Hesiod’s Model by David Mirhady (Sep 11, 2000)

            Hesiod writes his Theogony within the context of the nascent polis, which informs his conception of the Greek pantheon.   The generations of gods that he portrays begin with the elements of nature and move steadily toward fully anthropomorphic figures, which represent elements corresponding to the experience of the city-state.  In Hesiod’s time, the polis was led by a king, or kings, and the rule of Zeus that Hesiod portrays serves as an example of royal rule for them.

            Toward the end of the Theogony Zeus is urged by the other gods to be king, to rule the other immortals, and to follow the advice of Gaia.  And so he apportions honors among them (881-5).  Hesiod suggests that royal power results from the assent of the ruled, that it entails the right to rule, but that that rule must be tempered by recognition of the significance of nature, earth, which provides society’s livelihood.   Zeus swallows the goddess Metis (890), just as a king must gain intelligence.  Then he marries Themis, right, who bears good rule (Eunomia), justice (Dike) and peace (Eirene) (901-2), all necessary elements for a prosperous city-state.  Eurynome (straight law) bears him the Graces  (Charites), which are necessary elements for trade and social interaction.

            Zeus’ marriages to Demeter, Leto and Hera yield the gods and goddeses familiar to the Greek world, Persephone, Apollo, Artemis, Hebe, Ares and Eileithyia, and he himself eventually bears Athena (912-24).  These are not elements of good rule, but simply the gods of the Greek polis.  Demeter and Persephone are worshipped for agriculture, Apollo for his oracular shrine, Artemis for the wilderness and young women, Ares for war.  Poseidon as sea god is apart from the polis, but he sires the fearsome Triton  (931).  Likewise, Ares’ children Phobos and Deimos, two aspects of fear, delineate realms beyond the proper bounds of the polis.  Maia bears for Zeus Hermes (938-9), who as herald of the gods moves between realms, between  one polis and another.

            The story of succession that arrives at the rule of Zeus moves from the undifferentiated Sky (Ouranos), through Kronos to Zeus, who himself must withstand the challenges of both Prometheus and Typhoeus.  Ouranos and Kronos, both children of Gaia, seek to destroy the other gods (156-7, 459-62) and thus to withhold all honours for themselves.  Prometheus seeks to share honours promiscuously with humans, giving them fire (565-70), the ability to provide for themselves without the gods’ assistance.   Zeus gives men women in recompense.    He defeats the Titans by using the “counsels” (658) of a benevolent king, which won him the alliance of the Hundred-handed.  In Typhoeus, Zeus defeats the last champion of wild nature (857-8), thus determining the rationality and benevolence of his world order.

            Hesiod makes a special point of describing the rule of kings at the beginning of his poem (81-96).  They are likely to be the audience he has in mind for his poem.  In the Works and Days, he has less charitable things to say about kings (39-40).  He appears to have abandoned royal rule as his model in that poem.