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Theogony

In 700 BC a poem titled Theogony was composed by the Boeotian Hesoid.


The poem takes a look at how things, such as the world, came to be as well as the gods. It starts off with many lines "dedicated" to the various Muses who chose to bless the speaker of this poem to be the authoritative voice to deliver it. Then in rhetoric the speaker asks of where they came from, which leads to the introduction of the first generation of gods and goddesses, which leads to the following:

"Hail, children of Zeus! Grant lovely song and celebrate the holy race of the deathless gods who are for ever, those that were born of Earth (Gaia) and starry Heaven (Ouranos) and gloomy Night (Nyx) and them that briny Sea (Pontos) did rear. Tell how at the first gods and earth came to be, and rivers, and the boundless sea with its raging swell, and the gleaming stars, and the wide heaven above, and the gods who were born of them, givers of good things, and how they divided their wealth, and how they shared their honors amongst them, and also how at the first they took many-folded Olympus. These things declare to me from the beginning, you Muses who dwell in the house of Olympus, and tell me which of them first came to be. In truth at first Chaos (Khaos) came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth (Gaia), the ever-sure foundation of all the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth (Gaia), and Eros, fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Chaos (Khaos) came forth Erebus (Erebos) and black Night (Nyx); but of Night were born Aether (Aither) and Day (Hemera), whom she conceived and bore from union in love with Erebus."


As one goes further into the Theogony, it tells of Gaia and Ouranos, their creation of the Titans and Ouranos imprisoning his young inside Gaia. During all of this, Nyx has her own children, this time alone:

"And Night (Nyx) bore hateful Doom (Moros) and black Fate (Ker) and Death (Thanatos), and she bore Sleep (Hypnos) and the tribe of Dreams (The Oneiroi). And again the goddess murky Night (Nyx), though she lay with none, bare Blame (Momos) and painful Woe (Oizys), and the Hesperides who guard the rich, golden apples and the trees bearing fruit beyond glorious Ocean. Also she bore the Destinies (The Moirai) and ruthless avenging Fates (The Keres), Clotho and Lachesis and Atropos, who give men at their birth both evil and good to have, and they pursue the transgressions of men and of gods: and these goddesses never cease from their dread anger until they punish the sinner with a sore penalty. Also deadly Night (Nyx) bore Nemesis to afflict mortal men, and after her, Deceit (Apate) and Friendship (Philotes) and hateful Age (Geras) and hard-hearted Strife (Eris)."





Book sources:
Hesoid. Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Cambrige, Mass. and London. 1914.



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