Cosmology and Worldview:

Ancient Greek Mythology is probably the best-known and most long-lived mythos in Europe. The stories were written down early, and later became known and adopted by the Romans, who spread the stories all through their empire.

Greek mythology explores natural phenomena and psychological states, and has a huge cast of gods, goddesses, heroes and supernatural beings. There is a story behind every flower, every echo, every stream. In spite of their immortality and immense powers, the gods are very human in their behavior; they bicker and fight amongst themselves, are motivated by jealousies and lusts, and human beings are often powerless in the face of their whims.

Greek Creation Myth

The earliest Greek myths concern the creation of the world. Called the theogonies, these stories were held to have magical powers. Orpheus sang the theogonies to calm the waves and move the hearts of the underworld gods.

In the beginning was nothing but a yawning void called Chaos. Gaia arose out of the Chaos, and gave birth to Uranus, the sky. She then mated with him, and brought forth the Titans; twelve in all, six male and six female. She decreed that no more Titans would be born, and she and Uranus conceived the Cyclopes and the hundred-handed Hecatonchires. Disgusted by their monstrous appearance, Uranus threw them into Tartarus, upsetting Gaia greatly. She convinced the youngest and wiliest Titan, Cronus, to castrate his father in revenge, and he did so, becoming king of the Titans, with his sister-wife Rhea as his consort.

Cronus was terrified that his own children would turn on him as he had turned on his father, so every time Rhea gave birth, he swallowed the baby whole. Furious, she tricked him by hiding her baby Zeus, and wrapping a stone in a baby’s blanket, which Cronus swallowed without noticing. When Zeus was fully grown, he fed Cronus a potion that made him vomit up Zeus’ siblings, and the stone. He challenged Cronus for kingship of the gods, and gods and Titans fought a war. Zeus freed the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires from Tartarus, and with their help, defeated the Titans and cast them into eternal imprisonment in Tartarus.

Cesaire’s Journey:

After Asia Minor, Cesaire travelled the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Alpine Mountains.