Creation myths are a special interest of mine. How the world and the cosmos came together and out of whatever was there before is an important resource to understand what people see themselves as and where existence leads. Hesiod's account, as one of many in a world sized library does drop some nuggets into the pot of into my pot of "recreation," which I use in my own writing. As usual, my interest is more literary than historic, though I can appreciate the historical aspect, fictive or otherwise that goes into creating and telling an origin story, the like of monument as this. I must admit despite my respect for Hesiod I do not find the Theogony quite satisfactory. Perhaps that is caused by my overexposure to Ovid's Metamorphosis I wish we had more of things like what the world was like during the time of the Titans. Like most ancient accounts of the universe it feels cut and dry, not unlike the book of Genesis that at least to my modern sensibilities gives seemingly useless information while omitting other of more interest.

The passage that stood out to me was Typhoeus and it stood out to me because of the different forms of communication; one of which the gods could understand. Him being monster and having dragon like features was so intriguing to me and fascinating. With his head full of snakes and his breath of fire, he is seemed to be extremely strong. Zeus defeated him after burning his heads off and that was shocking to me because with all of these different features that Typhoeus had, he seemed more powerful and able to avoid such action. It's also ironic that he got his snakes burnt off when he could also use that power to defeat someone else. He was extremely fearful but Zeus wasn't phased by him at all. I think the author was trying to communicate the great lengths Zeus would go to not only show off his bravery, but also test himself and his ability to defeat something/someone as fearful as Typhoeus. I want to find out more about Typhoeus in depth and understand his origin.

The passage that jumped out to me the most was “The Offspring of the Olympians”. This section of the reading talks about mostly the offspring of Zeus and the complexity of their relationships. Something I found interesting was when Zeus swallowed his wife, Metis, when “was about to bring forth the goddess bright-eyed Athene”(ll. 886-900) . Zeus did this for the reason of not wanting to get overthrown as king. I think the author was trying to communicate that although a god, Zeus in this context, can be influenced by power and have similar traits as humans when they’re given too much of it and afraid to lose that power. This is similar to the Epic of Gilgamesh since he was also power hungry and selfish. I would like to find out more about Zeus and how he controls the other god’s power.

One passage that stood out in Hesiod’s Theogony is the birth of Aphrodite, where she rises from the sea foam after Cronus castrates Uranus. The image is powerful and shows the chaotic, violent beginnings of many gods in Greek mythology. I think Hesiod is showing how even the gods come from conflict and struggle, much like the natural world. This tells us that the Greeks saw the world, and their gods, as unpredictable and full of challenges. The gods are not perfect or distant but are deeply tied to the forces of nature and human experiences. This text also reveals how important the relationships between gods were, reflecting the importance of family and power struggles in Greek society. Compared to other texts which may focus more on human heroes, Theogony is more concerned with the gods and how the world was created. It shows a different side of Greek beliefs, less about human fate and more about the origins of the cosmos. One thing I’d like to explore more is how later Greek philosophers dealt with the violent and flawed nature of the gods in Theogony. Did they try to make the gods seem more ethical or rational? Also, how did different regions of Greece interpret these myths, especially since they worshipped different gods?

The passage that jumped out to me the most as I read through HESIOD 

Theogony  was “Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis his wife first, and she was wisest among gods and mortal men. But when she was about to bring forth the goddess bright-eyed Athene, Zeus craftily deceived her with cunning words and put her in his own belly, as Earth and starry Heaven advised. For they advised him so, to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus;” the author is trying to communicate that Zeus was willing to swallow his wife with his baby to prevent any power of rule among the gods from his next of kin. He preferred to give birth to her himself out of his forehead to prevent this. This show how Zeus is also concerned about these prophecies that can somehow challenge his power among the gods in the future, but his willing to intervene so this does not happen. 

This document tells us how in this time and place, even among the gods, male Gods held power over the goddess and were the final decision makers. This document relates to the other as even with all the power the gods have, they still needed female to create life. I would like to find out more about Zeus character, does he change his ways as men evolve and society becomes more civilized. 

