Greek Gods and Heroes

566 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: effects of mythology on ancient greece

Greek Gods and Heroes The ancient Greeks knew little of any real people except those who lived in the countries to the immediate east and south of their country. Their imagination filled the rest of the land with mystical and supernatural beings. The ancient Greeks believed the earth to be a flat circular disk., with their country being in the middle of it. The disk was divided into two equal parts by the Sea(the Mediterranean). They believed the River Ocean flowed around the world from south to northen the western side of the world and vice versa on the eastern side. The Sea and all rivers around the world received water from it. The northern portion of the earth was thought to be inhabited by a happy race named the Hyperboreans. They dwelled in endless bliss and an endless spring. They never aged, knew any disease or other unpleasant things of such. Their caverns supposedly sent piercing blasts of the north wind to the people of Greece. Their country could not be reached by land or sea. On the south side of the earth lived the Ethiopians. They were favored highly by the gods.They were as happy and virtuous as the Hyperboreans. On the western part of the earth was another happy place called Elysian Plain. Mortals favored by the gods were transported here without having to know death or anything but bliss. The place where the gods and goddesses lived was at the highest point of Mount Olympus in Thessaly. It was hidden by a gate of clouds. Jupiter or Zues was called the father of gods and men. He did however have a beginning from Saturn(Coronos) and Rhea(Ops). His parents were the children of the earth and Heaven, which sprang from Chaos. the myths of Saturn aren't consistent , and are very different. One says he started the Golden Age, while the other says he was a monster that devoured his own children. Another belief was that love was there before anything. Eros pierced and vivified all things producing life and joy.

Show More
Related

  • Greek God Hades Research Paper

    1734 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everyone has heard the stories of the Greek gods and goddesses. Almost all people of today know that the earth is a sphere that is surrounded by an atmosphere. The Greek believed that the earth was flat that was surrounded by a dome that contained the sky’s night and day. These myths of the earth were carried on through families and civilizations until every Greek believed the same. They not only believed the same physically but they also all believed the same spiritually. They believed in the gods, goddesses, and titans. The Greeks had their own way of worship. Christians would leave an offering to the church to be used for God. The Greeks also left their offering for their gods. They would take their most divine items and leave them for the

    Read More

  • The Role Of Hektor In The Iliad Of Homer

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Greek Excellence and the Hero The hero of an epic poem repeatedly endures many trials that can prove his ability to be worthy of the title hero. In the passage 6.440-481 in The Iliad of Homer, Hektor's heroism is tested, especially when he faces the choice of returning to battle or staying with his family. When analyzing what drives Hektor to return to the battlefield and what makes him a hero, it is obvious that the "Greek educational ideal" known as areté greatly influences him (Western Civilization: A Brief History, Perry, 43). While Homer reveals the mindset of Hektor in this passage, he also criticizes the role of the hero, and possibly the notion of Greek excellence, in Hektor's motivation to fight.

    Read More

  • Greek Hero Characteristics

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    All the heroes you can count, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Theseus, Hercules, Achilles, etc. all have heroic qualities that you love. Are you thinking of any fascinating Greek mythology heroes? Being a hero is someone that is being recognized and admired by a group of people. Superheroes each have their different missions and quests to complete that amazes the audience. Greek cultures include a variety of qualities of a hero that is the basic qualities of being an admirable hero. The Greek stories Theseus and Hercules reflect the most important qualities a Greek Hero should have. Through these two thrilling stories, the qualities of intelligence and courage stand out to be the most important Greek qualities.

    Read More

  • Greek Gods

    530 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people would blatantly state that the importance of the gods in Greek society derives from the fact that Gods in any society are usually used to explain phenomenon that people cannot logically comprehend, but in ancient Greece gods were actually entities that took part in the workings of society itself. Even simple aspects of day-to-day life such as sex and disputes between mortals were supposedly influenced by godly workings. Unlike modern religions such as Catholicism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, where an omnipotent force supposedly controls the workings of the world, a hierarchy of Gods characterized religion in ancient Greece. Working as one big family, which they actually were, each one of the Greek gods governed a certain aspect of the world in a way that usually reflected their own humanlike personalities. These unique personalities also contained many human flaws such as envy and greed, and were where the Greek God’s importance lay. Greek religion was more concentrated on the way an individual dealt with situations that popped up in the world around him than on understanding the world itself. In other words the Greeks were more interested in the workings of the mind than in the workings of the environment around them.

    Read More

  • Greek and Christian Gods

    452 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the ages religion has been a very important part of history. It shaped many cultures and allowed us to further understand numerous civilizations. Through art we have been able to interpret the beliefs, and value of each culture. Two of these cultures include the Christians and Greeks. Both which had many similarities and differences in their beliefs and their depiction of God/gods.

    Read More

  • Ancient Athena Research Paper

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    All throughout history, people from ancient civilizations have wondered about how things came into being and why things worked the way they did. One of the most well-known examples of ancient civilizations asking why, would be the ancient Greeks. Greek thinkers and philosophers wondered about gravity, astronomy, and reason. Often, when people of ancient civilizations couldn’t understand something, they made myths to explain such natural phenomenon. Each culture, including the Greeks, had their own set of myths, gods and goddesses, although, it is known that the Romans readily copied their mythology off of the Greeks. In Greek mythology, their gods and goddesses lived on Mount Olympus, the top of a great mountain,

    Read More

  • Heroes Gods And Monsters Of The Greek Myths Analysis

    1492 Words  | 3 Pages

    What ancient religion contains infidelity, incest, and life-time long punishments of which were almost, if not, are unbearable? Welcome to Greek Mythology! The Ancient Greeks envisioned higher powers, such as titans, gods and many other mystical wonders to account for every unexplainable thing they saw. As a result, a series of tales of betrayal, humiliation and entrancements sprouted from the imagination of the Ancient Greeks. The international bestseller, Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths, by Bernard Evslin, engages it’s readers, while telling the narratives of the Greek Gods.

