Greek and Roman Mythology- Exam 1

“As for the genitals, just as he first cut them off with his instrument of adamant and threw them from the land into the surging sea, even so they were carried on the waves for a long time. About them a white foam grew from the immortal flesh, and in it a girl formed. First she approached holy Cythera;* then from there she came to sea-girt Cyprus. And out stepped a modest and beautiful goddess, and the grass began to grow all round beneath her slender feet”

Hesiod, Theogony. This passage describes the birth of Aphrodite from the sea foam, following the castration of Uranus by Cronus. It emphasizes her beauty and divine origin, highlighting her connection to both Cyprus and Cythera.

“There she came carrying him through the swift, dark night, not stopping until she came to Lyktos, and taking him in her arms she hid him in a cave hard of access, down in the secret places of the numinous earth, in the Aegean Mountain* with its dense woods. Then she wrapped a large stone in babycloth and delivered it to the son of Heaven, the great lord, king of the Former Gods.* Seizing it in his hands, he put it away in his belly, the brute, not realizing that thereafter not a stone but his son remained, secure and invincible, who before long was to defeat him by physical strength and drive him from his high station, himself to be king among the immortals.”

Hesiod, Theogony. This passage describes how Rhea hid Zeus from Kronos and tricked him into swallowing a stone instead of his son. This secures Zeus’ rise to power and eventual overthrow of Kronos, establishing him as king of the gods.

“Ever since that, the peoples on earth have burned white bones for the immortals on aromatic altars. In great ire Zeus the cloud-gatherer said to him, 'Son of lapetos, clever above all others, my good sir: then you are still intent on deceit.' So spoke Zeus in his wrath, whose designs do not fail. And after that, with his anger ever in mind, he would not give to the ash-trees the power of untiring fire for mortal men who live on earth. * But the noble son of lapetos outwitted him by stealing the far-beaconing flare of untiring fire in the tube of a fennel.* And it stung high thundering Zeus deep to the spirit, and angered him in his heart, when he saw the far-beaconing flare of fire among mankind.”

Hesiod, Theogony. This passage describes the myth of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods to give to humanity, angering Zeus. He is punished by being bound to a rock and forced to have his liver eaten every day by an eagle. The myth shows Zeus’ wrath against those who deceive him.

“And by himself, out of his head, he fathered the pale eyed Tritogeneia, the fearsome rouser of the fray, leader of armies, the lady Atrytone, * whose pleasure is in war and the clamor of battle; while Hera, furying and quarrelling with her husband, gave birth to the renowned Hephaestus, who is endowed with skills beyond all the Celestials.”

Hesiod, Theogony. This passage depicts Zeus giving birth to Athena out of his head after swallowing Metis to secure his title to the throne. It highlights Athena’s intelligence and Hera’s tensions with Zeus.

'Son of Iapetos, clever above all others, you are pleased at having stolen fire and outwitted me-a great calamity both for yourself and for men to come. To set against the fire I shall give them an affliction in which they will all delight as they embrace their own misfortune.' So saying, the father of gods and men laughed aloud; and he told renowned Hephaestus at once to mix earth with water, to add in a human voice and strength, and to lovely form of a maiden. Athene he told to teach her crafts, to weave the embroidered web, and golden Aphrodite to shower charm about her head, and painful yearning and consuming obsession;* to put in a bitch's mind and a knavish nature, that was his instruction to Hermes the go-between, the dog-killer.

Hesiod, Works and Days. This passage describes Zeus's reaction to Prometheus stealing fire, leading him to create Pandora as a punishment for humanity. Pandora, endowed with gifts from the gods, who brings misfortunes such as illness and toil unto humans, leading to the different ages of man (gold, silver, and bronze).

“The race of men that the immortals who dwell on Olympus made first of all was of gold. They were in the time of Kronos, when he was king in heaven; and they lived like gods, with carefree heart, remote from toil and misery. Wretched old age did not affect them either, but with hands and feet ever unchanged they enjoyed them selves· in feasting, beyond all ills, and they died as if overcome by sleep. All good things were theirs, and the grain-giving soil bore its fruits of its own accord in unstinted plenty, while they at their leisure harvested their fields in contentment amid abundance. Since the earth covered up that race, they have been divine spirits by great Zeus' design, good spirits on the face of the earth, watchers over mortal men, bestowers of wealth: such is the kingly honour that they received.”

Hesiod, Works and Days. This passage describes the ages of men. In the golden age, humans lived like gods, free from hardship and death, enjoying eternal happiness and abundance. But as time went on, the lives of humans became harder and harder and they become more separated from divinity, and the ages were named after metals of decreasing value.

How does the world come into being?

The beginning of our universe is Chaos, and then Gaea (Earth) emerges, followed by Tartarus and Eros, leading to the creation of the Titans and the ordering of the cosmos.