The last part of the oldest story. Three kings, three fears of their children, and three very different endings.
Hesiod’s Theogony · C2+
Part Twelve: Metis and the Birth of Athena
A review of the whole Theogony series (reporting verbs, Greek roots, cause and result, compound adjectives, attitude adverbs, deception, formal linking, abstract nouns, participle clauses, archaic English), plus none other than and the very: C2+ language for the end of the oldest story.
🦉 Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are Metis.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
PHILO
And a review of everything. I’m ready.
The story
After Hesiod’s Theogony, lines 881–929 and 966–1022
The gods, on Gaia’s advice, insisted that Zeus become their king, and he divided their honours fairly, which led to a lasting peace. His first wife was Metis, the wisest of gods and men.
Warned that her son would be greater than him, Zeus tricked her into trusting him with smooth words and swallowed her, thereby keeping her wisdom inside him for ever. Born from his head, grey-eyed Athena sprang out fully armed, and Olympus shook.
Zeus then married other wives: Themis, Eurynome, Demeter, Leto and Hera. And from Mnemosyne, none other than Memory herself, were born the very Muses who met Hesiod on Helicon, where the poem began.
So that the goddess might advise him about good and evil.
Emphasis: none other than, the very
PHILO
The mother of the Muses was none other than Memory. And these are the very Muses who met Hesiod!
SOPHIA
none other than = exactly this person (and you may be surprised). the very + noun = exactly this one: the very place where it happened; at the very beginning.
Review: Parts One to Six
DEMETRIA
She insisted that he become king. Autocracy. It led to peace. Grey-eyed Athena, famously born from his head. He tricked her into trusting him.
SOPHIA
Reporting verbs, Greek roots, cause and result, compound adjectives, attitude adverbs, deception. Every part of the Theogony has given you a different tool.
Review: Parts Seven to Eleven
MARCOS
He swallowed her, thereby keeping her wisdom. Born from his head… And henceforth, he ruled.
SOPHIA
Formal linking, abstract nouns, participle clauses, the vocabulary of noise and scale, and archaic English. Well done, all of you. That is the whole Theogony.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| none other than; the very | emphasis | none other than Memory herself |
| insist that + base verb; trick into + -ing | reporting and deception | He tricked her into trusting him. |
| lead to; thereby + -ing | cause and result; formal linking | thereby keeping her wisdom |
| grey-eyed; famously; wisdom | compounds, adverbs, nouns | grey-eyed Athena |
| Born from his head, …; henceforth | participles; archaic English | Born from his head, Athena… |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the correct form.
1. The winner was ___ other than my brother!
2. This is the ___ room where Euclid taught.
3. They insisted that he ___ the prize.
4. He tricked her ___ signing the paper.
5. ___ in Crete, Zeus grew up in a cave.
6. He resigned, ___ ending the crisis.
B · Write
Write the correct form of the word in brackets, or the missing word.
7. Athena is the -eyed goddess.
8. Rule by the people is . (dēmos + kratos)
9. The war gave rise a new order.
10. From that day , she advised him. (from then on, archaic)
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct?
11. “The jar was born by Pandora.”
12. “It was none other than Zeus himself.”
13. “At the very beginning, there was Chaos.”
Now play Part Twelve yourself!Play the gamebook →