...Polytheism Ancient Greek theology was based on polytheism, the beliefs in many Gods and Goddesses. Breaking the word down, “poly” comes from the Greek word for “many,” and “theism” from the Greek word for “God.” These divine entities tend to distinguish particular functions, and often took on human characteristics. The gods acted like humans, and had human voices. They would interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. Even though the Gods were immortal, nor some of them are not all powerful. Fate is what they had to obey, which overrode all. The number of the deities would expand as the culture’s belief system developed. The Greek Gods/Goddesses directly took on human activities. The divine entities would also take on human form and personality. Man learned to accept or fear the powers of nature, such as the deities. Humans tended to see the divine entities as storms, seasons, the sun, and the moon as personal beings. However the earliest humans believed the main deities were An, Enlil, Enki, and Ninhursaga. In ancient Greece there were twelve deities that sat on top of Mount Olympus: Hermes, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hera, and Zeus, king of the gods. Under them sat Zeus' brother Hades, king of the underworld. Since its miraculous beginning in mainland Greece around 1800-1500 BCE, when Poseidon was the chief God and not Zeus, the deities were worshiped wherever Greeks lived or had a concept...
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...The Greek gods impacted ancient Greek civilization because the people thought they were the reason for nature and helped guide their lives. The Greeks also thought that the gods were just as imperfect as humans but wielded great power and control. Here are some of the most well-known gods and what people believed they do. ⚡ Zeus. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Zeus/zeus.html Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods, is the god of the sky. The Greeks thought that he was the god who He dethroned his father and drew a lot with his siblings, Poseidon and Hades, to figure out who would win and sit on the honourable throne, as a mighty, powerful ruler. Zeus was the son who became the ruler of the gods,...
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...Assignment 2: Goddess Essay Hera Adam Smith 24th April 2012 Hera is undoubtedly one of the most complex goddesses portrayed throughout history. Unlike many other goddesses who have kept relatively stable images, Hera has been tossed out and about being perceived on entirely different ends of the spectrum as both the Great Mother Goddess and the nagging and jealous wife of Zeus. She is the perfect example of a matriarchal deity that was taken over and transformed by patriarchal culture. It was in “Old” Ancient Greece that Hera was the primary divinity of a matriarchal culture, until the “New” Ancient Greece was founded by the Indo-European Hellenes from the north. It was the Mediterranean pre-Hellenic Greeks that worshiped Hera, and their culture was based around women (Morgan, 2006). Hera was portrayed in the three stages that women experience: the maiden (youth without children or responsibility), the mother (women with children and families in the prime of their lives), and the crone (past mothers who live for themselves once again). There was actually a competitive festival that happened every four years (like a sort of female Olympics) in which women of all ages were divided into three age groups (representing the three stages of Hera) and participated in 160-yard races, bare-breasted and with their hair unbound. There were three winners (one for each age/life stage category) and each winner had the honour of placing a statuette of herself in Hera’s shrine, received...
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...Greek gods and goddesses had elaborate and untamed personalities. They had imperfections and shortcomings along with merit and virtue just like humans. Besides their respected powers the Greeks added other things to the gods’ personalities such as: Zeus was known as a philanderer, his wife Hera a nagger, their daughter Aphrodite a loose woman, their son Ares a bully. While the Greeks honored and revered the gods to their faces at the same time making them the butts of countless stories. Many stories depicted them as spoiled, quarrelsome, stingy, jealous, and lacking concern for the human race (Farnell 47). This is pretty much the story for humans in general. If there was one God in Greek mythology it would be Zeus. He is considered the father of the gods and mortals by the Greeks. His roots and overall guidance have been traced back to ancient Indo-Vedic traditions. Zeus and the Vedic sky god, Dyaus, share many similar powers and stories (Smith 189). Zeus is loosely translated to “housemaster” and that is how the Greeks viewed him. The Greek creation stories of Zeus vary widely, but there is one that is generally accepted. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of the deities Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera (Cook v2 17). According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, fearing that he might be deposed by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. When Zeus’ birth came to fruition, Rhea wrapped...
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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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...What are gods? Are they even real? Where do they come from? Were the gods born or were they created from some “godly” thing? Honestly Greek Mythology is just a bunch of stories passed on from generation to generation throughout Ancient Greece. I am going to be telling you who these gods are, how they came about and what their role is in these stories. Cronos, known as the father of the gods, who was overthrown of his kingdom known as Mount Olympus by his son Zeus, is barely talked about in these stories. The main focus is on Zeus the other 11 Olympians. 12 Olympians in total. They are Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, Demeter, Athena, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodie, Hephaestus, Hermes and Hestia. They became these 12 Olympians in a story called Zeus...
