The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that before the earth, sea or heaven ever existed; there was only chaos that had no shape, no organization, and no life. The sun and moon did not exist. There was no air. Elements were present, but they did not take a form or have the characteristics that we know today. In this article, you will learn what the Greeks and Romans believed was the creation of the world.
At some point, a change occurred that sent everything out of sorts. Heat and cold clashed. Wetness and dry were at odds. Other opposites also existed, such as heavy and light, and hard and soft. As time passed, a god that was a natural higher being decided to put an end to the conflict by separating the earth from the heaven. The dry land was parted from the waters. He divided the clouds and clear air from one another. In the end, he created organization with all things , balance was established.
At the highest level of the world, he created a heavenly space of weightlessness and untouched ether. Below that, he filled the lower region with air that was light and with a bit of substance. Next, he established heavy earth that fell lower under its own weight. Around it, there was the sea. The god responsible for all of this achieved order in a chaotic world just by separating the components that were opposite of one another. Harmony followed.
The earth was shaped into a ball by the god, which caused the waters to spread in different directions. He brought to life pools and lakes, followed by rivers that flowed to meet up with the seas. He created flat plains and made valleys dip low. Pushing mass around, he created mountains with varying levels. The earth was then organized into different zones , five in total. This was also the same number that existed in heaven. Two regions were established to the right alongside two on the left. One was made for the center of the earth.
The middle zone was too hot for things to live on earth. The two outer zones were too cold. However, the two extreme zones were combined to establish two temperate zones where you’d find a balance between the heat and cold. This is where habitation would flourish.
The god then focused his attention on the details of earth. Air was positioned below the ether and above the earth , it was here that the formation of mist and clouds took place. Thunderbolts were placed within the clouds. The four winds were assigned limitations and given a purpose. Stars were then created. At first, they are hidden in darkness, but then they would shine across the sky.