Hecate the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, became a Greek Goddess but uncertain of origin.
She was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts, and necromancy, being the only child of the Titans Perses and Astria from whom she received her power over heaven, earth and sea. Her name means “work from afar” from the greek word Hekatos. Hecate was identified with a number of other goddesses including Artemis, Selene, ( the moon) , Despoine, the sea- goddess Krataeis, the goddess of the Taurian Khersonese in Skythia, the Kolkhian nymph Perseis, the heroine Iphigeneia. Although Hecate has been characterized as a pre- Olympian chthonic goddess and also an ancient goddess from earlier pre- greek strata of myth, the greeks found her difficult to fit into their scheme of gods. Hecate greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft- once a widely revered and influential goddess, the reputation of Hecate has been
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However, in later periods, statues depicted her as three-fold, having three faces and three bodies united. Hecate lived in the underworld with her husband Aeetes, and had five children; Aegialeus, Absyrtus, Medea, circe and chalciope. The reclusive Hecate (who was called the 'Queen of the Night') often enjoyed nightly jaunts, accompanied by her hounds and sometimes by a following of "ghosts" and others who were social outcasts. Not surprisingly since Hecate had great influence in the "spirit world", appeals were often made to her for assistance in keeping one safe. She was known as a protector of young children, shepherds, and sailors. In addition, the goddess could be counted upon to help those who were dying, easing their transition into the "Otherworld" and helping them prepare for a return in their next life. Hecate also played role in Play Macbeth and she was the ruler of the witches, with her
Greeks are known for many things. We know them for their poetry, for their philosophy, their politics--and also we have come to know them for their childish, petty, lustful, little gods. These gods, vengeful in the extreme, have been a source of much literature. However, not all the gods have the same publicity agent, and have suffered in obscurity for much too long. One of these gods, one of the Twelve Olympians, has been obscure in the least. He is different in most ways from the other gods, and I am here to illuminate him further to you. His name? Hephaistos.
Athena is the daughter of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. She is one of the 12 Olympians that live on top of Mount Olympus. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, strategy, skill, and justice, and the owl is her sacred bird. In Mandelbaum verse translation of the epic poem the Odyssey of Homer, Athena helped Odysseus by providing guidance, physical, and internal help. Without this help, Odysseus would have to forge the path home by himself and face the challenges that are to come alone. He would be left to face the wrath of both Zeus and Poseidon without another major god’s help. Athena aided Odysseus in the trials he was to face, which gave him the guidance and help he needed to return to his home, Ithaca.
The role of women in Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days is outstandingly subordinate. There are a number of times in Hesiod's text that despises women, being mortal, immortal, or flesh-eating monsters. The overall impression of women from Theogony and Works and Days, leads one to believe that Hesiod is a misogynist.
Athena was the goddess of war and wisdom. Daughter of Zeus and Metis, but born from only Zeus. Gaea the Earth goddess told Zeus that his child would u...
Aphrodite is one of the most famous figures of Greek mythology, because Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture. She was desired by nearly all of the Greek gods. Aphrodite was one of the twelve main gods on Mt. Olympus, and she was the most powerful goddess when it came to members of the opposite sex. There are many origins to Aphrodite's birth. Some of them are: She arose full-grown out of the foam of the sea, She is the daughter of Zeus and Dionne, She is the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, which would make her a Titaness, or She is the daughter of Titans Oceanus and Tethys, making her an Oceanid. (Dittus 34-35) “The most common origin of her birth is her being foam-born, which is what her name means” (Parin 45). This origin says that Aphrodite arose nude and full-grown out of the foam of the sea and riding into the shore of Cythera on a scallop shell. She found Cythera to be too small of an island, so she went to live in Paphos, in Cyprus, which is still the principal seat of her worship.
The most popular myth about her conceptions is that she was born from the foam of Uranus’ genitals. Uranus was in a fight with son, Cronus, who severed his sex organs and threw them into the ocean. Foam started forming near the island of Cythera and Aphrodite arose from the water. She was carried to Cyprus on a shell with the help of Zephyrus, the west winds. Cyprus is known as her actual hometown. From there the Horae, the goddesses of the hours of the day, dressed Aphrodite, and took her to Mount Olympus. There is also a more traditional story about her birth. It is believed that she might be the daughter of Zeus by his aunt Dione. Aphrodite has many children, both immortal and mortal. “As the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite is often seen naked or provocatively draped with her sacred bird, the dove, in her hand” (National Geographic 142). Even though she is the goddess of beauty, Hera is considered to be the most beautiful immortal. But during the Trojan War, Paris deems Aphrodite as the most beautiful deity.
HEPHAESTUS AND APHRODITE APHRODITE Aphrodite is one of the most famous figures of Greek mythology. Because Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexual rapture,1 she was desired by. nearly all of the Greek gods. Aphrodite was one of the twelve main gods on Mt. Olympus,2 and she was the most powerful goddess when it came to members of the opposite sex of the sex.
