Comparing Power In Theogony And Enuma Elish

Power is one of the most coveted forms of supremacy in “Theogony” and the “Enuma Elish”, which establish similar terms of divine hierarchical order by exalting a supreme ruler. Both poems tell us how important power was to the Gods and the subjects worshiping them. In these works the “rulers of the Gods”, Zeus and Marduk, earn and display dominant powers which are similar in many ways.
To gain power, you have to earn it. Which is what both Zeus and Marduk do as accounted for in “Theogony” and the “Enuma Elish.” The succession myths in both works are strong preoccupations that play a pivotal role in allotting power. In both cases, the text highlights the dilemmas of unkind fathers, vengeful mothers, and aspiring sons who obtain the power they seek.
In “Theogony” the succession myth starts with the superior deities, Ouranos and Gaia. Promptly, his own son, Cronos, making this the first instance of a shift in power, castrates Ouranos. After this, Cronos becomes paranoid that his son will overthrow him one day. Cronos was right to be paranoid because Zeus bested his father in the war of the Titans and Olympians. Because Zeus spearheaded this coup, this overthrow served as his primary

claim to the power that had been passed down as “Theogony” played out.
Similarly, in the “Enuma Elish” the primeval waters, Apsu and Tiamat, come to the forefront of the creation story. As time passes a younger god, Ea, puts Apsu in a coma diminishing his power. Tiamat responds to this problem by giving her new husband, Kingu, the tablet of destinies furthering the theme of moving power down a lineage of supreme Gods. Later Ea’s son, Marduk, challenged Tiamat and Apsu in a great theomachy, much like the Titans vs. Olympian war seen in the text of Hesiod, and emerges triumphantly.
Within the succession myth in “Theogony”, the passage of power from father to son is one that accounts for why it was such a sought-after trait. The desire for power in the text is on such a magnitude that two generations of supreme Gods get wiped out before things start to settle in the cosmos. Since Zeus arrived triumphantly on top, power lies with him. Hesiod tells us that Zeus is “King in the sky, He holds the vajra thunder and flashing lightning.” (Line 72). By succeeding his fathers, Zeus rose to be king encompassing the sky as his domain. The sky is significant in “Theogony” because it was above everything: the terrestrial realm, the oceans, and even the underworld. Because Zeus gained control of the sky and its resources, thunder and lighting, he becomes entitled to use them to rule, justifying his power throughout the text.
Marduk stumbles upon his basis of power in a similar way, he too triumphed over his predecessors in a great theomachy. Gaining power by these means allow for the generation of gods he was leading to respect him. With respect comes praise, which entitles power to the receiver. The “Enuma Elish” expresses its inherent value in supremacy being tightly woven with power when Kingu had received the tablet of destinies from Tiamat. In Marduk’s case he earned his own power, “Marduk, thou art our avenger; To thee we have given kingship over the totality of the whole universe.” (Heidel Tablet IV 13-14). Marduk did something the rest of the Gods in the “Enuma Elish” deemed worthy which designated more significance to his imperial power.
In “Theogony” and the “Enuma Elish” both supreme gods are given multiple names and titles to assert their superiority. By tying many weighty names to one Supreme Being the writings allow for that Being to be perceived as all powerful. The Gods like Zeus and Marduk were given a dominant meaning as well as many symbolic meanings to further strengthen their hold on power among the Gods. It is prevalent that both texts are preoccupied with establishing power by emphasizing the naming of characters.
Zeus is often introduced in many different forms throughout Hesiod’s work, “The Olympian Muses, daughters of Zeus Aegisholder.” (Hesiod 26). Here Zeus is distinguished in many ways: As Zeus himself, as the father of the muses, and as the Aegisholder. All three associations hold the strength of identification and give immense power to Zeus’ being.
This theme of naming is also represented in the “Enuma Elish”, in which Marduk is excessively glorified by being given fifty significant names.
Asaralim, who carries weight in the house of counsel, on whom the gods did wait, for fear had taken hold on them. Asuralimnunna, the mighty one, the light of the father of his begetter. (Heidel Tablet VII 3-5)
In this instance Marduk is named as Asaralim and Asuralimnunna. Asaralim is recognized as a leader whose word carries significant weight in any judicial debate. Asuralimnunna is also seen as a mighty ruler who has succeeded his father and taken over supreme power. Marduk was commemorated as an authority figure in council and for overthrowing his superiors, as cited above, and in addition to that he was also seen as the God who allowed for flourishing crops and the administer of justice among many other things.
In Zeus’ case, he was known by titles associated with lesser deities like the father of the muses. By doing this, Hesiod allowed connections between Zeus and the muses to be made, in turn, asserting Zeus’ superiority over that of the muses whom were already glorified figures in the text. Being seen as begetter of the muses, it connotes that Zeus holds power over them and all of their designated power. The meticulous naming created a chain of power to which Zeus would succeed to the top in any situation.
Zeus is also repeatedly celebrated as the Aegisholder. The Aegis was the shield Zeus carried with the head of the Gorgon at its center. (Levine 2014) To establish Zeus as the bearer of a sacred shield alludes to his symbolic meaning in “Theology.” A shield has the power to support a warrior and protect them. Zeus, being seen as the Aegisholder suggests that it is destined in him to lead and protect his subjects. Establishing Zeus as a dominant leader fundamentally ties into why he is hoisted into a position of so much power and authority. He is the one who has shown his worth to be able to carry such a shield, so his powers must equate to that of divine greatness.
In the “Enuma Elish”, Marduk’s power is exceptionally recognized by the many titles he embodies. It seems as if the intent behind repeatedly listing more and more associations to Marduk is to ascertain that it is him that is viewed as the almighty. By setting out all the bounds that Marduk oversees (with different names associated with each) the text stresses the importance of recognition. To have Marduk be recognized in any way, be it by the name of Asaralim, Asuralimnunna, or another of his fifty, was enough to justify bestowing him with power.
Another significant form of power Zeus and Marduk seem to both embody is their authority to give rise to tangible constructs be it populations or celestial/terrestrial realms. The act of creation is one reserved to the almighty in both “Theogony” and the “Enuma Elish.” By creating facets of life, each supreme deity brought order out of chaos, which is an inherent value prevalent in both of these etiological texts, and it gives the creator the power to rule.
Zeus’ Power is established after the theomachy between the Titans and the Olympians. After which, He was given command of the sky and all the other Olympian Gods. Zeus then begat many children to populate his domain in which he ruled. In “Theogony”, Zeus is the first of the Gods to have the power to bring to life a plethora of offspring. This idea of fatherhood holds significant value to the idea of power automatically being given to the one who begat.
Marduk draws power from, essentially, re-creating creation. He does this like Zeus, after a theomachy, which he won on behalf of the younger generations of Gods. Marduk then uses the vanquished corpse of Tiamat to reconsolidate earth as a landmass. In addition to establishing ground, Marduk then uses the blood from the veins of Kingu to populate the earth with the race of mankind. In the “Enuma Elish” Marduk one-ups Zeus in this front of power by creating both a landmass and residents to inhabit it rather than just a pedigree of gods.
In “Theogony”, after the Olympians cast the Titans down to Tartaros, an emphasis on lineage emerges in which Zeus becomes the father of seemingly everything else.

