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Theogony

 Theogony
type
TVTItem
 Theogony
label
Theogony
 Theogony
page
Theogony
 Theogony
comment
As the Muses taught Hesiod, in the beginning there was Chaos — and indeed, this is one of the most chaotic texts in the world's literary canon. Written most probably circa 700 BCE in classical epic dactylic hexameter, it is mainly a genealogical treatise with not a few elements of theological gossip about which god slept with whom and who was born as a result. "Theogony" means "The Origin of Gods", and it is Exactly What It Says on the Tin. Presenting the whole divine family on one genealogical tree is almost impossible, but the Greeks apparently had little problems with memorizing all the details, as numerous stories from Greek mythology are perfectly consistent with the version of events described in Theogony (though, to complicate things even more, there is also a rival version written by Pseudo-Apollodorus, known as The Library).To cut a long story short, in the beginning there was not only Chaos but also Gaia (Mother Earth), Tartarus (Ineffably Deep Abyss), and Eros (who in those times resembled rather Will To Procreate than Romantic Love). Then, Gaia gave birth, among other creatures, to Ouranos (Heaven) and Pontus (Sea), both of whom later fathered many children with her. This strange family had three main branches:1) Chaos Erebus (Darkness) and Nyx (Night) Erebus and Nyx reproduced to make: Aether (Light) and Hemera (Day) Nyx produced parthenogenetically: Moros (Doom), Oneiroi (Dreams), the Keres (Destinies), Eris (Discord), Momos (Blame), Philotes (Love), Geras (Old Age), Thanatos (Death), Moirai (Fates), Nemesis (Retribution), Hesperides (Daughters of Night), Hypnos (Sleep), Oizys (Hardship), Apate (Deceit) Children of Eris: Ponos (Pain), Hysmine (Battles), the Neikea (Quarrels), the Phonoi (Murders), Lethe (Oblivion), Makhai (Fight), Pseudologos (Lies), Amphilogia (Disputes), Limos (Famine), Androktasia (Manslaughters), Ate (Ruin), Dysnomia (Anarchy and Disobedient Lawlessness), the Algea (Illness), Horkos (Oaths), Logoi (Stories)2) Gaia (Olympians in Bold) Ouranos (Sky); he and Gaia reproduced to make: Titans: Cronus and Rhea Hestia Demeter Hera Hades Poseidon Zeus Titans: Oceanus and Tethys Potamoi (Rivers) Oceanid nymphs Titans: Hyperion and Theia Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), Eos (Dawn) Titans: Coeus and Phoebe Leto and Asteria Titan: Crius, with his mate produces Astraios, Pallas, Perses Titan: Iapetus, with an Oceanid nymph produced: Atlas Menoetius Prometheus Epimetheus Titan: Mnemosyne Titan: Themis Cyclopes (one-eyed giants): Brontes, Steropes, Arges Hecatonchires (hundred-armed giants): Kottos, Briareos, Gyges Ouranos upon his castration by Cronus produced: Erinyes (the Furies), Giants, Meliai (Dryad) nymphs, Aphrodite The Ourea (Mountains) Pontus (Sea), with Gaia produced Nereus (Old Man of the Sea) With Oceanid nymph Doris produces: the Nereid nymphs Thaumas With Oceanid nymph Electra produces: Iris (Rainbow) and two Harpies Phorcys and Ceto, who reproduce to make The Graiae, the Gorgons, Echidna, and Ophion3) Tartarus With Gaia produced: Typhon With Echidna produced the monsters: Orthrus, Cerberus, Hydra, Chimera With Chimera, Orthrus produced: Nemean Lion, SphinxYes, the Fates appear there twice, and yes, they are the same Fates, because their names are identical in both cases. Two identical sets of Fates look so uncanny that scholars usually believe one of them to be an interpolation.There is also another poem by this author, but it is considerably less mythological and much more didactic.
 Theogony
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2023-06-05T01:44:47Z
 Theogony
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2023-06-05T01:44:47Z
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DBTropes
 Theogony / int_154aa477
type
Big, Screwed-Up Family
 Theogony / int_154aa477
comment
Big, Screwed-Up Family: An Ur-Example.
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Theogony / int_154aa477
 Theogony / int_1beef720
type
Living Forever Is Awesome
 Theogony / int_1beef720
comment
Living Forever Is Awesome: For Heracles, especially that he also seems to have been given Eternal Love.
 Theogony / int_1beef720
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Theogony / int_1beef720
 Theogony / int_2044af1
type
Faceless Goons
 Theogony / int_2044af1
comment
Faceless Goons: The children of Erebus and Nyx. We do not know much about them except that they are mostly unfriendly and there are many of them.
