... that of the Ionian rationalists, for prior to the development of Greek civilisation, although men no doubt speculated on the world beyond their immediate experience, no records of their enquiries survive. We shall start by briefly looking at the forerunners of philosophical cosmology, with much of our emphasis being placed upon the writings of the great poets Homer6 and Hesiod7. In the Illiad and the Odyssey, although not directly addressing ideas on cosmogony, Homer considers the Gods as being involved with daily life.8 In Theogony9, the 1022 line Epic by one of the giants of Greek poetry, the writer deals with the birth (Cf. Hes. Theog. 116), resulting in the formation of several bodies, and by keeping them united it the history of the Greek gods as well as the creation of the Universe.10 The role of the Gods in both Homer and Hesiod indicates a long lasting tradition in ...

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