Personal Narrative: Greek Mythology

The Ancient Greeks believed in many gods and heroes during their time. Each one had a sole purpose in a mortal’s lifetime. Greek mythology had a huge impact on religion in Ancient Greece. The Greeks performed rituals in order to honor their gods. Mythology affected the Ancient Greeks in many ways. The origins of mythology, the influences of mythology through a human’s lifetime and lessons taught in the ancient myths will be examined.

Since the beginning of time the people of the world have their share of beliefs. Greek mythology is the arguably the most popular region of study. In Ancient Greece every citizen had a patron that would protect them and pantheism was commonplace. The Romans admired the Greeks in their art and culture and even took different aspects of their gods. Polytheism was widely accepted in all cultures so the seed of mythology bloomed. The time line of the creations of gods to the end of their reign is an important factor in Greek Mythology.

When people wonder about Ancient Greece the first thing that comes to their minds is Greek mythology; gods and goddesses that have helped shape many historical events. “In ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life.” (“Greek Mythology.”) The civilization showed that numerous characters and stories helped shape Greeks. The beliefs the Greeks had with mythologies was they understood the meaning behind all the characters that are known today. However, to the Greeks, they were not just characters, these were their gods and goddesses who gave them meaning and understanding of the world around them. Worshiping the gods and goddesses helped them with their religious rituals and the temperament of the weather. A famous wine-jar that was made during this time period was “Achilles killing the Amazon Queen Penthesilea, 540-530 BCE, black-figured amphora”. (Khan Academy) The civilization that they lived in grew around their worship and achievements.

Greek Mythology originated around 775 B.C.E. It all started with Homer’s Iliad and continued on with Hesiod’s Theogany. These were the first two myths to be recorded in Greek Mythology. Both of these myths reveal to us about their understanding of the universe, and about their culture. Not only do they talk about their various gods, and heroes, but they also talk about how they viewed the universe in general (Rosenberg 79). Greek Mythology evolved from two early civilizations, the Mycenaean’s and the Minoans. It was the combining of these different Greek cities and Kingdoms during 10th century B.C. that created Greek Mythology. Its Geographic isolation gave it a place for mythologies to evolve (Gale Virtual Reference Library: Greek

     Mythology is a way that the ancient societies explained why things are the way they are and how they came to being. Two ancient societies are infamous for their mythology. These societies are Greece and Rome. Great authors were made be the mythological works they wrote. Homer was a famous author who is best known for his epics. It is from these epics that most of the gods and actual myths well known. I am writing of two of these gods in particular, Saturn and Dionsysus.

For as long as I could remember, I have seen my father rushing to the hospital in a white coat, answering pagers in the middle of important family conversations and attending night calls even in the most terrible weather. I had always wondered; what could be so important that it belittles every other responsibility in his life. It was only after many years of anguish and protests that it finally made sense to me. This defining moment of realization occurred when I first met a patient in his office. I saw how the gratitude in the patient’s eyes can provide a sense of fulfillment that triumphs all other feelings in the universe. It was human life that was most important. Being a doctor does not make you a mere healer but also gives you the responsibility of a caregiver. I had never felt more proud of my father and that was the day I felt the urge to relive this feeling many times over. It was there in that moment that I decided to pursue a career in medicine.

Medicine is a science of healing, but also an art. It takes intelligence in the sciences as well as precise skill in the art of medicine to heal successfully. In the Hippocratic Oath, Hippocrates highlights the importance of passing on the tradition of practicing medicine, maintaining respect for patients, and preserving humility within themselves. Modern day practice of this oath involve patient’s stories. Rita Charon in her article “What to do with Stories? The sciences of Narrative Medicine,” explores narrative writing and how to use it as a tool in healing patients. While Charon focuses on the writing of these stories, Atul Gawande’s book Being Mortal reflects on how to make more meaningful endings out of the stories of patients who

The author constantly used short stories and visual description to get her thought across, entertain, and inform the reader. She told not only stories about medical findings but also about how the medical field works in general. One of the stories that stood out the most was the one about the socratic lectures that senior doctors would have with doctors-in-training to help them get a better understanding of treating real patients. She compared it to how medical school is now, filled with lectures and powerpoints of past patients, whereas back fifty years ago they had a more hands on experience. She wrote it in a way that was funny, comparing how “back in the day” you could actually look at a patient’s illness and now you have to see a slideshow of pictures and use that information to diagnose them, along with medical

Have you ever seen the television series Greek? It is full of sex, drugs, and alcohol; the three main elements that make up a typical frat boy or sorority girl’s life. Students involved in Greek life are always throwing wild parties and drinking until they pass out, getting involved in the drama of who slept with whose boyfriend, sending their pledges on crazy tasks in the middle of the night, and never seeming to take any responsibility. However, there is only one thing missing from this hit series; the truth. Greek life is not how it appears on television, my sorority embodies much more than that. Tri Sigma establishes meaningful friendships, builds character, and promotes community involvement.

I have been interested in medicine ever since I was young, when my mother caught studying her medical almanac with a flashlight, under the covers, every night during second grade. However, I was only seven, so studying was the child’s equivalent of looking at “pretty pictures” of coronary artery bypass grafts and intricate diagrams of alveoli. I became intrigued with human anatomy and how each body part works in harmony. Through my activities, I discovered a hands on approach to body functions. From kicking soccer balls to breaking boards with my feet and exhaling to play the flute, I have observed the body’s ability to perform and nothing takes my breath away like anatomy can. During my high school years, I observed a close family friend during his surgeries.

A few years back I was sailing the open ocean with my leader, Odysseus, and the rest of the crew heading home when Odysseus informed us that we would be taking the long route home. As we grew closer to a strange island, the wind stopped and the water became quiet.

Once upon a time, Odysseus and Penelope had decided to go on a honeymoon after he got back to Ithaca. His son had stayed to watch over the town while he and Penelope had gone to be alone in peace for once. While Telemachus was watching over Ithaca, Odysseus got into an argument with Zeus.

Mythology Annotated Bibliography Wickersham, John. “Isis.” Myths and Legends of the World, Volume 3. Isis was the sister and wife of the god of Osiris.

When I do wake up, and I do go to school, however, I find myself staring at the walls as I walk to my first class, as if transfixed by the sudden transformation of antiquated green lockers to glass barriers that safeguard the fifty- or hundred-odd trophies from the caustic, slipshod touch of a teenager’s dirty hand. And what do these golden accolades, of which the school has felt the need to shield from harm’s way, commemorate? Plaque after plaque, medal after medal, trophy after trophy, venerate the sweepstakes won by the varsity orchestra for this many years, or the district football championship won by the junior varsity team in so-and-so year, or even an entire glass case dedicated to the school’s current pom squad, with each of the members’ photos printed in large copies. If you look hard enough, you might find a small section of these trophy cases dedicated to the academic decathlon team, or, even harder, the math and science UIL team. My school, the most celebrated in town for its excellent curriculum, concentrates more heavily on athletics and the fine arts than it does education, the entity that

"A myth is a collective term denoting a symbolic narrative in religion, as distinguished from symbolic behavior (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons)". (The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Vol. 24)Mythology is a collection of myths meant to explain the universe. Mythological stories were told in many different cultures and civilizations. The existence of myths is known in every society. Many different myths were conceived to explain occurrences that happened in nature.