86 pages 2 hours read

Edith Hamilton

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1942

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Part 1, Chapter 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1: “The Gods, the Creation, and the Earliest Heroes”

Chapter 1 Summary: “The Gods”

Chapter 1 is broken up into several subchapters:

“The Titans and the Twelve Great Olympians”

Hamilton begins with a genealogy of the gods. In the beginning was the “universe,” “heaven and earth,” which gave birth to the first generation of gods, the Titans (19). Chief among them was Cronus, Saturn in Roman mythology, who was eventually overthrown by his son Zeus. Other important Titans were Ocean and his wife Tethys, Hyperion, Mnemosyne (Memory), Themis (Justice), Iapetus (father of Atlas), and Prometheus (patron of humankind). These Titans remained part of the pantheon even after Zeus overcame his father.

The twelve Olympians were siblings Zeus (Roman Jupiter) and his wife Hera (Roman Juno), Poseidon (Roman Neptune), Hades (Roman Pluto), and Hestia (Roman Vesta); Zeus’s children Ares (Roman Mars), Athena (Roman Minerva), Apollo and his twin sister Artemis (Roman Diana), Hermes (Roman Mercury), Aphrodite (Roman Venus), and Hera’s son Hephaestus (Roman Vulcan). The realms of earth, sea, and sky were divided between the three brothers, Zeus (ruler of the sky), Poseidon (ruler of the sea), and Hades (ruler of the dead). Zeus’s wife Hera presided over marriage and married women and as a patron and protector of heroes. Hades’ wife was Persephone (Roman Proserpina). Zeus’s sister Hestia was goddess of the hearth.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 86 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,650+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools

Related Titles

By Edith Hamilton