LEARNING ACTIVITY 1.1 THEOGONY: AN ANALYSIS
Do the following activities:
1. Present the theme of the lines. Discuss.
- The theme of the lines for me is Cycles of Succession. The poet details the multiple
succession that occur in the realm of the Gods. That excerpt illustrates succession of power
among the Gods and cyclical succession that takes place between parent and child. From the
origin of the first Greek God and Goddesses, to the rise of the titans. Succession is shown to
be a natural dynamic among Gods.
2. Discuss your analysis showing comparison and contrast of the Theogony: Lines 116 –
122 and of the Bible Creation story. Cite pieces of evidence that would support your analysis.
- Hesiod 's Theogony and the Book of Genesis, came from two very distinct cultures.
Hesiod’s Theogony is the Greek account of the creation of earth and humankind, while The Book
of Genesis is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, which also stands
as an account of creation. There are a number of profound similarities and differences between
the creation stories contained in Hesiod 's Theogony and the biblical book of Genesis. The
similarities and differences between these works may reflect a great cultural similarity between
human kind, and can reflect social understandings and interpretations of the outside world.
The Book of Genesis only mentions this a few times, however, when it does it is very clear cut. "
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). Also, in Hesiod 's Theogony, it is
said that," First of all Chaos came into being; but next wide-breasted Gaea" (Theogony 116-117).
Both of these statements show how Genesis and Theogony explain that their creators created
everything out of a void, nothingness, or chaos. This is important to understanding both of these
works, as it must be noted that the Gods or God essentially saved us all from the deep nothingness
that existed. Furthermore, another similarity that both the Book of Genesis and Hesiod 's Theogony
share is the Biblical and Greek stories speak about a relationship between man and God. In both,
man is trying to placate God by offering sacrifices and God is not satisfied. This idea can be seen in
the Book of Genesis through the story of Cain and Abel. " And in process of time it came to pass,
that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord... And Abel, he also brought
of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his
offering" No specific reason is narrated in Genesis as to why God rejected Cain’s sacrifice; however,
it is interesting that Abel’s sacrifice was an animal with its fat, while Cain offered produce, as it can
relate to Greek culture.
LET’S SUMMARIZE
1. Write a summary of this lesson.
- The Theogony is the story of the succession of four generations of cosmic rulers
culminating in the ascendance of the Olympian sky-god Zeus. But the excerpt focuses only
on the First Generation of Gods. First there is Chaos, and next comes Gaia, on which the
gods, Tartarus, and Love all stand. Love (Eros) makes men weak and overpowers the mind.
From Chaos comes Night and Erebos (Darkness), and Night, with the help of Erebos, gives
birth to Day and Space. Then Gaia bears Ouranos (Heaven) to cover her and to be a resting
place for the gods.
LET’S SYNTHESIZE
1. Discuss the meaning of Theogony.
- Theogony means the origin of the gods. The “Theogony” is essentially a large-scale
synthesis of a vast variety of local Greek traditions concerning the gods and the universe,
organized as a narrative that tells about the creation of the world out of Chaos and about
the gods that shaped the cosmos.
2. Write your reaction to the poem and its theme. Discuss.
- Just like the reporter, I am also amused about this excerpt with regards to the generation
of the gods. Amused in a way that it’s actually the first time I encounter this poem and it
really reminds me of what is in the Bible, there are some differences but most story of
creation is actually the same. As I mentioned above the theme of this poem is Cycle of
Succession, because it shows the first generation of Gods. First there is Chaos, and next
comes Gaia, on which the gods, Tartarus, and Love all stand. Love (Eros) makes men weak
and overpowers the mind.