Genesis vs. Theogony

Throughout the years, a main topic of discussion is how people were created and came about to live here on this earth. Many people have their own views and opinions on how creation occurred, but two texts in particular that discuss this phenomenon are Theogony, written by Hesiod, and the book of Genesis of the Bible. The Bible is, and has been for years, the most read and religiously followed book of all time, and one book of the Bible that specifically discusses how creation occurred is Genesis, which in fact means creation. Genesis talks about in depth the process in which the earth and life were created and the progression of how the world was populated, while Theogony, written by Hesiod, is a book that discusses the genealogy and the creation of Gods and Goddesses in the areas of ancient Greece. Though both of these books may discuss the same general topics of creations and the nature of the divine, there are still vast differences that exist.

The creation of the earth out of nothing by a higher power is a common principle that is seen in both texts. Genesis emphasizes the belief in monotheism, one God that created everything in six days and rested on the seventh, but on the other hand, Theogony discusses the belief of polytheism; which the existence of many Gods. Though in polytheism there is a belief in many Gods, there was still one God in particular in ancient Greece that was more powerful than the others named Zeus. Zeus was king of all gods and ruler of Mount Olympus. Though he was the most powerful, there were still many Gods that worked under him that had their own Godly powers and aided in the process of the creation of the earth. Polytheism, the belief in the existence of many Gods, allows there to be a separation of powers. This belief can be compared to that of the three-branch separation of powers in the government. In order to insure that the government isn’t tyrannical, there is a separation of powers into three branches. Each branch has