Richard's Explanation Of Dominance And Rebellion Summary

I enjoyed reading Richard’s writing and how he looked at Theogony in a structuralist perspective. His analysis of the binary relationship between dominance and rebellion was very intriguing. However, I would have to agree with my fellow peer Dallas, and say that tyranny seems to be a better term for the type of dominance Richard was trying to express in his essay.

In Richard’s explanation of dominance vs rebellion, we can see how the more tyrannical Ouranos (Heaven) and Kronos was, the greater the younger generation’s rebellion was. In Ouranos’ case, it was Kronos to take his mother’s advice and castrate his father. Despite this experience, after Kronos takes reign, he ends up following in his father’s footsteps and swallows his children in fear that one day, he too will be overthrown by one of his children. However, in Kronos’ case, it was not
I’d like to expand on that even more and relate it back to relationship between tyranny and rebellion. Although it is clear that Zeus is the ruler of all, he does not let himself get to the position to be as tyrannical as his father and grandfather. His brothers Hades and Poseidon each have full control of their own realm, the Underworld and the seas respectively. When people think of Mount Olympus and its gods, they don’t only think of Zeus, but the trinity of the brothers. Another difference in Zeus’ reign is that instead of exercising a tyrannical hierarchy, he exercises more of an empirical reign, taking into consideration the other Olympians when they have a wish or will to do something. Zeus’ difference in reign may be the reason as to why Zeus’ kingdom was the most civilized—there was proper order, not just one divine being dictating the others. This would also be another reason that despite Zeus being the most dominant, there was no rebellion against