Origin myths
The creation myths are an effort to make the cosmos understandable to humans. Greek cosmologies and creation stories (cosmogonies) were more organized and precise than those of other ancient cultures. The Greeks supplemented the myths with folktales and fiction told for its own purpose, which makes their very artistic skill a barrier to interpretation. As a result, even though the purpose of Hesiod's Theology is to describe Zeus' ascent (and, incidentally, the ascent of the other gods), the inclusion of such well-known themes as the animosity between generations, the mystique of woman (Pandora), the exploits of the amiable trickster (Prometheus), and the struggles against strong beings or monsters like the Titans (and, in later tradition, the battles against the Giants) heightens the appeal of an epic story.
According to Hesiod, four fundamental divine entities—the Gap (Chaos), Earth (Gaea), the Abyss (Tartarus), and Love (Eros)—came into being at the beginning. Gaea had to be forcibly torn from her adoring lover Heaven (Uranus) in order for her offspring to be born, and this was the beginning of the creation process. The method of separation used—Uranus' genitalia being severed by his son Cronus—has some similarities to a tale from a Babylonian epic. However, the crudity is alleviated in a typically Greek way by Uranus and Gaea's cordial cooperation on a scheme to save Zeus from the same cannibalistic Cronus after their divorce.
Greek cosmological ideas saw the Earth as a flat disk floating on the river of Ocean. The Sun (Helios) traveled around the Earth at night in a golden bowl while circling the skies like a charioteer. Natural cracks were commonly believed to be gateways to Hades, the underworld residence of the dead.
Ancient myths from throughout the world
Greek myths appear to have been subject to change and criticism for moral reasons or for misrepresenting actual events from a very early time. Hesiod uses a system of Four Ages (or races): Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron in the Works and Days. Although "Race" is the most appropriate translation, both titles should be stated because "Golden Age" has been so widely used in English. The Golden Age corresponds to Cronus's rule, while the succeeding races are Zeus' invention. These races or periods are distinct creations of the gods. The people of the Golden Age never aged, were free from labor, and spent their time feasting and having fun.
Hesiod was unable to explain why the Golden Age ended, but the Silver Age took its place. In the Silver Age, mankind started acting arrogantly and disregarded the gods after an excessively protracted upbringing. Zeus as a result concealed them on Earth, where they evolved into ghosts among the dead.
Zeus then produced the violent men of the Bronze Age, who died out via mutual annihilation. The Age (or Race) of Heroes is now intercalated by the poet. In the interests of history, he does this by upending the myth's symmetry, since ancient people typically thought that the Minoan-Mycenaean era was a good one to live in. (While not common in Greek literature, this submission of myth to history may be seen in works like Hesiod, Xenophobes, Pindar, Aeschylus, and Plato.) The most fortunate of these heroes—those linked to the gods—reverted to a type of reconstituted Golden Age, living in the Isles under Cronus' dominion after being driven into honorable exile by his son Zeus.
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