Lecture Outline: Creation in Hesiod’s Theogony I. Hesiod’s Theogonya) Hesiod = Greek poet (c. 700 BCE)b) theogony = “birth of gods” • Gon/gen = birth II. Theogony: Invocation to Musesa) lines 1-115 = Hesiod calls on, hymns Musesb) Muses1. goddesses of arts (9)2. daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory)• Mnemosyne is binatural – goddess and memory itself• Appropriate mother of a muse because you need memory for the arts. You need memory to learn music, ect. Memory is the mother of the arts 3. accompany Apollo (god of music, healing/disease, prophecy)• You can be the god of one thing and its opposite c) epic poets (e.g., Homer, Hesiod)1. begin works with invocation to Muses 2. Muses inspire poets (also musicians, dancers, etc.)• Theogony lines 22-34• Poetry is deceptive – it seems real, but it is not. As gods of the arts they can do this. Art is inherently deceptive d) Muses on poetry = truth and fictione) Muses sing of creation (cf. Hesiod) III. Theogony: The Creation Mytha) creation myth = begins at line 116• In the beginning there was nothingb) four primal (“first”) gods:1. Chaos• Means empty space, not todays chaos “ca-os”• Binatural – physical space and a goda. chaos = “chasm”, “empty space”b. cf. sea = “chaos”c. binatural god2. Gaia a. “earth” b. binatural goddess 3. Tartarosa. underworld pit (prison)• Gods throw other gods there to punish them• Greek gods to not die b. binatural god4. Eros• Not exactly love, abstract concept of sexual desire • Important: This story is about the birth of the gods, and he is the god of procreation • It is unusual for authors to say that he is an old god, in later traditions he is a young called• Cupid to the Romansa. “sexual desire”b. binatural god c. for theogonyd. later tradition:1) Eros (Roman Cupid) = son of Aphrodite (Roman Venus)2) Aphrodite/Venus = goddess in charge of sexual desire c) creation of the universe1. four primal gods2. Chaos: Erebos and Night• Gives birth to Erebos and Night• Does this without procreation – produces him out of himself (parthenogenesis)a. parthenogenesis = “virgin birth”b. Erebos (later = Hades)• Erebos is the region in the Greek underworld where your soul goes • Became to be called the House of Hades, and eventually Hades 3. Erebos + Night = Air and Day • Incest is not taboo in mythology • Night gives birth to day • Who gives birth to Gaia??4. Gaia: Ouranos, Mountains, Seaa. parthenogenesisb. Ouranos = Sky• Binatural 5. Gaia + Ouranos = 3 sets of childrena. Titans (Okeanos, Kronos, Rhea, et al.)• Twelve Titans, we only care about these three • Okeanos (ocean) = river encircling the earth• Binatural – river and a god, but can somehow leave his river b. Cyclopes (3; thunderbolts)• Good guys, all brothers, master craftsmen • They make Zeus’s thunderbolts (his secret weapon)c. Hundred-handers (3)• 50 heads, 100 arms• Important to Zeus and his rise to power• Magic number 3 6. still to be born in Theogony:a. many more gods (some binatural, e.g., Sun, Moon) b. abstract concepts (Sleep, Death, Victory)c. monsters (Cerberos, Chimaera et al.)How is this different/same from Song of Kumarbi ***Theogony 176-83 “And Heaven came […] away to fall behind him”• Both sky is castrated/ one is bitten off and swallowed/ one is cut off with a sickle of adamant and thrown***Theogony 486-92• Kumarbi bites into the stone thinking it is Tessub/ both storm gods are mistaken for stonesIV. Theogony: The Succession Mytha. Hesiod’s Theogony 1. hymn to Zeus, king of Greek gods2. power of Zeus3. how Zeus becomes king4. cf. Enuma Elish (Marduk)5. cf. Kumarbi Cycle (Tessub)6. cf. Baal Cycle (Baal)7. Zeus/Marduk/Tessub/Baal = all storm gods• And king of the gods b) four generations of gods in Theogony: 1st generation = four primal gods and offspring (incl. Ouranos) 2nd generation = children of #1 (incl. Titans [Kronos, Rhea, et al.]) 3rd generation = children of #2 (incl. Olympians [Zeus, Hera, et al.])• Zeus at best is the third generation.• Son of Kronos and Rhea (Titans) 4th generation = children of #3 (incl. Olympians [Athena, Apollo, Heracles, et al.]) c) succession myth1. king of gods2. father overthrown by son3. Ouranos to Kronos to Zeus• Overthrown by their sons4. Zeus ends cycle • Excepts son to overthrow but doesn’t• How Zeus becomes king of the gods and stays king of the gods d) succession myth #1: Ouranos and Kronos1. Ouranos (“sky”) = king of gods2. Gaia + Ouranos = Titans3. stuffing Titans in earth• Ouranos does not want the Titans to be born for some reason, so he stuff them back into Gaia (the earth)• Gaia is very upset about this4. Gaia’s revenge:• Talks to her children even though they are inside of her• Asks which of her sons wants to help her get revenge• Kronos volunteers a. Kronos lies in waitb. sickle of adamant• Gaia produces adamant out of herself because she is the earth• Super hard metal 5. castration of Ouranos6. Kronos throws genitals• As they fly over the earth, blood drips of the genitals and gods are born from it• The genitals land in the sea a. sea (foam)• Sea foam surrounds the genitalsb. Aphrodite from “foam” (= aphros)• Aphrodite looks like aphros, aphros means sea foam• False etymology• Kronos becomes king because Ouranos is weakened e) succession myth #2: Kronos and Zeus1. Kronos = king of gods2. Kronos + Rhea = Olympians• Marries his sister Rhea3. prophecy a. from Gaia/Ouranosb. Kronos, overthrown by son• Prophecy delived to him that he will be overthrown by son, so he needs to do something about it4. Kronos swallows children• Rhea gets very upset • Rhea goes to Gaia and tells her what to do• Before Kronos can swallow Zeus, hid him on the island of Crete• Zeus is the youngest (common among myths)• Children of Kronos and Rhea: Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hestia, Zeus (oldest to youngest)5. Gaia to Rhea: “Hide Zeus on Crete!”6. Rhea gives Kronos stone• Instead of baby Zeus 7. Zeus grows up8. Kronos regurgitates (children, stone)9. Zeus throws Kronos into Tartaros (?)• Other Greek authors say that 10. Zeus frees Cyclopes• Apparently Ouranos had put the Cyclopes into Tartaros• Zeus’s uncles 11. Zeus = king of gods V. Threats to Zeus’ Rule (in Theogony) a) Titanomachy [617-721]1. “battle with Titans”• Titans are his parents and aunts and uncles2. Olympians (Zeus) vs. Titans• Olympians led
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