extraction.greek.hesiod_homeric_hymns.theogony_cosmic_origin
---
record_id: extraction.greek.hesiod_homeric_hymns.theogony_cosmic_origin
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: Theogony ll. 116-138
start: '116'
end: '138'
translation: Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Project Gutenberg eBook
notes: Source prints the locator as "(ll. 116-138)" under THE THEOGONY.
canonical_text:
quote: 'Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth... and
dim Tartarus... and Eros (Love)... From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night...
And Earth first bare starry Heaven, equal to herself.
'
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Chaos is named as the first to come to be.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Earth, Tartarus, and Eros are named after Chaos in the sequence.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Erebus and Night come forth from Chaos.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Aether and Day are born from Night after union with Erebus.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Earth bears starry Heaven, long Hills, and Pontus before bearing children
with Heaven.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Chaos
description: First named primordial entity in the sequence.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Earth
description: Wide-bosomed foundation of the deathless ones and generative figure.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Tartarus
description: Dim depth in the wide-pathed Earth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Eros
description: Love, named among the earliest deathless gods.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Night
description: Black Night, born from Chaos and mother of Aether and Day.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Erebus
description: Born from Chaos and joined with Night before the birth of Aether and
Day.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Heaven
description: Starry Heaven, born from Earth and equal to her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Pontus
description: Fruitless deep with raging swell, born from Earth without sweet union
of love.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
roles:
- id: role:1
label: first primordial emergence
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage says Chaos came to be first.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: generative foundation
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Earth is described as a foundation and as bearing Heaven, Hills, and Pontus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: generative pair
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Night conceives and bears Aether and Day after union with Erebus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Chaos
literal_form: Chaos as the first entity to come to be.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: Earth
literal_form: Wide-bosomed Earth as foundation and bearer.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Tartarus
literal_form: Dim Tartarus in the depth of Earth.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:4
label: Night and Day
literal_form: Black Night and Day in a genealogical sequence.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: Heaven
literal_form: Starry Heaven covering Earth on every side.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: Sea
literal_form: Pontus, the fruitless deep with raging swell.
associated_figures:
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Primordial emergence
summary: Chaos comes to be first; Earth, Tartarus, and Eros are then named.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Births from Chaos and Night
summary: Erebus and Night come from Chaos, and Night bears Aether and Day after
union with Erebus.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Earth bears cosmic regions
summary: Earth bears Heaven, Hills, and Pontus, then joins with Heaven and bears
later divine children.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: chaos before ordered differentiation
taxonomy_refs:
- chaos
basis: Chaos is named first, and later beings or regions emerge in a sequence.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: Chaos is a named primordial entity here; the record does not assume a
later philosophical meaning.
- id: motif:2
label: cosmic maternity
taxonomy_refs:
- mother_goddess
basis: Earth is both the foundation of the deathless ones and the bearer of Heaven,
Hills, and Pontus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage supports a generative role, but broader cultic or theological
claims need other evidence.
- id: motif:3
label: night-day differentiation
taxonomy_refs:
- duality
basis: Night gives birth to Aether and Day after union with Erebus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a genealogical pairing rather than an explicit moral opposition.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'This passage can be compared within the atlas to cosmogonic sequences that
begin from a named pre-ordered condition and move into differentiated regions
or beings.
'
claim_level: same_function
target: 'pattern atlas: cosmogonic emergence from pre-ordered condition'
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: low
limitations: This is a structural comparison only and does not claim historical
contact.
- id: claim:2
claim: 'Earth''s role as foundation and bearer supports a cautious comparison to
cosmic mother or generative-earth motif families.
'
claim_level: same_function
target: 'taxonomy/motifs.yml: mother_goddess'
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The evidence is limited to the cosmogonic genealogy in this passage.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: Theogony (ll. 116-138)
quote_or_summary: '"Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed
Earth... and dim Tartarus... and Eros (Love), fairest among the deathless gods..."
'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public-domain English translation from Project Gutenberg.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: Theogony (ll. 116-138)
quote_or_summary: '"From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were
born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus."
'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public-domain English translation from Project Gutenberg.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: Theogony (ll. 116-138)
quote_or_summary: '"And Earth first bare starry Heaven, equal to herself... She
bare also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontus... But afterwards she
lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus..."
'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public-domain English translation from Project Gutenberg.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: low
notes: Passage locator is explicit in the source; motif labels remain draft candidates.
reviewer_status:
status: draft
notes: Draft extraction for human review.
extracted_by: Codex
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: Created for Wave 2 Greek extraction.