However unsavory, this form of violence is used as a means to ensure the legacy and continued dominance of powerful gods and men. Though often problematic and unsettling for modern readers, violence in the form of rape and coercion is used against women throughout the poem both to both perpetuate oneself and to control one’s descendants. Zeus’ use of violence not only maintains his supremacy over both the divine and mortal realms, but also highlights the way in which the power of the gods can have a profound effect on human life, for both good and ill. When Zeus punishes Prometheus for tricking him and stealing fire for humans, for instance, Zeus is characterized as “mighty,” “high-thundering,” and one “whose designs do not fail,” even as he enacts horrible punishments against Prometheus and mankind.

Zeus’ strength and use of violence is depicted as unambiguously good, with Zeus, the most powerful god, representing the pinnacle of divinity. Indeed, the violence is so powerful that it affects the very foundation of the universe, as in the Olympians’ battle against the Titans: “Both sides displayed a feat of main force and the boundless sea roared terribly round about, the earth crashed loudly, and the broad sky quaked and groaned.” While violence is in this case partially destructive, it is necessary in order for the Olympians to obtain power, meaning that violence can also be productive. Kronos’ castration of Heaven, and Zeus’ subsequent triumph over Kronos, both primarily rely upon violence in order to succeed. For instance, seemingly extreme violence is used as a means of obtaining and securing power by the gods, from Kronos’ clash with his father, Heaven, to the Olympian’s war against the Titans. Violence isn’t necessarily gratuitous in the poem, as it can sometimes serve a greater purpose. However, in the Theogony these acts of violence are not always entirely negative, but rather part and parcel with power, change, and generation-a necessary part of life.

From the initial conflicts between successive generations of gods and goddesses, to the violent exploits of the Heroic Age, bloodshed and brutality are essential components of the poem. Throughout the Theogony, violence is used as a necessary tool in order to obtain and preserve power by gods and humans alike.

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