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Theogony
The Theogony is an 8th-century BCE didactic and instructional poem, credited to the Greek poet Hesiod. The Theogony was, at first, not actually written down, rather, it was part of a rich oral tradition which only achieved written form decades...
Definition
Works and Days
Works and Days is an epic poem written in dactylic hexameter, credited to the 8th-century BCE Greek poet Hesiod. Hesiod is generally remembered for two epic works, Theogony and Works and Days but, like his contemporary Homer, he was part...
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Theogony (Generations of the Gods) by Hesiod, c. 700 BCE
An infographic illustrating Hesiod's Theogony (literally meaning "Birth of the Gods") - the earliest known and the only complete account of the origins of the universe and the gods according to ancient Greek mythology and tradition. Traditionally...
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Theogony's Elder Titans
An infographic illustrating the family tree of Greek mythology's 12 Elder Titans, offspring of primordial deities Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (Sky), a golden race of immortal, pre-Olympian gods and their descendants. It is broadly accepted that...
Definition
Hesiod
Hesiod (c. 700 BCE) in conjunction with Homer, is one of those almost legendary early Greek Epic poets. His works are not of comparable length to Homer's. Hesiod's poems are not epic because of their length, but because of their language...
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Greek Mythology
Greek mythology was used as a means to explain the environment in which humankind lived, the natural phenomena they witnessed and the passing of time through the days, months, and seasons. Greek myths were also intricately connected to religion...
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Hesiod on the Birth of the Gods
The Greek poet Hesiod (c. 700 BCE) is most famous for his works Theogony and Works and Days. In this passage from Theogony, Hesiod relates the birth of the gods from cosmic Chaos and follows the lineage through the great Zeus, King of the...
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Prometheus
In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus had a reputation as being something of a clever trickster and he famously gave the human race the gift of fire and the skill of metalwork, an action for which he was punished by Zeus, who ensured everyday...
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Tartarus
In Greek mythology, Tartarus was the lowest point of the universe, below the underworld but separate from it. Tartarus is best known from Hesiod's Theogony as one of the first beings to come into existence in the universe and also as the...
Definition
Muse
In Greek mythology, the nine Muses are goddesses of the various arts such as music, dance, and poetry. Blessed with wonderful artistic talents, they also possess great beauty, grace, and allure. Their gifts of song, dance, and joy helped...