The document for this week is:

For your online response this week, write a post that includes the following:

• • What passage or detail in particular jumped out at you as you read through it?
  • One part of Hesiod’s Theogony, Proem that stands out is when the Muses visit Hesiod on Mount Helicon and give him a divine staff and the power to sing about the gods:
  • “And they [the Muses] breathed into me a divine voice to celebrate the things that were, and shall be hereafter, and they bade me sing of the race of the blessed gods that are eternally, but ever to sing of themselves both first and last.” This moment is powerful because it shows a direct link between the poet and the divine, highlighting that Hesiod’s authority comes from the gods. The Muses not only inspire him but also command him to share the stories of the gods' origins and history
  • What do you think the author was trying to communicate?
  • In the Proem of Hesiod's Theogony, I believe Hesiod was communicating several important ideas. Hesiod sees the poet as a mediator between the gods and humanity, tasked with preserving and passing down sacred truths. The Muses, by instructing him to "sing of the race of the blessed gods," communicate that the poet’s role is not just about entertainment but about immortalizing divine knowledge and cosmic order.
  • What about this document seems to relate to, support, or even contradict our other readings about this time and place?
  • Hesiod's Theogony and the Epic of Gilgamesh, especially Tablet 1: The Coming of Enkidu, both provide insights into how ancient societies viewed the gods and their influence on human life, though they approach these ideas in different ways. One common theme is the connection between gods and humans. In Theogony, Hesiod shows that the gods control the universe and human fate, highlighting their power and role in the natural world. In Gilgamesh, the creation of Enkidu also involves divine intervention, showing that the gods shape human life and events. However, while Theogony focuses more on the origins and hierarchy of the gods, Gilgamesh emphasizes human experiences and relationships, like the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. In this sense, Gilgamesh portrays the gods a more distant, whereas Theogony places them at the center of understanding the cosmos

In this week reading there was multiple passage that jump out to me, but the main one that stood out was passage (613-616). As I was reading this particular passage what I interpreted was how Zeus decide to curse the men with women and even if men did good they’ll still get cursed. In this passage I feel like the author spoke about the Gods and Goddess weren’t prefect and embody human like emotions from rage to fear to love and betrayal and when the Gods and/ or Goddesses felt injustice they make anyone suffer. This was around the Geek time and the beginning about the mythology and religion they experienced. It showed how they believe the world was created and who had control of what happened on earth. Seeing how Zeus created women to be men’s curse for defying him; looking back to last week reading tablet 6 “Ishtar and the Bull of Hell” how Ishtar wanted to basically curse and get back at Gilgamesh for rejecting her shows that a woman could be a man’s down fall. I would like to learn more about Greek philosophy and how the Greek culture was influential. 

The poetry Theogony by Hesiod examines the beginnings of the gods and the universe, emphasizing themes of authority, strife, and divine hierarchy. The ancient Greek belief that the divine shaped the universe from disorder is reflected in the striking imagery of primordial chaos and the birth of the first gods. The book shows how deeply ingrained mythology and religion were in Greek culture, reflecting societal institutions and the Greek belief that natural phenomena were under the control of gods. In contrast to Homer's emphasis on human heroes, Theogony upholds the concept of heavenly authority that is fundamental to Greek culture. The poem shapes Greek thought by depicting gods as strong entities interested in cosmic and human matters. How this mythological story inspired subsequent Greek philosophy and concepts of justice could be the subject of further investigation.

Several details stood out to me in this week’s reading. In particular, the passages that described the rise of the Titans and Olympians. I found it fascinating how Cronus devoured his children to prevent a prophecy from coming true. Rhea, however, cleverly tricked him by giving him stones to swallow, which he believed were his son, Zeus. The author is attempting to convey an origin story, a mythological narrative. Hesiod's poem also demonstrates the significance of power and fate to the Greeks. Hesiod describes the power dynamics among the Titans and the shift of power to the Olympians. Hesiod uses Zeus as a symbol of how one should properly wield that power. This reading tells us about the ancient Greeks' beliefs. They believed everything was the power or way of the Gods. This document greatly supports other mythological readings. The poem describes the birth of Gods and the importance of cosmic order. Hesiod describes the women in his poem as influential and powerful goddesses, or like Gaia, nurturing mothers. This makes one think about how these mythological depictions reflect or contradict the real roles of women in ancient Greek society.

  The passage that jumped out at me was where it states Cronos would eat his children in fear of the prophecy of being overthrown by his son. This stood out to me because it became a parallel event of what happened with Uranus and Cronos. What I feel like the author was trying to communicate was displaying one of the ways of how the gods were selfish which were the greed in who would be the sole ruler in power. 

