1. Greek Mythology: Lecture 2
COSMOGONY & THE GODS

2. What is cosmogony? kosmos: the world/universe gignesthai: to be born
‘birth of the universe’
OR theory/myth/account of creation
What creation myths do you know?

3. Hesiod
C7th BC Boeotia
Epic poems: Theogony (birth of the gods); Works & Days (creation of man, Pandora)
Succession of generations:
Primordial gods
Titans
Olympians
Demigods/heroes
Mankind

4. In the beginning…

5. Generational strife Gaia + Ouranos = Titans (hidden inside Earth)
180ff: Kronos castrates Ouranos at Gaia’s behest
Blood = Furies, Giants, Ash-nymphs
Foam in sea = Aphrodite

6. Round 2…
Kronos + Rhea = Olympians: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus (swallowed by father)
Rhea tricks Kronos into swallowing stone
617ff: Titanomachy
820ff: Gaia + Tartarus = Typhoeus
Zeus wins & establishes timai (honours) of gods

7. Round 3… Zeus swallows Metis before she can produce a son = Athena
Marries/sleeps with many goddesses
Zeus + Hera = Hebe, Ares, Eileithyia
Hera = Hephaestus (parthenogenesis)
930ff: children of other Olympians
964ff: gods + mortals = heroes

8. Alternatives Archaic period: Classical period: Later
Homeric Hymns esp. to Hera
Iliad (esp , , )
Classical period:
Aristophanes Birds 683ff
Plato Timaeus 40e
Later
Orphica 12
Hyginus Fabulae ‘preface’ (Latin)
Philostratus
WHY MIGHT DIFFERENT TEXTS GIVE DIFFERENT VERSIONS?

9. The Olympians

10. The Ages of Man Golden Age (in time of Kronos) Silver Age
Lived like gods
Natural death
Silver Age
Hubris – refused to honour Olympians
Zeus put them away
Bronze Age, made of ash-trees
Violent
Destroyed themselves
Demigods
Godlike heroes
Died at Thebes & Troy
Iron Age (current generation)
Doomed to labour & die

11. Significant features Creation of universe Generational strife
Role of female: force for change
Separation of gods & men