 Theogony / int_2044af1
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Theogony / int_2044af1
 Theogony / int_27ab0123
type
Offing the Offspring
 Theogony / int_27ab0123
comment
Offing the Offspring: The only possible justification for Cronos' actions is that he really didn't have a good paternal example to follow.
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Theogony / int_27ab0123
 Theogony / int_3f70415
type
Because Destiny Says So
 Theogony / int_3f70415
comment
Because Destiny Says So: That is why Cronos had to be overthrown by Zeus.
 Theogony / int_3f70415
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 Theogony / int_40b1c664
type
The Patriarch
 Theogony / int_40b1c664
comment
The Patriarch: Zeus.
 Theogony / int_40b1c664
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Theogony / int_40b1c664
 Theogony / int_41271766
type
Happily Ever After
 Theogony / int_41271766
comment
Happily Ever After: Heracles and Hebe.
 Theogony / int_41271766
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Theogony / int_41271766
 Theogony / int_439e5a4f
type
Epic Catalog
 Theogony / int_439e5a4f
comment
Epic Catalog: Theogony comes close to being nothing but this trope, but the straightest examples would be the lists of the lovers of Zeus and the male gods their children (lines 886-964) and of the mortal lovers of goddesses and their children (965-1022).
 Theogony / int_439e5a4f
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Theogony / int_439e5a4f
 Theogony / int_443774b4
type
Narrative Poem
 Theogony / int_443774b4
comment
Narrative Poem: And one which is Older Than Feudalism.
 Theogony / int_443774b4
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Theogony / int_443774b4
 Theogony / int_4510b368
type
Ambiguous Gender
 Theogony / int_4510b368
comment
Ambiguous Gender: Chaos, although usually depicted as female, being an embodiment of primordial nothingness, may as well be the case of No Biological Sex.
 Theogony / int_4510b368
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Theogony / int_4510b368
 Theogony / int_470bff94
type
Eats Babies
 Theogony / int_470bff94
comment
Eats Babies: Kronos eats his children to avoid being overthrown. It does not work.
 Theogony / int_470bff94
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Theogony / int_470bff94
 Theogony / int_4d395e81
type
Harem Seeker
 Theogony / int_4d395e81
comment
Harem Seeker: Zeus. The list of the gods' descendants gives as many as ten names of his bed companions, all of whom were his relatives. Hera was so angry about it that it is no wonder that their son was nicknamed 'the sacker of towns'.
 Theogony / int_4d395e81
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Theogony / int_4d395e81
 Theogony / int_4e11940e
type
Mythical Motifs
 Theogony / int_4e11940e
comment
Mythical Motifs: Three Gorgons, Hydra, Pegasus, and a Dragon (only one, but not a few of his relatives were also more or less dragon-like).
 Theogony / int_4e11940e
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Theogony / int_4e11940e
 Theogony / int_55a37945
type
Badass Family
 Theogony / int_55a37945
comment
Badass Family: It doesn't come much more Badass then Divine.
 Theogony / int_55a37945
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Theogony / int_55a37945
 Theogony / int_606244c2
type
Parental Incest
 Theogony / int_606244c2
comment
Parental Incest: Gaia and Ouranos, initiating the whole divine dynasty which shaped the imagination of the people who were the cradle of Western civilization. 'Nuff said.
 Theogony / int_606244c2
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Theogony / int_606244c2
 Theogony / int_6370e1c0
type
Gender Rarity Value
 Theogony / int_6370e1c0
comment
Gender Rarity Value: There are many more females than males in the text - mainly because of the water nymphs and wood nymphs, but the tendency to group goddesses and even monsters into sets of three is also a relevant factor.
 Theogony / int_6370e1c0
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Theogony / int_6370e1c0
 Theogony / int_6a492371
type
Truly Single Parent
 Theogony / int_6a492371
comment
Truly Single Parent: Chaos, Gaia, Nyx, Hera, and probably Zeus were this. The case of Athena was probably the only one in history when it was uncertain whether or not the child had a mother even though the father was well known.
 Theogony / int_6a492371
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Theogony / int_6a492371
 Theogony / int_6ca339ed
type
Born as an Adult
 Theogony / int_6ca339ed
comment
Born as an Adult: Athena and Aphrodite were both born fully formed and were never children. It's implied that this was also the case with the Erinyes, the Meliae and the Giants.
 Theogony / int_6ca339ed
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Theogony / int_6ca339ed
 Theogony / int_6e70b12b
type
Nominal Importance
 Theogony / int_6e70b12b
comment
Nominal Importance: Strongly averted. Everyone here has a name, even if he or she doesn't appear anywhere else.
