...and worldview” (14), as it functioned as a set of moral guidelines for our ancient brethren. By studying the conduct tales found in works such as Hesiod’s Theogony—a text illuminating the genealogy and origin stories of the Greek divine catalogue—members of Greek society could learn from the sublime achievements and terrible errors of their Gods. And to our great intrigue, it appears that even almighty Zeus, the “king of the gods” (3), “the god of gods, who rules according to law” (118), is capable of committing nefarious acts such as brutal torture, deception, violence, rape, and infidelity against his fellow Olympians. His immoral actions are often done in response to other deity’s attempts to defy his will or usurp his power, as seen in Zeus’ harshly unbridled retribution towards Prometheus—the Titan who stole the sacred flame from Olympus for humanity, and as punishment, was chained to a mountain peak and mutilated (95-96). While Theogony presents Zeus’ response as just, a tension arises from the Prometheus myth, as we cannot help but view the rebellious Titan as our “savior figure” (121), who rescued humanity from eternal darkness and the wrath of Zeus. Prometheus’ crime does not warrant the agony Zeus forces upon him, which casts the wise ruler of the cosmos in an unethical and rather ungodly...
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...Compare and contrast the Biblical creation myths with other creation myths from Greece and the Ancient Near East. This essay will compare and contrast the Biblical creation myths with other creation myths from Greece and the Ancient Near East. It will first discuss the initial creation of the universe followed by the creation of mankind and finally the recreation of man whilst drawing parallels to Sumerian and Babylonian texts, The Old Testament and Hesiods Theogony. In paying particular attention to the chronology of each myth it will be shown that the creation myths regarding the universe and mankind evolved from as far back as the Sumerian stories. From the fragmented Sumerian tablets discovered throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries , (that date back as far as the third millenium B.C.) Sumerologists, such as Samuel Noah Kramer, have deciphered the oldest cosmogonic concepts ever found . Kramer explains that because the Sumerians lacked "scientific methods of definition and generalization " to make sense of the origins and the working of the universe they attempted to provide explanation through the use of poetry, epic tales and hymns . The only scientific information they had access to was what could be seen around them, that being Earth, Air, Heaven and Water , and according to the Ancient Sumerians it was through these essential elements that the universe came to be and it begins with Nammu, the primeval sea. From the primeval sea was born...
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...highly religious people. They believed in many gods who had superhuman powers and strength and appeared in human form. Prometheus was an ancient Greek god, son of Lapetis and Themis. He was brother to Atlas, Menoetius and Epimetheus. He became considered as the god of wily intelligence, craftsmanship and forethought. His main work was to create mankind out of clay (earth and water). It is from this work that Prometheus developed his fond liking for mankind (Jone, 2009). He strived to make mankind have more power than the liking of Zeus who was the supreme ruler of the gods. Ancient Greek viewed Prometheus as the god who championed mankind’s interest. Prometheus is famous for a couple of incidences discussed below. THE STORY OF FIRE According to classic Greek mythology; at some point in the reign of Zeus, mankind and gods were disputing and to settle the dispute, Zeus and Prometheus devised a ceremonial party in the form of animal sacrifice. Once slaughtered, Prometheus divided the animal parts into two. In one part, he wrapped up ox-bones in fat of the slaughtered animal while the other part he wrapped up the main ox-meat using its stomach lining. To rival Zeus judgment ability, he presented both parts of the sacrifice to Zeus while wrapped and proceeded to ask Zeus to choose from the two. Zeus proceeded to choose the part covered in fat not knowing it only contained bones in it! Here, Prometheus had tricked Zeus into believing that the part covered in fat would contain the...
