Historical Context
In 700 B.C. when Theogony was written, poetry was very popular in Greece. Poetic competitions would take place in the cities quite often. The competitors were called rhapsodists and they would usually recite a hymn to the muses at the beginning of their performance at these competitions. Theogony seems to have evolved from these shorter hymns at the time, as there are many parallels in the events and characters. Theogony was written as an attempt to logically explain the formation of the universe and the rules of nature. Now when one thinks of Ancient Greek literature they may think about Homer, but Homer did not write Theogony, although his influence is very noticeable in the dactylic hexameter (a certain type of rhyming scheme). Theogony was actually written by Hesiod, one of the major sources of Greek Mythology.
About the Author
Hesiod was a Greek poet who is believed to have lived around 700 BCE. He lived in Boeotia, an area in central Greece. Throughout his life he wrote many didactic poems. His poetry is often compared to that of Homer, who lived around the same time. During this time, 700 BCE, it was common for poems to just be passed down orally. Scholars believe that Hesiod may have actually written his poems down, unlike other poets from his time. On top of being a poet, Hesiod considered himself to be a farmer.
Many of his works consisted of themes that were relevant in his life. This can be seen in his poems, Theogony and Works and Days. Scholars frequently refer to Hesoid’s Work and Days to get an insight into what his life may have been like. They believe that his father may have been one of many merchants that migrated from Asia Minor to Greece. They also believe that Hesoid himself was a traveller. These travels are believed to have helped Hesoid when he wrote Theogony.
Synopsis of the Myth
Theogony exists as a moralizing and didactic poem that methodically portrays the origins of the gods of the ancient Greeks and the narratives that depict their existence. The poem initiates with the portrayal of the muses and commences the story of the cosmogony of uranus. The hymn of the Muses serve as an introduction or prelude to Theogony. Gaia married her son Uranus, and gave birth to twelve titans. Uranus loathed these children and hid them in the womb of Gaia. Gaia requested her children to kill Uranus, and Cronus eventually castrates Uranus and spreads his genitals in the ocean. The Titans of the century married exclusively within their own, and had bore titan offspring. The poem continues thoroughly and meticulously to describe the creation of all the Gods. The derivation of each God is chronicled and narrated precisely, as a direct reflection of Greek tradition and mythology.