 Theogony / int_6e70b12b
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Theogony / int_6e70b12b
 Theogony / int_73ef9ef3
type
Almighty Janitor
 Theogony / int_73ef9ef3
comment
Almighty Janitor: Tartarus. Apparently powerful enough to hold the titans, cyclopes, and hekatoncheires prisoner for eternity, the only thing he ever actually does is sleep with Gaia to father Typhon. Even then, it's Gaia who sets Typhon on Zeus, not Tartarus. Tartarus is apparently content to sit back and enjoy his role as jailer/jail for the gods.
 Theogony / int_73ef9ef3
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Theogony / int_73ef9ef3
 Theogony / int_771f6307
type
Brother–Sister Incest
 Theogony / int_771f6307
comment
Brother–Sister Incest: Most notably, Zeus with Hera, but also Zeus with Demeter, Erebus with Nyx, Phorkys with Keto, four Titans (Cronos, Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus) with four Titanesses (Rhea, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe) and even a pair of monsters, Orthrus and Chimera.
 Theogony / int_771f6307
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Theogony / int_771f6307
 Theogony / int_7e7573a0
type
Spontaneous Generation
 Theogony / int_7e7573a0
comment
Spontaneous Generation: The Erinyes, Meliae and Giants were born from Earth impregnated by the cut-off genitals of her son and husband, Heaven, who was castrated by the son whom he himself had begotten on Earth. Meanwhile, Aphrodite emerges fully formed without a mother after said genitals fall into the sea.
 Theogony / int_7e7573a0
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Theogony / int_7e7573a0
 Theogony / int_83445b04
type
Pun
 Theogony / int_83445b04
comment
Pun: An example in the original Greek; one of Aphrodite's titles in worship was Philommeidês (Φιλομμειδης), which means "Laughter-Loving" or "Smile-Loving". Hesiod refers to her as Philommêdês (Φιλομμηδης), which means "Genetal-Loving". Totally because she was born from Uranus' genetals and nothing else.
 Theogony / int_83445b04
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Theogony / int_83445b04
 Theogony / int_863fa679
type
What Happened to the Mouse?
 Theogony / int_863fa679
comment
What Happened to the Mouse?: Metis' son (the one meant to overthrow Zeus) never makes an appearance after Athena's birth. While avoiding being overthrown was kind of the point of Zeus swallowing Metis, the fact that Athena could be born at all kind of implies that it's still possible for her brother to get out too.
 Theogony / int_863fa679
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Theogony / int_863fa679
 Theogony / int_882cd7d1
type
Double In-Law Marriage
 Theogony / int_882cd7d1
comment
Double In-Law Marriage: As hard as it is to believe it, combined with Brother–Sister Incest.
 Theogony / int_882cd7d1
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Theogony / int_882cd7d1
 Theogony / int_8ff8d545
type
Kissing Cousins
 Theogony / int_8ff8d545
comment
Kissing Cousins: Too many to count.
 Theogony / int_8ff8d545
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Theogony / int_8ff8d545
 Theogony / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 Theogony / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Three of them in quick succession, during the Theogony's Creation Myth: Ouranos during the Cosmogony, being the Evil Overlord ruling over the universe and imprisoning the children he hates. Kronos during the Titanomachy, first swallowing all his children so they don't overthrow him, then leading the Titans to keep a hold on his status as ruler of the world. Typhon, he who spawned all of the worst monsters and ended up breezing up to Olympus in the hopes of overthrowing Zeus.
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Theogony / int_970c790a
 Theogony / int_97aaa7f3
type
In the Blood
 Theogony / int_97aaa7f3
comment
In the Blood: The tradition of killing incapacitating one's father before seizing the rule over the world was very prominent in the family of Zeus. Also, the children of Phorkys and Keto were all monsters, whereas water was more than essential for all the descendants of Oceanus and Tethys.
 Theogony / int_97aaa7f3
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Theogony / int_97aaa7f3
 Theogony / int_9fb41dce
type
The Weird Sisters
 Theogony / int_9fb41dce
comment
The Weird Sisters: There are three Moirai or goddesses of fate: Clotho ("spinner") spins the thread of life at the birth of a human being, Lachesis ("allotter") measures it, and Atropos ("inevitable"), also called Aisa ("destiny"), cuts it when life is at its end. The notion of three Moirai was codified by Theogony; in traditions predating Hesiod there are two Moirai or only one Moira.
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Theogony / int_9fb41dce
 Theogony / int_a426ae28
type
Multiple-Choice Past
 Theogony / int_a426ae28
comment
Multiple-Choice Past: The Theogony contradicts itself on some occasions (possibly because of textual corruption). Are the Moiria the daughters of Nyx alone or of Zeus and Themis? Is Athena the daughter of Zeus and Metis or is she born to Zeus without mother?