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...and New Testament, is the basic scripture for Christians, and although Christianity and Greek Mythology are very distinct, they are similar in many interesting ways. Statement of Purpose I am a Christian, and in writing this piece I am in no way saying that Christianity is a myth. It is my intention to point out how Greek mythology and Christianity are similar, and nothing more. It is interesting to learn how ancient people lived and worshiped, and psychology finds mythology useful in classifying modern modes of action. Three Major Ways Greek Mythology and Christianity are Similar Although the gods and heroes of Ancient Greece are not worshiped today, this ancient religion is still comparable to modern Christianity. Greek mythology and Christianity are similar in that they: (1) teach a moral way of life; (2) teach that a woman (Pandora or Eve) caused the downfall of mankind; (3) and both have a savior figure. Although Greek mythology and Christianity are similar, they differ in their concept of sacrifice, punishment, and doctrine, and I will discuss this in a separate piece. A Moral Way of Life To begin, Greek mythology and Christianity are similar in that they both teach a moral way of life. Every myth in the ancient Greek culture was comprised to teach some sort of lesson. The story of Arachne illustrates how Christianity and the stories of Greek mythology are similar. 123 Arachne expressed extreme hubris or pride in her weaving abilities; excessive hubris was considered...
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...supposed to tell us the ways human race thought and felt untold ages ago.Through it, according to this view, we can retrace the path from civilized man who lives so far from nature, to man who lived in close companionship with nature; and the real interest of the myths is that they lead us back to a time when the world was young and people had a connection with the earth, with trees and seas and of flowers and hills, unlike anything we ourselves can feel. Section 1: Honestly to begin with The Greeks did not believe that the gods created the universe it was thought the other way around that The Greeks thought the universe created the gods. Before there was god's heaven...
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...usually thought to be the source of all evil in the world according to mythology. Pandora's Appearance: A beautiful young girl Pandora's Strengths:Pandora evokes strong desire in all who see her. Pandora's Weaknesses:Deceitful but the gods made her that way; in later, kinder interpretations, her curiosity. Parents: One account has Pandora made by Hephaistos at the request of Zeus and adorned byAthena and Aphrodite. But another story says she was the creation of Prometheus and Epimetheus. Pandora's Spouse: She was given as a gift to Epimetheus. Children: None known; symbolically she is known as the releaser or "mother" of troubles. Associated Sites: Mount Olympus, where she was created. Basic Story: Zeus, upset with the brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus for having successfully brought fire to humankind, making for all those annoying sparkling lights on the ground at night, decides to even things up by introducing disease, death, and sorrow to humankind. In the original tale these things are held in a jar, not a box. He orders Pandora to be created and gives her as a gift to Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus. She is told to never open her jar, but the gods and goddesses have also made her curious. Eventually, she opens the jar, which in some versions was not given to her by Zeus, but was instead kept locked up by Epimetheus, who did not want humankind to suffer. But in either case, the vessel is opened. Pandora realizes what she has done, but cannot slam the lid back on...
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...is a brief analysis of James Cameron's Avatar, a massively successful film that has managed to gross, so far, a half billion in revenue. With its popularity and mass appeal, it has also incurred a considerable amount of criticism from a variety of sources, targeting a variety of topics of the film, from its presentation of alien natives and a colonial corporate military, to race issues and a depiction of cigarette use. This essay attempts to explore main threads of the film, analyzing criticism, and offering its own critique and deconstruction. It will employ diagnostic critique, as well, in order to analyze how Avatar is equally a reflection of and an active influence on contemporary culture. Avatar takes place in the virtual world of Pandora, created by Cameron with digital technology and colonized with fantastic creatures and an indigenous race of tall blue aliens called the Na'vi. The film is presented in three-dimensions, a technology that has been around for some time but this is the first time it seems to be used without reference to novelty. In this way Cameron and Twentieth Century Fox made a film, or rather an experience that cannot be pirated; a considerable amount of its revenue is from viewers paying extra to watch it in three dimensions, undoubtedly multiple times, on a monolithic IMAX screen. The virtual world within Avatar is closely reminiscent of virtual spaces like Second Life; in both environments, individuals use avatars to plug into the space, roam around...
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...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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Pandora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Demeter and Persephone . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Dionysus and His Followers . . . . . . . . . 75 Baucis and Philemon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Echo and Narcissus . . . ....
