Liv Reads Hesiod: The Theogony (Part 2)

Hello nerds, this is Let's Talk About Myths, baby! And I am your host, Liv, who has so much fun with these reading episodes! Oh my god, who knew the Theogony would be so much fun? I really, really enjoy having a good time with my vocal acting chops, I should say. It's really, it's really fun to read these out loud and just like, really feel it in the words, and honestly, I just have so much fun, like, I read these on a complete whim, I don't do any preparation, and somehow, it seems to go very well, and how lucky, because ADHD prevents me from preparing much of anything at all. Alright, I am back with part two of Hesiod's Theogony, it's just, oh my gosh, it's so much fun, so if you had questions from the last episode of part one, or questions from anything else in the podcast, maybe you'll have more after this episode, I'm going to present you with more weird discrepancies, because that is what Greek mythology is, so if you have questions about mythology, about, I don't know, classics, people ask me a lot of stuff about having a degree in classics and stuff, and I just can't, I can't answer individual questions, you know, one-on-one, because I just, I don't have the time, so I need to be answering questions that you all can use in episodes like this, it's really perfect for everyone. So this is your time to ask me questions and have me answer them on the podcast, so please go to mythsbaby.com slash questions to get your questions in, I will answer all that I can get to on this Q&A episode, I'm really looking forward to it, I think you guys are, already I've got some really good questions in, so I'm looking forward to some more, to, for you guys to ask me things that then cause me to think about stuff in the mythology I've never thought about before, like, that's what's so great about these question episodes, you know, everyone thinks, notices different things, everyone thinks about things differently, so when you get to ask these questions, like, it could just blow my mind right open, that's exciting enough, right? Just a reminder, where we last left off in this sort of wild ride of beginnings and also just every little thing you can imagine about the gods and Olympus and everything, that's kind of what this is good for, where we last left off, we were rehashing the part of the story where Zeus is about to overthrow Kronos, so Zeus, the little baby, has been left behind on Crete, and Kronos has been given a rock to eat, adding it to the five other children that are currently in his belly, because what fun is Greek myth. Thank you all so much, please enjoy part two of Hesiod's Theogony. This is Theogony of Hesiod, Part Two, translated by Hugh Evelyn White. After that, the strength and glorious limbs of the prince increased quickly, and as the years rolled on, great Kronos the Wily was beguiled by the deep suggestions of Earth, and brought up against his offspring, vanquished by the arts and might of his own son. And he vomited up the first stone which he had swallowed last, and Zeus set it fast in the wide-pathed earth at goodly Pitho under the glens of Parnassus, to be a sign thenceforth and a marvel to mortal men. And he set free from their deadly bonds the brothers of his father, sons of heaven whom his father in his foolishness had bound, and they remembered to be grateful to him to his kindness, and gave him thunder and the glowing thunderbolt and lightning, for before that huge earth had hidden these. In them he trusts and rules over mortals and immortals. Now Iapetus took to wife the neat-ankled clad Clymene, daughter of Ocean, and went up with her into one bed. And she bore him a stout-hearted son, Atlas. Also she bore very glorious Manetius and clever Prometheus, full of various wiles, and scatterbrained Epimetheus, who from the first was a mischief to men who eat bread, for it was he who first took of Zeus the woman, the maiden whom he had formed. But Manetius was outrageous, and far-seeing Zeus struck him with a lurid thunderbolt and sent him down to Erebus, because of his mad presumption and exceeding pride. And Atlas, through hard constraint, upholds the wide heaven with unwearying head and arms, standing at the borders of the earth before the clear-voiced Hesperides, for this lot wise Zeus assigned to him. And ready-witted Prometheus he bound with inextricable bonds, cruel chains, and drove a shaft through his middle and set him on a long-winged eagle, which used to eat his immortal liver. But by night the liver grew as much again, every way as the long-winged bird devoured in the whole day. That bird Heracles, the valiant son of shapely-ankled Alcmene, slew, and delivered the son of Iapetus from the cruel plague, and released him from his affliction. Not without the will of Olympian Zeus, who reigns on high, that