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Greek mythology affecting Greece
Myth in greek culture
What is the importance of mythology in ancient greece
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Myths were told in Ancient Greece to explain human being’s relationships and the fate of those who tried to best the gods. A few examples would be the story of Medusa and Athena, which represents respect to those higher than you. The fate of Arachne, who Athena cursed to save her life, represents jealousy. The tale of Daedalus and Icarus taught people to take good advice when you hear it. Through myths, the Greeks could understand the world around them better. Athena brought her wrath down on whoever thought they were better than her. Medusa was a pretty maiden who would constantly boast about her beauty. One day, Medusa and her friends visited one of Athena’s palaces. As they looked at the breath-taking masterpieces, Medusa made the
Mythology was very important to the men and women of ancient Greece. They worshipped the gods and goddesses, wrote poems about them, and based a great deal of art work off of them. The people of Greece looked to the gods and goddesses for help in all aspects of their lives; including health, agriculture, and war. Reading about Greek mythology can inform people about the society of Greece because the Greek gods were created by the people of Greece. Three main goddesses who were worshipped by the Greeks were Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.
Myths have always played a part in society. They not only entertain the reader, but the mythological story also plays a major role in corroborative cultural beliefs. David Bidney writes “The function of a myth is thus held to be one of validating or justifying cultural beliefs and practices.” The mythical tale reiterates the moral practices and beliefs that a culture needs to succeed. A myth is a story, which can by written or spoken, that has four purposes for being told: it expresses humanity's fear of nature, it helps to explain the creation of the universe, it gives the reader moral guidelines that should be followed, and finally, it instructs the reader on how to cope with challenges that might arise during the day. Because the Old Testament offers stories that expresses explanations for mankind on dealing with crises, humanity's fear of nature, and moral guidance, they clearly fall into the category of a myth or mythological story.
They had similar beliefs, but also immeasurable differences. It was composed of many meaningful gods and goddesses that all played a part in the everyday life of the average Roman and Greek person of that time.
Myths were extremely important to the culture of Anicient Greece. Throughout the rise and fall of the Ancient Greek empire, tens of thousands of poems, stories, and songs dedicated to heroes, monsters, gods, demigods and other assorted creatures were created. There were many recurring myths and characters, the most famous being or having to do with the gods and their children. The Oracle at Delphi was one of, if not the most famous Greek characters that was not a god, or related to a god. The Oracle is in almost as many myths as the gods, as she was able to accurately foresee the future, and nearly every myth that involved a quest usually involved a consultation to the Oracle. The Oracle at Delphi is arguably the most important and influential
Bellerophon goes to Africa and then is sent on a mission to find a deadly beast named Chimaera that is
Mythology is critical to Greek people’s everyday life, just like how religion is in our modern day age. Everyday events, such as a thunderstorm, can be linked to a god or goddess. For example, when an earthquake would happen, it would be Poseidon crashing his tritan on the ground. People’s lives revolved around the whole ideology and it served as a way to explain the unexplained and to help them in times of need. All of the stories of these great gods and goddesses were passed down generation through generation, each time becoming more extreme and distorted.
Greek Mythology has been used over time to teach people important lessons about life especially about the way life appears compared to how life really is. It takes the life lessons that have been passed down from generation to generation to teach the same things, but with a deeper meaning. An example of this is in the myth of Penelope and her suitors. While Odysseus was on his strenuous journey, Penelope was at home facing the men in her kingdom that were pursuing the greatest treasure they had ever known: her. They wanted Penelope and the power of the kingdom of Ithaca.
The tales of Greek heroes and the gods are older than all of us. Most of these tales are thought to be myths, but every interpretation of Greek mythology and the stories that it contains correlates with something in the real world today. The story of the creation of the world, and the stories of the heroes Hercules, Perseus and Theseus, are only but a few of the compelling stories Greek mythology has to offer.
Greek mythology originated around 700 BC and the stories are still being told to this day. It has greatly influenced and created different styles literature and art all around the world. Greek mythology is the tale of many gods, goddesses, and their descendants. In this mythology the deities or main gods were said to live on Mount Olympus. They had the same human like features, but they could change into animals or other creatures.
The Classical mythology contains tales and epics of the ancient Greek and roman literatures and myths. On the other hand, Homer’s two epic poems, the Iliad relates to the events of the Trojan War while the Odyssey details Odysseus expedition after the war. Homer’s epic poems, the Odyssey and the Iliad present a major part of ancient history as modern fictional heroic stories. In ancient Greek, heroes were humans who were depicted to possess superhuman abilities. A key example in the classical mythology is Akhilles who is later known in Homer’s Iliad as Achilles. Achilles is he greatest hero of the Iliad whereas Odysseus is the greatest hero of the Odyssey. The greatest heroes from classic mythology and the modern fictional hero’s stories are mortal, and subject to death. The Odyssey and the Iliad marks the beginning of modern fictional literature.
The Greeks developed myths because they didn’t have explanations for things like thunder, earthquakes, and volcanoes like we do today, so they believed that their gods caused these events to happen and the myths explained the gods actions.
How did the world begin? Have you ever wondered this most likely yes. Everyone has been asking this question for millions of years. The explanation of this is called Mythology. By looking at What Mythology is, the categories of Mythology, the regions of major myths, some of the key players of myths, and finally the similarities of the cultures. With that I will start my paper and by the end of it you will have a more in depth knowledge of Mythology.
Mythology is defined as a collection of interrelated stories of a given culture. Myths are intended to explain and describe the mysteries of nature and give understanding about the world that surrounds us. Each culture has their own mythology that reflects their values and beliefs. Myths were also generated to tell the story of the first people to inhabit the earth. The Egyptian mythology elevated these people to the level of Gods and Goddesses by giving them supernatural and special powers. These myths of creation were passed from one generation to the next, either orally or by hieroglyphs painted in sacred temples, pyramids, and sanctuaries.
Thousands of years ago what is now considered mythology and folklore was actual religion among the indigenous cultures of those beliefs. Among those, Greek Mythology is the most well-known and referenced. Greek Gods were not visions of perfection. They had personal problems, arguments, wars, and a great multitude of affairs. The Greek gods were essentially characters in the works of many great writers and it can be debated that belief in these gods came second to the writing of the stories. American superhero comics came into existence concretely with the advent of Superman by Detective Comics. Before that there was a plethora of heroes in comics that were based off of Greek adventures of demigods and godly heroes. As comics evolved, it has become clear that many of the superheroes that are read every day by adoring fans that they are based on Greek mythos. These adoring fans can go on to become writers of this superhero mythology just as great ancient writers became writers for the stories of the gods. Superhero comics find their roots in Greek mythology in the nature of their stories as well as they concern betrayal, the problems of superior beings that are responsible for the wellbeing of the populace, half powered beings, and affairs.
In conclusion, myths reflect show us the Greeks view on the world, religion, and nature. Their understanding of the world is both similar and different compared to modern society. Myths also reflect the importance of gods in the Greek society and how each god represented something different. In addition, we can see the role of monsters in myths, what they represent and how were they important. Myths also show us the role of women in society and whether they were as important as men or not.