First of all the rest in the world there was an infinite Chaos. It was no emptiness - it comprised sources of all things, gods and people. In the beginning from Chaos there was a mother - Earth - the goddess of the Gaia and the sky - Ouranes. From their marriage there were cyclops- ("thunder", "shine", "lightning"). Highly in the middle of a forehead their unique eye shined, transforming underEarth fire in heavenly. The second Ouranes (Uranus) and the Gaia has caused "hundred-handes and fifth-headed ones" - ("anger", "force", "arable land"). And at last, on light the great tribe of titans has appeared.

Them was 12 - six sons and daughters of Uranus and Gaia . The ocean and Tefia was caused with all rivers. Hipperion and Teja there were ancestors of Sun (Helios), Moon (Selena) and dawn (Eos). From Hiaphet and Асии has taken place mighty Atlas, holding nowadays heaven on his shoulders, and also smart Prometheus, near Epimetheus and impudent Menethius. Two more pairs titans and she-titans have brought into the world Gorges and other surprising creatures. But the future belonged to children of the sixth pair - the Chronos and Reia.

His posterity was not pleasant to Uranus and he has reset dumped cyclops and hundred-handed ones in Tartar, an awful chasm (which simultaneously was also an alive essence and had a neck). Then Gaia , having become indignant with the spouse, has persuaded titans to revolt against the Sky. All of them have attacked on Uranus and have deprived with his authority. The lord of the world henceforth became Crones - most artful of titans. But he has not let out from Tartar former captives, being afraid of their force.

We know a little, what life on the Earth was at that time. Greeks named the period of board the Crone the Golden Age. However to this new to the lord of the world it was predicted, that he in turn will be will overthrow the son. Therefore Crones was solved on an awful measure - began to swallow the sons and daughters. First he has swallowed Hesta, then Demeter and Hera, further Hades and Poseidon. The name of Crones means "time" and therefore people speak, that time absorbs the sons. - Zeus his unfortunate mother Reia has changed last child a stone. Crones has swallowed a stone, and young Zeus was hidden on island Crete where he was reared the milk by magic shegoat Amalhteia.

When Zeus began adults, he has managed cunning to release the brothers and sisters and they have begun struggle against Crones and titans. Ten years they battled, but the victory was not given that other party. Then Zeus by advice Gaia has released tormented in Tartar the Hundred-handed ones and Cyclops. Henceforth Cyclops began to forge Зевсу his glorified lightnings. The Hundred-handed ones have brought down on titans a hailstones of stones and rocks. Zeus both his brothers and sisters who began to refer to as gods, have won. They, in turn have dumped titans in Tartar ("there where roots of the sea and the Earth" are latent) and have put to guard them the Hundred-handed ones. Gods have started to correct the world.

Three brothers - Zeus, Poseidon and Hades have divided among themselves the universe.

In destiny the sea has got to Average brother Poseidon. He has taken in the spouse fine Amphitrita and lives with her in a wonderful underwater palace. Their son the Triton whom represented combining features of the person, horse and a fish, with a sea bowl causes terrible storms. Itself Poseidon likes to rush on the rough sea in a chariot, with sea horses and shaking by the terrible trident. Dark blue curls of the great god develop on a wind. Surround Poseidon nereides - fine daughters sea god Nereus and Protheus - changing, similarly to the sea the shape and having gift of a prediction (on facades of some Petersburg houses and lattices we can see some of these surprising essences).

The Younger brother, black-hair Hades, the owner of the helmet - invisible being has received the underEarth world in management. He married on Persephona , daughters herself Zeus . Life in Hades's empire (which also named Hades) is gloomy. It is surrounded with the river Stiks through which oppress died severe old man Haron transports. The input is protected terrible three-headed dog Cerber who is not letting out anybody back. Soul in Hades have various destiny however. The Souls of people, equalise whose bad and good affairs each other, wander among meadows, and groves of black poplars. Souls of criminals suffer severe penalties (for example, deceiver Sisif eternally should lift a heavy stone which hardly having reached top on the spot is rolled downwards on mountain). Oppress rithteous persons live in Helisium, the country of the not coming sun and islands Blessed. Speak, that there correct Crones which was pardoned by his son Zeus .

Zeus esteemed for the grown-up and " tsar of gods ", has received at section the sky and the Earth. He has taken to himself in wife Hera ("madam", becoming the patroness of family and a marriage). At them fine daughters Ilifija and Geba and sons - master Hephaistos and warrior Ares were born. The magnificent dwelling of gods is on mountain Olympus where eternally reigns summer. Young Heba brings to gods on feasts nectar - food of gods. Zeus (in an image mature, black-haired the man) sits on a gold throne. Beside of him sacred eagle. There is Iris with iridescent wings near from a throne.

Inspite of mightly of Zeus, the authority above destiny is not given to him. To it three operate prophetic Moiraes. First of them appoints to the person a lot even before birth. The second one will come a string of human life. The third Moirae breaks off this string.

The birth of the world from chaos. (A. Fantalov, water-colour, 1993).

The Ancient Greeks imagined chaos like Great mouth. According to Greek genealogy of gods Gaia ("earth"), Tartar (an underworld dungeon and at the some time a monster), "Eros, Erebus (like Tartar) and Nycta ("night") were born with Chaos. Gaia has given Ouranes and this pair filled world with creatures.

Zeus defeated the titan. (A. Fantalov, water-colour, 1992).

The titans were predecessors of Olympian gods like jotuns (Scandinavian mythology) and asuras (Indian mythology). Zeus with his brothers (Hades - the future lord of Underworld, Poseidon -the future lord of seas) and his sisters (Demeter - goddess of agriculture, Hesta - an embodiement of sacral fire, Hera - protector of matrimony and future wife of Zeus) were children of main titan Cronos. They have overthrown titan's power and have divide world. Zeus has becomes a king of gods. He included features of the God of Sky and the God of Thunder types and was father of such importance Olympian gods as: Athene, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Dionysus, Hephaestos and Hermes. Zeus was also the ancestor of many famious Greek heros as Perseus, Bellerophon, Heracles and so on.

Triumph of Amphitrita. (A. Fantalov, water-colour).

The water-colour shows a happy world of sea kingship. We see Amphitrita - the wife of the sea lord Poseidon. She ride on the dragon' back. There is opposite her Triton, who is sounding the trumpet (to the point Triton is one of the variants of Hero, as Trita of Indian mythology, Thraetaona of Persian mythology, Ivan Trety ('Third') of Slav folklore). Around we can see the nymphs and other sea inhabitants.

Greek mythology 2

Main menu

For consultations or tutoring: history, political science, cultural science, art criticism, painting and theories of composition; purchase of pictures and also installing of advertising - E-mail: fantalov@hotmail.com