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The Ascent

A Guide to Hesiod’s Theogony

Musing on an often overlooked work

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The Ascent
Sep 11, 2026
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Friends,

Hesiod’s Theogony is often overlooked but merits careful consideration. A younger contemporary of Homer, Hesiod writes about the origin of the gods and provides tremendous insight into their hierarchy and relations. The attached guide—sitting at 17 pages, 9400+ words—offers a very helpful companion to this otherwise deceptively simple text.

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Here is the introduction from the guide:

Hesiod’s Theogony provides us with a beautiful, pre-philosophical account of the divine and of the cosmos. The following musings are less a systematic guide and more a series of reflections drawn from an evening of fraternity and discussion between Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Growboski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast. It is a gloss, and one that very much appreciates what Hesiod is attempting to articulate.

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