...Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη, Aphroditē) Goddess of love, beauty and desire. She was married to Hephaestus, but she had many lovers, including Ares, Adonis and Anchises. She was depicted as a beautiful woman and often naked. Her symbols include roses and other flowers, the scallop shell, and myrtlewreath. Her sacred animals are doves and sparrows. The Roman version of Aphrodite was Venus. Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apóllōn) God of light, healing, music, poetry, plague, prophecy, and more. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was associated with the Sun; while Artemis was the Moon. Both use a bow and arrow. In the earliest myths, Apollo fights with his half-brother Hermes. In sculpture, Apollo was depicted as a handsome young man with long hair and a perfect physique. His attributes include the laurel wreath and lyre. He often appears in the company of the Muses. Animals sacred to Apollo include roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice and snakes. Ares (Ἄρης, Árēs) God of war and bloodshed. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was depicted as a young man, either naked with a helmet and spear or sword, or as an armed warrior. Ares generally represents the chaos of war in contrast to Athena, who represented strategy and skill. Ares' sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, dogs and boars. The Roman version of Ares is Mars. Artemis (Ἄρτεμις, Ártemis) Goddess of hunting, wilderness, animals and childbirth. In later times she became...
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...Comparing Gods and Goddesses HUM/105 June 15, 2011 Comparing Gods and Goddesses Myths are narrative stories that describe the creation of the world and how the first humans came into existence. According to Leonard and McClure (2004), human societies began as goddess-oriented and matrifocal (women-centered). Human societies evolved from primitive beginnings to a superior culture system of patriarchy (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 104). Although myths may differ from culture to culture, common elements and roles exist in each myth. In today’s society, myths and legends are fantasy-filled tales from ancient societies long gone. Therefore, Team A will describe the elements and functions of goddess myths, and compare two myths of the female divine from different cultures. Second, the team will describe the elements and functions of god myths, and compare two myths of the male divine from different cultures. Last, the team will summarize the elements and functions shared by both divines. According to the euhemerist Gimbutus, goddesses have three basic roles life, death, and regeneration (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 114). The goddesses of life are Mother Earth, nature, sea, and universe. These goddesses are nurturers and overseers of security and contentment, prosperity and growth, and creativity and artistry. The mother earth goddesses are creators of earth and universe, such as Gaia of the ancient Greeks, and Tellus of the Romans. These two Earth goddesses gave birth...
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...s | Stephanie Highfield | Greek Gods & Goddesses | | | | | The ancient Greek religious history explains the existence of the world and the lives attached to the entire process of various gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and other mythological characters. Every individual god or goddess was supposed to have a unique feature to him/her. For example: Athena was goddess of wisdom and courage, Ares was the god of war, while some gods such as Hestia (the heart) and Helios (the sun) had specifically this description. May more of these kind existed in their myths. The Greek Mythology not only sheds light on the rituals and culture of the ancient Greeks but also takes measures to explain various metaphysical phenomenon and occurrences the ancient Greeks encountered which were astounding and appealing at the same time for the devotees to submit * Cosmogony – related to the creation of the world * Theogony – concerned with the birth of the Gods The Greek’s God world was man-made; it was created in order to understand the concept of Love, Death, Life, Birth etc. They believed that the universe created Gods, which differs from many other religions that deem God made the universe. These “gods” came into being suddenly without any traces or evidences; hence they are thought to be illusory. These myths can be found in the Greek Literature, Iliad and Odyssey which are two famous epic poems that contribute to the oldest literary sources. However, Hesiod...
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...now, light and darkness, or more specifically, gods and goddesses of the sun and moon. Apollo and Artemis are the most obvious representations of the sun and moon; however, there are numerous other gods and goddesses that have some tie to these celestial bodies. This begs the question: why are there so many different gods and goddesses associated with the sun and moon? And, moreover, what are we to make of the duplicitous nature of these gods and goddesses? As has been discussed throughout the quarter, the gods and goddesses are a projection of humankind, and like humankind, they possess duplicitous characteristics. More than anything else, the plurality of the sun and moon gods and goddesses highlights the importance of the sun and...
