Story · Greek Mythology · 3 chapters
The Overthrow of Ouranos
Ouranos imprisoned his children in Tartarus. Gaia, grieving, forged a flint sickle and set Cronus to castrate and overthrow him; the Erinyes and (in the Theogony) Aphrodite arose from his severed parts [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
historical mythology
Ancient Greek religion is a historical religion. Its myths are attested in primary literary and material sources; disagreements between authors (Hesiod vs. Orphic vs. local cults) are preserved as variants, not resolved.
⚠ Scholars disagree
The origin of Aphrodite from Ouranos's severed member (Theogony) vs. her birth from Zeus & Dione (Iliad) is a genuine variant [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
The Imprisonment
Sources[S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗
The Sickle
Gaia forged a sickle and set Cronus against him [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗
The Fall
Cronus castrated Ouranos, who retreated to the heavens [S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗.
Sources[S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗
Primary sources[S1]S1 · Hesiod, Theogonyc. 700 BCEtextOpen source ↗