Chthonic Origins of the Protogenoi

In Greek mythology, creation begins not in the heavens but in the chthonic layers beneath the earth — the underworld and the molten interior. These deep strata were ambiguous and volatile, shaped by both darkness and fire. From this primordial substrate emerged the earliest beings, the Protogenoi, who would eventually give rise to the gods and the cosmos.

Ananke’s Mandate to Becoming

Ananke was the Greek Goddess of Inevitability...the force that squeezed the primordial material and caused the universe to burst forth.

Anake's Challenge

Before organization of the universe as we understand it, Chronos created matter that was just totally disordered. Anake's Challenge was to squeeze it all together to allow formation of the cosmic egg from which Phanes could burst forth and organize everything into the stars, planets, etc..

Phanes Awakening

This one is a bit difficult to follow: Chaos was the Greek term/god for the infinite void....Aether, and his Mother Nyx, generated the cosmic egg, and Phanes burst out of that egg to bring about organization of the primordial universe. Makes perfect sense!

The Shattering That Made Phanes

The moment the cosmic egg burst and the first Greek God, Phanes, burst forth.

Gaia Arising from the Primordial Darkness

In Greek Mythology, after Phanes burst forth form the Cosmic Egg, the first thing he/she (yes Phanes was both male and female) did was create Gaia (Earth) and disperse the darkness of the Cosmos. Here we have Gaia beginning to take form as the material of the universe began to coalesce into everything known to mankind.

Cyclopean Annihilation

When Gaia gave birth to Uranus' children, the Cyclopses, he feared them so much that he pushed them back up into Gaia's womb to be imprisoned for eternity.

Scars of the Titanomachy

The Titanomachy was a 10 year war between the Olympian and Titan Greek Gods. It was total mayhem, split the earth wide open, mountains shattered, and the sky's trembling from Zeus' thunderbolts. The Titans lost, were cast into the Tartarus pit ushering in Olympian rule of the Universe as the Earth recovered from the battle scars.

The Epiphany of Steropes

Steropes was one of the three Cyclops. He was the blacksmith charged with building lightning bolts, Arges added the flash of light to the lightning bolt. Apparently the Cyclops had a good union where each was responsible for a single component of the final product.

The Killing Impulse at Work (Aorai)

The Aorai were one nasty bunch - accidental spirits that were a by-product of past violence in the cosmos. They were predatory, free roaming, had little accountability to the Gods, and killed upon impulse for no reason whatsoever.

Remains of the Telchines

The Telchines were certainly bad actors in Greek mythology. They were sorcerers who used their power malevolently (plagues, blights, poisonings, etc) and constantly upset the delicate cosmic order of things. So Zeus destroyed them because they threatened his well-being too.

Neuma's Embrace

Neuma was not a Goddess. She was a Force - the things that moves through living beings with vitality and sometimes divine influence. Ancient Greeks had great reverence for Neuma.

On the Brink of Becoming

Phanes was the Greek God hatched from the Cosmic Egg. Blended ICM of plant parts and glass. Phanes was the first Greek God in the Orphic tradition. He was born when the cosmic egg hatched.

The Quiet Doom of Moros

Moros was the god of inevitable doom. The leaves in this triptych have been touched by Moros as they will be every year.

Lyssa's Rabid Fury Awakens

Not a Greek God, but a Demon. .... a supernatural force full of violent rage and uncontrollable fury. Bottom line....don't mess with Lyssa.

Incubation of the Erinyes

Nyx - the goddess of night gave birth to the Erinyes. These furies enforced cosmic justice, tormented oath‑breakers, and pursued blood‑crimes. They are often mistaken for demons, but they are divine agents of vengeance.

Where the Dead Search for Hermes

In Ancient Greece, when someone died, their soul when to a place called Asphodel Meadows. It was an ambiguous, constantly shifting landscape where one waited for an escort by Hermes to Hades.

The Moirai Guarantee

The Morirai were the three sisters of Fate. They watched everything and were responsible for the fate of everything and could not be influenced by man or gods (although many tried and failed). They simply watched to assure that fate unfolded as planned without fail.

