CMLT316 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Aeschylus, Typhon, Cronus
3 Jun 2018
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CH 4: Zeus’ Rise to Power- The Creation Of Mortals
The Titanomachy: Zeus Defeats His Father Cronus
● Ten year battle between Zeus and the Olympians and Cronus and the Titans
● Cronus fought from Mt Othrys, Zeus fought from Mt Olympus
● Zeus’ allies in addition to Themis and Prometheus were his brothers and sisters who had
been swallowed by Cronus but later regurgitated
○ Hestia
○ Demeter
○ Hera
○ Hades
○ Poseidon
● Also on Zeus’ side were the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes
● Zeus was victorious
● The Titans were imprisoned in Tartarus
○ Atlas was punished with the task of holding up the sky
The Gigantomachy: Zeus Defeats the Giants and Typhoeus
● Giants, called Gegeneis challenged Zeus and the new order of gods
○ They were defeated and imprisoned under the earth
○ Volcanoes, when they erupt, reveal the presence of the giants below
● Typhoeus was a dragon-god whom earth produced to do battle with Zeus
○ Zeus’ triumph singles him out as an archetypal dragon-slayer
● The giants, Otus and Ephialtes in another attack failed in their attempt to storm heaven
by piling Olympus, Ossa, and Pelion
● The Titanomachy and Gigantomachy are often confused in literature and art
The Four or Five Ages
● Several conflicting versions about the creation of mortals
● Hesiod’s account
● Ovid describes only four ages, excluding the Age of Heroes
The Age of Gold
● Olympian gods made a golden race of mortals who lived as though in a paradise without
troubles or cares
● All good things were theirs in abundance
● Lived in peace, never grew old, and died as though overcome by sleep
The Age of Silver
● Second race of silver, far less favored than the one of gold
● Their childhood lasted a hundred years and when they grew up their lives were short
and distressful
● Arrogant against one another
● Refused to worship the gods
● Zeus in his anger hid them under the earth
The Age of Bronze
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Document Summary
Ch 4: zeus" rise to power- the creation of mortals. Ten year battle between zeus and the olympians and cronus and the titans. Cronus fought from mt othrys, zeus fought from mt olympus. Zeus" allies in addition to themis and prometheus were his brothers and sisters who had been swallowed by cronus but later regurgitated. Also on zeus" side were the hecatonchires and the cyclopes. Atlas was punished with the task of holding up the sky. The gigantomachy: zeus defeats the giants and typhoeus. Giants, called gegeneis challenged zeus and the new order of gods. They were defeated and imprisoned under the earth. Volcanoes, when they erupt, reveal the presence of the giants below. Typhoeus was a dragon-god whom earth produced to do battle with zeus. Zeus" triumph singles him out as an archetypal dragon-slayer. The giants, otus and ephialtes in another attack failed in their attempt to storm heaven by piling olympus, ossa, and pelion.
