Liv Reads Hesiod: The Theogony (Part 1)

Hello, this is Let's Talk About Myths, baby, and I am here with a fun reading episode to pass the time over the holidays so that I can enjoy the holidays and you can listen to episodes and I get to read the Theogony out loud. A thing that, yes, okay, I have done readings of lots of bits and pieces, but always short bits and pieces, never the whole thing at once. So the Theogony is, of course, you know, that thing I refer to all the damn time. It is attributed to a man by the name of Hesiod, but who on earth knows? It's all part of the same oral tradition that spread around and changed and adapted and then finally was written down into what we have today. In this case, the Theogony is the oldest surviving source we have for how they understood the mythology to have come into existence, or rather how they understood their world to have come into existence when it comes to the gods and the goddesses and the Titans and Gaia and, you know, the beginning of things, the origin of everything. And thus, it felt like the perfect episode or reading to do in order to close out 2021 before we somehow already enter 2022. I've said it before. I'll say it again. Does anyone else feel like 2019, like, just ended? What happened? I miss it. Anyway, this one is just a particularly fun one for me to read, for you to listen to, and a great way for me to also enjoy some time off before I bring you... I'm sure I'll have mentioned it before, but I'm recording this ahead of time. But come January, January 11th, I am beginning a very special and extensive series into the story of Atlantis. Yes, Atlantis. I have spoken with archaeologists. I have done all the deep diving into Plato, but I am ready to bring you all the dirty details. The archaeologists I've spoken to are so fascinating. And we talk about Atlantis, but also we talk about what looking for places that never existed can do to the field. What is pseudo-archaeology? How is it dangerous? How does all of this tie into conspiracy theories of the alt-right? And beyond, honestly, like, there's just so much. There's so much darkness in there that you just don't expect, because we've all seen the Disney movie, and that's kind of all we think about until you learn more. It is fascinating. I cannot wait to bring you that. But that is all to say I am busy, busy over this season getting this ready. A real... Ugh. It's really fascinating. Anyway, now I'm rambling, let's get straight into Hesiod's Theogony. This is The Theogony of Hesiod, Part 1, translated by Hugh Evelyn White. From the Heliconian muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep blue spring and the altar of almighty son of Kronos. And, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessus, or in the horse's spring, or Olmeas, make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helicon, and move with vigorous feet. Thence they arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice, praising Zeus, the Aegis holder, and queenly Hera of Argos, who walks on golden sandals, and the daughter of Zeus, the Aegis holder, bright-eyed Athena, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis, who delights in arrows, and Poseidon, the earth-holder, who shakes the earth, and reverend, famous, and quick-glancing Aphrodite, and Hebe, with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Iapetus, and Kronos, the crafty counselor, Eos, and great Helios, and bright Selene, earth two, and great Oceanus, and dark night, and the holy race of all the other deathless ones that are forever. And one day they taught Hesiod glorious song while he was shepherding his lambs under holy Helicon, and this word first the goddesses said to me, the muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who hold the Aegis, shepherds of the wilderness, wretched things of shame, mere bellies, we know how to speak many false things as though they were true, but we know when we will to utter true things. So said the ready-voiced daughters of great Zeus, and they plucked and gave me a rod, a shoot of sturdy laurel, a marvelous thing, and breathed into me a divine voice to celebrate things that shall be, and things there were aforetime, and they bade me sing of the race of the blessed gods that are eternally, but ever to sing of themselves both first and last. But why all this about oak or stone? Come thou, let us begin with the muses, who glad in the great spirit of their father Zeus in Olympus with their songs, telling of things that are and that shall be, and that were aforetime with consenting voice. Unwearying flows the sweet sound from their lips, and the house of their father Zeus, the loud thunderer, is glad at the lily-like voice of the goddesses as it spread abroad, and the peaks of snowy Olympus resound, and the homes of the immortals. And they uttering their immortal voice, celebrate in song first of all the reverend race of the gods from the beginning, those whom earth and wide heaven begot, and the gods sprung of these, givers of good things. Then next the goddesses sing of Zeus, the father of gods and men, as they begin and end their strain. How much is he the most excellent among the gods, and supreme in power? And again they chant the race of men and strong giants, and glad in the heart of Zeus within Olympus, the Olympian muses, daughters of Zeus, the aegis-holder. Them in Piraea did Mnemosyne, who reigns over the hills of Eleuther, bear in union with the father, the son of Cronos, a forgetting of ills and a rest from sorrow. For nine nights did wise Zeus lie with her, entering her holy bed remote