   The greed for being in power is shown in both Uranus and Cronos by being in fear of their children overthrowing them and trying to stop it from happening. Although both Uranus and Cronos are both gods and are already powerful than mortals, the need to be ruler of the cosmos and still have power over other gods was the downfall for both of them. 

   What I believe this document is telling us about the time and place it comes from is how the greed for power leads to the collapse for the future of one’s society. The gods represent what occurs in human life. Uranus and Cronos could also represent how the Bronze Age and how the same greed they had to be in power also reflected to the rulers during the Bronze and how the same greed lead to the Greek dark age to happen. 

   What I would like to learn more about is what other stories of what is written about the gods in Mythology to see if what is written by them similar or different depending on the author. 

While reading the epic poem “Theogony” by Hesiod I found the story of the "birth" of Pandora, and the motives behind her creation to be intriguing. The aspect of this excerpt that stands out the most to me is the portrayal of women. After Prometheus attempted to trick Zeus and steals fire to give to humanity, namely mortal men, Zeus punishes him. Zeus chains him to a rock where an eagle feeds on his liver everyday and furthers the punishment by creating the first woman. Zeus with assistance from other gods creates Pandora, a "beautiful evil" where all of womankind comes from. The idea of women being inherently evil is further explored in the bee analogy in which men are compared to worker bees while women are compared to the drone bees. Hesiod's "Theogony" asserts that Zeus' will is inescapable for mortal men since life without women and life with women both pose their own "evils." I think an interesting aspect of Pandora's creation is how she and all mortal women are depicted differently from the goddesses. Though Zeus feared his children, the goddess Athena is not depicted as an inherently evil being and punishment unlike Pandora. I also think that this story is interesting because it gives insight into the prominent gender dynamics of the time in which women's 'domain' is the home while men's 'domain' is the public sphere.

While reading,"Theogony by Hesiod",One thing that stands out is the depiction of the conflict between the Titans and the Olympians. This narrative not only illustrates the theme of generational conflict but also highlights the transition from chaos to order, with Zeus emerging as a symbol of authority and justice.Hesiod seems to be communicating the importance of divine hierarchy and the establishment of order in the universe. By detailing the origins and struggles of the gods, he reflects on the nature of power, fate, and the human condition. The emphasis on Zeus's rule suggests a belief in the necessity of a strong leader to maintain cosmic and social order.The "Theogony" provides insight into the values and beliefs of early Greek society, particularly around 700 BCE. It reveals a worldview that prioritizes divine influence over human affairs and underscores the significance of lineage and ancestry in understanding one’s place in the cosmos. The text reflects the early Greek understanding of morality, justice, and the chaotic forces of nature.

While reading "Theogony" by Hesiod, Hesiod's account of the births of the nine muses had caught. In Greek mythology, the muses are responsible for the arts and culture, each embodying a specific aspect of this (Calliope for Epic poetry, Clio for History, etc). This implies that Zeus had brought these to the Greeks during his reign. What piques my curiosity is that these practices were mostly limited to wealthy men, so to have female goddesses embody these arts is interesting, to say the least. Furthermore, the cycle in which female deities influence their children to overthrow and castrate their fathers is also noteworthy, with Kronos usurping Uranus and then Zeus doing the same to his father, Kronos. This plays into the discussion in class where it said that women in the ancient world were responsible for the children and, therefore, the future of society. Gaea aided her son Kronos, and later Rhea aided her son Zeus can be seen as these goddesses fulfilling their "obligations" as mothers.

As I read "Theogony" by Hesiod The Passage that Jumoed out to me was " The Offspring of the Goddesses". I really like this Passage because it talked about the children of God and Mortals. The Author touched on Multiple Key Points Including The Legecy and lineage of Divine-Human Offsprings. In my opinion the documnent emphasizes the significance of ancestry in shaping identities, fortunes, and the moral of society, Showing how the past influences the present and future in mythology. This passage reminds me of the first chapter of Pomeroy's "Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves," where she discusses the influence of Gaia on Cronus, leading him to castrate his father. I am curious to explore why gods react in ways that contradict their claimed beliefs. Why do they harm others in equal or worse ways than they themselves have suffered?

