Classical Studies 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Hephaestus, Boeotia, A Muse

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 2200
• Professor: Aara Suksi

Document Summary

Tells us he is a farmer and poet from the region of boeotia. He wrote: theogony, works and days. Theo + gone = birth of the gods : compare genesis" = origin. Cosmogony: birth of the world-order or universe (cosmos) Divine dynastic succession: story of a dynasty and who ends up ruling the world. A text that reflects oral epic tradition. Muses are divine patrons of poetry, dance, and other arts led by apollo, they entertain the gods kings get right to lead from zeus but their ability of speech comes from the muses. Zeus and mnemosyne (memory) nine daughters = muses authority from parents. Mount helicon theogony begins with invocation to the muses who live on mount helicon. The beginning (lines 116 ff) first only chaos: chaos = nothingness then gaia (earth), tartaros (underworld), eros (sexual desire) come into being, gaia"s body is the earth.