Theogony

Hesiod, copy of an original manuscript of the Theogony14th century

The Theogony (from the Greek Θεογονία Theogonia; lit. 'origin of the gods') is a poetic work written by Hesiod. It contains one of the oldest versions of the origin of the cosmos and the lineage of the gods of Greek mythology. It is one of the key works of the Greco-Roman epic. It is disputed whether it should be dated to the 8th century or the VII a. c.

Content

The work is built from pre-existing poetic genres that until now had belonged to the oral tradition in Greece: cosmogonies, theogonies, genealogies, catalogs, and succession myths. The first three genres can appear merged, they structure the work and are ordered according to approximately chronological criteria. The succession myths, despite the fact that they can be considered as digressions within the genealogical blocks, give meaning to the entire work.

Proem (v. 1-115)

The proem has two blocks:

• an hymn to the Muses of Mount Helicón (v. 1-35) where Hesiodo recounts his own poetic initiation,
• an hymn to the Musas del Olimpo (v. 36 - 104)

ends with an invocation (v. 105 - 115) that marks the transition to the main part of the poem.

Compositionally, the proem is essentially indistinguishable from the structure of other preserved proems, such as the Homeric Hymns: its ternary structure (announcement of the hymn's theme, account of some episode in the life of the celebrated god, closing invocation asking for his favor) links it to lyrical forms.

Fresco depicting the Titanomaquia, the war of the gods

Body of the poem (v. 116 - 1018)

Cosmogony and first generation of gods. First part of the succession myth. (v. 116 - 210)

Here a group of deities that represent cosmic elements are mentioned, in a genealogical way.

• The primary elements: Caos, Gea, Tataro, Eros (v. 116 - 122)
• A first generation of beings:
  • children of Caos, and their grandchildren (v. 123 - 125)
  • children of Gea only (v. 126 - 132)

Follows a more markedly theogonic genealogy:

• • children of Gea and Uranus (v. 133 - 153)

since although deities that represent elements are mentioned there (such as Oceanus, Hyperion, Rhea), collectively they appear more anthropomorphic gods than the previous ones: the Titans, Cyclops and Hecatonchires.

As the closure of this block appears, as the first part of the succession myth, the

• • Myth of the Uranus castration (v. 154-210), which in turn contains the enumeration of the gods born of Uranus mutilation, including Aphrodite, from the waters of the sea on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Genealogy of the Olympic Gods.

Second and third generation of gods. End of the succession myth. (v. 211 - 885)

It follows a set of genealogies in mere juxtaposition, with important epic digressions containing the rest of the succession myth.

• Children of Nix, including Eris with their children (v. 211 - 232)
• Sons of Ponto and Gea (v. 233 - 239)
• Nietos de Ponto
  • Daughters of Nereo and Doris: catalogue of the Nereides (v. 240 - 264)
  • Children of Taumante and Electra (v. 265 - 269)
  • Children of Cetus and Forcis (v. 270-336)
• Uranus Nietos
  • Children of Tetis and Ocean (v. 337-370)
  • Children of Tea and Hyperion (v. 371 - 374)
  • Children and grandchildren of Crio and Euribia (v. 375-388)
    • Digression: Spirit and children
  • Children of Febe and Ceo (v. 404-413)
    • Digression: Hymn to Hecate (v. 414 - 452)
  • Sons of Crono and Rea (v. 453 - 458)
    • Digression, myth of succession Part II: deceit of Chronus and birth of Zeus (v. 459 - 506)
  • Children of Jápeto and Clímene (v. 507 - 511)
    • Digression: destiny of the children of Japetus (v. 512-616), which contains the
      • Prometheus myth (535-616)
• 

  La Greek trinity and the distribution of kingdoms on Earth: Zeus (Heaven), Poseidon (Mars and oceans) and Hades (Inframundo)
  Part III succession myth: Titanomaquia (v. 617 - 731), War of Gods and Titans (v. 665, 666, 667)
  • Digression: description of the Tartar (v. 732 - 819)
• Myth of succession part IV: birth of Typhoon and Tifonomaquia (v. 820 - 868)
• Children of Typhoon (v. 869 - 880)
• Succession myth part V: Ascense of Zeus to power (v. 881 - 885).
• Distribution of domains of the three kingdoms of the Earth: Heaven for Zeus, the Sea for Poseidon, and the Underworld for Hades.

Fourth generation of gods. (v. 886 - 962)

Constitution Underworld

Sons of Zeus (v. 886 - 929)

• Digression: Deglution of Metis by Zeus (v. 886 - 900), birth of Athena.
• Sons of Poseidon (v. 930 - 933)
• Sons of Ares and Aphrodite (v. 933 - 937)
• Unions of gods with nymphs or mortal women (v. 938 - 962)

Ending (v. 963 - 1022)

Towards the end the poem loses its thread:

• New Proemio (v. 963-968)
• Unions of goddesses with mortal men: catalog of heroes (v. 969 - 1018)
• New Proemio (v. 1019 - 1022)