Greek Mythology

Greek Creation Myth
In the beginning there was only the infinite space known as Chaos.
Inside this void was a single creature, Nyx, the bird with black wings.
She laid a golden egg and for ages sat upon it. When it finally
hatched, out came Eros, the god of love.
One half of the shell rose up to become the sky, and the other half
became the Earth. He named the Earth Gaia and the sky Uranus.
Eros then made them fall in love. More… They had many children;
among them were giants and Titans, one of which was name Atlas,
who, due to his bad behavior was punished to forever hold the Earth
and the sky apart.
Two other children were named Cronus and Rhea, who married and
ruled the world. They also had children. One was name Demeter,
who was the Goddess of all things that grow. Hera was the Goddess
of marriage and the birth of children. Hestia, as the goddess of the
home and sacred hearth. Poseidon, god of the sea, Hades, god of
the dead, and Zeus who became the God of the world and ruled the
air and the sky.
Before they were born, the universe prophesied that one of these
children would overtake Cronus and rule the world. To avoid this fate,
Cronus swallowed up each of his children as soon as they were born.
All of them, except Zeus, who had been hidden by his mother Rhea.
When he was fully grown, Zeus conquered Cronus in a great war and
rescued his siblings. They all divided the world up and ruled together,
then sent Cronus to a place called Tartarus, which is beneath the
land of the Dead.
He made his heaven on Greece’s Mount Olympus, which has its top
hidden in the clouds and is impossible for any mortal to climb
because of its sheer steepness. They then put the Earth into order.
Zeus began creating people for the upper world. The first race he
made was perfect and cast out of gold. They never grew old or died,
and happily lived off of the trees fruit. However, they lived in such
peacefulness that did not wake up after going to sleep. Zeus then
melted down their bodies and left their souls to watch over the people
he would create next.
They were created out of silver, extraordinarily vain and beautiful,

they would stare at themselves endlessly and from their pride
assumed that they themselves were the gods who ruled the earth.
This was unacceptable, so Zeus buried the race of silver and created
the Bronze race instead. They immediately began to create tools and
build industries. This satisfied Zeus, but then the race used their
tools, arrows, swords, and clubs, to turn on each other and
slaughtered themselves in war.
Zeus had to begin again, and this last race was created from iron, the
only metal left to him. This race grew old and rusted. They worked,
loved, and died. Because of this, they also prayed to the gods and
fearfully revered them.
When he was creating the earliest of this race, Zeus requested aid
from one of the Titans name Prometheus, who soon became
intrigued with these humans. He trusted them as Zeus did not, for
Zeus feared that they may one day overpower him as he had his
father, and as his father had before as well.
Thus, on the command of Zeus, fire was hidden from mankind, and
there was no chance for this newest race to rise higher than those
before him. Without fire, they must eat raw meat, eat no bread, or
make tools or weapons of metal. They would not be able to make
pots or bowls of clay, as they did not have fire to harden them by.
Prometheus pitied mankind, and decided to steal fire from Mount

Olympus and give it to them so that they could rise above the beasts.
He knew how terrible and long his punishment would be, but he did it
anyway.
One night he carried the flame from Olympus to earth. As soon as it

was on earth and the first blaze was kindled, mankind had it forever.
Prometheus made haste and taught man how to use fire, and by the
time Zeus saw what was happening, man was already quite civilized.
He instantly who had given this gift of fire, and decided on a most
horrible punishment. A giant vulture was sent to eat Prometheus’s
liver as he was chained to a stone. This was not only a one-time
thing, as everyday the vulture would come, and every night a new
liver would grow. He was to be punished forever in this way.
Zeus also decided to give his own terrible gift to mankind. He said, I
myself will offer them a gift. It is a beautiful one, and they will love it
dearly. However, it shall bring them suffering, and many ills now and
for eternity.
First he summoned his son Hephaestus, god of craftsmen and all

who labor at the workshop or kiln, to make a lovely image out of clay.
It was in the shape of a maiden, likened in the shape of the
goddesses themselves.
Then Athena, goddess of wisdom and weaving and needlework,

taught her all that she knew. Then the quick-witted messenger,
Hermes, taught her to speak and to tell clever lies in order to deceive
men. Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, made her beautiful so
that men should fall in love and break themselves because of her.
Zeus was finally pleased and blew life into the image. He gave her a
beautiful box, and told her that she must never open it.
Your name is Pandora said Zeus. It means all-gifted for we have all
given you gifts. He was speaking of the gifts that formed her being,
but he said this purposefully, for he knew that Pandora would think he
was speaking of the treasures in the box.
Hermes then took her and the precious box down to Earth and gave
her to Epimetheus, who was the brother to Prometheus. Prometheus,
who had the gift of foresight, warned Epimetheus never to accept a
gift from Zeus, as it could cause terrible consequences among
humankind. Epimetheus, however, could not refuse such a beautiful
gift.
Epimetheus, said Hermes, You have been chosen to be the luckiest
of men. This is Pandora, the first woman, and she has chosen you to
be her husband. Take her and she will tend to you and care for you.
Take this box as well, but guard it carefully and never let anyone
open it, for it could bring destruction to mankind. Above all, do not let
Pandora open it!
He then flew back to Olympus, leaving Epimetheus extremely happy,

for he had fallen in love with her immediately. Life was so dull and
lonely without a woman he said. I have been given this beautiful
creature, the first of her kind!
They were very happy at first. Pandora cooked and cleaned, and
looked after Epimetheus, and was perfect for him.
But she was curious to see what was in the box that was given to her,
and constantly questioned him about it.
This was the only thing he could not do for her; numerous times he
told her not to touch the box, but each time her desire to know grew
stronger.
They are mine, and the immortals gave them to me. My name means
all-gifted, they are for me to open!
She often imagined the treasures inside that lay awaiting for her, the
garments that longed to be worn, all in colors more brilliant than the
sun.
At last her curiosity could no longer wait, and she snuck away to the
magic box one night, broke the seal, and raised the lid. There was a
great whirlwind, and out like a thousand bats flew the plagues that
Zeus had prepared for humankind. Want, and suffering, Hunger,
thirst, Jealousy and mistrust of fellow man, lies and envy, and all
diseases which plague men, immune to all medicines.
The terrified Pandora slammed the box shut, but it was too late. All
the evils had already been let out and were around the globe causing
troubles to all of mankind.
Only one of these gifts was good, and this alone allowed mankind to
continue. This gift was hope. For without this gift, man would die of
despair. But hope is always the last resort for all troubles, it seems
that it is brought out only when situations cannot get any worse. That
after misfortune, things will turn around. This is the gift of hope that
we now have, urging us to look forward to all of our futures.

Greek Mythology

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Greek Mythology

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Greek Creation Myth

They were created out of silver, extraordinarily vain and beautiful,

Prometheus pitied mankind, and decided to steal fire from Mount

One night he carried the flame from Olympus to earth. As soon as it

First he summoned his son Hephaestus, god of craftsmen and all

Then Athena, goddess of wisdom and weaving and needlework,

He then flew back to Olympus, leaving Epimetheus extremely happy,

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