The Remains of Diomedes

King Diomedes of Trace had four man-eating horses. They ate Hercules' companion Abderus. So, to get even, Hercules fed Diomedes to his own horses.

Elpis Unleashed

Greek Mythology is full of confusion on this one. Elpis is what stayed inside Pandora's box after it was opened. Is it a positive or destructive force? Nobody knows. But given everything else that was released was evil, I believe the Elpis was evil as well.

Incubation of Eros

Eros was one of the Primordial Gods. He came into being when he hatched from the primordial egg. From there, the universe developed as we know it today thanks to his brothers and sisters.

Poseidon Executes a Non-believer

Poseidon didn't settle for respect and offerings. He demanded pure-from-the-heart devotion and worship. If it didn't happen, the non-believer would be dragged by the undercurrent into a tangle of seaweed and torture until drowning

Evidence of Porces’ Merciless Act

The Greek Gods wanted Troy to fall. But this person named Laocoon knew the Trojan Horse was a set up. So, Athena commands divine serpent/monster, Porces, to kill Laocoon and his sons. Why, because Athena's political agenda called for Troy to fall so that Rome could be born. The killing was so violent that only incidental evidence remained.

The Singularity Zeus Would Not Allow

Zeus was the gatekeeper of the cosmos. As singularity threatened to destroy the boundaries between the gods and humanity, Zeus was determined not to allow it.

Ananke Binds the Primordial Chaos

Ananke is the primordial force of Greek Mythology that constricted the materials created by Chronos that became the universe. This image depicts Ananke in the process of the constriction so that the world as we know it can burst forth. Note the small egg-shaped structure within the universe of matter...when Ananke constricted this to critical mass, Phanes - the first Greek God burst forth out of the Egg.....rather mild compared to the birth of Athena who burst forth from Zeus' head, fully armored, ready to do battle.

And yes - they were flat earthers too!!!!

Cassandra's Punishment

Cassandra was a Trojan princess. She promises to be intimate with the Greek God, Apollo in return for a gift of prophesy. They consummate their relationship, and when Apollo desires her again, she refuses him. So, being filled with anger, Apollo makes everyone think she is insane even though she is not. Pure psychological torture!!! Apollo splits her mind into a dual personality and there is no escaping it.

Pestilence at the Threshold of Birth

In Greek myth, certain primordial beings were forced back into the womb the moment they emerged - their birth canceled at the threshold of existence. This work imagines that moment as a form of cosmic pestilence: a corruption that strikes at the instant of becoming, erasing life before it can take shape.

Gello: The Infant Thief

Gello was the ancient Greek equivalent of a ghoul. She would typically appear at night and strangle newborn children. Why? She was a dislocated spirit who died before her time, never married, or had children. Thus she was seen as a dangerous sociopathic force who was just inflicting her fate on others.

Demeter's Sorrow

Demeter was the Greek Goddess who brought fertility and life to all the forests. But every year when her daughter, Persephone, had to die and return to Hades per Zeus' wishes, in her sorrow she would withdraw her support of the earth, and life would fade until her daughter's return in the spring.

Shadows of Hecate

A Titan-era Goddess, Hecate was one of the few deities that could move freely between the realms of the living and the dead. She existed in the shadows and possessed powerful magic and witchcraft spells,

After Poseidon Ended Atlantis

Poseidon became enraged at Atlantis for not following his divine laws. The final straw was when the Atlantan's forgot Poseidon and didn't worship him with enough fervor. Quick fix - sink and destroy it!

Carpo's Fading Warmth

As the days became shorter, the warmth of Carpo, Goddess of Autumn, gave way to the cold of winter heralding Persephone's return to Hades.

The Suspension of Tantalus

Tantalus was suspended in the underworld forever by the Greek Gods for chopping up his son and attempting to serve his pieces to the Gods for dinner. The eternal punishment was not for killing his son, but for violating the Gods hospitality (they invited him to dinner) and disrupting cosmic order.

Where Hephaestus Draws His Power

Hephaestus was the armorer of the Greek Gods with a massive forge on Mount Olympus. Here is a look inside his cosmic forge.

