Gender Roles In Hesiod's Theogony
Within the Hesiod's works, the Theogony and the Works and Days, he made a clear distinction as to what the Greeks saw as valuable in their world. Specifically speaking about gender roles, the strengths and power of men were represented to have been the dominating and valued greatly. Women on the other hand while were not viewed as highly, but they just as important as men in the society. Distinctly, every time a female immortal appeared, Hesiod gave the traits of fertility and cunning intelligence, and to a smaller extent trickery, to be associated with each immortal. Mortal women were given the same treatment as they were essential to the everyday lives of men. Dissecting the texts themselves would be especially hard without understanding
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The Theogony described her as wiser than all men, including the all powerful god Zeus (Line 891-893). Not only that, but as the first wife of Zeus, her husband’s fears, which were similar to that of his father and his grandfather, that one day a son will overthrow him, she was swallowed whole by Zeus. While there, he gave birth to Athena through his mind. Quite literally the brainchild of them both, the revered goddess that Athena became had both the power of her father and brilliance of her mother (Line 891-901). Once again, while Metis appeared only briefly, she would cement herself into Greek Myth through not only her children but also her cunning intelligence. Even so, some goddess were solely defined of their fertility, but they were still respected as a powerful …show more content…
From her inception she was the embodiment of fertility and pleasure, and will always remember as such because of how prevalent the two traits were the Greeks. Additionally, when Zeus would recruiting help for his battle against Cronos, he went and promised to give honor to many who were forgotten by Cronos when he fought with Ouranos. One of the most important beings he recruited was Styx. She was important because of the children she bore such as Strength, Force, and Victory (Line 383-385). While Zeus was more interested in her children, it was not them who he pledged to bring justice to, but to their mother Styx. It would further indicate that a mother being represented by the merit of her children was just as honorable as any other man. Which would also be the reason why Hekate was so honored. While the Theogony never explicitly said she bore any children, her role as the nurse for the young made her just as important as other immortals (Line 457). She was privileged to nurse the young and then she would constantly receive honor when something went arises. In a sense, she was a mother and those who she have looked over came back to give her even more honor and power. Again with the constant motifs of immortal women receiving their honors through their children meant that their ability to raising children was the same honor as their male counterparts. Using the
The Theogony described her as wiser than all men, including the all powerful god Zeus (Line 891-893). Not only that, but as the first wife of Zeus, her husband’s fears, which were similar to that of his father and his grandfather, that one day a son will overthrow him, she was swallowed whole by Zeus. While there, he gave birth to Athena through his mind. Quite literally the brainchild of them both, the revered goddess that Athena became had both the power of her father and brilliance of her mother (Line 891-901). Once again, while Metis appeared only briefly, she would cement herself into Greek Myth through not only her children but also her cunning intelligence. Even so, some goddess were solely defined of their fertility, but they were still respected as a powerful …show more content…
From her inception she was the embodiment of fertility and pleasure, and will always remember as such because of how prevalent the two traits were the Greeks. Additionally, when Zeus would recruiting help for his battle against Cronos, he went and promised to give honor to many who were forgotten by Cronos when he fought with Ouranos. One of the most important beings he recruited was Styx. She was important because of the children she bore such as Strength, Force, and Victory (Line 383-385). While Zeus was more interested in her children, it was not them who he pledged to bring justice to, but to their mother Styx. It would further indicate that a mother being represented by the merit of her children was just as honorable as any other man. Which would also be the reason why Hekate was so honored. While the Theogony never explicitly said she bore any children, her role as the nurse for the young made her just as important as other immortals (Line 457). She was privileged to nurse the young and then she would constantly receive honor when something went arises. In a sense, she was a mother and those who she have looked over came back to give her even more honor and power. Again with the constant motifs of immortal women receiving their honors through their children meant that their ability to raising children was the same honor as their male counterparts. Using the