The Greed for Power
The Greed for Power
Shayne Doriel G. Sindayen
The
Theogony written by Hesoid provides us rich stories about Greek mythology. Most
of the stories highlighted magical or unusual events on how they were born out
of nothingness or in unusual way for the reason that they were myth to begin
with. Such magical events and mythological deities and creatures perhaps are
the mostly remembered part in this since they are attractive and interesting to
the eyes of the readers and they draw wide imagination to them.
For
example, one of the stories revolves around how everything came into existence
wherein Chaos, a careless god who lives in the dark, created Nyx (Night) and
Erebus (Underworld) and then Nyx and Erebus created Aether and Day as stated in
“From
Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether and Day,
whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus,” Moreover, the
way Gaia came to be, wherein she was created when Nyx and Erebus mated and then
Gaia gave birth with Uranus without male assistance and then the two mated and
later on and Titans were born out of them.
However, few offspring like Cyclops and Hecatoncheires
were treated differently by their own father and considered them as monsters, “They
were hated by their own father from the first. And he used to hide them all
away in a secret place of Earth so soon as each was born, and would not suffer
them to come up into the light: and Heaven rejoiced in his evil doing.”
However,
as I take a look at the other perspective of the story, it is not just merely about
such magical and unusual events of the creation but it is actually more than
that. For me, it is chaotic and somehow absurd as these creatures use their
power to take control of everything especially when they were threatened by
others or even by their own family. They were willing to do something evil just
protect their place in order to survive and remain powerful. They also act
according to what they feel like and think without taking others into
consideration. For example, in the case of Uranus, the father of the 12 Titans
and 3 Cyclopes and 3 Hecatoncheires. The ruler of the sky and universe didn’t
like the thought that one of his offspring could potentially take his spot on
the throne. Uranus attempted to lock away and hide his children in order to
protect himself. This would become his downfall because of the pain that it
causes Gaia. (Madeleine, 2019)
Since this will hurt Gaia, she planned to take
revenge wherein one of her children, named Cronus castrated his father to pay
for his evil action as stated in this line, “And Heaven came, bringing on
night and longing for love, and he lay about Earth spreading himself full upon
her.7 Then the son from his ambush stretched forth his left hand and in his
right took the great long sickle with jagged teeth, and swiftly lopped off his
own father's members and cast them away to fall behind him.”
What
he did was, he snatched them from Rhea and swallowed them so that they would
not live. However, this maltreatment of him to his son has to stop, “But
when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought
her own dear parents, Earth and starry Heaven, to devise some plan with her
that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might
overtake great, crafty Cronos for his own father and also for the children whom
he had swallowed down.”
When
Rhea gave birth to her son, Zeus, she hid him in an island of Crete and he grew
as a powerful god. Maybe this particular circumstance runs in their family as
the Battle of Olympus took place wherein Zeus took revenge and put this to end.
He made his father vomit the other children and he also released the Cyclops
and Hecantoncheiris.
Moreover,
it seems like this has also become Zeus’s problem. He deceived his first wife
named, Metis who was a bright goddess and about to give birth to Athene. “For
they advised him so, to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the
eternal gods in place of Zeus; for very wise children were destined to be born
of her,” He swallowed his wife for she was bound to give birth to a
child who is very wise and might threaten his place as the ruler of Olympus.
These
scenes from Theogony, for me, reflect what our current society is and how some
people are greedy for power. They use their power for their own advantage and
benefits; to remain in place like what is illustrated in the story.
For
the gods, goddesses, and titans, it seems so natural for them to take revenge
or use their power to remain in control. In our society nowadays, we do not do
those specific acts as we are not immortals like them but some people do evil
things which equates to what they did that somehow has also become a natural
way of protecting their authority and dealing with people who might seem to
overthrown or a threat to them.
We cannot deny that some people become brutal and violent if their positions are at stake. Crimes and maltreatment are everywhere and it seems like there is no end until we, citizen, put an end to these ruthless acts and injustices caused by them. Our current justice system is already flawed and unfortunately some no longer think of other people just to have anything they want.
For me, this is why Theogony is still relevant in today’s generation. It helps people to see the other things behind magical curtains and sunshine. There are other relevant things we have yet to see in this world. Furthermore, they may be gods or goddesses and we may be just mortal beings, but one of the things that makes us similar to them is that of how we handle power and how we use it in our lives.
References:
Evelyn-White, H.G. (1914). The Theogony of Hesiod. Trans. Retrieved from: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hesiod/theogony.htm.
Madeleine (2019). How did uranus get its name as per
Greek mythology? Retrieved from: https://www.theoi.com/articles/how-did-uranus-get-its-name-as-per-greek-mythology/#:~:text=Uranus%20attempted%20to%20lock%20away%20and%20hide%20his,of%20her%20sons%20to%20hide%20and%20ambush%20Uranus.
Images:
Gaia and Uranus. Retrieved from: from:https://01greekmythology.blogspot.com/2015/03/castration-of-uranus.html
Castration of Uranus. Retrieved from: https://01greekmythology.blogspot.com/2015/03/castration-of-uranus.html
Cronus and Rhea. Retrieved from:
https://01greekmythology.blogspot.com/2015/03/castration-of-uranus.html
Cronus
Vomiting. Retrieved from:
https://01greekmythology.blogspot.com/2015/03/castration-of-uranus.html
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