Aunatology In Greco-Roman Ifantology

In Hesiod’s Theogony, the Greek family relationships were often a repeated cycle between the husband, wife and their children. Based on the generations including Ouranos, all the men that came to rule automatically loathed their child, because they believed their children would take away their power. Since this behavior was similarly recurring every generation, the women were often forced to create wicked plans involving their children’s rise to power. The cycle of power, deceit and achievement created by the families in the first generation of Greek mythology became dominant characteristics that future generations would inherit.

In greek culture the gods started with a war, which led to a very impact full fall, the fall of Kronos. Kronos is the king of the titans, but every king has his downfall. The king had to have his queen and Kronos's queen was his downfall. The queen didn’t stop trying for children and every time she gave birth, the child was swallowed by their father. That is until Zeus came along.

According to Greek mythology, Cronus was intimidated by his children. So in attempt to keep reign, he ate his children as they were born. However, Rhea saved Zeus. She hid the baby and gave Cronus a rock wrapped in cloth instead. Cronus fell for the trick and ate the rock. Zeus grew up and became powerful enough to battle his father to free his siblings. (Britannica.com)

Pregnancy and birth were very symbolic in ancient Greece. Mothers birthed the baby with only the assistance of a midwife. Male physicians rarely helped unless it was necessary for the mother’s health. Mother’s saw this as shameful, because a women’s main purpose was to produce healthy babies. Religion was even involved during the birthing process. Women prayed to the gods, Eileithyia and Artemis for safe deliveries. Women did not have the proper sanitary measures and medicines available, under those circumstances the death rate was very high for mothers. Every mother desired to have a son. The beliefs and rituals of ancient Greece led its inhabitants to believe that sons were more capable than daughters. If a women had a son, an olive branch was hung on the

Cronus was a titan and controlled the world along with the other titans when Zeus was born. Cronus usually swallowed his children after they were born, but Rhea took Zeus to Mount Dicte where he was hidden from Cronus. He then came back to Cronus when he was older and made Cronus regurgitate his brothers and sisters. His brothers were Hades and Poseidon and his sisters were Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. He ended up marrying Hera and had eight children with her. He was infamous for his affairs with other women while married to Hera. He had many children and some of importance were Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus Hercules, Perseus the Muses, the Graces, and Helen of Troy were only a few of his children. He had many children that were gods and he had a few that were heros as

It is inferred that the parents should take care of their children and have their best interest at heart. This however, is not the case in Greek and Roman mythology. The killing of ones own children, or filicide, was not viewed as negative upon in their era. The contemporary times contrast with the ancient Greek and Roman’s because it was justified to use any means necessary to obtain a higher status. The Greeks and Romans valued keeping a high social reputation and having respect for those of great power. The motherly union between their children conflict with the reality that the father strives to retain or gain control. These circumstances cause a tense bond between the members of the family. The strained parent to child relationship in

First off the origin of Hades himself. So his parents Cronus and Rhea had three boys, but as Rhea had the children Cronus ate them for he feared that once they were older they would

However, Uranus was afraid that Cronus might overpower him and one day obtain all his power. Knowing this Uranus purposely tried to kill Cronus in multiply occasions, but Gaea would always protect him. One day Gaea and Cronus made a plan to have Cronus challenge Uranus and take over his power. So it happened, Cronnus challenged his father and was victorious during their battle and Uranus was left to rot (Bernard 1) "Now Cronus had become king of gods by killing his father Uranus” (Bernard 3). In both Greek and Roman Mythology, the relationship between parents and children are distorted, strained, and bizarrely transformed, because of their greediness for power and obsessiveness to be better than the other.

