How are the Furies connected to the overthrow of Uranus in Hesiod's Theogony?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Hesiod
Hesiod, detail of a mosaic by Monnus, 3rd century; in the Rhenish State Museum, Trier, Germany.
In Hesiodās Theogony, the Furies are directly connected to the overthrow of Uranus through their origin.12
After Uranus imprisoned his children, Gaea (Earth) incited her son Cronus to rebel against his father. Cronus successfully castrated Uranus using a sickle or scimitar. As the blood from the mutilated Uranus fell upon Gaea, it gave birth to three entities: the Furies, the Giants, and the Meliai (ash-tree nymphs).231
Thus, in this mythological account, the Furies are the literal offspring of the violence that ended the tyrannical reign of Uranus, emerging from the very blood spilled during his deposition.12