Aether's First Breath

The primordial god of luminosity, when Aether began to breathe, darkness turned into light.

Lamia's Rabid Feast Begins

Talk about a twisted myth! Lamia was a woman turned child eater. Lamia was originally a beautiful Libyan Queen who was seduced by Zeus and they had children. Now there was this raging goddess, Hera, who didn't like it at all that Lamia had Zeus' children, so she killed the kids. Then Hera cursed Lamia so she could never sleep. The lack of sleep drove her mad and she transformed into a child-eating beast. So, one might ask why Zeus did not intervene and stop Hera. The answer is two-fold. First, if Zeus did it would be the same as acknowledging the kids were his (being Zeus, can you imagine the drachmas he would have to pay in child support ). Second, Zeus' job was to protect and support the Olympians and humans were considered expendable. Finally, and this is the amusing part....Zeus was simply afraid of Hera and didn't want to have her rage fall upon him.

The Aftermath of Phthisis

Phthisis - the quiet mythic presence with enormous psychological weight - was a demon responsible for slow decay, wasting, and dissolution of the body into itself.

Cetos watches her child drag itself into the abyss

Cetos was the goddess of sea monsters, and she really made some ugly ones! Here is one that failed and drug itself off into the abyss, never to return.

When Arges First Learned His Cosmic Burden

Arges was one of the three primordial cyclopses in Greek Mythology. The cyclopses had a single eye because it allowed them to maintain complete focus on their singular cosmic purpose. In Arges case, his cosmic purpose was to supply Zeus with the Lightning Bolt, so naturally Arges became the lightning bolt. The reason why this was a burden to Arges was because he realized he could never have any of the freedoms of many figures in Ancient Greek Mythology which was the greatest sorrow a Greek God could experience. But, even though everyone, including the Gods, was bound to fate in Greek Mythology, this didn't mean they were emotionally numb to it. They often railed against their never-ending role in the universe, but could really do nothing about it other than lash out at others. The Greek Gods absolutely hated the idea that they were bound to fate for a variety of reasons and were simply pissed off because they could do nothing to change fate.

Hermes Confronts the Hound of Hades

Zeus sends Hermes to Hades to rescue Persephone. As Hermes descends into the abyss in his chariot, he is confronted by Cerberus -the multi-headed dog-guardian at the gates of Hell.

The Salted Asteroid Snacks of Theos

For Zeus’ entertainment, Theos gathers the small cravings of mortals and flings them into the heavens, where they drift as salted asteroids — tiny edible worlds orbiting in a cosmic joke only the gods can appreciate. ICM of Potato Chips, oyster crackers, glass, root stem, dried beans, and artificial leaves.

Note: I made this one up. It has no basis in Greek Mythology other than the lesser gods did all sorts of things to amuse Zeus.

Feast for the Chimera

Born out of the Primordial blood line of monsters, the Chimera were a group of demons who had proclivity for ripping hearts out of people and eating them along with other body organs. The Chimera were blamed for many bad things that happened in ancient Greek life such as volcano eruptions and earthquakes.

Oizys Weeps

Oizys is the Greek Goddess of misery, grief, anxiety, and suffering. Sounds like a hot mess to me. This one was an interesting study as I began to realize that the Greek Gods didn't give a lot of consideration to whom they were marrying. Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles - the family relationship seemed not to matter. Oizys also had a twin brother, Momus, who was the God of mockery and blame.

Where Nemesis Condemns Without Mercy

Nemesis was the Greek Goddess of divine retribution. She specifically focused on those who were guilty of hubris - excessive pride. Her punishments were swift and brutal. This was done, ironically, to keep the universe in balance between good and bad.

Helios in Motion

The ancient Greek God of the sun, Helios had one cool ride. Every day he would cruise across the sky in a golden chariot. His chariot was powered by four winged horses and he wore a radiant golden crown during his daily outings.

The Gorgon's Killing Gaze

ICM of kettle cooked Russett potato chips, glass bead and ragweed root on a textured surface.The most famous Gorgon was Medusa. She could turn humans into stone with her gaze. Gorgons were charged with protecting spaces sacred to the ancient Greeks and their gods. They were the children of Cetos and Phorcys - mother and father (who also happened to be brother and sister) of sea monsters.

