Search results
The Theogony details the genealogy of ancient Greek gods, from the beginning of the universe through the Olympian gods and various monsters and heroes descended from them. The poem begins with an invocation to the Muses typical of epic poetry, but with a twist: Hesiod claims that the Muses themselves once descended to visit him and taught him ...
- Summary & Analysis
Hesiod’s poetic ability is implied to be an indirect gift...
- Summary & Analysis
The “Theogony” (Gr: “Theogonia”) of the ancient Greek poet Hesiod is a didactic or instructional poem describing the origins of the cosmos and the complicated and interconnected genealogies of the gods of the ancient Greeks, as well as some of the stories around them.
The Theogony is an epic poem by the archaic Greek poet Hesiod. It is both a theogony—or account of the origins of the gods—and a cosmogony, an explanation of the origins of the universe.
Hesiod’s poetic ability is implied to be an indirect gift from Zeus, who grants the Muses the power to bestow artistic skill on worthy mortals. Hesiod begins the poem by emphasizing the cohesive nature of his world, one in which the human, the divine, and the natural comingle.
The poem begins with an invocation of the Muses on Mount Helicon who taught Hesiod, a shepherd, to sing. He says they gave him the ability to sing of the past and the future: They "plucked and gave a staff to me, a shoot / Of blooming laurel ... / And breathed a sacred voice into my mouth."
Hesiod’s poems, like that of Homer, draw their subject matter from myth and legend, detailing the struggles of gods, goddesses, and heroes, as well as more everyday influences such as agricultural and pastoral life in ancient Greece.
21 lis 2023 · Hesiod's theogony is a greek poem of huge importance. Explore Hesiod's theogony summary, learn a theogony definition, and explore the importance of theogony. Updated: 11/21/2023.
