The First Gods, Protogenoi

According to Hesiod, first, he was approached by the Muses to be inspired to see the beginning and creation of everything. After singing the praises of the Gods and the Muses he begins his vision and tells of the first deity born to the universe, Chaos. Followed soon after by Gaia, Eros, and Tartarus. The latter three are primordial personifications of the Earth, Love, and the Abyss. Born from Chaos alone were Erebus, the personification of Darkness, and Nyx, the personification of Night. Then, born from Gaia were Ouranos, the personification of the Sky, and Pontus, the personification of the Sea. Later on, Erebus and Nyx have their children, Aether, the personification of the bright upper sky, the “Ether”, and Hemera, the personification of the Day.

The Spirits, Daimon

The next personifications are deities that were mothered by Nyx who represent the non-tangible. Among them, are Thanatos, the personification of Death, and Hypnos, the personification of Sleep. Apate, the personification of Deception, and Philotes, the personification of Affection. Geras, the personification of Old Age, and Eris, the personification of Discord. Then, Nemesis, the personification of Divine Retribution, and Oizys the personification of Blame. Momus, the personification of Satire and Mockery, and Moros, the personification of Impending Doom. Ker or Keres plural, female death spirits who were personifications of Violent Death, and the Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, who together personified Man’s Life and Destiny.

Later on Eris, the personification of Discord gives birth to even more personified spirits. First, there was Ponos, the personification of Hardship, and Lethe, the personification of Forgetfulness. Then there was Limos, the personification of Starvation, and the Pains, Lupe who personified Pain, Achos who personified Grief, and Ania who personified Sorrow. Also, the Hysminai, personifications of Battle, and the Neikea, personifications of Quarrels and Grievances. Then the Phonoi, male personifications of Murder, and the Androktosai, female personifications of Manslaughter. The Pseudologoi, personifications of lies or lying stories, and the Amphilogiai, personifications of Disputes. There was Dysnomia, the personification of Lawlessness, and Ate, the personification of Ruin. Also, Horkos, is the personification of the Oath, specifically the curse that befalls an oath breaker.

The First to Rule, The Titans

According to the Greeks and Hesiod, the Titans were the generation of Gods to rule over the cosmos firsts. The Titans were the twelve Gods born to Gaia and Ouranos. They come into power after Gaia and the youngest of the Titans, Cronus, plot against Ouranos who at the time was the current head of the Gods. The reason behind this coup was that Ouranos was cruel and violent, he had even imprisoned some of, His and Gaia’s children, in the Abyss because he was either afraid of them, didn’t like their appearance, or both. Gaia plots with Cronus, gifting him a sickle, and the plan is to castrate Ouranos the next time he attempts to lie with Gaia, which would be soon as he had a predictable libido. Then, Ouranos comes to lie down with Gaia and Cronus comes out of hiding at the opportune moment and castrates his Father throwing what he had cut off into the sea. Ouranos’ last words to his son are a curse that he would be betrayed by his offspring as Cronus had betrayed his own Father.

The Titans were the children of Gaia and Ouranos, each a God or Master of their domain. There was Oceanus, the Titan God of the river Okeanos, and Coeus, the Titan God of Resolve and Intelligence. Then Crius, the Titan God of Stars and Constellations, and Hyperion, the Titan God of Heavenly Light. Also, Iapetus, the Titan God of Mortality, and Theia, the Titan Goddess of Observation. There was Rhea, the Titan Goddess of Fertility and Motherhood, and Themis, the Titan Goddess of Justice, Law, and Order. Then Mnemosyne, the Titan Goddess of Memory and Inspiration, and Phoebe, the Titan Goddess of Bright Intellect. Lastly, there was Tethys, the Titan Goddess of Fresh Water, and Cronus, the Titan God of the Harvest.

