Reading 4

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This reading comes from the Cave’s

The Best of Hesiod’s Theogony & Works and Days

(where it appears as chapters four, five, and six).

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Night’s Offspring and the Offspring of Strife

AND NIGHT BROUGHT LOATHSOME DOOM (Moros) into the world, and dark Kēr and Death (Thanatos). And she brought into the world Sleep (Hypnos) and the tribe of Dreams (Oneiroi).

214-224 Night next gives birth to Blame (Mōmos), Woe (Oizus), and the Hesperides, who tend the golden apples. She brings to life the ruthless Destinies, who are the goddesses of death (Kēres), and the three Fates (Moirai)—the spinner, Klotho; the apportioner, Lachesis; and the inflexible one, Atropos. The Fates “grant the good and bad to those who are born.” Night also brings into the world Nemesis (Indignation), Deceit (Apatē), affectionate Love (Philotēs), and destructive Old Age (Gēras).

225-232 And Night brought strong-hearted Strife (Eris) into the world.

And loathsome Strife engendered painful Toil (Ponos) and Oblivion (Lēthē) and Hunger (Limos) and tear-causing Pains (Algea).

And Fights (Hysminai) and Battles (Machai) and Murders (Phonoi) and the Slaughters-of-men (Androktasiai).

And Quarrels (Neikea) and Lies (Pseudea) and Arguments (Logoi) and Counter-Arguments (Amphilogiai).

And [230] Lawlessness (Dysnomia) and blind Bewilderment (Atē).

They’re all well-acquainted with and alike one another.

And then there’s Oath (Horkos), who plunges men who live upon the earth into misery and ruin when some man willfully swears a false oath.

Sea’s Offspring and Later Generations Descending from Sea

233-336 And Sea (Pontos) fathered Nereus, who is truthful and without deceit. He’s the oldest of Sea’s children. And men call him Old Man because he is unerring and kind. He does not forget what is lawful and customary but is versed in just and kindly counsels.

237-269 With Earth, Sea fathers great Thaumas, arrogant Phorkys, beautiful-cheeked Keto, and adamant-spirited Eurybia. Nereus fathers the Nereids (the offspring of Nereus) with Doris, the daughter of Ocean (Okeanos). Of the fifty daughters of Nereus that Hesiod names, two well-known Nereids are Thetis (Achilles’ mother) and Amphitrite (Poseidon’s wife). Swift Iris is born to Thaumas and Elektra, the daughter of Ocean, as are the Harpies Aello and Okypete, who fly high upon the wind.

270-286 Then, with Phorkys, Keto brought the beautiful-cheeked old women into the world. They are gray haired from their birth, whom both the immortal gods and human beings who walk upon the earth call the Graiai—beautifully-robed Pemphredo and yellow-robed Enyo. With Phorkys she also brought the Gorgons into the world, the ones who dwell beyond glorious Ocean on the other side toward the edge of all and nightfall, where the clear-voiced Hesperides are. The Gorgons are Sthenno and Euryale and Medusa, who suffered baneful sorrows. Medusa was mortal whereas the other two are immortal and ageless. But with her alone dark-haired Poseidon lay in a soft meadow abounding with spring flowers.

[280] When Perseus severed her head from her neck, great Chrysaor and the horse Pegasus leaped out. Pegasus was called this since he was born near the springs—pēgas—of Ocean. And Chrysaor because he held a golden sword—aor—in his dear hands. Pegasus flew off, abandoning earth, the mother of sheep, and he came to the immortal gods. And he dwells in the house of Zeus and carries thunder and lightning to Zeus, who is wise in counsel.

287-336 With Kallirhoe, Chrysaor fathers Geryones, whom Heracles killed. Keto engenders monstrous, dauntless Echidna, half nymph and half serpent, who lives beneath the earth in “glorious mansions” and feeds on raw flesh. With Typhon, Echidna gives birth to Geryones’ dog, Orthos, and to Hades’ dog, Kerberos, “who eats raw flesh,” and to the water serpents of Lerna, the Hydra, sent by Hera against Heracles. Nevertheless, Heracles slaughters the Hydra with the help of Iolaos. She also engenders Chimaera, the fire-breathing creature with three heads—that of a lion, a goat, and a serpent. Bellerophon and Pegasus eventually kill her. Overpowered by Orthos, she[i] engenders the Sphinx, “destruction for the Kadmeans” of Thebes in Boeotia, and the Nemean lion that Hera raises in the hills of Nemea. Since the lion causes much suffering among humans, Heracles eventually overpowers and kills it. Lastly, with Phorkys, Keto gives birth to the “frightful serpent” that guards the “all-golden apples” at the limits of dark earth.

