THE GODDESS THESIS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
The Protogenoi Thesis
The name Thesis is one given to a rarely spoken about goddess from Greek mythology; with her name mainly surviving only in fragments of ancient texts.
In her own right Thesis was an important goddess for she was a Greek goddess of Creation, but Thesis’ role was within the Orphic tradition whilst surviving tales are based on the tradition written down by Hesiod.
In her own right Thesis was an important goddess for she was a Greek goddess of Creation, but Thesis’ role was within the Orphic tradition whilst surviving tales are based on the tradition written down by Hesiod.
Thesis in the Orphic Tradition
The Orphic tradition is based on the belief that the stories about the gods were written down by Orpheus, different gods and goddesses were given greater prominence, some names are different to those recorded by Hesiod, and the timeline of events is altered. As a result the genealogy of the gods is different to that written in the Theogony by Hesiod.
Even in the Orphic tradition it not completely clear about the order of the gods, but in essence at the start of the cosmos was probably Hydros (Water), Mud, and Thesis (Creation), and from Mud came Gaia.
In the Orphic tradition Thesis would be closely linked with Physis, the goddess of the Ordering of Nature, and Phanes, the god of Creation and Life. In terms of deities named by Hesiod, Thesis is sometimes equated with Metis and Tethys.
Even in the Orphic tradition it not completely clear about the order of the gods, but in essence at the start of the cosmos was probably Hydros (Water), Mud, and Thesis (Creation), and from Mud came Gaia.
In the Orphic tradition Thesis would be closely linked with Physis, the goddess of the Ordering of Nature, and Phanes, the god of Creation and Life. In terms of deities named by Hesiod, Thesis is sometimes equated with Metis and Tethys.
Thesis Goddess of Creation
In surviving fragments Thesis, by Hydros, is named as the mother of Chronos (Time) and Ananke (Necessity), and thus grandmother of Phanes (Life), the ancestor of all. Thesis is also named as mother of Poros (Contrivance) and Tekmor (Ordinance), the beginning and the end, but in all probability these are just different names for Chronos and Ananke.
In the Orphic tradition though, it was more common to name Chronos and Ananke as children of Hydros and Gaia.
In the Orphic tradition though, it was more common to name Chronos and Ananke as children of Hydros and Gaia.
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