Then from Gaia and Pontus, four more Titans, each a God or Goddess of the sea like their Father. First, there was Thaumas, the God who represented the Wonders of the Sea, and Phorcys, the God who represented the Hidden Dangers of the Deep. Then, there was Ceto, the Goddess who represented the Dangers and Dangerous Creatures of the Sea, and Eurybia, the Goddess who represented Mastery of the Seas. A fifth, but according to Hesiod, born from Pontus alone, was Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea.

From these original sixteen comes the second generation of Titans. Born to the Titans Theia and Hyperion. Each one was both a God and personification. First, there was Helios, the God and personification of the Sun, and Selene the Goddess and personification of the Moon. The third was Eos, the Goddess and personification of the Dawn. Next, born to Eurybia and Crius were Astraeus, the Titan God of the Dusk, Pallas, the Titan God of War Craft, and Perses, the Titan God of Destruction. Then, born to Phoebe and Coeus, Leto, the Titan Goddess of Motherhood, and Asteria, the Titan Goddess of Nocturnal Oracles and Shooting Stars. Lastly, born to Iapetus and Clymene, one of the Oceanid Sea Nymphs born to Oceanus and Tethys, Atlas, the Titan God of Endurance, and Menoetius, the Titan God of Violent Anger and Rash Action. As well as Prometheus, the Titan God of Fire, and Epimetheus, the Titan God of Afterthought. These are the last of the Titan Gods and Goddesses.

The Titans VS the Olympians, Titanomachy

The Olympians were the group of Gods to come into power after the Titans led by the mighty Zeus. It started when Cronus and Rhea had their first child, Hestia, Cronus swallowed the baby whole. Again with each child until the sixth, Zeus, Cronus would swallow the child whole because he intended to prevent the prophecy told by Ouranos and Gaia. The prophecy told of his downfall and being dethroned by one of his children. Then came Zeus, so Rhea went to Gaia and Ouranos, and they conspired to fool Cronus, to protect Zeus, and gave him a stone wrapped in a cloth. He swallowed the false child and went on his way, meanwhile, Gaia took Zeus. He was raised in Crete, hidden from his father, after he grew strong he would return and free his siblings along with others who would help him defeat his father Cronus and those who would side with him.

Zeus freed the Cyclopes’ who in return gave him the gifts of the Thunder, the Smoky Bolt, and the Flash of the Lightning. Then he freed the Hecatoncheires, the Hundred-Handed Ones, and the war began. The battle would last nine days and nine nights as a great blazing anvil fell from the heavens. In the end, the Olympians would be victorious and Cronus, along with those Titans that sided with him were imprisoned in the depths of Tartarus. The exceptions were those Titans who were doled out special punishments.

Zeus

The 12 Olympian Gods and Goddesses

The greatest of the Olympians was Zeus, followed by his siblings, all children of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Zeus, God of the Sky and Thunder, King of the Olympians. His two brothers, Hades, God of the Underworld and the Dead. As well as Poseidon, the “Earth-shaker”, God of the Sea, Storms, Earthquakes, and Horses. Then his three sisters, Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, and Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest and Agriculture. Then, there was Zeus’ wife, Hera, Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth. Hades is the exception since he did not live on Mt Olympus with the others and was not an Olympian.

Afterward, Zeus and Leto had Apollo, God of the Sun, Light, Music, and Poetry, and Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. Then Zeus and Hera had Ares, the God of War. Next, Zeus and Maia, the daughter of the Titan Atlas, had Hermes, the Messenger of the Gods, and protector of human messengers, travelers, public speakers, merchants, and thieves. Born from Zeus (sometimes with Metis), out of his mind producing a severe migraine until she came forth fully armored and letting out a battle cry was Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War. Then, Hera angry with Zeus, without any act of love-making, had Hephaestus, God of Fire, Smiths, and Sculpting. Lastly, born from the genitals of Ouranos that mixed with foam of the sea, brought forth Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty, Lust, Pleasure, Passion, Procreation, and Love. These are the twelve Olympians according to Hesiod.

