Most people have heard a fair amount of stories from Greek mythology, and maybe they even have a favorite. These stories can have any number of different tellings, all with various tones, emotions, and purposes, depending on who wrote them and when they were created. What 's most important to me, however, is not their exact replication, but the idea that these stories can be handed down from generation to generation and still hold relevance. I, nonetheless, do have favorites of my own; they are the ancient Greek myths of Tantalus, Medusa, Achilles, and Icarus. Tantalus ' tale tells of the dangers of narcissism, a thread commonly seen throughout ancient Greek mythology. To set the scene, Tantalus was a vain man who had had multiple run-ins …show more content…
Forever being imprisoned by neverending thirst and hunger, all the great and mischievous Tantalus can do is continue stretching for something that is just out of reach and undeniably tantalizing. This gives the clear message that extreme vanity, such as a mortal believing he is superior to the all-powerful gods, has dire consequences. Accompanying Tantalus in his rank as one of the most compelling characters of Greek mythology is Medusa. Not only is she fascinating, but she is also arguably the most understood Greek "villain". Sure, her face is recognizable, what with the head of vicious snakes, but her tragic tale and representation of female rage is much less widely known. According to Ovid 's Metamorphoses, this frightening gorgon, or one of the three snake-adorning, stone-turning sisters of Greek myth, started out her life as a beautiful woman. Unfortunately however, because of her devastating beauty, the great god Poseidon rapes her in the temple of Athena. Most interpretations then move to an enraged Athena, who, furious at Medusa for defiling her temple, curses her to live her life as a treacherous gorgon. This is mostly, and hopefully, seen as an outrageous reaction by today 's society; but in ancient Greece, women held a much different role, and it was not uncommon for them to be blamed for their own rapef. Because of this surrounding culture, Medusa spends the rest of her mortal life as a gorgon (monstrously ugly or
In Greek Mythology, there are over hundreds of stories or myths told. One story is the story of Medusa which is well-known around the world. She was young and very alluring at first, but turned into as hideous creature. Medusa is considered one of the most tragic myths ever to be told. Medusas' life was beautiful at first, she lived in the utmost place by the Hesperides beyond Oceanus.
Greek myths are stories that explain the meaning of life and teach moral lessons through the values of heroes, gods and mortals. In Ancient Greece, myths were an important part of the culture, first being told orally and in poems, then seen in architecture and theatre. Homer, the Greek poet, wrote epic poems such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, which are still revered and read extensively today. Greek myths have carried over to contemporary American culture, appearing in movies, children’s toys, clothing and books and the values of Greek myths are entrenched in today’s society. Notably, heroism is a prominent value that plays a major role in Greek mythology and continues to influence American culture today, as heroes inspire society with their nobility, bravery and patriotism.
Greek myths are all that 's left of the ancient Greek religion, in which beauty, poetry, and creative activities were a vital part of the tradition. Centuries ago, the Greeks created numerous stories and poems, which are still being shared today, that showed their view of the world that existed not only in the mind of the Greek poets, but in the hearts of the humble and long suffering natives of ancient Greece. From the stories of the Olympians, to heroes ' greatest adventures and from romantic stories to savage beasts, the Greeks used stories not only for entertainment but also for answers to nature 's mysteries. Mythology helped to explain aspects of the natural world to the ancient Greeks. Some of the greatest mysteries of nature that
The Greek fables that were written in the past still inspire us today. Well lets just say that their are a lot of lessons inside of these fables and myths that can inspire people today and people can learn a lot of lessons from it. For example, in some fables the greeks teach a lesson about appreciating and cherishing what one has before it is won’t have them and when they are gone you will want to have them back again. Some fables that support this claim is “The Hen and The Golden Eggs”, “Heroes Every Child Should Know Perseus”and “The Miser”. These are some fables that can teach people to appreciate and cherish things before they are gone and some myths that show that how to use things appropriatly and to use things usefully.
