How the World and Mankind Were Created

“First there was Chaos, the vast immeasurable abyss” Two children of Chaos: Erebus and Night Erebus: becomes the depthless world of death Night: what it says

Death’s and Erebus’ Child Love: the light in the darkness Love created Light, and the opposite of Night—Day From the coming of Light and Love, earth was created No description of how Earth was created given

Gaea and Ouranos (Uranus) Mother Earth and Father Heaven Monsters: not in the sense that they are bad. First creatures to come to life

Giants Gaea and Oranos were giants These are creatures larger than what we think of as normal today Includes cyclops Creatures with a hundred hands and fifty heads Titans

Domestic Dispute Oranos hated his children Imprisoned the hundred-hand, fifty-head creatures within the earth (Gaea) Gaea is enraged at the maltreatment of her children

Cronus A Titan who defeated Oranos Drove the monsters from the world Caused the creation of Erinyes (Furies) from the blood of Oranus Ensured the continued life of the Furies as long as sin remained in the world Cronus becomes ruler of the Universe

Cronus’ Children Cronus learned one of his children would rebel against him He swallowed them as they were born Zeus was born in secret

Zeus’ Rise To Power Zeus enlists the aid of his five brothers and sisters to wage war with Cronus Zeus released the hundred-headed, fifty-handed monsters from their prison to aid his cause Zeus defeated Cronus and the Titans

Zeus’ Punishment The god was terrible in his punishment The conquered were chained “as far beneath earth as heaven is above” 9 days falling from earth Atlas: Titan must hold the weight of Heaven and Earth on his shoulders for all eternity; he must stand in the nether regions, where it is neither night or day—separation; utter loneliness

The First Challenge Zeus is challenged by the birth of his last brother: Typhon Zeus owns thunder and lightning Zeus ensures his position as supreme ruler by striking Typhon with “The bolt that never sleeps,/Thunder with breath of flame.” Suggests that the power of heaven is unquenchable

Another Challenge The Giants, who helped Zeus initially, rebel against him **Hercules finally arrives to help his father defeat the Giants Zeus’ punishment is the same for the Giants as it is for the Titans and Cronus: banishment to the uttermost nether regions

The Creation of Man Prometheus (forethought) Epimetheus (afterthought) Both are Titans who sided with Zeus in his war against the Titans Epimetheus began man; Prometheus finished him Initially, the animals had the superior qualities of speed, endurance, etc. Prometheus gave man the “nobler shape” of being upright like the gods—thus they look like gods

The Creation of Man II The gods themselves created man The “Golden Race” – created from gold The “Silver Race” – created from silver This continues through all the precious metals These races departed the world in pure spirit form

The Iron Race The fifth race created They must toil tremendously to make a living on earth They do not convert to pure spirits when they die Eventually, Zeus will destroy them when “no man is angry and more at wrongdoing”

Only Men During the “Golden Age,” only men inhabited the earth The precious metal races were entirely men All new people had to be created from scratch by the gods Women were created by Zeus, in anger at Prometheus’ love for mankind

Prometheus’ Deceit Prometheus gave fire to the “Iron Race” Prometheus nurtured mankind by reserving the best parts of the sacrifices for men

Zeus’ Revenge Zeus created Pandora—the gift of all The first woman Beautiful beyond all men’s dream She is the wonder of the gods, and an evil to men, with the nature to DO evil Pandora releases all the evil in the world—plague, sorrow, misfortune This is tempered only with Hope

Prometheus’ Punishment Zeus had Prometheus bound in the Causasus (mountains far away) He was bound with unbreakable chains (he is a Titan, afterall) He would be bound until he submitted to Zeus Prometheus eventually had his liver eaten by an eagle, which would return every day to eat the newly re-grown liver