from the immortals. And when a year was passed and the seasons came round, as the months waned and many days were accomplished, she bore nine daughters, all of one mind, whose hearts are set upon song and their spirit free from care, a little wary from the topmost peak of snowy Olympus. There are their bright dancing places and beautiful homes, and beside them the graces and humerus live in delight. And they, uttering through their lips a lovely voice, sing the laws of all and the goodly ways of the immortals, uttering their lovely voice. Then went they to Olympus, delighting in their sweet voice with heavenly song, and the dark earth resounded about them as they chanted, and a lovely sound rose up beneath their feet as they went to their father. And he was reigning in heaven, himself holding the lightning and glowing thunderbolt, when he had overcome by might his father Cronos, and he distributed fairly to the immortals their portions and declared their privileges. These things, then, the muses sang, who dwell on Olympus, nine daughters begotten by great Zeus, Cleo, and Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, and Terpsichore, and Erato, and Polyhymnia, and Urania, and Calliope, who is the chiefest of them all, for she attends on worshipful princes, whomsoever of heaven-nourished princes the daughters of great Zeus honour, and behold him at his birth, they pour sweet dew upon his tongue, and from his lips flow gracious words. All the people look towards him while he settles causes with true judgments, and he, speaking surely, would soon make wise, and even a great quarrel, for therefore are their princes wise in heart, because when the people are being misguided in their assembly, they set right the matter again with ease, persuading them with gentle words. And when he passes through a gathering, they greet him as a god with gentle reverence, and he is conspicuous amongst the assembled, such is the holy gift of the muses to men. For it is through the muses and far-shooting Apollo that there are singers and harpers upon the earth, but princes are of Zeus, and happy is he whom the muses love, sweet flows speech from his mouth. For though a man have sorrow and grief in his newly troubled soul, and live in dread because his heart is distressed, yet when a singer, the servant of the muses, chants the glorious deeds of men of old and the blessed gods who inhabit Olympus, at once he forgets his heaviness, and remembers not his sorrows at all, but the gifts of the goddesses soon turn him away from these. Hail, children of Zeus, grant lovely song and celebrate the holy race of the deathless gods who are forever, those that were born of earth and starry heaven and gloomy night, and them that briny sea did rear. Tell how at the first gods and earth came to be, and rivers and the boundless sea with its raging swell, and the gleaming stars and the wide heaven above, and the gods who were born of them, givers of good things, and how they divided their wealth and how they shared their honors amongst them, and also how at the first they took many-folded Olympus. These things declare to me from the beginning, you muses who dwell in the house of Olympus, and tell me which of them first came to be. Verily, at the first chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed earth, the ever-sure foundations of all, the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in the depth of the wide-pathed earth, and Eros, love, fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From chaos came forth Erebus and black night, but of night were born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bore from union in love with Erebus. And earth first bore starry heaven, equal to herself, to cover her on every side, and to be an ever-sure abiding place for the blessed gods. And she brought forth hills, graceful haunts of the goddess Nymphs, who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bore also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontus, without sweet union of love. But afterwards she lay with heaven, and bore deep-swirling Oceanus, Caius and Crius, and Hyperion and Iapetus, Thea and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne, and gold-crowned Phoebe, and lovely Tethys. After them were born Cronos, the wily, youngest, and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire. And again she bore the Cyclops, overbearing in spirit, Brontes and Steropes and stubborn-hearted Arges, who gave Zeus the thunder and made the thunderbolt. In all else they were like the gods, but one eye only was set in the midst of their foreheads. And they were surnamed Cyclops, because one orbed eye was set in their foreheads, strength and might and craft were in their works. And again three other sons were born of earth and heaven, great and doughty beyond telling, Cotus and Brearius and Gaius, presumptuous children. From their shoulders sprang an hundred arms not to be approached, and each had fifty heads upon his shoulders on their strong limbs, and irresistible was the stubborn strength that was in their great forms. For 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 the 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 straightened, and 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 shall 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. The 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. So he said, and vast earth rejoiced greatly in spirit, and set and hid him in an ambush, and put in his hands a jagged sickle, and revealed to him the whole plot. And heaven came, bringing on night, and longing