the glory of Heracles, the Theban-born, might be yet greater than it was before over the plenteous earth. This then he regarded and honoured his famous son, though he was angry. He ceased from the wrath which he had before because Prometheus matched himself in wit with the almighty son of Cronos. For when the gods and mortal men had a dispute at Mekone, even then Prometheus was forward to cut up a great ox and set portions before them, trying to befool the mind of Zeus. Before the rest he set flesh and inner parts thick with fat upon the hide, covering them with an ox-paunch, but for Zeus he put the white bones dressed up with cunning art and covered with shining fat. Then the father of men and gods said to him, Son of Iapetus, most glorious of all lords, good sir, how unfairly you have divided the portions! So said Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, rebuking him. But wily Prometheus answered him, smiling softly and not forgetting his cunning trick. Zeus, most glorious and greatest of the eternal gods, take whichever of these portions your heart within you bids. So he said, thinking trickery, but Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, saw and failed not to perceive the trick in his heart he thought mischief against mortal men, which also was to be fulfilled. With both hands he took up the white fat and was angry at heart and wrath came to his spirit when he saw the white ox-bones craftily tricked out. And because of this the tribes of men upon earth burn white bones to the deathless gods upon fragrant altars. But Zeus, who drives the clouds, was greatly vexed and said to him, Son of Iapetus, clever above all, so, sir, you have not yet forgotten your cunning arts. So spoke Zeus in anger, whose wisdom is everlasting, and from that time he was always mindful of the trick and would not give the power of unwearying fire to the million race of mortal men who live on the earth. But the noble son of Iapetus outwitted him and stole the far-seen gleam of unwearying fire in a hollow fennel-stalk. And Zeus, who thunders on high, was stung in spirit, and his dear heart was angered when he saw amongst men the far-seen ray of fire. Forthwith he made an evil thing for men, as the price of fire, for the very famous Hephaestus formed of earth the likeness of a shy maiden, as the son of Kronos willed. And the goddess bright-eyed Athena girded and clothed her with silvery raiment, and down from her head she spread with her hands a broidered veil, a wonder to see. And she, Pallas Athena, put about her head lovely garlands, flowers of new-grown herbs. Also she put upon her head a crown of gold, which the very famous Hephaestus made himself, and worked with his own hands as a favour to Zeus, his father. On it was much curious work, wonderful to see, for of the many creatures which the land and sea rear up, he put most upon it wonderful things, like living beings with voices and great beauty shone out from it. But when he had made the beautiful evil to be the price for the blessing, he brought her out, delighting in the finery which the bright-eyed daughter of a mighty father had given her, to the place where the other gods and men were. And wonder took hold of the deathless gods and mortal men when they saw that which was sheer guile not to be withstood by men. For from her is the race of women and female kind, of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men to their great trouble. No help meets in hateful poverty, but only in wealth. And as in thatched hives bees feed the drones whose nature is to do mischief, by day and throughout the day until the sun goes down, the bees are busy and lay the white combs while the drones stay at home in the covered sceps and reaps the toil of others into their own bellies. Even so, Zeus who thunders on high made women to be an evil to mortal men with a nature to do evil. And he gave them a second evil to be the price for the good they had. Whoever avoids marriage and the sorrows that women cause and will not wed, reaches deadly old age without anyone to tend his years. And though he at least has no lack of livelihood while he lives yet, when he is dead his kinsfolk divide his possessions amongst them. And as for the man who chooses the lot of marriage and takes a good wife suited to his mind, evil continually contends with good. For whoever happens to have mischievous children lives always with unceasing grief in his spirit and heart within him. And this evil cannot be healed. So it is not possible to deceive or go beyond the will of Zeus, for not even the son of Iapetus, kindly Prometheus, escaped his heavy anger. But of necessity strong bands confined him, although he knew many a while. But when first their father was vexed in his heart with Briarius and Cotus and Gaius, he bound them in cruel bonds, because