Chapter 1: The Early Gods
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♠ Hesiod, Theogony 154-206
For of all the children that were born of Earth and Heaven, these were the most terrible, and they were hated by their own father from the first. And he used to hide them all away in a secret place of Earth so soon as each was born, and would not suffer them to come up into the light: and Heaven rejoiced in his evil doing. But vast Earth groaned within, being straitened, and she thought a crafty and an evil wile. Forthwith she made the element of grey flint and shaped a great sickle, and told her plan to her dear sons. And she spoke, cheering them, while she was vexed in her dear heart: “My children, gotten of a sinful father, if you will obey me, we should punish the vile outrage of your father; for he first thought of doing shameful things.” So she said; but fear seized them all, and none of them uttered a word. But great Cronos the wily took courage and answered his dear mother: “Mother, I will undertake to do this deed, for I reverence not our father of evil name, for he first thought of doing shameful things.” Continue Greek Text
♠ Hesiod, Theogony 207-210
But these sons whom he begot himself great Heaven used to call Titans (Strainers) in reproach, for he said that they strained and did presumptuously a fearful deed, and that vengeance for it would come afterwards. Greek Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 14.200-210
“For I am faring to visit the limits of the all-nurturing earth, and Oceanus, from whom the gods are sprung, and mother Tethys, even them that lovingly nursed and cherished me in their halls, when they had taken me from Rhea, what time Zeus, whose voice is borne afar, thrust Cronos down to dwell beneath earth and the unresting sea. Them am I faring to visit, and will loose for them their endless strife, since now for a long time’s space they hold aloof one from the other from the marriage-bed and from love, for that wrath hath come upon their hearts. If by words I might but persuade the hearts of these twain, and bring them back to be joined together in love, ever should I be called dear by them and worthy of reverence.” Greek Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 14.245-46
were it even the streams of the river Oceanus, from whom they all are sprung. Greek Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 5.370-71
but fair Aphrodite flung herself upon the knees of her mother Dione. Greek Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 21.195-97
nor the great might of deep-flowing Ocean, from whom all rivers flow and every sea, and all the springs and deep wells. Greek Text
♠ Hyginus, Fabulae 139
CURETES: After Opis had borne Jove by Saturn, Juno asked her to give him to her, since Saturn hd cast Orcus under Tartarus, and Neptune under the sea, because he knew that his son would rob him of the kingdom. When he had asked Opis for what she had borne, in order to devour it, Opis showed him a stone wrapped up like a baby; Saturn devoured it. When he realized what he had done, he started to hunt for Jove throughout the earth. Juno, however, took Jove to the island of Crete, and Amalthea, the child’s nurse, hung him in a cradle from a tree, so that he could be found neither in heaven nor on earth nor in the sea. And lest the cries of the baby be heard, she summoned youths and gave them small brazen shields and spears, and bade them go around the tree making a noise. In Greek they are called “Curetes”; others call them “Corybantes”; these [in Italy? ], however are called “Lares.” Latin Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 1.570
Then troubled were the gods of heaven throughout the palace of Zeus. Greek Text
♠ Homer, Iliad 5.898
but wert thou [Ares] born of any other god, thus pestilent as thou art, then long ere this hadst thou been lower than the sons of heaven.” Greek Text
♠ Hesiod, Theogony 919
Apollo and Artemis delighting in arrows, children lovely above all the sons of Heaven. Greek Text
♠ Hesiod, Theogony 929
Hephaestus, who excelled all the sons of Heaven in crafts. Greek Text
♠ Akousilaos 2F8 – Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker 1, p. 50, ed. F. Jacoby, 2d ed. Leiden 1957.
Akousilaos says that Ouranos fearing, the Hundred-Handers should they be greater than he, hurled them into Tartaros, because he saw such creatures as them. (Transl. E. Bianchelli) Greek Text
♠ Plato, Timaios 40d-e
Concerning the other divinities, to discover and declare their origin is too great a task for us, and we must trust to those who have declared it aforetime, they being, as they affirmed, descendants of gods and knowing well, no doubt, their own forefathers. It is, as I say, impossible to disbelieve the children of gods, even though their statements lack either probable or necessary demonstration; and inasmuch as they profess to speak of family matters, we must follow custom and believe them. Therefore let the generation of these gods be stated by us, following their account, in this wise: Of Ge and Uranus were born the children Oceanus and Tethys; and of these, Phorkys, Cronos, Rhea, and all that go with them. Greek Text
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Edited by Dan Mills, Graduate Assistant, Department of Classics, University of Georgia, 2018.
Updated by Elena Bianchelli, Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, University of Georgia, June 2020
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