for love, and he lay about earth, spreading himself full upon her. Then the sun from his ambush stretched forth his left hand, and in his right took the great long sickle with jagged teeth, and swiftly lopped off his father's members, and cast them away to fall behind him. And not vainly did they fall from his hand, for all the bloody drops that gushed forth earth received, and as the seasons moved round, she bore the strong Irenaways, and the great giants with gleaming armour, holding long spears in their hands, and the nymphs whom they called Melii, all over the boundless earth. And so soon as he had cut off the members with flint, and cast them from the land into the surging sea, they were swept away over the main a long time. And they were swept over the main a long time. And a white foam spread round them from the immortal flesh, and in it there grew a maiden. First she drew near to holy Kithira, and from there afterwards she came to sea-girt Cyprus, and came forth an awful and lovely goddess, and grass grew up about her beneath her shapely feet. Her gods and men call Aphrodite, and the foam-born goddess and rich-crowned Kitheria, because she grew amid the foam, and Kitheria because she reached Kithira, and Kyprogenes because she was born in billowy Cyprus, and Philomedes because she sprang from the members. And with her went Eros, and comely desire followed her at her birth, and at the first, and as she went into the assembly of the gods. This honour she has from the beginning, and this is the portion allotted to her amongst men and undying gods, the whisperings of maidens and smiles and deceits, with sweet delight and love and graciousness. But these sons whom he begot himself Great Heaven used to call Titans, in reproach, for he said they strained and did presumptuously a fearful deed, and that vengeance for it would come afterwards. And night bore hateful doom and black fate and death, and she bore sleep and the tribe of dreams, and again the goddess Murky Night, though she lay with none, bore blame and painful woe, and the Hesperides who guard the rich golden apples and the trees bearing fruit beyond glorious ocean. Also she bore the destinies and ruthless avenging fates, Clotho and Lachesis and Atropos, who give men at their birth both evil and good to have, and they pursue the transgressions of men and of gods, and these goddesses never cease from their dread anger until they punish the sinner with a sore penalty. Also deadly night bore nemesis to afflict mortal men, and after her deceit and friendship and hateful age and hard-hearted strife. But abhorred strife bore painful toil and forgetfulness and famine and tearful sorrows, fightings also, battles, murders, manslaughter, quarrels, lying, words, disputes, lawlessness and ruin all of one nature, and Oath, who most troubles men upon the earth when anyone willfully swears a false oath. And sea begat Nereus, the eldest of his children, who is true and lies not, and men call him old man, because he is trusty and gentle and does not forget the laws of righteousness, but thinks just and kindly thoughts. And yet again he got great Thaumas and proud Phorcus, being mated with earth, and fair-cheeked Ceto and Eurybia, who has a heart of flint within her. And of Nereus and rich-haired Doris, daughter of Ocean, the perfect river, were born children, passing lovely amongst goddesses, Ploto, Eucrante, Seo, and Amphitrite, and Eudora and Thetis, Galini and Glauca, Caimothoe, Spio, Thoe, and lovely Haley, and Pasithea and Erato and rosy-armed Eunice, and gracious Melite and Eulimene and Agave, Dotto, Proto, Ferusa, and Dinamene, and Nissaia and Actaea and Proto-Mendaea, Doris, Penopia, and comely Galatea, and lovely Hippothoe and rosy-armed Hipponoe and Caimodoce, who with Caimotolege and Amphitrite easily calms the waves upon the misty sea, and the blasts of raging winds, and Ceno and Ioni and rich-crowned Alamede, and Glauconome, fond of laughter, and Pontoporia, Liagore, Ugore, and Laomedaea, and Polinoe, and Otonoe, and Lysianasa, and Uarni, lovely of shape and without blemish of form, and Psamathe and charming figure and divine Menippe, Neso, Eupompe, Themisto, Pronoe, and Nemertes, who has the nature of her deathless father. These fifty daughters sprang from blameless Nereus, skilled in excellent crafts. And Thaumus wedded Electra, the daughter of deep-flowing ocean, and she bore him swift Iris and the long-haired Harpies, Aiello and Ocupetes, who on their swift wings keep pace with the blast of the winds and the birds, for quick as time they dart along. And again Ceto bore Tephorcus, the fair-cheeked Greyeye, sister's grey from their birth, and both deathless gods and men who walk on earth call them Greyeye, Pemphredo, well-clad and saffron-robed Enyo, and the Gorgons who dwell beyond glorious ocean in the frontier land towards night, where are the clear-voiced Hesperides? Stheno, and Euryale, and Medusa, who suffered a woeful fate. She was mortal, but the other two were undying and grew not old. With her lay the dark-haired one in a soft meadow amid spring flowers. And when Perseus cut off her head, there sprang forth great Chrysaor and the horse Pegasus, who is so called because he was born near the springs of ocean, and that other because he held a golden blade in his hands. Now Pegasus flew away and left the earth, the mother of flocks, and came to the deathless gods, and he dwells in the house of Zeus and brings to wise Zeus the thunder and lightning. But Chrysaor was joined in love with Kallirui, the daughter of glorious ocean, and begot three-headed Geryones. Him