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...In Ancient Greece they worshipped gods and goddesses. Each god and goddesses represent something in nature. For example; Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades(the Big Three) each represented something very significant. Zeus represented the sky, thunder/lightning and thunderstorms. He was also the King of Gods and King of the Sky. Roman form: Jupiter. Poseidon represented the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses. He’s considered one of the most bad-tempered, moody, and greedy gods. He’s also known to be very vengeful when insulted. Roman form: Neptune. Hades represents the Underworld, dead, and all the riches of the earth. He’s married to goddess Persephone, daughter of Demeter. He’s often described as stern and unyielding, unmoved by prayer and sacrifice....
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...Charles Do HUM 102W C200 Homeric Hymns: Gods and Goddesses Influence on Humanity The Olympians are major deities of the Greek pantheon; however, the deities: Poseidon, Hestia, Athena and Hephaestus appear to be salient towards humanity. All of these gods play a large role in shaping the lives of men as what they govern directly affects humanity. Poseidon for his control over the sea/floods/droughts, Hestia for hearth and home, Athena for wisdom, courage, peace and battle strategy, and lastly Hephaestus for inventions and craft. Poseidon, Shaker of the Earth and God of the Sea. For without him there would be drought. Men rely on Poseidon to aid the sailors as they set sail across the endless seas (H.22, 7). It is said that when Poseidon is in a good mood, he would create new lands in the water and calm the sea of any obstacles. However, if he is displeased or offended, then he would cause earthquakes and shipwrecks, thus giving him the name, Shaker of the Earth. Hestia’s importance stems from her role as the goddess of the hearth and home, for without Hestia there is no sense of banquet (H.29, 5). As the goddess of the hearth, she is commonly worshipped anywhere and by everyone, regardless of the temple’s dedication to any deities. She is personified by a fire burning in the hearth of all households and towns and is not to be put out. This is meant to bring the together the families or the community if put into a town setting. Although Athena is the goddess of warfare...
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...In his famous "Poetics," the philosopher Aristotle laid the foundations for literary criticism of Greek tragedy. His famous connection between "pity and fear" and "catharsis" developed into one of Western philosophy's greatest questions: why is it that people are drawn to watching tragic heroes suffer horrible fates? Aristotle's ideas revolve around three crucial effects: First, the audience develops an emotional attachment to the tragic hero; second, the audience fears what may befall the hero; and finally (after misfortune strikes) the audience pities the suffering hero. Through these attachments the individual members of the audience go through a catharsis, a term which Aristotle borrowed from the medical writers of his day, which means a "refining" -- the viewer of a tragedy refines his or her sense of difficult ethical issues through a vicarious experious of such thorny problems. Clearly, for Aristotle's theory to work, the tragic hero must be a complex and well-constructed character, as in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. As a tragic hero, Oedipus elicits the three needed responses from the audience far better than most; indeed, Aristotle and subsequent critics have labeled Oedipus the ideal tragic hero. A careful examination of Oedipus and how he meets and exceeds the parameters of the tragic hero reveals that he legitimately deserves this title. Oedipus' nobility and virtue provide his first key to success as a tragic hero. Following Aristotle, the audience must respect...
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...The Essential Role of Goddess in Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey Just as women were viewed as inferior to men during Homer’s era, a first glance at Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey portrays goddesses as inferiors to gods. Despite the era’s bias to men, the goddesses are of equal importance to the plot of his stories as the gods. The goddesses play vital roles as either helpers or nightmares to men by often determining the results of an action. Homer did not establish the goddesses in his epics merely as minor structures to blend in the background. Rather, he established dynamic goddesses who were both powerful and intelligent. In fact, in many ways the goddesses controlled the gods by having an influence in their decisions and actions through manipulation, persuasion and guidance. By influencing the gods, the goddesses also played a large role as shepherds for human fate. The goddess’s constant intervention in the mortals’ lives was driven by favoritism, love or sexual desires, and their pity for the weak. Although the goddesses are often restricted from doing as they wish by the gods, they have proven, in many occasions, to overpower the gods through manipulation. Goddesses were often told what to do by the gods. Tasks such as delivering messages from Zeus were often carried out by Athena. Just as Hector told his wife, “Go home, attend to your own handiwork at loom and spindle, and command the maids to busy themselves, too. As for war, that is for men, all we...