he was jealous of their exceeding manhood and comeliness and great size. And he made them live beneath the wide-pathed earth, where they were afflicted, being set to dwell under the ground, at the end of the earth, at its great borders, in bitter anguish for a long time, and with great grief at heart. But the son of Cronos and the other deathless gods whom rich-haired Rhea bore from union with Cronos brought them up again to the light at earth's advising. For she herself recounted all things to the gods fully, how that with these they would gain victory and a glorious cause to vaunt themselves. For the titan-gods and as many as sprang from Cronos had long been fighting together in stubborn war, with heart-grieving toil. The lordly titans from high Othrys, but the gods givers of good whom rich-haired Rhea bore in union with Cronos from Olympus. So they, with bitter wrath, were fighting continually with one another at that time for ten full years, and the hard strife had no close or end for either side, and the issue of the war hung evenly balanced. But when he had provided those three with all things fitting, nectar and ambrosia, with the gods themselves eat, and when their proud spirit revived within them all after they had fed on nectar and delicious ambrosia, then it was that the father of men and gods spoke among them. Hear me, bright children of earth and heaven, that I may say what my heart within me bids. A long while now have we, who are sprung from Cronos, and the titan-gods fought with each other every day to get victory and to prevail. But do you show your great might and unconquerable strength, and face the titans in bitter strife? For remember our friendly kindness, and from what sufferings you are come back to the light with your cruel bondage under misty gloom through our counsels. So he said, and blameless Cotus answered him again, Divine one, you speak that which we know well. Nay, even of ourselves we know that your wisdom and understanding is exceeding, and that you become a defender of the deathless ones from chill doom. And through your devising we are come back again from the murky gloom and from our merciless bonds, enjoying what we looked not for, O Lord, son of Cronos. And so now with fixed purpose and deliberate counsel we will aid your power in dreadful strife and will fight against the titans in hard battle. So he said, and the gods, givers of good things, applauded when they heard his word, and their spirit longed for war even more than before. And they all, both male and female, stirred up hated battle that day. The titan gods and all that were born of Cronos, together with those dread, mighty ones of overwhelming strength whom Zeus brought up to the light from Erebus beneath the earth. A hundred arms sprang from the shoulders of all alike, and each had fifty heads growing upon his shoulders upon stout limbs. These then stood against the titans in grim strife, holding huge rocks in their strong hands. And on the other part the titans eagerly strengthened their ranks, and both sides at one time showed the work of their hands and their might. The boundless sea rang terribly around, and the earth crashed loudly. Wide heaven was shaken and groaned, and high Olympus reeled from its foundation under the charge of the undying gods. And a heavy quaking reached dim Tartarus, and the deep sound of their feet in the fearful onset and of their hard missiles. So then they launched their grievous shafts upon one another, and the cry of both armies as they shouted reached to starry heaven, and they met together with a great battle cry. Then Zeus no longer held back his might, but straight his heart was filled with fury, and he showed forth all his strength. From heaven and from Olympus he came forth with, hurling his lightning. The bolts flew thick and fast from his strong hand, together with thunder and lightning, whirling an awesome flame. The life-giving earth crashed around in burning, and the vast wood crackled loud with fire all about. And the land seethed, and ocean streams, and the unfruitful sea. The hot vapor lapped around the earth-born titans, flame unspeakable rose to the bright upper air, the flashing glare of the thunderstone and lightning blinded their eyes for all that there were strong. Astounding heat seized chaos, and to see with eyes and to hear the sound with ears it seemed even as if earth and wide heaven above came together, for such a mighty crash would have arisen if earth was being hurled to ruin, and heaven from on high were hurling down. So great a crash was there while the gods were meeting together in strife. Also the winds brought rumbling earthquake and dust storm, thunder and lightning, and the lurid thunderbolt, which are the shafts of great Zeus, and carried the clangor and the warcry into the midst of the two