...Greek Mythology Intro Greek mythology is the myths and legends the ancient Greeks centered their lives around. The ancient Greeks used these myths to explain the events and components of the world around them. Their religion included gods and heroes, creation stories, and the origins of their civilizations and rituals. It is topic that had been studied and examined in great depth for thousands of years. This fascinating religion's messages and influences are reflected in today’s modern society, and many similarities can be found between Greek mythology and modern religions, such as Christianity. The twelve Olympian Gods and their Myths To begin with, many of the beliefs that the Ancient Greeks believed in were based on the Olympians. The Olympians were a group of twelve gods who ruled after they overthrew the Titans. All of the Olympians are related in some way and they were named after their dwelling, Mount Olympus. The three major gods are Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Their father, Kronos, was the leader of the Titans, he was cruel and was so determined not to lose his throne that he ate his children alive. But one child, Zeus was spared because his mother, Rhea, fed Krono’s a rock disguised as a baby instead of Zeus himself. Zeus defeated his father by chopping him up into little pieces and scattering his remains across the world. Then Zeus released all of Krono’s children that his father had eaten. These gods were Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and...
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...Greek mythology with the possible exception of the Vedic-Hindu religion of India, religion or religion in connection with the mythology of the ancient Greeks produced the most complex and sophisticated in the world. Greek myth usually read as individual stories. Greek mythology has exercised a profound and unparalleled influence upon western culture. Dramatists, artists, and philosophers from Roman times, through the great revival of interest in antiquity the Renaissance, up to the present day have been inspired by the thrilling legacy of ancient Greece. The origins of these myths are impossible to determine and there is no one true version of any myth. Greek mythology is the foundation of allusion and character genesis in literature. The imaginative...
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...Without scientific answers, like we have today, the Ancient Greeks created their own answers about the world and what their place was in it. Over 2000 years ago the Greeks created the names and ideas of a myth and mythology. What they created were tales that are now known as myths. “A myth is a story based on tradition” (“Myths and Heroes” PBS.). Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines myth as, “a usually traditional l story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.” (Def.1a). These myths described the values and feelings that bounded members of society. The stories explained,...
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...U MYTHOLOGY U GODS AND GODDESSES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Michelle M. Houle Copyright © 2001 by Michelle M. Houle All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Houle, Michelle M. Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology / Michelle M. Houle. p. cm. — (Mythology) Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: Discusses various Greek myths, including creation stories and tales of principal gods and goddesses. ISBN 0-7660-1408-8 1. Mythology, Greek—Juvenile literature. [1. Mythology, Greek.] I. Title. II. Mythology (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) BL782 .H68 2000 398.2’0938’01—dc21 00-028782 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Our Readers: All Internet Addresses in this book were active and appropriate when we went to press. Any comments or suggestions can be sent by e-mail to Comments@enslow.com or to the address on the back cover. Cover and illustrations by William Sauts Bock CONTENTS Chart of Major Gods and Goddesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The War Between the Titans and the Olympians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Prometheus and Earth’s First Inhabitants . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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...What is a Myth? Before defining the term "mythology" one needs to define the meaning of the word "myth". The word itself comes from the Greek "mythos" which originally meant "speech" or "discourse" but which later came to mean "fable" or "legend". So the word "myth" is defined as a story of forgotten or vague origin, basically religious or supernatural in nature, which seeks to explain or rationalize one or more aspects of the world or a society. Furthermore, all myths are, at some stage, actually believed to be true by the peoples of the societies that used or originated the myth. The definition is thus clearly distinguished from the use of the word myth in everyday speech which basically refers to any unreal or imaginary story. A myth is also distinctly different from an allegory or parable which is a story deliberately made up to illustrate some moral point but which has never been assumed to be true by anyone. Some myths describe some actual historical event, but have been embellished and refashioned by various story tellers over time so that it is impossible to tell what really happened. In this last aspect myths have a legendary and historical nature. Definitions of Mythology The word mythology has two related meanings. Firstly it refers to a collection of myths that together form a mythological system. Thus one can speak of "Egyptian Mythology", "Indian Mythology", "Maori Mythology" or "Greek Mythology". In this sense one is describing a system of myths which were...
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...area were repeated, ancient civilizations created stories to decipher the most unknown events of the Earth. Mythology by definition, is a set of stories and beliefs associated with the history of an event. Many myths depict a higher power creating events that occur on earth as well as giving a story with morals. The characteristics of gods are one way people explain certain events. The myths also depicted gods having fights, alliances and interactions with each other as well as humans to create things such as the ''Echo''. The Punishments of gods were also another way the stories in myths clarified why specific experiences occur. One of the main functions of mythology Explainable natural...
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...People love listening to stories. One of the most fascinating are the Greek myths. These stories are based on gods and goddesses and their heroic tales. It was a part of the Ancient Greece religion, but not many people know how they originated. The earliest Greek myths were a part of an oral tradition that began in the Bronze Age. In 700 B.C. a poet named Hesiod wrote the Theogony, which was the first written origin story of greek mythology. This story was about the creation of the universe and the family tree for the gods and goddesses. After that, other writers expanded on this story. One of the most commonly known things about Greek mythology is the gods and goddesses who live on Mount Olympus which is the highest mountain in Greece. The gods and goddesses ruled every aspect of human life from there. Some of the main ones are Zeus, king of all gods, Hera, queen of all gods, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon. Some of these stories teach life lessons and heroic attributes of some of the characters. The birth of these gods was quite the story. At the beginning of the story the god of earth, Gaia, and her son, Uranus, mated and had a child named Cronus. When Cronus got powerful, he overthrew his father's...
