Power In Hesiod's Theogony

The desire for power is a common struggle in both the human world and Ancient Greek myth. Hesiod’s Theogony is a classic piece of Greek literature that details the history and stories of Greek myth, including the relationship between the gods Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus. Many humans are able to attain power by simply working towards their goals, while others often resort to betrayal. The only way a Greek god can rise to power is by overthrowing their predecessors. The battle between established gods and aspiring rulers exists because of their immortality. Since a Greek god cannot be killed, violent attacks are planned in order to take their power. The struggle between each of these generations constructs much of the Theogony related to power.

After examining the relationships of Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus, provided in detail by Hesiod it is important to consider its accuracy, the extent of Zeus’ dependence on Gaia, and the degree of responsibility for Zeus’ own success.
The comment mentioned above is an accurate representation of the account featured in Hesiod’s Theogony.

Gaia, one of the first Greek beings, gave birth to Ouranos by herself to “cover her all over, and to be an always safe home for the blessed gods.” (Theog. 127-8). She later married her son, Ouranos, and gave birth to Kronos. Ouranos hated all of his children from birth and banished them inside of Gaia so that they would never see the light (Theog. 157-8). Gaia, not happy with the way she and her children were being treated, used her cunning intelligence to create a plan that would destroy Ouranos. With the help of “crooked-minded Kronos” (Theog. 168), she was able to carry out her plan and have Ouranos castrated. By defeating his father, Kronos was able to rise to power. Later on in the Theogony, Kronos marries and has children with his sister, Rhea. Gaia and Ouranos strike fear in Kronos when they tell him that one of his children will succeed him (Theog. 460-5). Terrified that the prophecy will come true, Kronos turns away from the idea of family and swallows each of his children as they are born. The pattern continues over the course of five births, but Zeus, their sixth child, slips by. Rhea turns to her mother, Gaia, for advice when she is pregnant with Zeus. Gaia’s cunning plan is revealed when Hesiod writes, “Rhea wrapped a huge stone in a baby’s robe, and fed it to Sky’s wide-ruling son, lord of the earlier gods;” (Theog. 485-6). Rhea is able to trick Kronos and

save her son from an otherwise terrible fate. When Zeus grows older, he marries Metis. She is destined to give birth to a daughter named Athena, and a son. Gaia and Ouranos are able to keep Zeus from being overthrown as the chief god by telling him that his son will be, “proud of heart, king of gods and men;” (Theog. 897-8). With this information, Zeus finds himself in a similar situation as his grandfather, Ouranos and his father, Kronos. He decides to swallow his wife in an attempt to prevent himself from being overthrown by a potential son. The comment stated above is simply a condensed version of the account featured in Hesiod’s Theogony. The gods and their individual succession stories may be complex, but the overall pattern is simple. Gaia can be seen stepping in multiple times throughout the succession story. Her metis and helpful personality are taken advantage of by many of the Greek gods, especially Zeus.
Zeus appears heavily dependent on his mother, Gaia, in the events that lead up to his establishment of power.

This dependence, however, seems to only go to a certain extent. It is Gaia’s plans and ideas that allow Zeus to grow as an individual and gain the support and loyalty of other gods, but he is able to rule and carry out ideas by himself as well. One of Gaia’s greatest ideas is explained in the Theogony when Hesiod writes, “So now with firm mind and willing spirit we will defend your power in hostile war, fighting the Titans in strong battles.” (Theog. 661-3). Gaia advises Zeus to release the Hekatoncheires; Cottus, Briareus, and Gyges from the underworld because she realizes that they are “blameless” (Theog. 654), and knows that they are powerful enough to help Zeus defeat the Titans. At this point, he has already released the Cyclopes and attained one of his most valuable weapons, the lightning bolt (Theog. 620). Zeus follows Gaia’s advice, releasing the Hekatoncheires and makes a deal with them, “Gyges, Cottus, and great-spirited Briareus live, the faithful guards of aegis-bearing Zeus.” (Theog. 734-5). In exchange for their support, Zeus allows them to become guards of the defeated Titans in Tartarus. Their contribution to the war against the Titans is significant because they provide almost all of the strong artillery that Zeus has (Theog. 620). The Cyclopes disappear from the war shortly after creating the lightning bolts, leaving Zeus with fewer allies to

support him in combat (Theog. 620). Zeus’ overall dependence on Gaia during this time is significant and it helps him improve strategically as well as physically, in terms of combat. In Hesiod’s Theogony, however, Zeus does appear capable of working without Gaia as a mentor by using pure force and diplomacy.
Although Gaia is an advantageous ally, Zeus is able to achieve success himself using his diplomatic strength and overwhelming force. The Cyclopes named Brontes, Steropes, and Arges, become Zeus’ allies before the war with the Titans begins (Theog. 140-1). Their contribution to Zeus’ plan is explained when Hesiod writes, “Strength, force, and skill were in their works.” (Theog. 146). The Cyclopes use these traits to create the lightning bolts for Zeus that he later uses as a weapon in the war (Theog. 141). The creation of the Cyclopes as allies supports the idea that Zeus is capable of achieving success by himself. Zeus also proves the high degree of responsibility for his own success when he punishes Atlas, the son of Iapetus (Theog. 509). He wants to punish everyone who has fought against him, including Atlas. The punishment Zeus gives Atlas is described by Hesiod when he writes, “And Atlas, standing at the limits of the earth, before the clear-voiced Hesperides, under strong necessity, holds the wide sky with head and untiring arms; for this is the fate wise Zeus allotted him.” (Theog. 517-20).