I. Introduction to Classical Mythology
1. The importance of the Iliad is that it shows us what the early Greeks were like which is critical to us the descendants intellectually, and in our politics and art.
2. “The Greek miracle” is the awakening of Greece which with the disappearance of old things created a whole new way to look at the world.
3. Compared to the Egyptians, the Greeks were more relaxed and casual evident in their portrayal of the gods. The Greeks made their gods look human which had never been done before and they felt at home with them, fearing them yet still at ease knowing all about what they did and even laughing at them. This is much more relaxed than the Egyptians as they didn’t make their gods human nor did they dare laugh in their presence.
4. Over time Zeus went from the most powerful god, to a deity that has a moral code that was enforced upon others but not himself, punisher of those that violate it, to punisher of those that did wrong and friend of justice. In general Zeus went from a dictator-like state to a more mature and just form of ruler.
5. The three main purposes of myths were for entertainment, religious purposes, and early literature and science.
II. Chapter 1: The Gods
1. Cronus (Saturn): Cronus was the king of the Titans, the children of the heavens and earth, and reigned until his son Zeus dethroned him and took power for himself. According to the Romans after being dethroned, Saturn fled to Italy and brought about the
Greek Mythology has been known to be one of the footprints left by the civilization of ancient Greece to our history and these mythology somehow shed a light to the culture, life style, religion and history of ancient Greece since the mythology were the primary basis of the origin of the ancient Greeks and they believed that these mythologies explained the origin of why things turned out to be like that.
myths were sacred in the Greek culture and it helped people figure out how everything was
Zeus was the child of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea, and was the youngest of all his siblings. Cronus , Zeus’ father, had been warned that one of his children would overthrow him. Cronus knew the consequences, for he had overthrown his father, Uranus. To prevent this from
Zeus controlled many people during the Greek religion phase. He ruled the sky and thunder. He ruled as king of the gods of Mount Olympus. Zeus came from a very popular group of leaders in his family. One being his father Cronus. Cronus led the titans and become the youngest of the first generation of the titans. Cronus overthrew his father and become the leader during the Golden Age. Then, Zeus’s mother Rhea, which came from the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus. Cronus descended from the same line of family. Rhea is considered as “mother of gods. Zeus being the youngest of all siblings become the one with the most weight on their shoulders having to perform like all of his other siblings. He fathered many children where they would
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.
Zeus, he was the king of the gods and the supreme ruler of people. He originally was a god of the sky. In time, the Greeks regarded him as the only god who concerned him-self with the whole universe. They also associated Zeus with justice and believed that he punished the wicked and rewarded the good. He belonged to the race of Titans, and was the son of Cronus and Rhea. After overthrowing Cronus, Zeus took his father's place and ruled from Mount Olympus. He headed a family of twelve major gods, called the Olympians.
Cronus was a titan and controlled the world along with the other titans when Zeus was born. Cronus usually swallowed his children after they were born, but Rhea took Zeus to Mount Dicte where he was hidden from Cronus. He then came back to Cronus when he was older and made Cronus regurgitate his brothers and sisters. His brothers were Hades and Poseidon and his sisters were Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. He ended up marrying Hera and had eight children with her. He was infamous for his affairs with other women while married to Hera. He had many children and some of importance were Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus Hercules, Perseus the Muses, the Graces, and Helen of Troy were only a few of his children. He had many children that were gods and he had a few that were heros as
“The supreme deity of Greek mythology has his lusty, tempestuous story recast in engaging fashion by Stone”(ProQuest). Zeus was thought of as the father of gods and men. While he did not make them, he protected them, and therefore was considered a father to them. He ruled over the sky and air, and controlled everything that happened in his domains from his throne on Mount Olympus. To gain his throne, he overthrew his father, Cronos, with the help of his siblings, and then dividing up the realms between him and his two elder brothers. Zeus became lord of the sky and rain, Poseidon took the title lord of the sea, and Hades became ruler of the underworld. He then banished his father to the shadowy Tartarus in the underworld. Zeus was the most
He was the husband of Ops and the father of Zeus, Jupiter, Hestia, Demeter, Posiedon, Hades, Pluto, and Hera. Saturn was the ruler of the gods. He found out that his son, Zeus, would be more powerful than himself, thus threatening his position. In effect, Saturn ate all of his children as soon as his wife conceived them. Thus, killing all chances of his rule being taken away. His wife tricked him and their son, Zeus, was born, and took the throne that was rightfully his.
The Olympians kicked Cronus off of Mount Olympus. This began the war with the titans. Zeus lead the gods into a victory over the opposing titans. He and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, divided the kingdom amongst themselves. Zeus getting the heavens, Poseidon the seas, and Hades gained control of the underworld.
Zeus can be compared to Superman in the sense that he is powerful, he protects the weak, and punishes the wicked. He is a human-like god in a sense he commits adultery, and is often to his wife Hera. The real life ideals represented by Zeus’s role, is one of a just and powerful character that gets justice against those that are bad and by protecting the good and weak. For Zeus being the god over all the Olympian gods it is quite easy to be powerful and just. In real life instance the justice system is the one to execute injustice through the law, the police and court system. This enables the victims that a sense of justice has been served.
A lot of popular everyday items that we use in our life sometimes, are inspired by Greek mythology. Sports brands, movies and T.V shows, the most complicated technology, books and many more, are all examples of Greek Mythology. If you take modern day items that we use and compare it to Greek mythology, believe it or not there is a big connection. This essay will explain about why Greek mythology is still relevant today and why we still use it.
Cronus was the leader of the Titans. Zeus was the father of Aphrodite and Dione. His weapon was the thunderbolt, which he hurls at those who displease him. You guessed it, that is yet another thing why people think Zeus is so
“People do not forget the gods. Every place they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings,” (Riordan, “I Play…”). As Chiron states in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, the gods of olden times are still very much alive and are prominent in ways that most do not see at first glance, such as still seeing statues dedicated to the gods at every corner. Chiron was the most important figures in Greek mythology, as he taught and trained many heros such as Hercules and Achilles. (“Chiron…”). Though maybe not in the conventional sense, the gods still impact the human race.Although most do not believe
Mythology is a term widely used for the study of myths, the stories, the beliefs, the understanding of the world through certain aspects narrated in oral tales to teach values and ethics to the society. However, one does not find myth in contemporary times rather it is a subject of the past of which no one is a witness. These mythical tales have been passed down through generations never actually knowing the origin of its creation. Myth usually has connotations of falsehood, unreasonable, irrationality which makes the stories and the past related to it a mere lie or fiction. But if myth is fictitious, then how could it serve the purpose of educating the masses about moral values and ethics?