Minor Gods, Goddesses, and the later Spirits, Daimon

First, born from one of the Titan Gods of the Sea, Thaumas, and one of the daughters of Oceanus, Electra, was Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow. She served the Olympians and was a messenger for the Gods. After this, three of the four Anemoi, or Major Winds, are mentioned. Sons of the Titan Goddess Eos and the Titan God Astraeus, there was Zephyros, the God of the West Wind, Boreas, God of the Cold North Wind, and Notos, God of the South Wind. Eurus, who isn’t mentioned in the Theogony, was the God of the East Wind. Eos also bore Eosphoros, the “Dawn-Bringer”, and the stars. Then, born to Styx (an Oceanid, daughter of Oceanus) and the Titan God Pallas were Zelus the personified Spirit of Rivalry, Nike the personified Spirit of Victory, Kratos the personified Spirit of Power, and Bia the personified Spirit of Force. Next, born to the Titan Goddess Asteria and the Titan God Perses was Hecate, the Goddess of Magic and Witchcraft. When Cronus castrated his father Ouranos, the blood splattered upon Gaia’s, the Earth’s, surface, and from there came the Furies, three Goddesses of Vengeance.

There were also the children of Zeus and the Titan Goddess Themis, were the Horae, Goddesses of the Seasons. They were Eunomia, the Goddess of Lawfulness, Dike, the Goddess of Justice, and Eirene, the Goddess of Peacetime. Then, born to Zeus, and the Oceanid daughter of Oceanus, Eurynome, were the Graces, Goddesses of Beauty, the Arts, and Joy. Their names were Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. There was also the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, Persephone, Goddess of Spring, wife to Hades, and Queen of the Underworld. Zeus and the Titan Goddess Mnemosyne had the Nine Muses. Born to Zeus and Hera were Hebe, Goddess of Youth, and Eileithyia, Goddess of Childbirth. Then Poseidon and Amphitrite, the Nereid daughter of Nereus, had a son, Triton, another Sea God like his parents. Ares and Aphrodite also had three children, twin brothers Phobos, the God of Panic, and Deimos, the God of Terror. As well as their sister, Harmonia, Goddess of Harmony and Concord. Then last, the Titan God Helios and Perse, the Oceanid daughter of Oceanus, had Circe, Goddess of Magic, and King Aeetes, the King of Colchis.

The Monsters

There was a group who were commonly reviled by their parents and family. Often portrayed as destructive and hateful forces of nature. Sometimes kept as pets by other Gods and considered to be less than the more godly members of their family. These were the monsters mentioned in Hesiod’s Theogony. The deadliest and most feared of all monsters was Typhon, who was described to have a hundred dragon or snake-like heads with fiery eyes and breath. He was also described to emit sounds from all heads, sometimes speech that the gods could understand, other times animal cries or monstrous whistles. He was the son of Gaia and Tartarus, who were joined together by Aphrodite.

Gaia and Ouranos bore the Cyclopes, One-Eyed Giants skilled in smithing, second to Hephaestus alone. They were Brontes, whose name meant “Thunder”, Steropes, whose name meant “Lightning”, and Arges, whose name means “Bright”. As well as the Hecatoncheires, the Hundred-Handed Ones, storm giants with a hundred arms and fifty heads each. Their names were Kottos, “He Who Holds a Grudge”, Briareos, whose means “Strong and Stout”, and Gyges, whose means “Earth-Born”. When Cronus castrated his father Ouranos, the blood splattered upon Gaia’s surface also produced the Giants. Then, born to the Sea Titans Phorcys and Ceto, were the Graeae, “the Grey Sisters”. They were Pemphredo, Enyo, and Deino, and they were often depicted as old women who shared one eye and one tooth between them. Sisters to the Graeae, were the Gorgons, humanoid women with snakes instead of hair, scaly skin, and the ability to turn others to stone. The eldest was Stheno, the second was Euryale, and the last and most famous was Medusa, who wasn’t born a Gorgon, she was turned into one, but that’s a story for another time. The last of their siblings was the serpent-like dragon Ladon who was the guardian of the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides.

