Greek Mythology

Greek Mythology

Mythology was an integral part of the lives of all ancient peoples. The myths of
Ancient Greece are the most familiar to us, for they are deeply entrenched in the consciousness of Western civilization.

The myths were accounts of the lives of the deities whom the Greeks worshipped.
The Greeks had many deities, including 12 principal ones, who lived on Mt.
Olympus. The myths are all things to all people – a rollicking good yarn, expressions of deep psychological insights, words of spine-tingling poetic beauty and food for the imagination. They serve a timeless universal need, and have inspired great literature, art and music, providing archetypes through which we can learn much about the deeper motives of human behavior.

No-one has the definitive answer as to why or how the myths came into being, nut many are allegorical accounts of historical facts.

The Olympian family were a desperate lot despite being related. The next time you have a bowl of corn flakes give thanks to Demeter the goddess of vegetation.
The English word "cereal" for products of corn or edible grain derives from the goddess' Roman name, Ceres. In Greek the word for such products is demetriaka.
Demeter was worshipped as the goddess of earth and fertility.

Zeus was the king and leader of the 12. His symbol was the thunder and in many of his statues he appears holding one.

Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, was most at home in the depths of the
Aegean where he lived in a sumptuous golden palace. When he became angry (which was often) he would use his trident to create massive waves and floods. Ever intent upon expanding his domain, he challenged Dionysos for Naxos, Hera for
Argos and Athena for Athens.

Ares, god of war, was a nasty piece of work – fiery tempered, bloodthirsty, brutal and violent. In contrast Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, symbol of security, happiness and hospitality, was as pure as driven snow. She spurned disputes and wars and swore to be a virgin forever.

Hera was not a principal deity; her job was a subservient one – she was Zeus' cupbearer. Athena, the powerful goddess of wisdom and patron of Athens, is said to have been born (complete with helmet, armor and spear) from Zeus' head, with
Hephaestus acting as midwife. Unlike Ares, she derived no pleasure from fighting, but preferred settling disputes peacefully using her wisdom...

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...ed to Greece where he organized drunken revelries and married Ariadne, daughter of King Minos.

In addition to the gods the Ancient Greeks revered many beings who had probably once been mortal, such as King Minos, Theseus and Erichthonious. Intermediaries between gods and humans, such as the satyrs, also appear in the myths. The satyrs lived in woods and had goat horns and tails; they worshipped the god
Dionysos, so, appropriately, they spent much of their time drinking and dancing.
Nymphs lived in secluded valleys and grottoes and occupied themselves with spinning, weaving, bathing, singing and dancing. Pan found them irresistible.
The Muses, of which there were nine, were nymphs of the mountain springs; they were believed to inspire poets, artists and musicians.

Finally, mention should be made of the three crones Tisiphone, Aledo and Megara – sometimes called the Furies – whose job it was to deal with grievances from mortals, and punish wrongdoers. They had dogs' heads, snakes' hair, bloodshot eyes, coal black bodies and bats' wings and carried brass-studded scourges. It was considered unlucky to call them by name – they had to be called Eumenides – the kindly ones!

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