hosts. A horrible uproar of terrible strife arose, mighty deeds were shown and the battle inclined, but until then they kept at one another and fought continually in cruel war. And amongst the foremost, Cotus and Brearius and Gaius, insatiate for war-raised fierce fighting. Three hundred rocks, one upon another, they launched from their strong hands and overshadowed the titans with their missiles, and buried them beneath the wide-pathed earth, and bound them in bitter chains when they had conquered them by their strength for all their great spirit. As far beneath the earth to Tartarus. For a brazen anvil falling down from heaven nine nights and days would reach the earth upon the tenth, and again a brazen anvil falling from earth nine nights and days would reach Tartarus upon the tenth. Round it runs like a fence of bronze, and night spreads in triple line all about it like a neck circlet, while above grow the roots of the earth and unfruitful sea. There, by the counsel of Zeus who drives the clouds, the titan-gods are hidden among misty gloom in a dank place where are the ends of the huge earth. And they may not go out, for Poseidon fixed gates of bronze upon it, and a wall runs all rounded on every side. Where Gaius and Cotus and great-souled Briarius live, trusty warders of Zeus who holds the Aegis. And there, all in their order, are the sources and ends of gloomy earth and misty Tartarus, and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven, loathsome and dank, whichever the gods abhor. It is a great gulf, and if once a man were within the gates he would not reach the floor until a whole year had reached its end. But cruel blast upon blast would carry him this way and that, and this marvel is awful even to the deathless gods. There stands the home of murky night wrapped in dark clouds. In front of it the sun of Iapetus stands immovably, upholding the wide heaven upon his head in unwearying hands, where night and day draw near and greet one another as they pass the great threshold of bronze. And while the one is about to go down into the house, the other comes out the door. And the house never holds them both within, but always one is without the house passing over the earth, while the other stays at home and waits until the time for her journeying to come. And the one holds all-seeing light for them on earth, but the other holds in her arms sleep, the brother of death, even evil night wrapped in vaporous cloud. And there the children of dark night have their dwellings, sleep and death awful gods. The glowing sun never looks upon them with his beams, neither as he goes up into heaven nor as he comes down from heaven. And the former of them roams peacefully over the earth and the seas broad back and is kindly to men, but the other has a heart of iron and his spirit within him is pitiless as bronze. Whomsoever of men he has once seized he holds fast. And he is hateful even to the deathless gods. There in front stand the echoing halls of the god of the lower world, strong Hades and awful Persephone. A fearful hound guards the house in front, pitiless, and he has a cruel trick. On those who go in he fawns with his tail and both his ears, but suffers them not to go out back again, but keeps watch and devours whomsoever he catches going out of the gates of strong Hades and awful Persephone. And there dwells the goddess loathed by the deathless gods, terrible Styx, eldest daughter of backflowing ocean. She lives apart from the gods in her glorious house, vaulted over with great rocks and propped up to heaven all round with silver pillars. Rarely does the daughter of Thauma, swift-footed Iris, come to her with a message over the sea's wide back. But when strife and quarrel arise among the deathless gods, and when any of them who live in the house of Olympus lies, then Zeus sends Iris to bring in a golden jug, the great oath of the gods from far away, the famous cold water which trickles down from a high and beetling rock. Far under the wide-pathed earth a branch of Oceanus flows through the dark night out of the holy stream, and a tenth part of his water is allotted to her. With nine swirling streams he winds about the earth and the seas wide back, and then falls into the main, but the tenth flows out from a rock, a sore trouble for the gods. For whoever of the deathless gods that holds the peak of snowy Olympus pours a libation of her water is forsworn, lies breathless until a full year is completed and never comes near to taste ambrosia and nectar, but lies spiritless and voiceless on a strewn bed, and a heavy trance overshadows him. But when he has spent a long year in his sickness, another penance and a harder follows after the first. For nine years he is cut off from the eternal gods and never joins their councils or their feasts, nine full years. But in the tenth