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...CREATION IN GENESIS BIBLE: It is a collection of sacred sicripture of both Judaism anda Christianity. The Christian Bible is divided into two parts. The first is called the Old Testament and the second portion is called the New Testament. THESE MAIN QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED IN GENESIS 1- Why do we live? 2- Why do we die? 3- Why does the evil exist? CREATION IN 1ST VERSION - God created man in his own image. - God created the man and female at the same time - God created man after he ended all his work. - The first creation story says that grass and trees were created before the sun, moon and stars, whereas we know that stars were created first, then the earth and the moon. Only later was it possible for grass and trees to evolve. Finally, God created man in his own likeness- there is no suggestion of any evolution here. - God let man dominion over everything.(ıt shows the importance of man) - God said man “ be fruitful, be multiply and replenish the earth. CREATION IN 2ND VERSION - There was a garden in Eden and he put the man whom he had formed. - The was a tree of knowledge of good and evil ● So we understand that in 2nd Version, there is Good an Evil. - The second creation story says that a man was created first, before any other animal, whereas scientists tell us that many animals existed before humans, who are of relatively recent origin. This version also says that every plant of the field was...
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...the major Greek myths in their religious, historical and cultural context, mainly through the use of written and visual ancient Greek sources. We will also consider the influence of Greek myths on western civilization, especially on popular culture, modern art and literature. Lectures: Marion Hall auditorium Tuesday 16:00 - 17:30 Thursday 14:30 - 16:00 Instructor: Efharis Kostala, Department of Classics and Religious Studies: ekostala@uottawa.ca Office: Desmarais building 10th floor # 10119 Office Hours: Thursdays 4:15- 5:30 or by appointment Secretary of the Department of Classics and Religious Studies: Desmarais Building, 10th floor, phone: 613-562-5714 Text: (Available at Benjamin Bookstores, 122 Osgoode) Buxton Richard: The Complete World of Greek Mythology, Thames and Hudson, 2007 Course Requirements and Grading (see page 3 for more details) 30% Midterm Exam, Tuesday February 24th 30% Assignment, Thursday March 24th 40% Final Exam – TBA CALENDAR READINGS FROM BUXTON’S TEXTBOOK The Complete World of Greek Mythology Tues Jan 13Thurs Jan 15 | Course Information and Introduction, Cultural Context and Sources of Greek MythNature of Myth, the Divine and the Heroic(Read p.6-41, 69, 104, 220-224). | Tues Jan 20 | From Uranus to Zeus (Read p.44-49). | Thurs Jan 22 | Establishment of Zeus’ power, struggles, marriage to Hera (Read p. 68-72) | Tues Jan 27 | The challenge of Prometheus, the creation of Pandora and the flood...
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...Demeter Mother goddess; goddess of marriage, sacred law and the harvest Consort Iasion, Zeus, Oceanus, Karmanor and Triptolemus Parents Cronus and Rhea Children Persephone, Despoina, Arion, Plutus, Philomelus, Eubuleus, Chrysothemis and Amphitheus I Roman equivalent Ceres Festivals Thesmophoria In ancient Greek religion and myth, Demeter (/diˈmiːtər/; Attic Δημήτηρ Dēmētēr. Doric Δαμάτηρ Dāmātēr) is the goddess of the harvest, who presided over grains and the fertility of the earth. Her cult titles include Sito (σίτος: wheat) as the giver of food or corn/grain[1] and Thesmophoros (θεσμός, thesmos: divine order, unwritten law) as a mark of the civilized existence of agricultural society.[2] Though Demeter is often described simply as the goddess of the harvest, she presided also over the sanctity of marriage, the sacred law, and the cycle of life and death. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon. In the Linear B Mycenean Greek tablets of circa 1400–1200 BC found at Pylos, the "two mistresses and the king" may be related with Demeter, Persephone and Poseidon.[3][4] Her Roman equivalent is Ceres.[5] Etymology Didrachme from Paros island, struck at the Cyclades and representing Demeter Demeter's character as mother-goddess is identified in the second element of her name meter (μήτηρ) derived from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr (mother).[6] In antiquity, different explanations were already...
