It began with Chaos. This is not like the mess made if some friend and you were playing tag INSIDE YOUR FAMILY'S HOUSE AND KNOCKED OVER A WHOLE BOOKCASE OF ENCYCLOPEIAS. “Chaos” with a capital “C”, the primordial void that existed before anything else. Chaos was like a dark, empty space which had no shape or form. It was just…there.
But then, SOME-THING happened. Maybe Chaos just hiccupped. Whatever the reason, Chaos started to create things, CHURNING them out of itself. The first thing it created was Gaia, the Earth, our Mother (or maybe our Great- Grandma)…Gaia was like a giant sphere that floated in Chaos. She was solid and stable, unlike the primal Chaos.
Then Chaos also created Tartarus, the Abyss. Tartarus was like a huge pit that went down forever. He was dark and gloomy, unlike Gaia.
Then Chaos created Eros, Love. Eros was like a spark of light that shone in Chaos. Eros was bright and joyful, unlike his parent.
Then Chaos created Erebus, Darkness, and Nyx, Night. Erebus and Nyx were like shadows that covered Chaos. They were mysterious and secretive, unlike their parent.
Then Nyx created Aether, Light, and Hemera, Day. Aether and Hemera were like beams of light that pierced through Chaos. They were clear and radiant, unlike their parent.
Then Gaia created Uranus, the Sky. Uranus was like a dome that covered Gaia. He was vast and majestic.
Then Gaia and Uranus came together and Gaia birthed the Titans. The Titans were powerful, like giants, who lived upon Gaia. The Titans were strong and mighty.
And that’s how it all began—according to the Greek storytellers. Interesting, yes? Of course, there’s more to the story than that. There’s drama, betrayal, war, and even more weird creatures that came after the Titans. Then the 12 Olympian Gods came, BUT that’s another story for another time.
Yes, several ancient peoples viewed the Earth as being flat.
Yet prior to Christopher Columbus, the ancient Greeks were aware of the spherical shape of the Earth. For example, the Ethnogapher Megasthenes, c. 300 bce. The earliest documented mention of this concept dates from around the 5th century when it finally appeared in the writings of Greek philosophers. It likewise had been measured by mathermaticians, astronomers, and navigators from a variety of literate ancient cultures including Ancient India. Indeed, the the third century bce, Helenistic astronomy established the roughly spherical shape of Earth as a physical fact and calculated the Earth's circumference. This knowledge was acquired by the Greeks and was inherited by Ancient Rome. It was also inherited by the later Christian and Islamic realms in the Middle Ages.
Gaia, of course, is our Earth personified. The Greek Gods and Goddesses never disrespected their mother, Gaia, and neither should we.
Retold by Myth Woodling June 13, 2023.