Greek Mythology Essay - 1215 Words

Greek Mythology Mythology was an integral part of the lives of all ancient peoples. The myths of Ancient Greece are the most familiar to us, for they are deeply entrenched in the consciousness of Western civilization. The myths were accounts of the lives of the deities whom the Greeks worshipped. The Greeks had many deities, including 12 principal ones, who lived on Mt. Olympus. The myths are all things to all people – a rollicking good yarn, expressions of deep psychological insights, words of spine-tingling poetic beauty and food for the imagination. They serve a timeless universal need, and have inspired great literature, art and music, providing archetypes through which we can learn much about the deeper motives of human behavior.†¦show more content†¦When Zeus decided to punish men he asked Hephaestus to make a woman. So Hephaestus made Pandora from clay and water, and, as everyone knows, she had a box, from which sprang all the evils afflicting humankind. Apart fro one misdemeanor, Hephaestus character seems to have been exemplary. During the Trojan War Athena asked the god to make her a new suit of armor. Poseidon, on hearing this, teased Hephaestus by saying that when Athena came to his forge she would expect him to make mad passionate love to her. As Athena wrested herself from the eager Hephaestus, he ejaculated against her thigh. She removed his seed with wool and threw it away, and Gaea, who happened to pass by, was inadvertently fertilized. When Gaeas unwanted offspring was born, Athena brought him up, and he eventually became King Erichthonius of Athens. Apollo, god of the sun, and Artemis, goddess of the moon, were the twins of Leto and Zeus. Many qualities were attributed to Apollo, for the Ancient Greeks believed that the sun not only gave physical light, but that its light was symbolic of mental illumination. Apollo was also worshipped as the god of music and song, which the ancients believed were only heard where there was light and security. Artemis was worshipped as the goddess of childbirth and protector of children; yet, paradoxically, she asked Zeus if he would grant her eternal virginity. She was also the protector of suckling animals, but loved to hunt stags! Hermes wasShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology : Greek And Roman Mythology885 Words   |  4 Pagesvalues of a culture. (Rosenberg) With Greek and Roman Mythology we learn or are introduced to the idea of how the universe is formed, we learn about love and of course we learn about tragedy. Greek and Roman mythology has a strong influence on our culture today. The Greek c ulture affects our everyday way of life. They created democracy, the alphabet, libraries, the Olympics, math, science, architecture, and even lighthouses. (Unknown) Greek and Roman mythology go hand in hand with gods and heroesRead MoreGreek Mythology And The Mythology1154 Words   |  5 Pagesand lessons of Greek mythology have shaped art and literature for thousands of years. Later Greek writers and artists used and elaborated upon these sources in their own work. Did you know that in ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life. They explained everything from rituals to the weather, and they gave meaning to the world people saw around them. Many consumer products get their names from Greek mythology. For example sportsRead MoreGreek Mythology And The Mythology850 Words   |  4 Pagesdepending on which part of the world an individual is in. The Greeks and Romans are both very polytheistic civilizations. They be lieve in a multitude of gods and creatures, and they have gods for fertility, elements, war, medicine, and a multitude of others. The mythology of these two cultures is exceedingly similar, although for those looking for a more interesting view on the subject, Greek mythology is far superior to Roman mythology. The time period in which mythological tales were told beganRead MoreMythology In Greek Mythology879 Words   |  4 Pages Greek mythology is commonly mistaken by those unfamiliar with it as a religious subject. Instead, they are a set of stories about Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines that serve to entertain and give an explanation of how the world came to be. It’s apparent that the world wasn’t like the way it is currently from the beginning, but the myths do give us an idea of how things were like. As Edith Hamilton once said, â€Å" But what the myths show is how high they had risen above the ancient filthRead MoreThe Mythology Of Greek Mythology978 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many different types of different creatures of Greek Mythology. There are Centaurs, Minotaur, Pegasus, Sirens, Medusa, and many more. These creatures can either be helpful to the Gods and Goddesses or they can work against them. Some of the creatures’ stories even intertwine with the stories of the Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology. I will concentrate on the following creatures: Centaurs, Pegasus, Sirens, and Medusa. My favorite creatures out of all of these are the Sirens, becauseRead MoreMythology : Ancient Greek Mythology1527 Words   |  7 PagesMythology is a vast collection of made up/fake stories told during the Ancient Greek era. That is what we are told at young age growing up learning about Greek Gods and Goddesses like Zeus and Hercules. But actually the mythology comes from the word myth which is a Greek word for speech or discourse, but later adapted the meaning of fable or legend (Doyle, 2015).The traditional stories, poems, literature, and art have been passed down for years. The stories about Gods and Goddesses, heroes, and monstersRead MoreGreek Mythology8088 Words   |  33 PagesGreek  Mythology   I   INTRODUCTION   Temple  of  Apollo  at  Didyma   The  Greeks  built  the  Temple  of  Apollo  at  Didyma,  Turkey  (about  300  bc).  The  temple  supposedly  housed  an  oracle   who  foretold  the  future  to  those  seeking  knowledge.  The  predictions  of  the  oracles,  delivered  in  the  form  of  riddles,   often  brought  unexpected  results  to  the  seeker.  With  Ionic  columns  reaching  19.5  m  (64  ft)  high,  these  ruins   suggest  the  former  grandeur  of  the  ancient  temple.   Bernard  Cox/Bridgeman  Art  Library,  London/New  York   Read MoreThe Greek Mythology1084 Words   |  5 PagesAncient Greek mythology is somewhat different from the common modern way of thinking. Ancient Greek mythology will mostly base its acceptance of actions on the laws of the god’s, while modern society mostly bases its acceptance off of soc ial affairs or the people around them. Even though twentieth century readers might have a different way of thinking than ancient Greek’s, the essence of describing a character in literature remains constant. Throughout the semester, many of the ancient literary worksRead MoreGreek Mythology : Ancient Mythology1630 Words   |  7 PagesGreek mythology denotes to the myths of the early Greeks, Greece gods, and mythical creatures. While pertaining to these legends and myths includes; to their Gods, the nature and heroes, tales of clashes, and of their adventures. It is also a brief on the origin and connotation of their cult, and the innumerable practices that remained shadowed by them. Myth is defined as; a traditional, typically historic story pertaining to mystic beings, descendants, or heroes that serve an essential kind in theRead MoreGreek Mythology : Ancient Greeks1835 Words   |  8 PagesThe Ancient Greeks believed in many gods and heroes during their time. Each one h ad a sole purpose in a mortal’s lifetime. Greek mythology had a huge impact on religion in Ancient Greece. The Greeks performed rituals in order to honor their gods. Mythology affected the Ancient Greeks in many ways. The origins of mythology, the influences of mythology through a human’s lifetime and lessons taught in the ancient myths will be examined. Why Greek mythology was created Greek mythology was created