ABSTRACT
Studies of monsters in ancient creation narratives have generally focused on their representation as opponents to the primary deities. This type of narrative appears in Hesiod's Theogony: Zeus fights and defeats Typhoeus in the final conflict that establishes of his rule over the cosmos. The chaotic body of Typhoeus is in conflict with the ordered world Zeus creates, and so must be removed. Similarly, the Kyklopes, the Hekatoncheires, and the descendants of Phorkys and Keto (a family of monstrous beings which includes Echidna, Kerberos, and Medusa) are killed off or put to work maintaining Zeus’ rule. Through their association with the early stages of creation and distant locations, the monsters in the Theogony help to mark out the edges of cosmos. However, the way in which they do this runs counter to the presentation of the structure of the cosmos in other parts of the text.