Both Kojiki and Greek mythologies describe common belief in the creation of the world, in which gods give birth to another to form the world. In Kojiki, two of the seven gods who came into existence, Izanagi and Izanami give birth to many nature deities, creating the world. But because Izanami gives birth to too many deities, she dies while giving birth to the fire deity. In result of her death, enraged Izanagi kills the fire deity. In contrast, Greek myth describes the creation of the world with the four gods who came to existences, Gaea (earth) Chaos, Tartarus (Hell), and then Eros. Gaea asexually gives birth to Uranus (Sky) and marries her son. She then bears three types of gods; the Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Hecathonchires. However, Uranus repels at the monstrous creatures and sends Cyclopes and Hecatonchires down to Tartarus (Hell). Frustrated by Uranus’s action, Gaea forges the first sickle, gives it to her youngest son Cronos, and have him punish his father, Uranus. Once Uranus returns to make love to Gaea, Cronos emasculates him. Here we see the similarities in the creation of the world by birth and death of God by the hands of another god with fury.

In Greek mythology, there is always a perpetual notion of power. The desire for power is associated with the father figure of a family. Furthermore, a father sets the tone for his family by setting rules and establishing their reputation. From the beginning of time, there has been angst in losing power, starting with the Earth and sky. Arising fear occurs when a father finds that one of his children is a threat to his throne. It also develops when a father realizes that since he sabotaged his own father, potentially his child could the same. Taking into consideration both of these cases, it is understood that a male parent in ancient Greek consciousness seeks a role having power. This thirst for power has resulted in the betrayal of wives and the attempt to destroy an upbringing of children. Through the fatherhood of Ouranos, Cronos, and Zeus, it is clear that their role is to exercise dominance, moreover keep away potential threats.

In Hesiod’s Theogony, the Greek family relationships were often a repeated cycle between the husband, wife and their children. Based on the generations, including Ouranos, all the men that came to rule automatically loathed their child, because they believed their children would take away their power. Since this behavior was similarly recurring every generation, the women were often forced to create mischievous plans to help their children’s rise to power. The cycle of power, deceit and achievement created by the families in the first generation of Greek mythology became dominant characteristics that future generations would inherit due to the repetitive cycle that was unable to be broken.

The story of Cronos, king of the Titans, was that he had four children with his wife Rhea. These Children are Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hades, all of whom he swallowed because his parents had warned that he would be overthrown by his child. When Zeus was born, Rhea hid him in Crete and tricked Cronos into swallowing a stone instead. Zeus grew up with nymphs and a goat named Amalthae. When Zeus heard what had happened to his siblings he gave Cronos poison, which forced Cronos to throw-up his brothers and sisters. A war was then fought between the two groups, and the Olympians won, and ruled over the

“Gods can be evil sometimes.” In the play “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles defamed the gods’ reputation, and lowered their status by making them look harmful and evil. It is known that all gods should be perfect and infallible, and should represent justice and equity, but with Oedipus, the gods decided to destroy him and his family for no reason. It might be hard to believe that gods can have humanistic traits, but in fact they do. The gods, especially Apollo, are considered evil by the reader because they destroyed an innocent man’s life and his family. They destroyed Oedipus by controlling his fate, granting people the power of prophecy, telling Oedipus about his fate through the oracle of Apollo, and finally afflicting the people of

Traditionally, fathers could discipline their children harshly, but by the late Roman Republic, society discouraged extreme measures. In legend Titus Manlius beheaded his son for leaving his military post against orders. Livy condemned it since such violent punishments were rarely utilized with other options available. Fathers could kill their children in theory, but this was not typical or even desirable to society, despite traditional support. Cato the Elder claimed striking a wife or child was sacrilegious, so violent punishments were disagreeable to many Romans. When a man called Cicero effeminate, he quipped that his son, known for prostitution, needed to be spoken to that way by the father instead. While the father had to exercise leniency, he exerted power too.

Many religions and cultures no matter how small or large have creation myths and legends that were deemed to be important to their livelihood. Mythology was a tool that was used to explain how the world came to be. It gave explanations for how the seasons change, where humans come from, why there are specific rituals for a certain culture, and structure to how societies were governed. In Classical Greek mythology patriarchy is a common theme that was used for how society was governed. Zeus became king of the gods and from the mythologies created Ancient Greece followed the ways by which the gods lived. The Greek goddesses didn’t obtain higher power unless they had to threaten another god or they were working with a male god. Patriarchy was used in mythology to promote the male domination of government and the mainstream governing forms of the Ancient Greek world. Examining the story of Hesiod's Theogony we find instances that there was a patriarchal structure.