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...List of Greek Gods and Goddesses - A Achelois - One of the moon goddesses. Achelous - The patron god of the Achelous river. Aeolus - (a.k.a. Aeolos, Aiolos, Aiolus, Eolus) God of air and the winds. Aether - (a.k.a. Aither, Akmon, Ether) God of light and the atmosphere. Alastor - God of family feuds. Alcyone - One of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Alectrona - Early Greek goddess of the sun. Amphitrite - (a.k.a. Salacia) The wife of Poseidon and a Nereid. Antheia - Goddess of gardens, flowers, swamps, and marshes. Aphaea - (a.k.a. Aphaia) A Greek goddess who was worshipped exclusively at a single sanctuary on the island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf. Aphrodite - (a.k.a. Anadyomene, Turan, Venus) Goddess of love and beauty. Apollo - (a.k.a. Apollon, Apulu, Phoebus) God of the sun, music, healing, and herding. Ares - (a.k.a. Enyalius, Mars, Aries) God of chaotic war. Aristaeus - (a.k.a. Aristaios) Patron god of animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and fruit trees. Artemis - (a.k.a. Agrotora, Amarynthia, Cynthia, Kourotrophos, Locheia, Orthia, Phoebe, Potnia Theron) Goddess of the moon, hunting, and nursing. Asclepius - (a.k.a. Aesculapius, Asklepios) God of health and medicine. Astraea - The Star Maiden - a goddess of justice, included in Virgo and Libra mythologies. Até - Goddess of mischief. Athena - (a.k.a. Asana, Athene, Minerva, Menerva) Goddess of wisdom, poetry, art, and the strategic side of war...
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...worshipping goddesses while the Phoenicians worshiped mainly gods, however they both sacrificed to their gods/goddesses. When viewing the artwork of the Minoans, we notice that the portrayal of female goddesses was very popular. There were many frescos involving women, including them engaging in bull leaping, which was a popular sport. The Minoans did not paint images of their kings or pharaohs. The Minoans also worshipped Big Mother Earth, who was a goddess and was said to rule over the other gods of Crete. The goddesses would appear in animal forms when visiting earth, that’s why in artwork done by the Minoans, the goddesses would share a space with animals. Since the Minoans worshiped Big Mother Earth and portrayed women in most of their artwork, we can say that the Minoan’s religion was based on worshipping goddesses. The Phoenicians were different on this aspect. The Phoenicians believed in Baal of Tyre. He referred to many gods, such as god of the rain, thunder, fertility, agriculture, and the lord of Heaven. Most of the Phoenician worship was based on him. The Phoenicians also believed in gods of the sea. They would create faces on the front of their ships, sometimes horses, sometimes only eyes. It was said this would help them on their voyage. We can see that the Phoenician religion delegated a lot of importance to gods, which makes them different than the Minoans. However, they’re somewhat similar in that both civilizations sacrificed to their gods. The Minoans...
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...List of Greek Gods and Goddesses - A • Achelois - One of the moon goddesses. • Achelous - The patron god of the Achelous river. • Aeolus - (a.k.a. Aeolos, Aiolos, Aiolus, Eolus) God of air and the winds. • Aether - (a.k.a. Aither, Akmon, Ether) God of light and the atmosphere. • Alastor - God of family feuds. • Alcyone - One of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. • Alectrona - Early Greek goddess of the sun. • Amphitrite - (a.k.a. Salacia) The wife of Poseidon and a Nereid. • Antheia - Goddess of gardens, flowers, swamps, and marshes. • Aphaea - (a.k.a. Aphaia) A Greek goddess who was worshipped exclusively at a single sanctuary on the island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf. • Aphrodite - (a.k.a. Anadyomene, Turan, Venus) Goddess of love and beauty. • Apollo - (a.k.a. Apollon, Apulu, Phoebus) God of the sun, music, healing, and herding. • Ares - (a.k.a. Enyalius, Mars, Aries) God of chaotic war. • Aristaeus - (a.k.a. Aristaios) Patron god of animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and fruit trees. • Artemis - (a.k.a. Agrotora, Amarynthia, Cynthia, Kourotrophos, Locheia, Orthia, Phoebe, Potnia Theron) Goddess of the moon, hunting, and nursing. • Asclepius - (a.k.a. Aesculapius, Asklepios) God of health and medicine. • Astraea - The Star Maiden - a goddess of justice, included in Virgo and Libra mythologies. • Até - Goddess of mischief. • Athena - (a.k.a. Asana, Athene, Minerva, Menerva) Goddess of wisdom, poetry...