Offspring of the Titans

Ocean and Tethys’ Offspring

337-348 And with Ocean, Tethys engendered the whirling rivers, the Nile and … the Meander and the beautifully flowing Ister [340] … and the divine Scamander.[ii] Hesiod mentions some twenty-one other rivers by name.

And Tethys engendered a holy race of daughters. Together with lord Apollo and the rivers, these daughters bring boys up to become men since this is the apportioned work they have from Zeus.

349-370 Hesiod goes on to name some forty-one daughters, including Peithō (Persuasion), Elektra, Doris, Klymene, Dione (whom Homer gives as the mother of Aphrodite), ox-eyed Plouto, Europa, Metis (Wise Counsel), Asia, Calypso (who plays a significant role in Homer’s Odyssey), Tychē (Chance or Fortune), and the river Styx. Hesiod declares there are three thousand such daughters of Ocean and Tethys, and just as many river sons. “It is hard for a mortal man to tell their names, but people know the rivers they live by.”

Hyperion and Theia’s Offspring

371-374 Hesiod recounts the birth of Sun (Helios), Moon (Selēnē), and Dawn (Ēōs) to the Titan siblings Hyperion and Theia.

Kreios and Eurybia’s Offspring

375-377 Next, the Titan Kreios and Sea’s daughter Eurybia engender Astraios, Pallas, and Perses.

Later Generations I—Dawn (Ēōs) and Astraios and the Gods Born of the River Styx and Pallas

378-382 With Astraios, Dawn (ēōs) gives birth to the winds Zephyros (the West Wind), Boreas (the North Wind), and Notos (the South Wind), and various stars, including the Dawn-bearer (Eōsphoros).

Later Generations II—the Gods Born of the River Styx and Pallas; Styx’s Journey to Olympus

383-403 And Styx, the daughter of Ocean, mixed with Pallas and brought into the world Jealousy (or Rivalry) (Zēlos) and beautiful-ankled Nikē (Victory) in her large halls. And also her children, the illustrious, much-displayed Kratos (Might or Power) and Bia (Strength or Force). Apart from Zeus, these have no house nor a sitting place nor a way to go except the one upon which Zeus leads them. Anyway, they are always seated next to loud-thundering Zeus.

This is how Styx, the undying daughter of Ocean, planned it. [390] On the day when Zeus the Olympian flasher of lightning beckoned all the immortal gods to high Olympus, he said that he would not take away the prerogatives of any of the gods who would fight with him against the Titans. Rather, each would keep the portion of honor and position that he previously had among the immortal gods. And he declared that those who were dishonored and unrecognized under the rule of Kronos would walk along the way of honor and privileges, according to custom and what is right.

So it was that undying Styx first came to Olympus with her own children, through the counsels of her dear father. And Zeus honored her and gave her a great number of gifts. [400] He appointed her to be the great oath of the gods. And he determined that her children would dwell with him all their days.

Zeus accomplished what he promised—everything for everyone. As for him, he is the lord and rules mightily.

Koios and Phoebe’s Offspring

404-410 After laying with Koios in love, Phoebe gives birth to Leto, “always gentle”—the kindest of the gods on Olympus. Phoebe also gives birth to Asteria, Perses’ wife.

So ends Reading 4, “The Offspring of Night, of Sea, and of the Titans.” See you in Reading 5, “Hymn to Hekate the Honored Goddess.”

Notes

[i] “She” may be Echidna or Chimaera—Hesiod leaves her identity unclear, though some commentators suggest she is likely Chimaera.

[ii] The Meander (the Greek Maiandros means “winding”) is a winding river in present-day southwestern Turkey (ancient Asia Minor). The Greek meander pattern is named for this river. Today it is called the Büyük Menderes River. The Ister (Istros) is the Danube, which flows through Europe and empties into the Black Sea. The Scamander (Skamandros) (called by gods the Xanthos) is a river that flowed before Troy in present-day northwestern Turkey (ancient Asia Minor). Today it is called the Karamenderes.