Theogonies

Theogony refers to a myth or body of myths that explains the birth of the gods and the ordering of the cosmos. The term comes from Greek, combining the words theos (god) and gonia (origin or birth). In scholarly usage, theogony can denote any culture’s account of divine origins, though it is most closely associated with Greek literature and thought.

In Greek tradition, many theogonies begin with primordial beings and personified forces such as Chaos, Gaia (Earth), Tartarus, Erebus, Nyx, and Eros, who generate the first generation of divinities. From Gaia and Ouranos arise the Titans; Cronus and Rhea produce the Olympian gods, with Zeus eventually establishing supremacy. The theogony often features a succession motif, in which older divine generations are overthrown or supplanted by younger ones, thereby reflecting broader themes of order, legitimacy, and political sovereignty.

Notable examples include Hesiod’s Theogony (c. 700 BCE), a foundational Greek text that outlines the genealogies of the gods and the origins of divine authority and ritual practice. Orphic theogonies offer alternative birth myths, including figures such as Phanes. The concept remains central in classical studies and the broader field of myth and religion, illustrating how cultures frame the emergence of divine power and the organization of the cosmos.