LVV 4U1 Hesiod’s Theogony: Questions 1. What is the primary function of the Muses, and why does Hesiod associate himself with them? 2. Explain how a sense of the sacred pervades the poem. In what way was the poet initiated into this sacred field? 3. What is the parentage of the Muses? What places are they associated with? 4. How many Muses are there? Do you think this number could in any way be significant? Why is Calliope the most important? 5. How is poetry affiliated with the responsibilities of kings and the realm of Zeus? Who is the patron god of poets? 6. Describe the birth of the Cosmos according to Hesiod. Who are the primordial divinities? 7. What pattern do you detect with respect to the succession of divine rulers? Who are the three successive rulers? What do you make of the fact that violence is central to this pattern? 8. Explain the association of the goddess Aphrodite with Cyprus. Why is her birth so prominently displayed here? 9. Who is Kronion? What is his relationship with Kronos? Why is his generation referred to as “Ouranians”? 10. What Titans besides Kronos are prominently featured in the poem? What is the importance of the resistance of Prometheus to the will of Zeus? 11. How does Zeus respond to Prometheus’ crime? How does this part of the myth embody an aggressive misogyny? 12. What is the Titanomachy? Explain its importance. Who loses, and how? Where are they banished to? What special support did the victors enjoy? 13. What particularly poetic elements feature in Hesiod’s description of the Titanomachy, and the subsequent punishment of the defeated? 14. Describe the importance of Styx. Why is she to be particularly feared by the gods? 15. How do the gods sustain themselves? 16. Who is Typhoios? What threat did he represent? How does this threat relate to a recurrent theme in the poem? 17. After consolidating his power, what is Zeus described as doing? 18. Describe the variety of divine figures engendered by Zeus. Why do you think some appear to be more abstract entities and personifications than actual individuals? Name at least four abstract and six flesh-and-blood individuals sired by Zeus. 19. Describe how the theme of rivalry between Zeus and his eventual consort Hera is embodied in the poem. What aspect of the recurrent theme mentioned above does this apparent hostility hint at? And how does the poet avoid bringing it into the foreground? 20. In your opinion, why did the myths related by Hesiod turn out to be such a viable and durable cosmology? Explain what you think its cultural importance to the ancient Greeks might have been. Finally, how do the religious values endorsed by Hesiod compare with any you are familiar with?