    Read More

  • The Gods vs. Man

    1961 Words  | 4 Pages

    with the Olympians and lost and were imprisoned in the center of the earth. There were

    Read More

  • Mythology Of Greek Mythology

    2979 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the beginning chaos was all that lived. Out of the void appeared Erebus, The place where death dwells, and with it came Night. Everything else was silent, empty, darkness, and endless. Love was then born out of no where bringing a start of order. From love came Light and Day. Once Light and Day was born, so was Gaea, the earth. Then Erebus and Night slept together, and gave birth to Ether, the heavenly light and the earthly light to Day. Then Night produced Doom, Fate, Death, Sleep, Dreams, Nemesis, and other things that come to man out of the darkness. In the mean time Gaea gave birth to Uranus, which were the heavens. Uranus became Gaea’s mate. Together they made the three Cyclopes, the three Hecatoncheires, and twelve Titans. Uranus was a bad father and husband. He despised the Hecatoncheires. He punished them by imprisoning them by pushing them into hidden places of the earth. This severely angered Gaea and she plotted against Uranus. She made a flint sickle and tried to convince her children to attack Uranus. All were to afraid to do so expect the youngest Titan, Cronus (“Creation of the World”).

    Read More

  • Greek Heroes Vs Greco-Roman Heroes

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Heros, whether mortal or immortal, seem to exist in nearly every modern form of media, truly our society’s interest in the heroic seems to have no limits. We’re not original nor unique in this desire, as the earliest known pieces of literature focus on the hero and his adventures. The hero frequently appears in all forms of art as well, becoming quite the staple in many artistic traditions. Particularly in that of the Greeks, which developed certain standards and traditions when it came to representing the hero in art. These didn’t always line up with the literary traditions. The artistic iconography of classical heroes has a complex relationship with the literary and oral mythic traditions, and grew to develop its own canons and standards

    Read More

  • Greek Religion

    966 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ancient Greeks with their brilliant and imaginative spirit created a complete order of things that functioned harmoniously in the infinite world that contained them. Although its exact origins are lost in time, Greek religion is thought to date from about the 2d millenium B.C., when the culture of Aryan invaders fused with those of the Aegean and Minoan peoples who had inhabited the region of Greece from Neolithic times [1]. The beginning and the genesis of this world occupied the ancient Greeks in much the same way it did the early people of every civilization. Greek religion was at the beginning a blend of Minoan, Egyptian, Asian, and other elements, but it subsequently evolved along with Greek thought.

    Read More

  • Greek Gods

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    and the universe with 11 other gods. Zeus was the spiritual father of the gods.

    Read More

  • Greek Heroes

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Though we don’t share the same Heroes with the Romans and Greeks, and despite the concept of Heroism evolving and changing through time, most of the qualities that defined their heroes and how they were celebrated, are really not all that different from today. While the Greeks mainly celebrated and spoke of their mythical heroes, the Romans tended to reserve that title for real life individuals such as generals, emperors, and soldiers. A great example of the Romans paying honor to one of their heroes is the Equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius (LM pg. 81) This gorgeously detailed sculpture shows one of ‘The Last Good Emperors’, as he was known, atop his horse, addressing perhaps his soldiers or citizens. The sculpture was created in celebration of the return of Marcus Aurelius, and in recognition and commemoration of all his good deeds, bravery and achievements while ruling over Rome. The piece makes Marcus Aurelius seem as if he is larger than life and his pose gives off a sense of confidence, power and control, showing just how much he meant and was thought of by his people. Though this wasn’t a memorial piece, it is

    Read More

  • Greek Mythology: Ancient Greek Gods

    372 Words  | 1 Pages

    Greek Mythology is when ancient people use to believe in a god or goddess . Greek people had different beliefs from other people. They thought gods made things like Oceanus. Oceanus also called “ okeanos” was known as The River god . ( “ Oceanus “). Also known for all freshwater including rivers , rain clouds , and wells. (“Oceanus”). He was the oldest from his Titian sisters & brothers . His parents were Ouranos his father and Gaea his mother . (“ Oceanus”) . Okeanos was married to one of his sister , their offsprings were about three thousands of rivers and nymphs , and The Oceanids. Oceanus was described with a face of a human with a beard , and bull horns. ( “ Oceanus “) .

    Read More

  • Similarities between Greek and Egyptian Mythologies

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ancient world was comprised of mysteries. There were no scientific explanations for the structure of the world, the existence of humans, or the meaning of life. To explain these dilemmas they turned to religion and mythology. However, as were often isolated geographically there was no universal answer to any of these questions, though many cultures many have derived similar solutions to certain questions, despite being separated by large physical distances, such as the Greeks and Egyptians. Although there are minor differences, Greek and Egyptian mythologies share many similarities.

    Read More

More about Greek Gods and Heroes

Open Document