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...Mesopotamian had a very interesting life. Mesopotamia is a time when they started having civilizations and they have rulers and gods and goddesses and they have social class. The women didn't have the same rights as the men, the religion was somewhat like today's christians but at the same time they are not. The kids have to go to school and get an education and they are taught by the moms. The marriage rules are different from ours today they have a lot different rules. The laws are very intense to there is a lot of death or an eye for an eye expression. The social class has taking its charge by now it is like today where there are about three classes. The conflict has made a big change too there is a lot more if it now . During mesopotamian...
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...Gods Personify Us “We everlasting gods… Ah what chilling blows we suffer-thanks to our own conflicting wills-whenever we show there moral men some kindness’’ It is obvious that the gods and goddesses are very important in traditional Greek Culture. The whole cause of the Trojan War is based around the fact that even gods can feel emotions such as jealousy, anger and vengeance. The gods are used by Homer to add twists on an otherwise standard plot of war. During the epic, there are times when gods and goddesses alike influence the war by infuriating the soldiers in order to have them continue fighting. Other times, some gods or goddesses removed certain characters so as to avoid death. The gods do not maintain order among humans nor among themselves. They are at times completely selfish and the ones who mostly suffer the consequences of their selfish meddling are the mortals. The mortals pray to and make sacrifices to the gods, yet do not fully understand that their lives are in the hands of fate and fate alone. The gods’ actions are never a result of what is just or fair. They are not interested in the good of anyone, but only in their personal interests. In furthering their interests they use whatever mortals serve their purpose. The gods dabble in the life of man and routinely thwart any attempt for him to entirely forge his own future. The mortals in question are necessary only in so far as their use to the gods and when the gods will or desire is achieved; the...
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...many other ancient civilizations. Each god had a different persona and function. Strict laws were set for their people and harsh punishments were believed in for those who did not follow the religion’s strict code of conduct. The beliefs of the ancient Sumerians were the precedent for developing civilizations to follow. God and goddesses in the Sumerian’s belief system had very diverse personalities. The women were particularly portrayed as deceitful, moody, upset, disturbed, protective, and sometimes even creators of evil. The males, on the other hand, were written as wise, fearless, bold, god of gods, majestic, victorious, perfect, and radiant. In many stories, the male god has to either save the world and humans from something that a woman initiated, or save the women because she herself is helpless. Inanna, the beloved goddess of Sumerian culture, does not help the belief. Throughout the hymns that were written for her and published in a collection by Diane Wolkstein, Inanna must turn to the men of her life for help. In the hymn The Hulupu Tree, Inanna runs to her brother Gilgamesh for help ridding her beloved tree from pests. “I wept! How I wept! Yet they would not leave me tree.” She weeps to both her brothers yet does nothing to try and rid the tree of the pests herself before turning to them. She then requires a throne to rule on and a chair to sit on. Gilgamesh must carve these things for her as well. The roles of gods and goddesses were quite different for the ancient...
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...interpreting the meanings goddesses’ hold to empower women. Goddesses are symbols that act as role models for women and have textual material in many religions to draw from to show woman empowerment, and promote benefits through worship. (Gupta, 2) mentions this in Kali, the Savior, “ Feminists have realized the overwhelming need for women to identify personally with positive images and role models, models that can reassert the importance of the “feminine” in all religious experience. With this realization has come the recognition of the general lack of such images and stories in most traditions.” Gupta’s argument addresses women’s inability to participate in major religious roles because men limit them to maintain power in their religious practices. Kali, a Hindu culture goddess, is an example of a goddess women can draw from to empower themselves as independent, strong women. When viewing the Hindu scriptures, called the Puranas’, there’s an underlining description of the traditional roles women are expected to play as care givers, mothers, and wives. Women are not meant to be limited to those roles, and excluded from diverse participation in Hinduism. “Hinduism is not inherently patriarchal; the equal importance of the gods and goddesses in the pantheon would seem to support this. But despite the equality and importance of the goddesses found in various scriptures, traditional Hindu life by and large has remained patriarchal (Gupta, 2).” Goddesses like Kali can be used...
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