1. The beginning of things, according to Hesiod’s Theogony, starts with Chaos. Out of the void emerged Geor Gaea, the Earth, and other primeval figures-including Erosor Love.
2. Without male assistance Gaeagave birth to Uranus, the Sky, and Pontus, the Sea. Father Sky lay with Mother Earth and fertilised her. From that union were born, first, the next generation of gods, the Titans, six male and six female (Cronusand Rhea, Oceanusand Tethys, Hyperionand Thea, Coeusand Phoebe, Iapetus, Crius, Themis, and Mnemosyne); then more monstrous offspring, the one-eyed Cyclopesand the many-limbed Hundred-Handers.
3. Uranus, understandably alarmed at his terrible children and fearing that they would try to overthrow him, refused to let them see the light of day and buried them back within the body of their mother, Earth. Gaea, in pain and grief, encouraged them to break out and rebel. The youngest and boldest of the Titans, ‘crooked-minded’ Cronus, took up the challenge. He lay in wait and, when Uranuscame to make love to Gaea, castrated him with a jagged sickle. Uranusin his agony retreated up into the sky where he remains; his blood falling on the earth gave birth to the Giantsand the Furies, and where his genitals were flung into the sea, seafoam gathered and Aphrodite, goddess of love and desire, rose from the waters.
4. Cronusnow took his father’s place as ruler of the gods, with his sister-wife Rheaas his consort and the other Titansas his court. But the story of father/son conflict was repeated in the next generation: Cronusfeared that his children would treat him as he had treated Uranus, and so disposed of each of them by swallowing them as soon as they were born.
5. At last Rhea, like Gaea, took her children’s side against her husband. When the sixth and youngest child, Zeus, was born, she tricked Cronusinto swallowing a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, while she sprited the child away to the pastoral island of Crete. There Zeuswas brought up in a cave by nymphs, fed on honey and suckled by a she-goat.
6. When he was grown he returned to confront Cronus, force him to vomit up his other children (Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon), and challenge him to war for the kingship ofthe gods. There followed ten years of literally titanic battles. At last, with the help of the Cyclopes, Zeusand his siblings were victorious, and Cronusand the other Titans were hurled down to imprisonment in Tartarus, the bottommost part of the underworld.
7. At last, however, Zeuswas established as ruler on Mount Olympus, with Hera as his sister-wife. He cast lots with his brothers for their areas of power, Zeustaking the sky, Poseidonthe sea, and Hadesthe underworld; and he proceeded to father on Hera and other goddesses, a fourth generation of gods.
8. Zeusremains the undisputed ruler of gods and men although he feared the same destiny of dethronement by his own child. When warned that Metis, one of his wives, would bear a child wiser than its father， he swallowed Metisand her unborn child, thus ensuring that Athenawas born (from his forehead) as his sole child, with no mother to encourage her to rebel.
1. The beginning of things, according to Hesiod’s Theogony, starts with Chaos. Out of the void emerged Geor Gaea, the Earth, and other primeval figures-including Erosor Love.
2. Without male assistance Gaeagave birth to Uranus, the Sky, and Pontus, the Sea. Father Sky lay with Mother Earth and fertilised her. From that union were born, first, the next generation of gods, the Titans, six male and six female (Cronusand Rhea, Oceanusand Tethys, Hyperionand Thea, Coeusand Phoebe, Iapetus, Crius, Themis, and Mnemosyne); then more monstrous offspring, the one-eyed Cyclopesand the many-limbed Hundred-Handers.
3. Uranus, understandably alarmed at his terrible children and fearing that they would try to overthrow him, refused to let them see the light of day and buried them back within the body of their mother, Earth. Gaea, in pain and grief, encouraged them to break out and rebel. The youngest and boldest of the Titans, ‘crooked-minded’ Cronus, took up the challenge. He lay in wait and, when Uranuscame to make love to Gaea, castrated him with a jagged sickle. Uranusin his agony retreated up into the sky where he remains; his blood falling on the earth gave birth to the Giantsand the Furies, and where his genitals were flung into the sea, seafoam gathered and Aphrodite, goddess of love and desire, rose from the waters.
4. Cronusnow took his father’s place as ruler of the gods, with his sister-wife Rheaas his consort and the other Titansas his court. But the story of father/son conflict was repeated in the next generation: Cronusfeared that his children would treat him as he had treated Uranus, and so disposed of each of them by swallowing them as soon as they were born.
5. At last Rhea, like Gaea, took her children’s side against her husband. When the sixth and youngest child, Zeus, was born, she tricked Cronusinto swallowing a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, while she sprited the child away to the pastoral island of Crete. There Zeuswas brought up in a cave by nymphs, fed on honey and suckled by a she-goat.
6. When he was grown he returned to confront Cronus, force him to vomit up his other children (Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon), and challenge him to war for the kingship ofthe gods. There followed ten years of literally titanic battles. At last, with the help of the Cyclopes, Zeusand his siblings were victorious, and Cronusand the other Titans were hurled down to imprisonment in Tartarus, the bottommost part of the underworld.
7. At last, however, Zeuswas established as ruler on Mount Olympus, with Hera as his sister-wife. He cast lots with his brothers for their areas of power, Zeustaking the sky, Poseidonthe sea, and Hadesthe underworld; and he proceeded to father on Hera and other goddesses, a fourth generation of gods.
8. Zeusremains the undisputed ruler of gods and men although he feared the same destiny of dethronement by his own child. When warned that Metis, one of his wives, would bear a child wiser than its father， he swallowed Metisand her unborn child, thus ensuring that Athenawas born (from his forehead) as his sole child, with no mother to encourage her to rebel.
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