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...1. Introduction: Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece and are part of religion in modern Greece and around the world as Hellenisms. Greek mythology is known and learned everywhere around the world. A lot of people refer to everything that is happening in the world such as fire, light, water to the Greek mythology. The Greek mythology not only includes myths, but it also includes a lot of details of the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, demigods, monsters and other mythological creatures. Greek mythology has exerted an extensive influence on the culture, the arts, and the literature of more than one civilization. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in these mythological themes. Also, beside gods and myths there are the two world-known epic poems The Iliad and Odyssey, that focus on events surrounding the Trojan War. Before entering upon the many strange beliefs of the ancient Greeks and the extraordinary number of gods they worshipped, first I would like to show what kind of beings these divinities were. Then I will tell the stories of some of the most famous gods that have left a mark...
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...Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Darrell Jones HUM/105 June 20, 2012 Mary Worley Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures Myths vary a great deal from various cultures around the world. Although these myths differ, they all share one same common theme – a story based on creation. Myths from the Roman/Greek and Nordic cultures are no different. Both of these cultures believed in some form of creation that defined and shaped their world through cosmic occurrences or natural phenomenon, while sharing similarities and differences in the creators of the worlds and the steps these worlds were created. Roman/Greek gods lived in various worlds. This mythological world was born out of emptiness, or Chaos. The gods themselves lived on Mount Olympus. Uranus, Father Sky, ruled over all worlds with Gaea, Mother Earth, by his side. Tartarus ruled the deepest part of the underworld. Their son, Cronus, and their grandson, Zeus, both take turns ruling over the worlds after Uranus. Two of Uranus and Gaea’s other children were gods of other worldly elements: Helios, god of sun; and Selene, god of Moon. Cronus and Rhea produced the second generation of gods who ruled over other elements, including: Zeus, lord of the sky and god of thunder; Poseidon, lord of the seas; and Hades, ruler of the underworld and lord of the dead. Individuals who believed in Roman/Greek mythology believed these gods shaped their world and ruled over the elements. A titan named Atlas was condemned by Zeus to...
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...Greek mythology, a way to explain the world and why some things had happened. Myths were born and interconnected with religion; which explained the existence of hundreds of immortal gods, goddesses, and demigods; Zeus loved mortal women, but Hades is one hell of a guy. Also within the gods and goddesses, there were 10 Olympians. Each and every one of them, including demigods, had certain powers and abilities and most were immortal. The religion of following these Greek gods was developed back in Ancient Greece, and during the time period of these religions, the Zodiac signs were made up. Hundreds of thousands of years later we are still learning new things about Greek mythology and the religion that followed. Also, Norse legends have been...
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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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...List of Greek gods and goddesses This is a list of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Roman Mythology uses different names, calling Zeus by the name of Jupiter, and Aphrodite by the name of Venus, for example. The Roman names are often better known to English-speaking people than the Greek names. Greek name | Description | Chaos | Primeval Goddess of air, Chaos is believed to be one of the first beings to exist in the universe. Chaos is not really depicted as having a personality or physical form.[1] Chaos is the lower atmosphere which surrounded the earth. Her name Khaos means the gap, or the space between heaven and Earth.[2] Mother or Grandmother of Nyx (night), Erebus (Darkness), Aither (Light), and Hemera (day). | Erebus | God of darkness. Son of Chaos. Husband of Nyx. | Gaia | Goddess of the Earth (Mother Earth), mother of Kronos, grandmother of Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, Dementer and Hestia | Nyx | Goddess of night Daughter of Chaos. Wife of Erebus and mother of Hemera (day). Goddess of Hellhounds. | Tartarus | The darkest pit in the world at the edge of the world. | Ouranos | (Father Sky) and father of the Titans. Roman name Uranus. | Thesis | Primordial God/Goddess of Creation. Thesis is sometimes thought to be a child of Chaos. Thesis is thought to have emerged with Hydros before Gaia. | Phanes | Primeval God of procreation and is referred as the primal generator of life. Phanes is Nyx's father and was the ruler of the universe before her. | The Anemois...
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...The Greek character I'm writing about is Poseidon.I will summarize the plot of the myth. Explain the mythical character's cultural significance. So What is Poseidon's story and why is he so important to the Greeks?In my essay I will tell Poseidon story and two reasons why Poseidon was so important to the Greeks. So what is the story of Poseidon?So the story of Poseidon he was the god of the sea, earthquakes and horses.Poseidon was brother to Zeus and Hades. These three gods divided up creation. Zeus became ruler of the sky, Hades got the Underworld and Poseidon was given all water, both fresh and salt. Poseidon was eager with Athena to be patron deity of Athens.Poseidon was father of the hero Theseus, although the mortal Aegeus also claimed...
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...of Greek mythology was dated back to around the time of the Trojan War. Homer and Hesiod were two of the most well-known writers of Greek mythology and epic poetry. Although a lot of information is debatable about him, Homer was the first known person to write Greek literature. Homer has many claimed birthplaces. Among the most popular are Smyrna and Ionia. His main theme was the Trojan War between the Greek and Trojans. Even though he may have been blind, Homer is considered responsible for two of the most well-known books of Greek myth; Iliad and the Odyssey and Homeric Hymns which were short poems celebrating the various gods. The Iliad is a story of the siege of the city of Troy during the Trojan War. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a warrior, and his ten year journey from Troy to Ithaca after the fall of Troy in the Trojan War (“The Life and Work of Homer”). Hesiod is along the side of Homer when it comes to the creation of the Greek gods. He was said to be born after Homer. He was a shepherd who worked in the mountains of Helicon. He got his inspiration to write epic poetry from an experience he had on the mountain where he met the Muses that appeared before him in a mist after the death of his father. Two of his most famous works were Theogony and Works and Days. Theogony is the story of the creation of the Greek gods and their evolution. His second story, Works and Days, was about the struggle between him and his brother over the property of his father Greek mythology...
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