Aphrodite was one of the nine that were known as the Great Goddesses, “an awful and lovely goddess,” according to Hesiod (Theogony), born of the foam that ensued when Kronos cut off Uranos’ genitals and they fell into the sea. She first walked ashore in Cyprus, and was welcomed by the Seasons (Hours):
Mythology was very important to the men and women of ancient Greece. They worshipped the gods and goddesses, wrote poems about them, and based a great deal of art work off of them. The people of Greece looked to the gods and goddesses for help in all aspects of their lives; including health, agriculture, and war. Reading about Greek mythology can inform people about the society of Greece itself because the Greek gods were created by the people of Greece. Three main goddesses who were worshipped by the Greeks were Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. These three goddesses represent three different types of women in Greek society. Sarah Pomeroy, author of Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, believed that “the goddesses are archetypal images of human females, as envisioned by males” (8). Pomeroy understands the significance in the differences between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, and what those differences meant for the women of Greece who were required to follow three important rules. The first rule was for the women to live a life of domesticity and motherhood. This was very important to the men in the society. The women were the only ones able to bear children. Also, if they were forced to stay in the house, men could keep a greater control on their wives, and not have to worry about them having affairs. The second important trait was virginity until marriage. Its importance to the Greek culture lied in the fear of a woman’s power. The men of the society felt it best that a woman remained a virgin until she was married; however this same attribute was not required of a man. Their belief can be explained by this quote written by P. Walcot in the article “Greek Attitudes Towards Women: The Mythological Evidence”: “The Greeks believed women...
for the first time but the export of such classics as olives, wine and pottery
The goddesses Played a vital role in Greek society for they were responsible for many aspects of Greek. life, i.e., a life of a child. birth, harvest, etc. Accompanying the 6 major goddesses (Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Hestia, Demeter and Artemis) we have the lesser divinities such as the Muses, the Graces, the Fates, etc. The second level of women used in Greek mythology is that of the human.
Shakespeare is able to emphasize and enhance his meaning of work by alluding to the commonly known biblical and mythical figures such as Hecate, Beelzebub, Pontius Pilate and Neptune. Hecate is the goddess of witchcraft and wizardry. She is the “mistress of their [the witches] charms” (Act. 3 Scene. 5) and tells Macbeth his prophecy is to fear Macduff. Consequently, Macbeth orders his men to kill Macduff’s family, an additional example of Macbeth ruthlessly killing to further and augment his power. Hecate is the face of the witches and thus their leader in casting spells and controlling fate. When Macbeth tries to ruin the prophesies by trying to kill Banquo’s son, he is trying to overpower magic the witches posses in order to increase his power. Macbeth even returns to the witches a second time desperately seeking reassurance from the forces of evil that his fate is to remain king, but also displays a consciousness of guilt because he needs confirmation that what he has done is ordained thereby justifying his evil acts. Another allusion in Macbeth is Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. When the porter of Macbeth’s castle hears a knock at the door he yells, “Knock, knock, knock! Who’s there, i’ the name of Beelzebub” (Act. 2 Scene. 3). The allusion to the devil reveals that the porter is like a slave to a man who is
Aphrodite is told in two different ways. Both Homer and Hesiod describe the birth of Aphrodite in a different way. According to A Hand Book of Mythology: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome, Homer mentions Aphrodite as the daughter of Zeus and a sea nymph with the name of Dione and or the daughter of Gaea and Uranus. Aphrodite was born from beneath the waved of Dione, the sea nymph. However, being the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite had to grow out of the ocean into the mount and breathe the celestial gods atmosphere (Berens). As to Hesiod, the birth of Aphrodite came from the blood or genitals of Uranus that were thrown to the sea by Cronus. A white foam from a god-flesh collected the blood or genitals around and that foam created Aphrodite. Aphrodite was born from a sea shell and became the most beautiful goddess, therefore Aphrodite is represented as the goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite is a goddess with no mother (Harris and Platzner. ...
Born from the remains of the castration of Uranus, Aphrodite arose from the foam in the sea and became known as the goddess of love to those who worshipped her, described by Hesoid. We see another version of her this goddess’s birth as well, from the gods Zeus and Dione, leaving a double tradition of Aphrodite’s birth and a basic duality in her character. Artemis, the Greek goddess of wild things, was born to Zeus and Leto, and remained a virgin goddess who roamed the forests with her female companions. These two goddesses disagreeing viewpoints on sexual relationships naturally set them up to have a conflicting relationship, yet their well-known trait of revenge in their myths bring a similarity to both the goddess of love and of hunting. Their personalities are compared through their primary functions in Greek mythology and physical characteristics, their behavior in myths that they are involved in, their portrayal in Greek art and literature, and if and how they are worshipped in Greek religion.
Goddesses play important roles protectors and guardians of men and are demonstrated as being wise and knowledgeable in Homer’s Odyssey. Circe knows the directions to the underworld, and Eidothea, Proteus’ daughter knew where Odysseus was and was able to outmaneuver her father by telling men of how he will try to shift his shape and sh