 Theogony / int_a426ae28
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Theogony / int_a426ae28
 Theogony / int_a5fb0d24
type
Healing Factor
 Theogony / int_a5fb0d24
comment
Healing Factor: Prometheus.
 Theogony / int_a5fb0d24
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Theogony / int_a5fb0d24
 Theogony / int_a6cda066
type
Rule of Three
 Theogony / int_a6cda066
comment
Rule of Three: The story mentions three cases of dethronement of the father by his son, the last of which was prophesied sufficiently early to avert it by swallowing the pregnant mother of a dangerous child. When the child was eventually given birth to by the father, it inexplicably turned out to be a girl, and not a one particularly inclined to commit patricide.
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Theogony / int_a6cda066
 Theogony / int_b82ca416
type
Rage Against the Heavens
 Theogony / int_b82ca416
comment
Rage Against the Heavens: Prometheus, with surprisingly effective result.
 Theogony / int_b82ca416
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Theogony / int_b82ca416
 Theogony / int_b8dde2
type
Evil Overlord
 Theogony / int_b8dde2
comment
Ouranos during the Cosmogony, being the Evil Overlord ruling over the universe and imprisoning the children he hates.
 Theogony / int_b8dde2
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Theogony / int_b8dde2
 Theogony / int_c33ba0a8
type
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome
 Theogony / int_c33ba0a8
comment
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: After spontaneously creating Gaia, Tartarus, Eros, Erebos and Nyx, Chaos just seems to disappear from the story and is never heard from again.
 Theogony / int_c33ba0a8
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Theogony / int_c33ba0a8
 Theogony / int_c489934e
type
Apron Matron
 Theogony / int_c489934e
comment
Apron Matron: Gaia. She even gave birth to one of her children (Typhoeus) only to revenge the previous ones on their father, who thrust them down into Tartarus. Tartarus himself was the father of Typhoeus, which makes it even more weird.
 Theogony / int_c489934e
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 Theogony / int_d0f0a80d
type
One-Word Title
 Theogony / int_d0f0a80d
comment
One-Word Title: "Theogony" means "The Origin of Gods", and it is Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
 Theogony / int_d0f0a80d
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Theogony / int_d0f0a80d
 Theogony / int_dae5c997
type
Action Girl
 Theogony / int_dae5c997
comment
Action Girl: Athena and Artemis. The former was not only a Lady of War but also a Genius Bruiser, and both had particularly impressive Virgin Power.
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Theogony / int_dae5c997
 Theogony / int_e16cedc6
type
TheLongList
 Theogony / int_e16cedc6
comment
The Long List: The children of Oceanus and the daughters of Nereus.
 Theogony / int_e16cedc6
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Theogony / int_e16cedc6
 Theogony / int_e16fb8ca
type
Hero Killer
 Theogony / int_e16fb8ca
comment
Hero Killer: Typhon makes his first appearance here.
 Theogony / int_e16fb8ca
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Theogony / int_e16fb8ca
 Theogony / int_ee7a60e9
type
One-Steve Limit
 Theogony / int_ee7a60e9
comment
One-Steve Limit: There are a couple of aversions in the text. There are two Thalia, both daughters of Zeus: one of the Muses and one of the Charites. There are two Doris: one of the Oceanid and wife of Nereus and one of the Nereid and daughter of the first. There are two Urania: one of the Muses and and one of the Oceanid. Titaness Thetys and Nereid Thetis (better known as Achilles' mother) have similar names.
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Theogony / int_ee7a60e9
 Theogony / int_f6e99f40
type
Youngest Child Wins
 Theogony / int_f6e99f40
comment
Youngest Child Wins: Though, if throwing his children up by Ouranos served as a second birth, Zeus was actually the eldest.
 Theogony / int_f6e99f40
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Theogony / int_f6e99f40
 Theogony / int_f76b8969
type
Anthropomorphic Personification
 Theogony / int_f76b8969
comment
Anthropomorphic Personification: Loads of them. Virtually all the primordial divinities were this.
 Theogony / int_f76b8969
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 Theogony / int_f8df38e6
type
Pater Familicide
 Theogony / int_f8df38e6
comment
Pater Familicide: Cronos swallowed alive as many as five of his children.
 Theogony / int_f8df38e6
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ItemName
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Theogony

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Theogony
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Diabolus ex Nihilo / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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Epic Catalog / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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Greater-Scope Villain / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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I Gave My Word / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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Insect Gender-Bender / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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Kinslaying Is a Special Kind of Evil / int_a7ce08de
 Mythology Tropes
seeAlso
Theogony
 Theogony
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One-Word Title / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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Public Domain Character / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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Sealed Good in a Can / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
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The Weird Sisters / int_a7ce08de
 Theogony
seeAlso
Theogony