mighty Heracles slew in sea-girt Erethea by his shambling oxen on that day, when he drove the wide-browed oxen to holy Tiryns, and had crossed the ford of ocean and killed Orthrus, and Eurytion the herdsman in the dim stead out beyond glorious ocean. And in a hollow cave she bore another monster, irresistible in no wise like either to mortal men or to the undying gods, even the goddess fierce Echidna, who is half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, great and awful with speckled skin, eating raw flesh beneath the secret parts of the holy earth, and there she has a cave deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. There, then, did the gods appoint her a glorious house to dwell in, and she keeps guard in Arima beneath the earth, grim Echidna, a nymph who dies not nor grows old all her days. Men say that Typhion the terrible, outrageous, and lawless was joined in love to her, the maid with glancing eyes. So she conceived and brought forth fierce offspring. First she bore Orthrus, the hound of Geryones, and then again she bore a second, a monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus, who eats raw flesh, the brazen-voiced hound of Hades, fifty-headed, relentless, and strong, and again she bore a third, the evil-minded Hydra of Lerna, whom the goddess white-armed Hera nourished, being angry beyond measure with the mighty Heracles. And her, Heracles, the son of Zeus, of the house of Amphitryon, together with warlike Aeolus, destroyed with the unpitying sword through the plans of Athene, the spoil-driver. She was the mother of Chimera, who breathed raging fire, a creature fearful, great, swift, footed, and strong, who had three heads, one of a grim-eyed lion, in her hind part a dragon, and in her middle a goat, breathing forth a fearful blast of blazing fire. Her did Pegasus and noble Bellerophon slay, but Echidna was subject in love to Orthrus and brought forth the deadly Sphinx, which destroyed the Cadmians, and the Nemean lion, which Hera, the good wife of Zeus, brought up and made to haunt the hills of Nemea, a plague to men. There he preyed upon the tribes of her own people and had power over Tritas of Nemea and Epasis, yet the strength of stout Heracles overcame him. And Ceto was joined in love to Phorcus and bore her youngest, the awful snake who guards the apples all of gold in the secret places of the dark earth at its great bounds. This is the offspring of Ceto and Phorcus. And Tethys bore to ocean eddying rivers, Nihilus and Alpheus, and deep-swirling Eridanus, Strymon and Meander, and the fair stream of Ister, and Phacis and Rhesus, and the silver eddies of Achelous, Nessus and Rhodius, Haliacmon and Heptaporus, Granicus and Oesipus, and holy Simoes and Peneus, and Hermus and Caicus, fair stream, and great Sangarius, Laodon, Parthenius, Uenus, Ardiscus, and divine Scamander. Also she brought forth a holy company of daughters, who with the lord Apollo and the rivers have youths in their keeping. To this charge Zeus appointed them, Pitho and Admetae, and Eanthe, and Electra, and Doris, and Primno, and Urania, divine in form, Hippo, Clymene, Rhodia, and Caleroe, Zuxo, and Clyte, and Edea, and Pisithoe, and Plexora, and Galexora, and lovely Dione, Melibosus, and Thoe, and handsome Polydora, Cerceus, lovely in form, and soft-eyed Pluto, Perseus, Ionera, Acaste, Xanthe, Petraea, the fair, Menestho, and Europa, Metis, and Euryneme, and Telesto, saffron-clad, Chryseus, and Asia, and charming Calypso, Eudora, and Heke, Amphiroe, and Okyroe, and Styx, who is the chiefest of them all. These are the eldest daughters that sprang forth from Ocean and Tethys, but there are many besides, for there are three thousand neat-ankled daughters of Ocean who are dispersed far and wide, and in every place alike serve the earth and the deep waters, children who are glorious among goddesses, and as many other rivers are there, babbling as they flow, sons of Ocean whom queenly Tethys bear, but their names it is hard for a mortal man to tell, but people know those by which they severally dwell. And Thea was subject in love to Hyperion, and bore great Helios, and clear Selene, and Eos, who shines upon all that are on earth, and upon the deathless gods who live in the wide heaven. And Eurybia, bright goddess, was joined in love to Creus, and bore great Astraeus, and Pallas, and Perseus, who also was eminent among all men in wisdom. And Eos bore to Astraeus the strong-hearted winds, brightening Zephyrus and Boreas headlong in his course, and Notis, a goddess mating in love with a god, and after these, Arigenia bear the star Eosphoros, and the gleaming stars with which heaven is crowned. And Styx, the daughter of Ocean, was joined to Pallas, and bore Zelos, and trim-ankled Nike in the house. Also she brought forth Kratos and Bea, wonderful children. These have no house apart from Zeus, nor any dwelling nor path, except that wherein God leads them, but they dwell always with Zeus the loud thunderer. For so did Styx, the deathless daughter of Ocean, plan on the day when the Olympian lightener called all the deathless gods to great Olympus, and said that whosoever of the gods would fight with him against the Titans, he would not cast out from his rights, but each would have the office which he had before amongst the deathless gods. And he declared that he who was without office and rights under Kronos should be raised to both office and rights as is just. So deathless Styx came first to Olympus with her children through the wit of her dear father. And Zeus honored her, and gave her very great gifts. For her he appointed to