The Creation

 

Have you ever wondered where things originated? We have always heard the name of Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite, and other Greek gods and goddesses that were introduced to us in our literature class or we have encountered in some of the books we’ve read. In religion, we associate god with beginnings since he created the world. However, with the Greek gods and goddesses, were they the beginning or the product of creation? If they were the product, then where did they come from? Hesiod, a poet, created the Theogony to answer these questions.

According to Solmsen (n.d.), Hesiod recounts the history of the gods, beginning with the emergence of Chaos, Gaea (Earth), and Eros. Gaea gives birth to Uranus (Heaven), the Mountains, and Pontus (the Sea); and later, after uniting herself to Uranus, she bears many other deities. This could be attributed to the creation stated in the bible. However, they differ in meaning because Theogony exposes the origin of crime and bad things on Earth. Ancient Literature (2020) states that “…Pandora, who opened a jar (referred to as “Pandora’s box” in modern accounts) releasing all the evils of mankind, leaving only Hope inside once she had closed it again.) The text shows how all evils of mankind were spread out to the world. There is a saying that a tree will bear fruit of its kind. We can associate it with the offspring bore by the Greek gods and goddesses. It was also mentioned that it begins with chaos, and the product becomes chaotic as well. Looking at the relationship of the characters in the text, we can imply that it is somehow complicated.

Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite, and other Greek gods and goddesses are the products of creation. Thus, they are also the beginning in which the next generations of gods and goddesses we know came from. Upon reading the Theogony, I have realized that the outcome of the offspring depends on the parents. However, the offspring is the one who will be responsible if he/she chooses to spread out evils or let hope prevails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Hesiod. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hesiod#ref261851

Theogony - Hesiod | Summary & analysis | Ancient Greece - Classical literature. (2020). Ancient Literature. https://www.ancient-literature.com/greece_hesiod_theogony.html