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...Ἀθηνᾶ Goddess magazine presents an exclusive interview with the ever-elusive Athena, goddess of wisdom, war and invention. She has been revered and worshipped for over three thousand years, is the daughter of the mightiest god, Zeus, and is the patron deity of Athens. She has counselled warriors and heroes as well as punished many mortals. Her power and beauty was renowned as was her purity and wisdom. She speaks today about her fantastical birth, her decision to remain chaste and her semi-feud with Aphrodite. T he first thing I noticed about the infamous goddess of wisdom was her undeniable beauty. Her very essence had fascinated me for years. The fact that she remained faithful to herself and her beliefs as well as the fact that she wielded her power with such grace and elegance made her my favourite deity by far. Goddess: Let’s start out first with your incredible birth. Unlike any other mortal or immortal, you were born from your father’s head. Do you think that gave you a closer relationship with him? Athena: [Nods] Certainly. I never knew my mother. He was everything to me. I believe the fact that I was born from his head allowed my father to feel a closer connection to me than any of my many other siblings. That being said, my father did initially swallow my mother, Metis, to prevent my birth. [Laughs] “I never knew my mother. He was everything to me. I believe the fact that I was born from his head allowed my father to feel a closer connection to me than any...
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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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...Mythology is a collection or study of myths.While greek mythology is the body of myths and the teaching of the greek gods, their history, and significance. Although Aphrodite is known as the goddess of love and beauty, she is also known for her act of destruction and a myth in influence on modern world. Aphrodite's general background can consist of her birth, family, where she came from, her love life and the type of goddess she is. Aphrodite's birth has two stories to it. The first story was Uranus's son Cronus, a titan, had chopped off Uranus's sex organs and threw them into the sea. Shortly after Aphrodite had emerged.(Wickersham) "Her name comes from Aphros, the Greek word for foam."(Wickersham) The other story is that she had simply came...
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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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...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 to the sky, mountains, sea, moon, and stars. Some goddesses of life protect the institutions of family and marriage, such as Greek Hera (marriage) and Hestia (hearth), whereas other goddesses of life exemplify law and order to human civilization, such as Greek Horae-...
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...Roman name Venus) was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also a protectress of sailors. The poet Hesiod said that Aphrodite was born from sea-foam. Homer, on the other hand, said that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. When the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of three Olympian goddesses was the most beautiful, he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was Helen of Sparta, who became infamous as Helen of Troy when Paris subsequently eloped with her. In the ensuing Trojan War, Hera and Athena were implacable enemies of Troy while Aphrodite was loyal to Paris and the Trojans. IN HOMER In his epic of the Trojan War, Homer tells how Aphrodite intervened in battle to save her son Aeneas, a Trojan ally. The Greek hero Diomedes, who had been on the verge of killing Aeneas, attacked the goddess herself, wounding her on the wrist with his spear and causing the ichor to flow. (Ichor is what immortals have in the place of blood.) Aphrodite promptly dropped Aeneas, who was rescued by Apollo, another Olympian sponsor of the Trojans. In pain she sought out her brother Ares, the god of war who stood nearby admiring the carnage, and borrowed his chariot so that she might fly up to Olympus. There she goes crying to her mother Dione, who soothes her and cures her wound. Her father Zeus tells her to leave war...
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...GREEK MYTHOLOGY Background to Homer’s Odyssey As you read each story, ask yourself: What is most enjoyable, predictable, or bizarre about this story? How would I have responded in this situation? What mysteries or features of the world might this story try to explain? What bit of moral or religious instructions (i.e. don’t disobey the gods) might be contained in this story? How does this story compare with Christian beliefs, or with the values of our culture today? Are there any other stories or fables I’ve heard that follow the same pattern as this story? The Creation Myths Part 1 Before there was anything, there was Chaos, a formless void. This void, this pure nothingness, gave birth to Gaea (the Earth itself), Tartarus (the underworld), Eros (love), Erebus (underground darkness) and Nyx (the darkness of night). The two kinds of darkness joined together and gave birth two kinds of light: the Light of the heavens and the Light of day. Nyx (night) also gave birth to the three Fates, who control the course of the universe and determine the length of each person’s life on their wheel of fortune. Of the fates, Clotho spins the threads of each person’s life, Lachesis measures the length of the thread, and Atropos cuts the thread. The Fates – Francisco Goya (one of the best painters ever!) 1823 – Note the scissors in the hand of Atropos and Lachesis measuring with a magnifying glass. Who’s...
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...the world because some of the things in Greek history are used in today's modern day society. Some of the things are the Greeks government, math, and architecture. These things are important because without these things are modern day life would be crazy different without math, government, and architecture. Greek Gods and Goddesses One thing the Greeks are famous for are their religious beliefs in the Greek gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. These were the most popular Greek gods because they were the sons of Chronos which wanted to eat Zeus like he did with the other gods. So then Zeus had been eaten on purpose so he could save his siblings Hades and Poseidon. Also Zeus was the god of the sky, Poseidon was the god of the sea, and Hades was the god of the underworld. These were just some of the common gods though, there's also Demeter goddess of agriculture, Ares god of war, Athena goddess of wisdom, and many more. Athens...
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