year he comes again to join the assemblies of the deathless gods who live in the house of Olympus. Such an oath, then, did the gods appoint the eternal and primeval water of Styx to be, and it spouts through a rugged place. And there, all in their order are the sources and ends of the dark earth and misty Tartarus and the unfruitful sea and starry heaven, loathsome and dank, which even the gods abhor. And there are shining gates and an immovable threshold of bronze having unending roots, and it is grown of itself. And beyond, away from all the gods, live the titans, beyond gloomy chaos. But the glorious allies of loud-crashing Zeus have their dwelling upon ocean's foundations. Even Cotus and Gaius, but Briarius being goodly, the deep-roaring earthshaker made his son-in-law, giving him Caimopolea, his daughter, to wed. But when Zeus had driven the titans from heaven, huge earth bore her youngest child, Typhaeus, of the love of Tartarus, by the aid of golden Aphrodite. Strength was with his hands in all that he did, and the feet of the strong god were untiring. From his shoulders grew a hundred heads of a snake, a fearful dragon with dark, flickering tongues. And from under the brows of his eyes and his marvelous heads flashed fire, and fire burned from his heads as he glared. And there were voices in all his dreadful heads which uttered every kind of sound unspeakable. For at one time they made sounds such that the gods understood. But at another, the noise of a bull bellowing aloud in proud, ungovernable fury. And at another, the sound of a lion, relentless of heart. And at another, sounds like whelps, wonderful to hear. And again, at another he would hiss, so that the high mountains re-echoed. And truly a thing past help would have happened on that day, and he would have come to reign over mortals and immortals, had not the father of men and gods been quick to perceive it. But he thundered hard and mightily, and the gods around resounded terribly, and the wide heaven above, and the sea, and ocean streams, and the nether parts of the earth. Great Olympus reeled beneath the divine feet of the king as he arose and earth groaned thereat. And through the two of them heat took hold on the dark blue sea, through the thunder and lightning, and through the fire from the monster, and the scorching winds, and blazing thunderbolt. The wide earth seized, and sky, and sea, and the long waves raged along the beaches round and about at the rush of the deathless gods. And there arose an endless shaking. Hades trembled where he rules over the dead below, and the titans under Tartarus who live with Ichronos, because of the unending clamor and the fearful strife. So when Zeus had raised up his might and seized his arms, thunder and lightning and lurid thunderbolt, he leaped from Olympus and struck him, and burned all the marvelous heads of the monster about him. But when Zeus had conquered him and lashed him with strokes, Typheus was hurled down a maimed wreck, so that the huge earth groaned, and flame shot forth from the thunder-stricken lord in the dim rugged glens of the mount where he was smitten. A great part of huge earth was scorched by the terrible vapor and melted as tin melts when heated by men's arts in channelled crucibles, or as iron, which is hardest of all things, is softened by glowing fire in mountain glens, and melts in the divine earth through the strength of Hephaestus. Even so then the earth melted in the glowing of the blazing fire, and in the bitterness of his anger Zeus cast him into wide Tartarus. And from Typheus come boistering winds which blow damply, except notice and Boreas and clear Zephyr. These are a God-sent kind and a great blessing to men, but the others blow fitfully upon the seas. Some rush upon the misty sea and work great havoc among men with their evil, raging blasts, or varying with the sea they blow, scattering ships and destroying sailors. And men who meet these upon the sea have no help against the mischief. Others again over the boundless flowering earth spoil the fair fields of men who dwell below, filling them with dust and cruel uproar. But when the blessed gods had finished their toil and settled by force their struggle for honors with the Titans, they pressed, far-seeing Olympian Zeus to reign and to rule over them by earth's prompting. So he divided their dignities amongst them. Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis his first wife, and she was wisest among gods and mortal men. But when she was about to bring forth the goddess bright-eyed Athena, Zeus craftily deceived her with cunning words and put her in his own belly. As earth and starry heaven advised, for they advised him so to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus, for very wise children were destined to be born of her. First the maiden bright-eyed Tritogenia, equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding, but afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit, king of gods and men. But Zeus put her into his own belly first, that the goddess might devise for him both good and evil. Next he married bright Themis, who bore the Hori, and Eunomia, Dece, and blooming Eirene, who mined the works of mortal men, and the Moire, to whom wise Zeus gave the greatest honor. And Lotho, and Lachesis, and Atropos, who give mortal men evil and good to have. And Eurynemy, the daughter of Ocean, beautiful in form, bore him three fair-cheeked charities, Aglaea, Nuphrosyne, and lovely Thalia, from whose eyes as they glanced flowed love that unnerves the limbs, and beautiful is their glance beneath their brows. So he came to the bed of all-nourishing Demeter, and she bore white-armed Persephone, whom Adonius carried off from her mother, but wise Zeus gave her to him. And again he loved Mnemosyne, with the beautiful hair, and of her the nine gold-crowned muses were born, who delight in feasts and the pleasures of song. And Lotho was joined in love with Zeus, who holds the Aegis, and bore Apollo and Artemis, fighting in arrows, children lovely above all the sons of heaven. Lastly, he made Hera his blooming wife, and she was joined in love with the king of gods and men, and brought forth Hebe, and Ares, and Ilithia. But Zeus himself gave birth from his own head to bright-eyed Tritogenia, the awful, the strife-stirring, the host-leader, the unwarying, the queen who delights in tumults and wars and battles. But Hera, without union with Zeus, for she was very angry and unquarrelled with her mate, bore famous Hephaestus, who is skilled in crafts more than all the sons of heaven. But Zeus lay with the fair-cheeked daughter of Ocean and Tethys apart from Hera, deceiving Metis, although she was full-wise, but he secured her with his hands and put her in his belly for fear that she might bring forth something stronger than his thunderbolt. Therefore did Zeus, who sits on high and dwells in the Aether, swallow her down suddenly. But she straightway conceived Pallas Athena, and the father of men and gods gave her birth by way of his head on the banks of the river Trito, and she remained hidden beneath the inward parts of Zeus. Then Metis, Athena's mother, worker of righteousness, who was wiser than gods and mortal men. There the goddess Athena received that, whereby she excelled in strength, all the deathless gods who dwell in Olympus, she who made the host-scaring weapon of Athena. And with it Zeus gave her birth, arrayed in arms of war. And of Amphitrite and the loud-roaring Earthshaker was born great, wide-ruling Triton, and he owns the depths of the sea, living with his dear mother and the lord his father in their golden house, an awful god. Also Catheria bore to Ares the shield-piercer Panic and Fear, terrible gods who drive in disorder the close ranks of men in numbing war, with the help of Ares, Sacker of Towns, and Harmonia, whom high-spirited Cadmus made his wife. And Maia, the daughter of Atlas, bore to Zeus glorious Hermes, the herald of the deathless gods, for she went up into his holy bed. And Semele, daughter of Cadmus, was joined with him in love, and bore him a splendid son, joyous Dionysus, a mortal woman and a mortal son, and now they both are gods. And Alchemina was joined in love with Zeus, who drives the clouds and bore mighty Heracles, and Hephaestus, the famous lame one, made Aglaea, youngest of the Graces, his buxom wife. And golden-haired Dionysus made brown-haired Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his buxom wife, and the son of Kronos made her deathless and unaging for him. And mighty Heracles, the valiant son of neat-ankled Alchemina, when he had finished his grievous toils, made Hebae, the child of great Zeus and gold-shod Hera, his shy wife in snowy Olympus. Happy he, for he has finished his great works and lives amongst the undying gods, untroubled and unaging all his days. And Perseus, the daughter of Ocean, bore to unwearying Helios, Circe, and Aetes the king, and Aetes, the son of Helios, who shows light to men, took to wife fair-cheeked Idea, daughter of Ocean, the perfect stream, by the will of the gods. And she was subject to him in love, through gold and Aphrodite, and bore him neat-ankled Medea. And now, farewell, you dwellers on Olympus, and you islands and continents and thou briny sea within. Now sing the company of goddesses, sweet-voiced muses of Olympus, daughter of Zeus, who holds the Aegis, even those deathless ones who lay with mortal men and bore children like unto gods. Demeter, bright goddess, was joined in sweet love with the hero Eacion, a thrice-ploughed fallow in the rich land of Crete, and bore Plutus, a kindly god who goes everywhere over land