The Iliad And Odyssey : The Mythological Beliefs In The Works Of Ancient Greece

For many greeks, Homer's novels were used as a spiritual and moral guide and to demonstrate the Greek religion. The Homeric gods were said to represent ethical values and promote virtuosity. When one thinks of a god, an association with powers and miracles comes to mind along with the singularity of only ONE god. Gods have been portrayed as almighty beings who contribute historical events ranging from uncontrollable Earthly forces to the outcome of a treacherous battle (I.e. Trojan War). Homer contributed an immense understanding of the will of the gods through his epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Allow me to discuss the god's relationship to culture as imagined in both readings.

The Odyssey by Homer is a great text that manipulates the skill of storytelling bringing out the meaning of being human, the spiritual and physical homecoming. It is an archetypal epic expedition essential for understanding ourselves and other modern texts following the same pattern. The text brings out the ancient Greek beliefs and customs that are essential in studying Western Literature through the evaluation of different characters, and the themes manifested are essential in establishing a good foundation for any literature student. The themes therein such as leadership skills, folly, retaliation, mythology, death, ogres, temptation seduction, deceit, and warfare make the text an essential student companion in the quest of comprehending literature.

Even though she was a women she was strong and skilled. Even though she did not fight greeks were still astonished by how strong she was. Lots of greeks honored Athena, made temples for her. She influenced lives by, Athena also was goddess who taught and encouraged the household arts. The arts where spinning, weaving and cooking, women were influenced by the households of arts.This would encourage women to learn more rather than just taking care of the children and cleaning. Athena was a strong impact on many people because she was not only the goddess of war but she also embodied the spirit of truth and divine wisdom. Another way Athena influenced lives was, In making an olive tree grow. This was a great gift and Athenians choose goddess Athena. Not only did she Influence Greeks lives but she also influence others lives. That is what's so special about Athena, people saw how great of a goddess she was and people looked up to her. Another example of Athena is when she helped Hermes defeat Medusa.Although she did not fight but she gave Hermes her polished shield, which would help him not get turned into stone, she also guided Hermes hand while he cut Medusa's head off with his sword. In this story Athena does show strength because she helped Hermes defeat Medusa. Her acts of strength inspire others to have strength too. Without Athena's help Hermes would not have the strength or confidence to defeat Medusa. Those are some

Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey” reveals many aspects of ancient Greek life and culture through character and plot. Through each of the tales circling the life of Odysseus and the Greek people, Homer depicts the history, legends, values, and merits of the ancient Greeks. Greek culture is known to be one of the most flavored and thorough in history, and each facet of it—from religion to ideology to mentalities and beliefs.

Athena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was the supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impact on the lives of Ancient Greeks is outstanding.

Homer is remembered as one of the greatest individuals to have ever lived and the present day society contains a great deal of concepts that he discussed. His poems have served as inspiration for many individuals who succeeded him and continue to trigger intense feelings in people who come across them. Although the time period that he lived in made it difficult for historians to get actively involved in discussing his life, there are numerous accounts regarding the man's existence. It is actually impossible for one to relate to the poet's life without addressing several stories concerning his background and the attitudes that he adopted.

Greek mythology played a large role in Greek artistic styles and functions. In the case of this study, the mythological god Apollo is the subject of the artistic works of the votive known as the “Mantiklos Apollo” and the statue of “Apollo” that was found in Pireaus. These figures show a natural progression in style and technique. They are important because they represent the sacred beliefs and superstitions of their respective cultures and time periods.

Mythology explains spiders through the store of Athena and Arachne. In her younger years, Athena was never kind to women. She once challenged Arachne to a weaving contest to show that she is better than her and others. Athena was impressed of Arachne but was jealous. In turn, Athena turned her into a spider so they she would weave forever. Today, spiders are arachnids after Arachne the spider.