Birth of Typhon's Ember

Typhon was the last monster created by Gaia. She was enraged because the Gods imprisoned her children (Uranus stuffed them back inside her out of fear for his well-being), so she gave birth to Typhon for the sole purpose of creating havoc with the Gods.

Lamia Targets Another Child

Lamia - the vampire child-eating demon. Her hunger was constant.

This was a good story in Greek mythology. Lamia was originally the queen of Libya who caught Zeus' attention. Hera, Zeus' wife was totally jealous so to get even she kills Lamia's children. Then to really get even, Hera curses Lamia so she can never sleep again so she must constantly relive her children's death. In her grief, Lamia turns into a demon with an unsatiable compulsion to eat young humans to satiate the void Hera created in her.

Eris At Work

Eris was the Greek Goddess that personified strife and discord. She got her satisfaction by causing wars and battles, most notably the Trojan war.

Empousa Spots Her Next Soul

A Flesh-Eating Demon, Empousa would lurk in the night shadows awaiting her next human to devour. She was the servant of Hecate, the Goddess of night.

The Open Wound of Existence

The exact moment where the Kahos (primordial void) accidentally produced something it wished it hadn’t.

Erebus

Erebus was the personification of darkness and the underworld. Makes perfect sense when your father was Chaos.

Embers of Medea's Sorcery

Medea played a central role in the tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Medea cast a spell on the beast guarding the Golden Fleece in the Grove of Ares. Once the beast was asleep, Jason made off with the fleece. Medea eventually betrays her father and homeland to be with Jason, and things go downhill for her from there. A truly dangerous and tragic figure in Greek mythology.

The Raw Materials of Decay (Eurynomos)

Eurynomos was not a Greek God - he was a demon and had the very important job of devouring and decaying those who had died. He achieved his purpose by stripping the dead of their flesh.

Cetos' Mistake

Ceto was one interesting Goddess. She was responsible for the creation of sea monsters and had a number of children who helped her in her work. It is a fitting name for this image as it is comprised of lobster shell parts.

Arges' Gift to the Gods

Arges was one interesting character in ancient Greek mythology. The Gods were in need of weapons for battling one another and destroying humans, so Arges went about the development of the lightning bolt. He was the Greek equivalent of Raytheon.

Typhon Contemplating His Next Move

Typhon was one mean and dangerous god. He was the one that created all of the monsters that roamed the earth and he liked to fight. In an epic battle, he nearly destroyed Zeus to become the lead Greek God.

The Psyche of Theos

A fractured interior unfolds like an ancient wall of thought, where memory, erosion, and buried emotion press against the surface. The image becomes a cross‑section of a divine mind under strain - a psyche weathered by time, split by unseen forces, yet still pulsing with remnants of presence. In these cracked strata, Theos is not depicted but felt: a consciousness unraveling, revealing what should have remained hidden, leaving the viewer suspended inside the dark, unsteady terrain of a god’s inner life.

Nosoi's Revenge

Nosoi was the God of Pestilence. He really made life for ancient Greek Farmers difficult with all sorts of bug and rot infestations as well as plagues upon humanity. He was obviously responsible for the algae bloom in the reflecting pool.

Theia's Awakening

Theia was one of the 'big twelve' titans in Greek mythology. She created light, sight, and divine radiance. Her children were Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Eos (Dawn).

Chthonic Species

Chthonic refers to beings that came from beneath the earth, the unconscious, and darkness. These species were older than Zeus himself.... and they have been locked up for Millenia, soon to be released upon humanity to infest.

Eros and Psyche in the Ashes of Desire

Eros hides his identity and avoids commitment; Psyche fears him, doubts him, and breaks the taboo. Their relationship is full of reluctance, secrecy, and emotional resistance before it becomes a true union.

Hemera Summons Aether

Hemera's role was to banish darkness created by Nyx at daybreak. Aether is responsible for the luminance and purity of air above the clouds - the air the Olympians breathe. Hemera and Aether were brother and sister.