Literary Analysis: Theogony

 Here is my first writing piece: Analysis on Hesiod's Theogony

When Zeus drove the Titans out of the sky             820

giant Gaia bore her youngest child, Typhoeus; 

goaded by Aphrodite, she lay in love with Tartaros. 

The arms of Typhoeus were made for deeds of might, 

his legs never wearied, and from his shoulders there leapt up 

a hundred snake heads, such as fierce dragons have,          825

and from them licking black tongues darted forth.

 And the eyes on all the monstrous heads flashed

 from under their brows and cast glances of burning fire;

 from all the ghastly heads voices were heard, weird voices of all kinds.     

Sometimes they uttered words that the gods understood,                                830

and then again they bellowed like bulls, proud and fierce

 beyond restraint, or they roared like brazen-hearted lions

 or—wondrous to hear—their voices sounded like a whelp’s bark, 

or a strident hiss that echoed through the lofty mountains.

 An irreversible deed would have been done that day,                        835

and Typhoeus would have become lord over gods and men,

 had not the father of gods and men kept sharp-eyed watch. 

He hurled a mighty bolt and its ear-splitting crash 

reverberated grimly through the earth and the wide sky above,               840

    Overtly violent, lines 820-40 of Hesiod’s Theogony capture the cataclysmic clash between Typhoeus and Zeus. Purposefully placed after the description of Titanomachy, Typhonomachy acts as the ultimate obstacle of Zeus’ coronation. From looking at Hesiod’s rhetoric devices, comparing this passage to Homeric Hymns to Apollo and Ancient Near East myths, and understanding the characters used, readers can better contextualize Typhonomachy in the Zeus’ creation of order and justice. 

Using simile and careful verb choice, Hesiod communicates the grotesque nature of Typhoeus. Hesiod likens the hundred-snake heads to ferocious beasts, for they “bellowed like bulls, proud and fierce” (Hesiod Theogony 825). Fashioning a monstrosity that would surely frighten the masses, Hesiod conjures up images of animals of strength—lions and bulls—and animals representative of evil— dragons and snakes in Typhoeus. This is done because Hesiod knows that he is describing an abstract creature, and he can only support it by using concrete details. The suspenseful mood of the passage seeps through Hesiod’s extremely physical diction, such as “darted”, “hurled”, and “ reverberated”. To draw parallel to this passage, scenes of violence such as Titanomachy are punctuated with impacting verbs such as “collapsed” and “vanquished”. 

    Undoubtedly, Typhonomachy can be compared to many different works. The most significant theme in this passage is undeniably the succession myth—establishing a new ruler, yet the underlying theme—undergoing great challenges to beget honor—also frequently appears in Greek mythology. Like the Twelve Labours of Hercules, Zeus battles with the most atrocious creation to get eternal reign. This concept of one defining moment can yield eternal glory is special to see in Hesiod’s writing: it is primarily a Homeric-epics trait. Unlike Homer, Hesiod distances himself from heroism, that “[he] suppressed any reference to the heroic code of honor, which must have been very much alive practically in the entire Hellenic world of his own day” (Notes Athanassakis 99). It is special to see this heroism because Hesiod is glorifying Zeus, the righteous king and the main character of the Greek Cosmos. This passage is similar to Enuma Elish in many ways: the creation of Typhoeus parallels Kumarbi’s creation Ullikummi, and the succession of Teshub from the dreadful Kumarbi in Kingship in Heaven. From line 820-23, readers acknowledge the parents of Typhoeus to be Gaia and Tartarus. However, in the Homeric Hymns to Apollo, it is attributed that “[Hera] brings forth one like neither to gods nor to mortals, fearful and cruel Typháön” (Cynaethus HH. to Apollo 352). Readers can deduce that Hesiod used Gaia and Tartarus as Typhoeus’ parents because if Typhoeus is a primordial-element’s descendant, then this trial of Zeus will be validated. 

    Hesiod, aside from focusing exclusively on Zeus and Typhoeus, calls on several other identities. “Goaded by Aphrodite,” Gaia is said to have copulated with Tartarus (Hesiod Theogony 822). In this phrase, Hesiod reiterates the prowess of the goddess of love, hinting that even the Earth Mother was “placed longing in [her] breast” (Sappho HH. to Aphrodite 113). Therefore, readers can imply that Gaia both did not intend to birth Typhoeus and monstrosities can be products of love. While describing the snakes on top of Typhoeus’ head, the theme of hellenistic dualism appears— Hesiod says that the snakes sometimes “uttered words that the gods understood, and then again they bellowed like bulls” (Hesiod Theogony 833-34). On one hand, Hesiod’s snakes can be paralleled to the Christian element of speaking snakes, on the other hand, Hesiod’s snakes can be understood by the Gods because the Gods and Typhoeus both share Gaia as a chthonic progenitor.

    Hesiod’s violent portrayal of Typhonomachy in lines 820-40 is a passage of creation, action, and coronation. Through his command of language, allusion to other myths, and use of characterization, Hesiod delivers Zeus’s earth-shattering and ultimate battle.