Later, the Sea Titan Thaumas and the Oceanid Electra, had the Harpies, monsters like large birds with the faces of women. There was Okypete, whose name means “Swift-Wing” and Aello whose name means “Storm-Wind, Whirlwind”. Then, born from Medusa’s blood that spilled from her decapitated head were Chrysaor, “He Who Has a Golden Sword”, and his brother Pegasus, depicted as a winged horse. Born to the Oceanid Callirhoe was Echidna, a half-woman, half-snake, who became known as “the mother of all monsters” because she mothered a lot of the most famous monsters in Greek mythology. Geryon was a three-headed giant born to the Oceanid Callirhoe and Chrysaor.

Then, born to Typhon and Echidna, were Orthos, the Two-Headed Hound who would stand guard for Geryon, Cerberus, who is first depicted as fifty-headed and later more famously known as the Three-Headed Hound of Hades, and the Hydra of Lerna depicted as a Nine-Headed Serpentine Sea Monster. Born to the Hydra, was the Chimera, depicted as a three-headed monster with a Lion in front, a Fire-Breathing Goat in the middle, and a Serpent in the rear. Lastly, Echidna and Orthos have the Sphinx, depicted with the face of a woman, the body of a lion, and wings like a bird, and the Nemean Lion, with golden fur that was impervious to attack.

The Nymphs and the River Gods

There were dozens of nymphs mentioned by name in the Theogony. I’m going to mention the different groupings they belonged to as listing every name mentioned would be that, a list. First, born from the blood of Ouranos upon Gaia’s surface were the Ash Tree Nymphs, the Meliae. Born to Tethys and Oceanus were the Oceanids, the first generation of Sea Nymphs who numbered over three thousand. Later, Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea, and Doris, the Oceanid, had the Nereids, the second generation of Sea Nymphs who numbered fifty. The Pleiades, or Mountain Nymphs, were seven total but one is mentioned here, Maia. Then, the Nymphs of Sunset, the Hesperides were birthed by Erebus and Nyx. Lastly, the River Gods who also numbered over three thousand were the sons of Tethys and Oceanus.

The Demigods and Mortals

The last of those mentioned in Hesiod’s Theogony are those born to the Gods, predominantly Zeus, and mortals, the Demigods. Zeus and Semele, the daughter of the hero Cadmus and Harmonia, had Dionysus, who would become the God of Wine and Festivity, amongst other revelries. Then, born to Zeus and Alkmene, was Herakles, known more by his Roman name, Hercules. Later, Demeter and Iasion had a son Ploutos, or Plutus, who would become the God of Wealth. Cadmus and Harmonia had five children, Semele, mother of Dionysus, her sisters, Ino, Agave, and Autonoe, and their brother Polydorus. Tithonos and Eos would go on to have Memnon. Meanwhile, Kephalos and Eos had Phaethon. Then, Jason, son of Aison, and Medea, daughter of King Aeetes, had Medeios and Cheiron. Born to the Nereid Psamathe and Aiakos, was Phokos. Then, Achilles, to the Nereid Thetis and Anchises.

Later, Aphrodite and Anchises had Aeneas. Then Circe and Odysseus had three children, Agrios, Latinos, and Telegonos. Odysseus also had two children with the Oceanid Calypso, they were Nausinoos and Nausithoos. After that, all that’s mentioned is that after becoming part of Olympus, Herakles would marry the Goddess Hebe and the mortal Autonoe would marry the Minor God Aristaios.

That concludes the Greek Creation myth according to Hesiod, also known as Hesiod’s Theogony. With plenty of versions of every myth and even more translations of each one, if you prefer a different version or translation that’s not a problem. This was the version and translation I based myself on when writing this. Hesiod’s Theogony translated by Richmond Lattimore, if you didn’t know anything about this myth before I hope you enjoyed learning about it. If you already knew and read it anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading it as well. That’s all for now, until next time.