3: Creation in the Ancient World--The Route to Hesiod’s Theogony
- Page ID
- 275189
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- 3.1: The Ancient Greek View of the Cosmos
- Creation in the Ancient Greek world is built around the tradition of a Zeus-centric model, and his birth of Athene, drawing direct connections to both a cosmology and cosmogony.
- 3.2: Ancient Near Eastern Mythology, Egypt and Babylonia
- The earliest literary epics come from the Near Eastern kingdoms of Egypt and Babylonia, and much of that literature served as foundational materials for later mythologies, like those of Ancient Greece.
- 3.3: Biblical Creation in Genesis
- The Bible offers two creation accounts in Genesis. The first Genesis account mirrors the Enuma Elish, featuring God as the sole creator, differing from the polytheistic chaos. The second account introduces a more arid setting.
- 3.4: Ziggurats and The Tower of Babel
- The Tower of Babel is linked to a temple honoring the god Marduk, built from mud-bricks in Babylon. Ziggurats, unlike Egyptian pyramids, were designed to bring priests closer to the living gods. The Tower of Babel, chronicled in Genesis, became synonymous with confusion as God interfered by making people speak different languages, halting their efforts to reach the heavens.
- 3.5: The Origins of Love, from Plato’s Symposium
- Early humanity's arrogance and the need for divine temperance is the subject of "Plato's Symposium," where the philosopher and his guests discuss the origin and nature of Love. Aristophanes shares an etiological myth about humans initially being complete spherical beings with three sexes. Zeus separates them into two to humble their pride. The separated halves long to reunite, symbolizing the eternal search for love and completeness, as an explanation for human relationships.
- 3.6: Hesiod- Introduction to The Theogony
- Hesiod's "the Theogony," composed around the 8th-century BCE, traces the history from the world's creation to Zeus's rule over the Olympian gods. The poem serves as a significant source for Greek mythology. Hesiod's work, alongside Homer's, influenced later Greek and Roman literature, notably Ovid's "Metamorphoses." While some critique Hesiod's lyrical style and characterizations, his impact on classical literature and philosophy is undeniable.
- 3.7: The Theogony Reading Response Prompt
- Reading responses are a way to reflect and interact with the text, allowing students to demonstrate their ability to move beyond simple summary and demonstrate critical insight into the text.
- 3.8: Study Questions
- Study questions offer an opportunity for individual or group interaction with the text.
- 3.9: Bibliography
- The following bibliography contains books and resources referenced and/or adapted for Chapter 3.