be the great oath of the gods, and her children to live with him always. And as he promised, so he performed fully unto them. But he himself mightily reigns and rules. Again, Phoebe came to the desired embrace of Caius. Then the goddess through the love of the god conceived and brought forth dark-gowned Leto, always mild, kind to men and to the deathless gods, mild from the beginning, gentlest in all Olympus. And she bore Asteria of happy name, whom Perseus once led to his great house to be called his dear wife. And she conceived and bore Hecate, whom Zeus, the son of Kronos, honored above all. He gave her splendid gifts to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honor also in starry heaven, and is honored exceedingly by the deathless gods. For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honor comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favorably, and she bestows wealth upon him for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of earth and ocean amongst all these, she has her due portion. The son of Kronos did her no wrong, nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former titan gods. But she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in the sea. Also because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honor, but much more still, for Zeus honors her. Whom she will, she greatly aids and advances. She sits by worshipful kings in judgment, and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men, then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will. Good is she also when men contend at the games, for thereto the goddess is with them and profits them, and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will, and to those whose business is in the gray, discomfortable sea, and to pray to Hecate in the loud, crashing earthshaker. Easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock, the droves of kine, and wide herds of goats, and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will. She increases from a few, or makes many to be less. So then, albeit her mother's only child, she is honored amongst all the deathless gods, and the son of Kronos made her a nurse of the young, who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honors. But Rhea was subject in love to Kronos, and bore splendid children, Hestia, Demeter, and gold-shod Hera, and strong Hades, Pitiless, and Heart, who dwells under the earth, and the loud crashing earthshaker and wise Zeus, father of the gods and men, by whose thunder the wide earth is shaken. These great Kronos swallowed as each came forth from the womb to his mother's knees with this intent, that no other of the proud sons of heaven should hold the kingly office amongst the deathless gods, for he learned from earth and starry heaven that he was destined to be overcome by his own son, strong though he was through the contriving of great Zeus. Therefore he kept no blind outlook, but watched and swallowed down his children, and unceasing grief seized Rhea. But when she was about to bear Zeus, the father of gods and men, then she besought her own dear parents, earth and starry heaven, to devise some plan with her that the birth of her dear child might be concealed, and that retribution might overtake great crafty Kronos for his own father, and also for the children whom he had swallowed down. And they readily heard and obeyed their dear daughter, and told her all that was destined to happen, touching Kronos the king and his stout-hearted son. So they sent her to Laetus, to the rich land of Crete, when she was ready to bear great Zeus, the youngest of her children. Him did vast earth receive from Rhea in wide Crete to nourish and to bring up. Thither came earth carrying him swiftly through the black night to Lactis first, and took him in her arms and hid him in a remote cave beneath the secret places of the holy earth on thick-wooded Mount Aegeum. But to the mightily ruling son of heaven, the earlier king of the gods, she gave a great stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. Then he took it in his hands and thrust it down into his belly. Wretch! He knew not in his heart that in place of the stone his son was left behind, unconquered and untroubled, and that he was soon to overcome him by force and might and drive him from his honors himself to reign over the deathless gods. Oh, nerds, thank you all so much for listening. Oh my gosh, this is fun, right? Like I know I've read little bits and pieces, but you can tell I've really not read even like, you know, even a tiny bit of it to you overall. All the stuff about the muses and all the initial beginnings of everything. Oh, I just love it. It's it's so much fun. I'm having I love I love these readings so much and I love that you all love them because oh my gosh, they're really just really fun. So before I go, a quick reminder, especially because you've just heard this. So maybe you have questions. There's a lot of stuff in the Theogony that's really different from some of the more traditional later mythologies because of the time frame involved. So if you have any questions from what you've heard or the podcast, generally mythology timelines, if you have questions about, you know, the weird issues we have with who is the parent of who and what happened? Did it really happen? Why does this say something completely different? Now is your time to ask these questions. I will be doing the Q&A episode very soon, so get them in. That is mythsbaby.com questions. Submit them there. I cannot wait to answer them all. Thank you all so much. I am Liv and I love this shit.