Before Medusa became cursed, she was a normal woman who lived in Athens, Greece. She was a very beautiful women and she was aware of that. Medusa was quit a narsissist. She was also Athena’s priestess. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. One requirment to be Athena’s priestess was to be a virgin. Although, one day
An alternative version of this myth, includes Poseidon. Here Medusa was a beautiful maiden, envy of every women and desired by every man around, her hair was the loveliest. She was a priestess of Athena. Medusa "it's said, was violated in Minerva's shine by Ocean's lord. Jove's daughter turned away and covered with her shield her virgin's eyes and then for fitting punishment transformed The Gorgon's lovely hair to loathsome snakes. Minerva still, to strike her foes with dread, upon her breastplate wears the snakes she made"(Ovid, page 98). It is not entirely clear if she was violated or if she consented. Either way, she was punished for committing a crime because Athena is a virgin goddess, so all her priestesses have to remain virgin too.
1. The purpose of Greek and Roman mythology was to explain the unexplainable, and to show us how people of ancient times thought and felt. 2. The first written record of Greece is called the Iliad, and it was written by Homer. 3.
So she was turned to a pretty girl with blonde hair to a girl who was now very ugly! Medusa’s Family Medusa’s dad was Phorcys, he was the greek sea god. Medusa’s mom was Ceto, the dangers of the sea and the monsters of the sea. The two gorgons were her sisters their names were Stheno and Euryale and they could also turn man to stone.
She was being terrorized by a sea monster that Poseidon had sent to kill her. Perseus used Medusa's head to turn the monster into stone and save her. When he got home he found out that his mother was being abused by Polydectes, he made sure to present the head to him but made sure the stare caught his eye. Therefore turning him into stone, he proceeded to give the head of Medusa to Athena as a gift
The myth of Medusa is one of the most told myths throughout history. It seems like a simple idea of how society perceives ugliness. The myth may be saying that truly hideous people deserved the monstrous things that are coming to them, yet there is more to the story and image of this woman. People have to look into what happened to her that society perceives her as hideous.Society has to think about whose fault was it for her becoming a monster. People should look into the true meaning of Medusa. Medusa has a strong impact on Greek society mythology too? with her features, the colors of those features, her gender, and the power she held. Her image and myth is
According to various accounts of the creation of the world. Hesoids version describes that in the beginning, there was only Erebus, or darkness, Nyx, or night, and Chaos, who has been interpreted as the opening form which the other ancient characters arose. Then appeared Gaea, or mother earth, personified as the solid foundation of the world. Next, was Tartarus who is usually confused with the residence Hades, but was depicted as the father of some of Gaea’s children. Also appearing after Chaos was Eros, the source of sexual love/attraction that brought beings together to produce more children.
I think the plot is gripping and electrifying. It has humor and touches serious themes such as a relationship in a family. And I guess that half-bloods, like Percy, have the hardest job. They live in two worlds, mortals with human and immortal. They are expected to understand how their actions may be explained by humans and immortals. That might make crazy any one. Also thanks to this book, I know the basic terms of Greek and Roman Mythology.
Seekers, researchers, philosophers and simple average individuals share an excellent trait, and that is to seek the divine truth. Humans were born with an insatiable hunger to discover where we come from, who we are, what makes us unique and most importantly what is our sole purpose of existence on this earth. Greek mythology can best tame the hunger. Therefore, mythology is alive in the present day because within ourselves we find that the inspiration is reborn, of an imaginary yet real world. In which we see ourselves as the protagonists and antagonists of the Greek mythology stories. As a matter of fact, Greek myth's are one of the most fascinating of all time literature ever created by humankind. Consequently,
Ancient Greek mythology has fascinated people for thousands of years. The stories that were once a part of daily culture now entertain people as a form of fun fiction. When the word myth comes to mind, people automatically think of the words “fake,” “false,” or “untrue.” However, not many people stop to consider that myths are so much deeper than that. These stories were not “fake” to the people of Greece; they were a way of life and an important part of their culture. According to Walter Burkert, author of Structure and History in Greek Mythology and Ritual, a myth is really “a traditional tale with secondary, partial reference to something of collective importance” (Burkert 23). This is certainly true with the old myths, but it may
Poseidon became infatuated with Medusa, he seduced her into the temple of Athena (goddess of wisdom). Because of this, Athena became infuriated and took her anger out on Medusa. She was so angry that she turned the maiden into a Gorgon, a terrifying female creature with hairs of venomous snakes and whose glance will turn a person to stone.