. Soon Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, who also overheard
Persephone’s cries, takes Demeter to the sun god Helios; he is watchman of gods and mortals, and he also saw what
happened. He tells Demeter her daughter’s fate: Zeus has given Persephone to Hades in marriage. Angry with Zeus,
Demeter leaves Olympus and lives among humankind. disguised as an old woman. When she reaches the house of
Keleos, the king's daughters find her and bring her to the palace. She begs for whatever work they can give her.
Metaneira asks her to raise her baby son, Demophoon. Demeter agrees, and the baby flourishes under her care. Every
night Demeter puts the baby into the fire to burn away his mortality. One night Metaneira sees her baby in the fire and,
terrified, berates Demeter, who angrily explains that the fire would have made Demophoon immortal. Demeter then
reveals her true identity as a goddess.
Demeter is still grieving for Persephone. Since she is the goddess of the harvest, her neglect of the crops causes
widespread famine. She refuses Zeus' request that she restore the earth's plants to life. Seeing that he can't move her,
Zeus dispatches Hermes to persuade Hades to let Persephone go. Hades agrees, and Persephone is overjoyed. But
before she leaves the underworld, Hades gives her a pomegranate seed to eat. When Demeter and Persephone are
reunited, Demeter immediately realizes that Hades must have tricked her daughter somehow. Persephone explains that
Hades forced her to eat the pomegranate seed, which means she'll have to return to his kingdom. Zeus decrees that
Persephone must spend a third of the year underground, during which time Demeter's grief will freeze the world. But
for the rest of the year, Persephone may live with the gods on Mount Olympus, and the earth will spring to life again.
TO APHRODITE
Since Aphrodite is the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, none of the male gods on Olympus can withstand her
wiles. Aphrodite likes to make the gods and goddesses fall in love with mortals, and even Zeus falls prey to her tricks
whenever Aphrodite causes him to forget his wife, Hera. Zeus finally retaliates by making Aphrodite fall in love with
a handsome Trojan herdsman named Anchises.
When Aphrodite finally finds Anchises, he is overwhelmed by her beauty. Anchises takes her to bed immediately and
then falls asleep. Aphrodite returns to her goddess form before waking him. Terrified at her magnificence, Anchises
begs her not to kill him. Aphrodite assures him that he is now dear to the gods and that he will have a son,
Aeneas, who will rule Troy. But since she is immortal, Aphrodite cannot bear the thought of taking Anchises to live at
Olympus. Aphrodite adds that since she herself has fallen in love with a mortal for the first time, she is disgraced, and
the other gods will mock her forever. She will give the baby to nymphs who will take care of him during his infancy,
and when the child is four years old, Aphrodite will bring him to his father. The goddess adds that she'll fulfill this
promise only if Anchises keeps their union a secret. If he tells anyone, he will ‘dread the wrath of the gods’.