what jumped out to me was it stated"But when first their father was vexed in his heart with Obriareus and Cottus and Gyes, he bound them in cruel bonds, because he was jealous of their exceeding manhood and comeliness and great size: and he made them live beneath the wide-pathed earth, where they were afflicted, being set to dwell under the ground, at the end of the earth, at its great borders, in bitter anguish for a long time and with great grief at heart. But the son" the author was trying to communicate the themes of jealousy, power, and suffering. The father's jealously of his sons' strength and beauty drives him to brutally bind them, demonstrating the devastating essence of envy. The idea of captivity beneath the dirt emphasizes their misery and loneliness, as well as the emotional sorrow and grief that comes with oppression. Finally, this shows the evil side of familial ties and the implications of unbridled envy. its telling us motifs from old legendary narratives, implying a cultural environment that values strength, beauty, and familial bonds. The emphasis on jealousy and oppression implies that society is struggling with power dynamics and the implications of rivalry. The image of the subterranean as a place of misery could represent the fear of losing agency or being punished. Overall, it reveals a worldview in which divine or familial authority can result in tragic ends, similar to ancient storytelling traditions that examine human emotions and moral teachings. this document relates to other readings from ancient mythology, such as Hesiod's "Theogony," which likewise examines themes of power conflicts between gods and titans. The representation of familial conflict and the consequences of envy is consistent with narratives found in many mythological texts, bolstering the notion that such dynamics were important to early storytelling. id like to learn more about Learn more about the myths' distinct cultural and historical context, including how they represent society values and beliefs in past civilizations. Understanding the roles of jealousy, power, and familial ties in these stories may provide greater understanding into their relevance. Furthermore, it would be fascinating to see how different civilizations treated comparable issues in their myths, particularly any differences in how they depict conflict and resolution.

“And as in thatched hives bees feed the drones whose nature is to do mischief—by day and throughout the day until the sun goes down the bees are busy and lay the white combs, while the drones stay at home in the covered skeps and reap the toil of others into their own bellies—even so Zeus who thunders on high made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil.” I thought this passage was well written and it reminded me of the biblical riddle involving the lion. Here the author was trying to convey the wrath the gods could feel for the transgression of humans. It also makes out women as the ones who cause men all their woes. Men have to provide for the woman waiting at home waiting to receive the bounty of their husband’s hard work. I think this document could signify some of the cultural norms of the time. One was people understanding that the gods while powerful and responsible for many things on Earth could also be petty and vengeful. I think it indicates how difficult life could be for the average person. They expected bad things to happen to them and took it as a natural course of events. Women were also seen s the source of consternation in men’s life. It was through them that men knew hardship and strife. In keeping with the theme of men being in the public sphere and women in the private this section of the poem refers to men as the worker bees while women are the drones waiting at home to be provided for. It belittles the role of the woman in the private sphere and makes them seem lazy and greedy. This document reinforces the roles men and women are supposed to play and how the public sphere and the things associated with it became the basis for historical documentation. Even though there are ancient historical sources that account for certain aspects of the role and lives of females, the private sphere of women has largely been ignored. In the Pomeroy reading she talks about the dominance of the female in Minoan society. And it also speculates if it is later Greek influence that turns the pantheon of gods and goddesses into a patriarchal hegemony led by Zeus. I would want to be able to research early civilizations like the Minoans and see if they did raise the female above the male. If so, how come the Greeks, who took other cultural influences from them changed their entire deity perspective? I would want to know more about how earlier civilizations viewed females, fertility, and the connection to the creation of life with power. 

While reading Hesiod/Theogony a passage that jumped out to me was Tartarus this was for a few reasons, I like the emphasize of the bleak nature of this underworld, which even the gods heavily dislike and do their best to avoid. I also really liked this passage because it makes mention of Persephone a few times which is my favorite god as she tells a great tale of consent and karma. I believe the author was trying to communicate a few key points in this passage mainly punishment, and hierarchies within the god universe. In my opinion I think this document is telling us about how mortality and justice worked in the older ages, it also brings light to how people view people in power and it teaches a good lesson of respect and knowing one self. This document seems to relate to a lot of the other readings we've done as many talk about different views of justice but also a few of the readings we've done a way it contradicts is in some readings I've read gods seem more passive and seem to hold friendships and alliances, in this it's very strict and foreboding. Something I'd like to learn more about is why do some gods just simply act incorrectly? why are some so cruel I understand to a point these stories and tales are to teach lessons but I guess it's more so homeage to human nature, why do we make each other suffer?