Literature is one of the most powerful and revealing aspects of a society. In ancient Greek society, Homer’s The Odyssey provides a detailed insight into the values of this intricate culture. In particular, this epic discusses the ways in which the deathless gods influence the fates of the mortals. The overall impact of the gods’ power is the mental straining that emerges from the unrelenting conflict of man versus immortal. Likewise, the actions and misfortunes of others also catalyze this extremely significant and powerful mental battle. Homer’s The Odyssey reveals the values of ancient Greece by portraying the intrapersonal struggles between a person’s self-determined honor and his/her worthiness in the eyes of the Gods. This underlying

Athena was loved across the ancient Greek world. The citizens of Athens considered her a protector of their city, and rulers sought guidance from Athena in military matters and governmental issues. Athena's is a strong independent women with an extroverted temperament. “represents the goddess of wisdom and civilization--concerned with career, motivated by the desire for achievement, acquiring knowledge, she possesses a keen intellect, concerned with education, culture, social issues and politics.” While she didn’t have any supernatural powers her "power" was the defense of Athens.

The importance of Homer’s work towards Greek culture and even modern culture can’t be emphasized enough. The name, “teacher of Greece”, is given to him for reason. His book, The Odyssey, is one of the most famous epic poem in literature, it’s also a prime example of Greek mythology writing. Homer includes violence, blood, and killing many times throughout this book. All these events have a special meaning or they aid the story altogether. In The Odyssey written by Homer, the violent scenes contribute to the story as a whole by presenting the Greek culture, and by developing the character of Odysseus.

.I'm sure many people have heard about Greek mythology, from gods to goddesses to centaurs the Greek myths have been both informative and entertaining . I'm here to tell you about one goddess in particular, Athena , the beautiful war goddess that has a quite intriguing life story. Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war, courage and etc.Her powers consist of agriculture, spinning, needlework and navigation. She was considered a goddess of war, but also she is the patron goddess of Athens. Hence why it is named after her. Athena was very fierce and brave in all her battles.She is one of the virgin goddesses, alongside Hestia and Artemis.Homer’s poem, the Iliad, stated that Athena was a fierce and ruthless warrior. But in the Odyssey, she was angry and unforgiving. Athena had a very unusual birth , she was not normally born by her mother Metis, instead Hephaestus split open her father Zeus’s , head after his complaint about an aching headache .Then Athena sprang out fully grown and dressed in armor. How , you might ask ? Well , Zeus went to bed with Metis,

Looking at the Odyssey from a higher level with the analysis of Flaxman’s artwork and the translated writings of Homer we can better understand the meaning and societal importance of the Odyssey as a whole. Through this lens we can better understand that, “Homer’s second epic the Odyssey, narrates the adventures of Odysseus (Ullysses) on his ten-year journey home from the war in Troy…Where anger and lust drive the Iliad- from Achilles’ angry sulk to Helens fickleness-love and familial affection drive the Odyssey”. These stories became important throughout Greek society through the widely adopted historical significance and establishment of upstanding values. These stories impacted society by “defining larger cultural ambitions, the Iliad and Odyssey laid out the individual values and responsibilities that all Greeks understood to be their personal obligations and duties if the state were ever to realize its

After reading Homer’s text, we realize that while it contains fine poetic history it is in fact about the human condition and how it affects people, Achilles primarily. The reality for people in the world of The Iliad is that they live under many gods, and that they can not please all of them; indeed, the gods are at odds with each other and to support one means to upset another. While the ideal condition for the Greeks is to possess sophrosyne, in reality there are too many uncontrollable external pressures to do so. Just as the gods who influence men are not harmonious, therefore, we find this quality also in the explanation of the human condition for Greek cultures.

The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to western civilization in many different forms of literature and architecture. Both of these cultures produced a variety of literary works which are still studied today. One of the biggest contributions to literature was from the author known as Homer. Homer was known for two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems, The lliad and The Odyssey. Both of these poems have had a profound impact on western literature and continue to influence teachers and authors today. “The lliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost all the other arts and sciences in