Reformation and Reconsideration: Importance of Greek mythology and why it should be a part of the Secondary Curriculum

Achilles’ heel, Pandora’s box and the helm of Hades; these are just some of the terms that people often hear in their daily intercourse and interactions which are used to describe a certain thing or situation. For example, most people use the term Achilles’ heel to refer to someone’s weakness. On the other hand, Pandora’s Box refers to a possibility of danger through which was the result of one’s action or choice. These terms were derived from the Greek mythology, a collection of stories which originated in ancient Greece. Moreover, “a myth is classically defined as a story that has significance to a culture (or species), a story that addresses fundamental and difficult questions that human beings ask” (Abraham, 2009). Like the modern day scientific method, creation begins with a simple observation and questions. And from questions, the Greek mythology was born. It all began from man’s curiosity about his entire being, his purpose, identity, nature and other empirical things that he had observed. Through the Greek’s creative minds, they created divinities which would be held responsible for the occurrence of different phenomenon (such as earthquake, night and day, shift of season and etc.) Though, no historian can pinpoint or estimate the exact era when Greek mythology was created. Ancient Greeks are not only the bearer of these stories; they were also the bearer of a school of thought called the Classical Heritage. This discipline has a firm focus on the quality of knowledge which highlights the accurate and factual depiction and description of thoughts. The ancient Greeks used these stories as a reason and implicitly, they just use these stories and metaphors such as nymphs and naiads to personify the frightening creatures on th...

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