and the seas wide back, and him who finds him and into whose hands he comes he makes rich, bestowing great wealth upon him. And Harmonia, the daughter of golden Aphrodite, bore to Cadmus, Ino, and Semele, and fair-cheeked Agawe, and Otonoe, whom long-haired Aristias wedded, and Polydorus also in rich-crowned Thebe. And the daughter of Ocean Caleroe was joined in the love of rich Aphrodite with stout-hearted Chrysaor, and bore a son, who was the strongest of all men, Geryones, whom mighty Heracles killed in sea-girt Erethea for the sake of his shambling oxen. And Eos bore to Tythonus brazen-crested Memnon, king of the Ethiopians, and the lord Emation, and to Cephalus she bore a splendid son, strong Phethon, a man like the gods, whom, when he was young boy in the tender flower of glorious youth with childish thoughts, laughter-loving Aphrodite seized and caught up and made a keeper of her shrine by night, a divine spirit. And the son of Eson, by the will of the gods, led away from Aetes, the daughter of Aetes, the heaven-nurturing king, when he had finished the many grievous labors which the great king overbearing Peleus, that outraged and presumptuous doer of violence, put upon him. But when the son of Eson had finished them, he came to Aeolcus after long toil, bringing the coy-eyed girl with him on his swift ship, and made her his buxom wife. And she was subject to Jason, shepherd of the people, and bore a son, Medeus, whom Chiron, the son of Philere, brought up in the mountains. And the will of great Zeus was fulfilled. But of the daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea, Psamanthe, the fair goddess, was loved by Iacus through golden Aphrodite and bore Phocas. And silver-shod goddess Thetis was subject to Peleus and brought forth lion-hearted Achilles, the destroyer of men. And Catheria, with the beautiful crown, was joined in sweet love with the hero Anchises and bore Aeneas on the peaks of Ida with its many wooded glens. And Circe, the daughter of Helios, Hyperion's son, loved steadfast Odysseus and bore Agrius and Latinus, who was faultless and strong. Also she brought forth Teleganus by the will of golden Aphrodite, and they ruled over the famous Tyreneans, very far off in a recess of the holy islands. And the bright goddess Calypso was joined to Odysseus in sweet love and bore him Nosuthous and Nosynous. These are the immortal goddesses who lay with mortal men and bore them children like unto gods. But now, sweet-voiced muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus, who hold the Aegis, sing of the company of women. Shock of shocks that as soon as Hesiod gets to the point where he's gonna sing about women, we don't have any more! What a concept. This end bit is so fascinating. I feel like a lot of it was tacked on to the existing epic tradition to sort of account for all of these characters that were big in other stories, right? So you know, Hesiod, or whatever Hesiod is, like Homer, it would have been an epic or an oral story that had traveled all around and had changed and had been adapted regionally and eventually they wrote it down. And now based on the conversation I had with Joel Christensen a couple weeks ago, I'm just can't help but think that, you know, all of these things at the very end were tacked on. The Odysseus, the Achilles, the Aeneas, all of that is tacked on to then account for what happens in the Iliad and the Odyssey, but maybe wasn't something that was told otherwise because why would they feel the need to connect all those things? It's really quite fascinating to think about when these things changed, how they changed, how bits got tacked on and added and why. Now Hesiod does also have a work called the Catalogue of Women. We only have fragments of it, so who knows what was real and what was not, but apparently there was some talk of women. But if you all remember back to the moment when I spoke about Pandora, whew, I mean, couldn't have been all good, you know? Because that's a real moment, talking about mortal women. It's one of my favorites because it is just so absurdly bold-faced misogyny even for the ancient world. He's basically saying women are like bees buzzing around your head all the time. Your life will be happier without them, but then at the end it won't be because you won't have had kids because no women. It is so much. It's so fascinating and hilarious. And anyway, I really enjoyed reading the Theogony to you all, so I hope you've enjoyed these reading episodes. Happy New Year. I'm pretty sure this is coming out like a few days before New Year's Eve, which is wild. It's going to be 2022. So make sure you ask your questions, mythsbaby.com slash questions. I'm really looking forward to it, which is why I keep mentioning to you all. Thank you so much. I am Liv and oh, can you tell? I love this shit.