Page 41 - Kallima Newsletter - April - May 2021

The blood from the mutilation fell on the earth and from that came the Giants, the ash tree nymphs (called the Meliae), and the Furies (goddesses of vengeance).
Additionally, it is said that the foam stirred up by the testicles in the sea brought forth the goddess Aphrodite.
As Uranus could no longer impregnate Gaia, he simply took up his place as the sky and never came to cover Gala, the earth, at night.
Hesiod’s Five Ages of Man
The First Age - Golden Age
The Golden Age represented the declining state of human existence on earth.
The Titans, led by Cronus, ruled over what Hesiod termed ‘The Golden Age’. This was a period of peace, harmony and prosperity.
The inhabitants of the earth at this time lived their lives of abundance – the earth provided all they needed and they had all the food they could desire and it was spring all year round.
They lived joyous lives to an old age and when they died, it was just like falling asleep.
The Second Age - Silver Age
Hesiod claims that the Olympian god Zeus was in charge of the second age.
Zeus divided the seasons into four, causing man to have to plant and harvest to survive. Additionally, mortals were created inferior in appearance and mind.
The Third Age - Bronze Age
Here, Zeus remained king of all, creating men from ash trees.
This wood was used to make spears so it made man strong and warlike, but they faced many challenges, including the great flood in the days of Deucalion (Prometheus’ son) and Pyrrha.
The Fourth Age - Age of Heroes
The age of Heroes was a much better time for mortals.
Hesiod believed that this period encompassed the Mycenaean age and in it, men could be strong, brave, heroic, even demigods.
The Fifth Age - Iron Age
Hesiod’s own period of time.
Men in this era were reflections of Zeus, being greedy, selfish and weighed down with vice and sorrow. Iron being one of the most difficult to work with and the hardest metal, Hesiod predicted Zeus would one day destroy mankind.
Famous Titan Children
When considering the original Titans it is worth looking at their children. Many became famous gods in Greek Mythology.
Atlas
Atlas was punished by having to hold up the heavens on his shoulders after he lost the battle he had lead, with the Titans, against Zeus. The son of Lapetus and Clymene, Atlas is often shown as holding the Earth. That is in
fact an error – as it was the weight of celestial heavens he was burdened with, not the human world.
Helios
Helios was the god of the sun whose parents were Hyperion and Theia (making him a second-generation Titan). He made a daily journey across the sky in a golden chariot drawn by four fiery horses, Aethon, Purois, Phlegon and Eous.
Prometheus
Prometheus is known as creating mankind out of clay. He also gave them the gift of fire from Mount Olympus, an act that enabled them to develop and progress as people. Known for his intelligence and love of mankind, over the centuries, he
has become associated with human striving and the quest for scientific knowledge, often regardless of consequences.
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