This class presents an overview of Greek creation myth, focusing in particular on the story as told by Hesiod’s Theogony. By comparing the Theogony and its amalgamation of cosmogony (“creation of the universe”) and theogony (creation of the gods), we can see how this particular narrative uses biological reproduction as the dominant creative metaphor. In addition, comparisons to the creation narratives from the biblical Genesis and Ovid’s Metamorphoses help us isolate particular details of Greek culture from the perspective of its cosmogonic narrative.
Ancient Authors Discussed
Hesiod, Archaic Period
Ovid, Roman Imperial Period
Links to Blogposts
An Alternative Cosmogony from Euripides
Correspondence and Coherence, a Cognitive Approach to Lies
Some Suggested Course Texts
Other Articles
Creation stories from around the world
Student Suggested Links
[TBA]
Classical Mythology 