CHAOS AND ORDER IN HESIOD'S THEOGONY

This paper explores the coexistence of order and disorder (or chaos) in Hesiod's Theogony. While the poet's use of etymological wordplay and the catalogue form e ectuates the orderly presentation of some sections (e.g., Nereus and the Nereids), which resonates with Zeus's establishment of a stable, orderly kosmos, elements of chaos (in the sense of disorganisation and contradiction) persist. The catalogue of rivers and the description of Tartarus are examined as cases in point. The article concludes that the coexistence of elements of order and chaos in the Theogony reflects the limitations of the human epistemic capabilities in the Iron Age.