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Greek mythology today
Greek religion and mythology
Greek mythology today
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If you know anything about Greek Mythology you know who Hermes is, a messenger, guide, and most of all a thief. He represents a sort of leniency in the Gods of old Greek Mythology. Whilst the other Gods are strict, and stubborn, Hermes is coy, mischievous and a child at heart, he is the protector of all those who push the boundaries of unacceptable behavior, the majority of high school students included. But, most of these things are common knowledge. There is so much more to the herald of the Gods than we give him credit for. Hermes was born of the God, Zeus and the Pleiade, Maia. Within days of his birth, even though he was still a babe, he had already mentally matured in a full-grown man. It took him a matter of days to reach the mentality of his adult form, which would explain his mischievous and light-hearted mentality. That’s a small part of how he became a God. You see, when Hermes was a baby he lived in a cave with his mother Maia away for fear of immortal prying eyes. One day, Hermes once snuck out of his cradle to Pieria, in Northern Greece in search of meat. On his adventurous journey he wandered upon his half brother, Apollo’s cattle grazing in the pastures. Upon impulse he stole the cattle, seeing as only another God’s cattle would satisfy the tricky immortal, guiding them towards his desired destination…backwards. He lead the cattle backwards so as not to make it seem like a thief had led the herd away (What a cunning and a deliberately deceiving technique. Although in another version, Hermes binds the cattle’s feet in the same grass as the pasture and simply leads them away. But, this one is more commonly known). When Apollo returned to the pasture, only to find them missing he was infuriated and searched all ar... ... middle of paper ... ...ny things are modeled after Hermes. For example, the chemical, Mercury, which also happens to be Hermes’ Roman name. They have a funny saying that goes with it “Dabbling with Mercury can lead you to the Underworld”, because Hermes is the guide to the Underworld and Mercury is a dangerous chemical. He also seen on the corner of some newspapers, and let’s not forget his golden staff, or more commonly known as the Caduceus. The Caduceus is a staff with wings and two serpents surrounding it; they are most commonly seen on ambulances. His children are very much an impact on modern culture too, like Pan and the disease of Panic, and his child Hermaphroditis, whom is the first hermaphrodite. Hermes is what people would a childish God, but he’s, in reality, a sensible God of culture and coy intelligence. He’s the medium and peacemaker of every side and a spectacular God.
Hercules is one of the most well-known mythical heroes in history; his associations with adventure and violence exemplify as to why audiences are so interested in him. Virgil briefly writes about Hercules within The Aeneid, showcasing his heroic qualities within a climactic event with the monster, Cacus. Through the characterization of Hercules and Cacus, demonstrations of Hercules’ anger, and exemplifications of vividness, Virgil’s account of the battle between Hercules and Cacus in Book 8 of The Aeneid exemplifies an element of impact, heightening the conflict between the two characters for entertainment purposes.
made him kill his wife and children. In horror and remorse at what he did,
These are the traits that make the ideal God. Apollo is fair because when Hermes gave him the lyre, he gave Hermes a golden staff. Apollo is just, as he was the God of heavenly distance, who propelled or endangered from afar; the deity who made men conscious of their own fault and cleansed them of it. Many dread Apollo, as he is also the God of medicine and healing. At his mercy, he has the power to bring forth plague and disease with his arrow. Apollo is the God of truth, as he cannot tell a lie. Hermes uses his clever mind to fool others for his own amusement and lacks responsibility as well as these traits that Apollo has. Apollo’s well-rounded strengths and abilities embody what I consider to be “God-like” capabilities. Through his metis and power, he is able to produce clarification, amends, certainty, and a new civil stability of justice. Apollo is more deity like than Hermes because he is well rounded with his abilities and powers. He recognizes his strength and only uses it when necessary hence his
Hercules’ as a young child was watched by the best of the best. His father made sure h...
...he heroic figure in Greek literature by living out the destiny that the gods set out for him.
The relationship between gods and mortals in mythology has long been a complicated topic. The gods can be generous and supportive, and also devastating and destructive to any group of humans. Mortals must respect the powers above them that cannot be controlled. The gods rule over destiny, nature, and justice, and need to be recognized and worshipped for the powerful beings as they are. Regardless of one's actions, intentions, and thoughts, the gods in Greek myth have ultimate power and the final decision of justice over nature, mortals, and even each other.
Hercules, or known in Latin as Heracles, was the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon of masculinity. In art Hercules was portrayed as a powerful, muscular man wearing lion's skin and armed with a huge club. He was also described as being a macho man buffoon, who was very impulsive. Hercules’ home and birthing place is in Thebes, Greece. Thebes is a city in central Greece. It plays as an important setting in many Greek myths, such as the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and many other important roles in Greek Mythology. The demigod, Hercules has an interesting origin, he is most famous for his 12 labors, and leaves a legacy in words and expressions.
Myths and religious doctrine are generally recognized as two entirely different things. Myths are usually referred to as a fictitious story or a half-truth; often they are stories shared between groups of people that are part of a cultural society. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, and purpose of the universe, and often containing an ethical code dictating appropriate human conduct. Although they differ in certain aspects, they still hold similarities. Comparable to parables within the Bible, myths have different versions which are both motivating, as well as entertaining. There are not only parallels to the idea of the stories but specific tales hold similar morals and equivalent characters.
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.
He is said to have been the god to teach mortals the art of medicine. Apollo is an amazing character in Greek mythology, but his family is also well known as well. Apollo was the standard model for male beauty. He was a beardless, muscular man with a perfect figure. Apollo is often found carrying a lyre, a type of harp, or a bow and arrow, which was his signature weapon.
The nature of the gods in Greek literature is far more relatable than the god of the Hebrew Bible. Where God of the Hebrew Bible acts as a watchful guide over mankind, the Greek gods often intervened in human affairs in the stories they are in and caused more trouble for mankind than assist them. Their behaviors are flawed, just as man’s behaviors are, and their actions not always made in the best interest of the entire race of mankind and more often made in selfishness. In stories like the Iliad, where man is at war with each other, each god picks a favorite whom they plan to aid throughout their battles (Homer). The gods involve themselves far more than their Hebrew counterpart, each causing more chaos and trouble for the mortal men instead of giving them any real help. While the gods favored some men, they despised others. In The Odyssey, the sequel to the Iliad, Poseidon, who despises Odysseus, makes sure to make the man’s journey home difficult, as well as the other gods who do not favor him. Athena, who favors him, aids him throughout his journey home (Homer, The
and Apollo. Ecstasy was once considered a favor of the gods, a divine gift that could lift mortals out of
Gods are ancient beings thought to have created the world and are children of the Titans. Most gods are thought to help mortals for good. Zeus who is the most famous of all the gods is adored by millions. Yet, Zeus, the ruler of gods, is one of the most selfish irresponsible gods of them all. Zeus was a bad god because he had many affairs, abused his powers, and did not use his powers for good.
Zeus is the god of law, justice, morals, thunder, lightning, and rain. It was his job to oversee and make sure laws were being kept. He was worshipped originally as a weather god. He was depicted as a middle-aged man with a youthful appearance; he was regale and was almost always shown ready to throw a lightning bolt (pantheon/zeus).