He divided up the universe to bring order from chaos. Hesiod writes, “He ordained Laws for the gods and assigned them their rights.” (74-75). By taking many wives, and lovers, Zeus asserts himself as the master of creation. To be father of the muses, the graces, and the fates holds immense responsibility in itself because they control so much of the universe with only their father to instruct them. The responsibilities Zeus creates for himself (his children) are a key contributor to his power. Being as the succession myth stopped when Zeus began fathering children justifies how the text exemplifies his almighty power to

rule.
Marduk takes his claim to power passionately, and violently. “Punishment they inflicted upon him [Kingu] by cutting the arteries of his blood. With his blood they created mankind;” (Heidel Tablet VI 32-33). In order to ascertain Marduks power, the “Enuma Elish” is fixated on creating a fervent image for him. He rips Tiamat’s corpse to create land and spills Kingu’s blood to produce mankind. The connotation behind his actions implies that Marduk is mighty warrior whom deserves his position in council. This is something the “Enuma Elish” continually does by reinforcing the idea that Marduk becomes the ultimate creator because he has re-created creation after his ancestors demise.
References:
Bruce Almightly. Dir. Tom Shadyac. Perf. Jim Carrey. Universal Studios and Spyglass Entertainment, 2003. Film.
Heidel, A. “The Babylonian Genesis; The Story of Creation.” Chicago: The University of Chicago Press (1951)
Hesiod. “Works and Days and Theogony.” Trans. Stanley Lombardo. Hackett Publishing, 1993.
Levine, D. “Theogony: Birth of the Gods.” Hillside Auditorium, University of Arkansas. 02 September 2014. H2P lecture.