Myths Of Ancient Greece

Introduction

Greek mythology is the customary mythical teachings and believes of the ancient Greeks. In ancient Greece, stories were a part of everyday life and served as explanations to many questions about men, heroes, monsters, life, gods, and many more. Earlier Greek myths in comparison to the Bible or the Hindu Vedas were not written in a single original text but were mainly an oral tradition said to have begun in the Bronze Age. Its written account started to feature in archaic and classical periods. An example of this is Homer’s 8th-century BC work, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which tells the story of the mythical Trojan War as showcasing both human and divine conflicts.

The Origin of Greek Mythology

The first story written about the origin of Greek mythology was Hesiod’s Theogony. Theogony narrates the story of the nature of the universe, the coming of gods and goddesses, their evolution and revolution all from the various natural elements and forces which includes Sea (Pontos), Earth (Gaia), Tartaros (the Underworld) and the Sky (Ouranos). This later became a reference work for future Greek writers and artists, featuring it in their plays. The works were later compiled to suit the taste of modern audience.

We have the explicit and implicit embodiment of Greek mythology. The narratives forms the explicit versions, while verse paintings, votive gifts, artifacts, and other relics forms the implicit versions. Some of the ways the Greek tradition has continued to impact our modern world is in the naming of products and services after some of these ancients myth gods, heroes and men. A good example is Nike which is named after the goddess of victory. Another example is Amazon.com, a website named after a race of mythical female warriors. We also have many teams, schools and other forms of organizations named after Trojans, Titans, Spartans, and others.

The Olympians

These are the goddesses renowned for residing in Mount Olympus which happens to be the highest mountain in Greece. The Olympians occupy a central place in Greek mythology. They are said to look like men but with supernatural abilities to turn to beasts and other forms as they please. They were also like men in many ways such as passion and vulnerability.

The twelve main Olympians are: Zeus (Jupiter), Aphrodite (Venus), Hera (Juno), Apollo (Apollo), Artemis (Diana), Ares (Mars), Athena (Minerva), Dionysus (Bacchus), Demeter (Ceres), Hephaestus (Vulcan), Poseidon (Neptune), and Hermes (Mercury).

Greek Mythology also included Heroes like Heracles, whose account was carrying out 12 impossible labors for King Eurystheus. Monsters like the winged horse Pegasus, the horse-man centaur, and the lion-woman Sphinx.