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1. Hesiod's version: Creation begins with Chaos, or a formless mass; it progresses to
ideas such as night (darkness) and light. It then moves into huge creatures, the
Titans, who are the children of Mother Earth and Father Heaven; the myth finally
arrives at the twelve Olympian gods, which are similar to humans in appearance
and emotions.
2. According to one myth, Prometheus and Epimetheus are brother Titans, who are
in charge of creation.
3. Epimetheus gives animals the gifts of speed, cunning, and protective covering;
Prometheus gives man the gift of a nobler shape, standing upright like the gods.
Then he defies Zeus and gives man the gift of fire, for which he is mercilessly
punished by Zeus.
4. With each age, man becomes more inferior, just as metal decreases in value from
gold to iron. First, there is the golden race, mortal but living like the gods; second,
there is the silver race, inferior to the first; third is the brass race, terrible men who
destroy themselves and give rise to a fourth race of men who are godlike heroes; and
finally the fifth race of man, the iron race, which becomes intolerable to Zeus. see
pages 71-72
9. Deucalion, Prometheus's son, and Pyrrha, Prometheus's niece and the daughter
of Epimetheus and Pandora, are the two survivors.
10. The Stone People belong to a new race of people who come from rocks, which
are considered the bones of Mother Earth. These rocks are thrown over the
shoulders of Deucalion and Pyrrha.