Creation and Evolution of the Universe

Hesiod’s Theogony

Divine Dynastic Succession

1st generation: Gaia + Ouranos

2nd generation: Kronos + Rhea (Titans)

3rd generation: Zeus + Hera

(1st generation Olympians)

4th generation: Children of Zeus

(2nd generation Olympians)

Hesiod (ca. 700 B.C.)

• A farmer and poet from the region of Boeotia

• Theogony

• Works and Days

Theogony– Theo + gone = “birth of the gods”

– Cosmogony: birth of the world-order

– Divine Dynastic succession

– Elaborate Hymn to Zeus

– Oral Epic tradition

– Near Eastern influence (e.g. Enuma Elish or Epic of Creation)

Features of Oral Epic Tradition

• dactylic hexameter

• repetition

• formulae and epithets

• ring-composition

• catalogues

• invocation of Muses

Muses

Zeus + Mnemosyne (Memory)

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Nine muses

The Beginning

• First only Chaos • Then Gaia (Earth), Tartaros, Eros (Desire)• Gaia produces Ouranos (Sky, Heaven),

Mountains and Sea by asexual reproduction• Mating with Ouranos, she produces the 12

Titans, the 3 Cyclopes and the 3 Hundred-Handed Ones

• Ouranos does not allow them to be born.

The Second Generation (Titans)

• Kronos castrates and overthrows his father Ouranos.• Birth of Furies, Giants and Aphrodite• Kronos and his sister Rheia mate, produce the 6 first-

generation Olympians• Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus• Kronos swallows them

The Third Generation

• Rheia tricks Kronos and hides the baby Zeus in a cave on Crete.

• She gives Kronos a stone in swaddling clothes.• Zeus grows up and overthrows his father, tricking him

into vomiting up his siblings.• The stone (omphalos) is placed at Pytho (Delphi).

Zeus

• Frees Cyclopes and Hundred-handed Ones, who were imprisoned by Ouranos

• Cyclopes give Zeus lightning-bolts• Punishment of Prometheus and eventual

glorification of Herakles• Titanomachy (Battle with the Titans)• Typhonomachy (Battle with Typhoios)• As king of immortals, Zeus distributes roles

and privileges.

The Divine Wives and Children of Zeus

• Metis (swallowed by Zeus, who then produces Athena from his head)

• Themis (Seasons, Justice, Fates)• Eurynome (Graces)• Demeter (Persephone)• Mnemosyne (Muses)• Leto (Apollo and Artemis)• Hera (Ares, Hebe, Eileithyia)

– Hera produces Hephaistos asexually • Maia (Hermes)• Semele* (Dionysus)