ArticleoftheWeek#3

TheTitansandtheGodsofOlympus:GreekOriginStory
CynthiaStokesBrown,BigHistoryProject,adaptedbyNewselastaff

WeknowtheGreekoriginstoryfromsomeoftheearliestGreekwritingsthathave
survived.ThisaccountcomesfromthepoetHesiod.Heisthoughttohavebeenactive
sometimebetween750and650BCE.Hesiodworkedwithindecadesofwhenthe
Homericepics"TheIliad"and"TheOdyssey"tookform.
ItemsfoundbyarchaeologistssupportthecreationstoryrecordedbyHesiodpottery
fromtheeighthcenturyBCEwasdecoratedwiththegodsandgoddesseshedescribes.
HesiodtoldaversioninwhichPandora,thefirstwomancreatedbythegods,isthe
causeofmuchtrouble.But,beforethis,Pandorawhosenamemeansgiftgiver
wasknowninspokenstoriesasakindlyEarthgoddess.
InthebeginningtherewasChaos,anothingness.OutofthevoidemergedGaia(the
Earth)andotherdivinebeingsEros(love),theAbyss(partoftheunderworld),and
theErebus(theunknowableplacewheredeathdwells).Withoutmaleassistance,Gaia
gavebirthtoUranus(theSky).Uranusinturnfertilizedher.
FromthatunionthefirstTitanswerebornsixmales:Coeus,Crius,Cronus,Hyperion,
Iapetus,andOceanus,andsixfemales:Mnemosyne,Phoebe,Rhea,Theia,Themis,
andTethys.AfterCronus(time)wasborn,GaiaandUranusdecreednomoreTitans
weretobeborn.

ArticleoftheWeek#3
TheTitansandtheGodsofOlympus:GreekOriginStory
CynthiaStokesBrown,BigHistoryProject,adaptedbyNewselastaff
Cronuscutoffhisfather'sgenitalsandthrewthemintothesea,fromwhicharose
Aphrodite,goddessoflove.Cronusbecametherulerofthegodswithhissisterwife,
Rhea,ashisqueen.TheotherTitansbecamehiscourt.BecauseCronushadbetrayed
hisfather,hefearedthathisoffspringwoulddothesame.SoeachtimeRheagave
birth,Cronussnatchedupthechildandateit.Rheahatedthisandtrickedhimbyhiding
onechild,Zeus.ShewrappedastoneinababysblanketsothatCronusatethestone
insteadofthebaby.
WhenZeuswasgrown,hefedhisfatherapoisoneddrink.ItcausedCronustovomit,
throwingupRheasotherchildrenandthestone.ZeusthenchallengedCronustowar
forthekingshipofthegods.AtlastZeusandhissiblings,theOlympians,were
victorious.TheTitanswerehurleddowntoimprisonmentintheAbyss.
Zeuswasplaguedbythesameconcernashisfatherhadbeen.Afteraprophecythat
hisfirstwife,Metis,wouldgivebirthtoagodgreaterthanhe,hetrickedherintoturning
herselfintoafly.Thenhepromptlyswallowedher.Butshewasalreadypregnantwith
Athena.InsideZeus'sstomachtheybothmadehimmiserableuntilAthena,thegoddess
ofwisdom,civilizationandjustice,burstfromhisheadfullygrownanddressedfor
war.Zeuswasabletofightoffallchallengestohispowerandtoremaintherulerof
MountOlympus,thehomeofthegods.
OnesonoftheTitans,Prometheus,didnotfightwithhisfellowTitansagainstZeus.He
wasthereforesparedimprisonmentandgiventhetaskofcreatingman.Prometheus
shapedmanoutofmud,andAthenabreathedlifeintotheclayfigure.Prometheus
mademanstanduprightasthegodsdidandgavehimfire.
Bygivingmanfire,PrometheustrickedZeus.Topunishhim,ZeuscreatedPandora,the
firstwoman.Shewasofstunningbeautyandwealth,yetshehadtheheartandtongue
ofaliar.HealsogavePandoraaboxshewascommandednevertoopen.Eventually,
however,hercuriositygotthebestofher,andsheopenedtheboxtoreleaseallkinds
ofevil,plagues,sorrows,andmisfortunes.Yet,shealsoreleasedhope,whichlayatthe
bottomofthebox.