Ancient Greek Mythology
Gaia
Hesiod: Ancient Greece, 8th century BC | Plato: Ancient Greece, 4th century BC
Of the gods that have come to be within the universe, Earth [Gaia] ranks as the foremost.
Hesiod: Theogony
From the beginning, which first came to be? Chaos was first of all, but next appeared broad-bosomed Earth… and Earth bore starry heaven… Then she brought forth long hills, the lovely homes of goddesses, the Nymphs who live among the mountain clefts…
Then Ouranos [starry heaven] and Gaia [Earth] bore three sons…
Plato: Timeaus
Now when the Father who had begotton the universe observed it set in motion and alive, a thing that had come to be as a shrine for the everlasting gods, he was well pleased, and in his delight he thought of making it more like its model still. So, as the model was itself an everlasting Living Thing, he set himself to bringing this universe to completion in such a way that it, too would have that chartacter to the extent that was possible. Now it was the Living Thing's nature to be eternal…
The Earth he devised to be our nurturer, and because it winds around the axis that stretches throughout the universe, also to be maker and guardian of day and night. Of the gods that have come to be within the universe, Earth [Gaia] ranks as the foremost, the one with greatest seniority.
Earth and Heaven gave birth to Ocean and Tethys…