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...The Olympians Zeus - Roman name: Jupiter or Jove. The sky-god Zeus rules Mount Olympus. His weapon is the thunderbolt, and his bird is the eagle. The central figure of the myths, Zeus epitomizes their complexity. At times he is divine and represents a pure, eternal sense of justice; at other times, he is capricious and cruel. Hera - Roman name: Juno. Zeus’s wife and sister, Hera is a very powerful goddess known mostly for her jealousy. She is often vicious and spiteful, and it is usually Zeus’s infidelity that incites her. Many unfortunate mortals endure hardships by provoking Hera’s wrath. Poseidon - Roman name: Neptune. The god of the sea, Poseidon is Zeus’s brother and second only to him in power. Poseidon holds a decade-long grudge against Odysseus. The often cruel and unpredictable violence of the seas is assumed to be a result of his anger. Hades - Roman name: Pluto. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. Pallas Athena - Roman name: Minerva. Usually just called Athena, this goddess emerges from Zeus’s head fully-grown and armed. Associated with war, cleverness, and wit, it is no surprise that she favors Odysseus. Athena is the goddess of Wisdom, Reason, and Purity and is chaste, like Artemis and Hestia. Phoebus Apollo - Usually just called Apollo. A son of Zeus and Leto and Artemis’s twin, he is the god of Light and Truth, the master of Poetry and Music, and the god of Archery. His Oracle...
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...Mythological and Biblical Characters The Titans According to Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of primordial, powerful deities that ruled during the legendary Golden Age. The Titans were created by Gaea and her surrounding Uranus (Heaven), who embraced her strongly with his starry mantle and they became the first divine couple of the World. The Titans were first dwelling in Mount Olympus in Ancient Greece, but were overthrown expelled to the lower basement of Hades, the Tartarus, after their defeat in a huge battle with the Olympian Gods. The Superior Titans are Gaea, Mother Earth, and Uranus, Ruler of the Heaven and the Sky. The Main Titans are Atlas, the Titan of Astronomy, and Prometheus, the Titan of Wisdom and Forethought. There are also several Titan Couples. These include Cronus and Rhea, the mother and father of the Olympian Gods, Coeus and Phoebe, the Titan of Intelligence and the Titaness of Brilliance and the Moon, Hyperion and Theia, Titan of Life and Sun and Titaness of Sight, and Oceanus and Tethys, Ruler of the Waters and the Seas, and Titaness of the Wet Element and the Oceans. Other Titans of Ancient Greece include Crius, Titan of Leadership and Domestic Animals, Iapetus, Titan of Morality, Mnemosyne, Titaness of Memory, and Themis, Titaness of Law, Justice and Order. The Twelve Olympians The Olympian gods were the main deities in Ancient Greece. All gods were associated with birth myths, but they were unaging. After overthrowing their ancestors...
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... | |Symbol |Hammer, Anvil and Tongs | |Consort |Aphrodite, Aglaea | |Parents |Hera and Zeus, or Hera alone | |Siblings |Ares, Eileithyia, Enyo and Hebe | |Children |Thalia, Eucleia, Eupheme, Philophrosyne and Euthenia | |Roman equivalent |Vulcan | Hephaestus (8 spellings; pronounced /həˈfɛstəs/ or /hɨˈfɛstəs/; Ancient Greek Ἥφαιστος Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods or else (according to...
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...power. At ancient times, human understanding towards nature was limited, thus resulted in belief of deity. Ancient Greeks used different deity to explain astronomy and natural phenomenon, for instance, Zeus is the God of thunder, Apollo is the God of sun and light, while Poseidon is the God of ocean. Also, different Heroes and Heroine are involved in respective horoscopes. Greeks were not alone. Various primordial civilizations also reflected their incapability of understanding nature in creating deity and idols. J: It is indeed true. As a sinologist, I take the Chinese civilization as an example. The Classic of Mountains and Seas1 is an early classic dated around 4th century B.C. 1 山海經 Yam 2 in China, which recorded many myths and it reflects that supernatural power was common in explaining unknown or unexplained natural phenomena. (“The classic of Mountain and sea”)...
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