CLAS170 Midterm 1 - Handout Key Divinities

cosmogony

kosmos - order

gonia - begetting of (bring (a child) into existence by the process of reproduction)

definition - a mythic or theological narrative detailing the origin and creation of the universe, often explaining how world order emerged from chaos

theogony

theoi - gods

gonia - begetting of (bring (a child) into existence by the process of reproduction)

definition - creation through generation of personified beings

titanomachy

machē - battle of

definition - refers to a ten-year, epic war in Greek mythology, literally translating to the "Battle of the Titans," where Zeus and the Olympians overthrew the older generation of Titans to gain cosmic supremacy

generation motif

creation through sex & childbirth

primordial eros

generation as a way of comprehending the physical world and relationship between phenomena

succession motif

parents, children, relatives fight to prevail over each other

the primordial gods (no sexual union)

chaos (“abyss”

gaia (“earth”, thing “geology”)

tartaros

eros (“sexual desire”, think erotic)

offspring of gaia (no sexual union)

ouranos (“sky”)

pontos (“sea)

off spring of gaia and tartaros (sexual)

typhois (related to Greek tuphōn, “whirlwind, think typhoon)

offspring of gaia and ouranos (sexual)

the titans (“overreachers”, from Greek verb titainō, “to stretch, strain)

• cronos (later itdentified with “time”, chronos in Greek, think chronometer)

• rheia

• Iapetos, father of promethus

the cyclopes & the hundered-handers

offspring from crastrated ouranos (no sexual union)

aphrodite (acc. to Hesiod, from Greek aphros, foam; think aphrodisiac)

offspring of the titan iapetos (sexual)

atlas, who holds up the sky

prometheus (“forethought”), father of deucalion

epimetheus (“afterthought”), father of pyrrha

offspring of the titans rheia and cronos (sexual): the olympians

hestia

demeter

hera

hades

poseidon

zeus

children of zeus (sexual): the other olympians

metis (“cunning intelligence”), daughter of a titan, swallowed by zeus

• athena

demeter (sister)

• persephone

leto (daughter of titans)

• apollo and artemis

hera (sister)

• ares

maia (daughter of titan)

• hermes

semele (mortal)

• dionysus

offspring of hera (no sexual union)

hephaistos

created by hephaistos and other gods at the request of zeus

pandora