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Which primary divine beings first appear in Hesiod's Theogony?
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Hesiod
Hesiod, detail of a mosaic by Monnus, 3rd century; in the Rhenish State Museum, Trier, Germany.
According to Hesiodās Theogony, four primary divine beings were the first to come into existence:1
- Chaos: The primeval "Yawning Gap" or emptiness of the universe.213
- Gaea: The Earth.21
- Tartarus: The Abyss or the underworld.21
- Eros: Desire or Love.21
Following the emergence of these beings, Gaea gave birth to Uranus (Heaven), the Mountains, and Pontus (the Sea). Hesiod uses these divine origins and subsequent generations to systematically explain the structure of the universe and the eventual rise of Zeus to supreme power.413