Have you ever wondered where things in our everyday lives get their names from? Well the answer could be from Greek or Roman gods. So many things are indeed named after the gods. Like the car company Mercury or the shoe company Nike. There are many gods in both mythologies but this essay will talk about 12 of them, six gods from Greek mythology and six gods from Roman mythology. Each god will have their own corresponding god from the other mythology. Although they might be from different mythologies in essence they are all very similar. If this is an essay about the similarities and difference between the Greek and Roman gods then it would only make sense to start with the kings of the gods, Zeus and Jupiter. They are both the rulers of the heavens and are the gods of lightning. Since they are both the rulers of the gods they also are to uphold the rules of Greece and Rome. They both have the same stories of how they came to power. Their fathers Saturn and Cronus had eaten all of their brothers and sisters because they were told that one of their children would over throw them. But their mothers Hera and Rhea hid them and gave Cronus and Saturn a rock in baby clothing. When Zeus and Jupiter had reached maturity they returned and defeated their fathers releasing their siblings. That is really where the similarities end though. Zeus was a total pervert. He was the illegitimate father of many children but not only with other goddesses but with mortals. One of his most famous children was the Greek hero Perseus, “Zeus visited a princess by the name of Danae as golden rain. From this Perseus was born” (“Encyclopedia Mythica”, n.d.). Zeus also had a son, the popular hero Heracles. Zeus was a god that was known for throwing lightnin... ... middle of paper ... ...es from Greek mythology and Mercury from the Roman mythology. They are both depicted as wearing winged sandals and a winged hat. They are both gods of the trade but Hermes was a little slyer. Hermes was also the god of thieves. He was a very free spirit because he would always need to do the more powerful gods dirty work. Hermes was not afraid to speak his mind. But since Mercury was from Roman mythology he was more disciplined to reflect the culture of Rome. After reading this essay you can see that the gods a very similar in a way. But they are also very different in many others. Like the fact that Jupiter and Mercury are way more disciplined than Zeus and Hermes. And the fact that Neptune and Poseidon are basically the same person with the same name. So next time you are out and about look around and see what the Greek and Roman gods have influenced and named.
Another similarity is that they are very strong leaders that will overcome any challenges that come their way. For example, Odysseus has many challenges he faces, like Polyphemus, but he defeats him with a stick on fire. He also has to deal with Poseiden because of what he did to his son polyphemus and defeats him with help from the gods/goddess which were Athena, Zeus and Aeolus. Another challenge he faces are the Seirenes, but has the help from Athena so he and his shipmates do not die and overcome this challenge, and more.
There is no doubt in mythology that the king of gods, Zeus, is the most supreme and powerful, ruling the sky. He controls the thunderbolt, a symbol of power feared by both gods and mortals. The Greeks and Romans honored Zeus above all other gods. He is without mistake, the god of all gods. Their stories of Zeus are plenty; his designs have molded mythology from his birth. Zeus' victory in outwitting his intelligent wife, Metis, by swallowing her pregnant, was the gateway used by the Greeks and Romans to show Zeus as the greatest god to come since his father and grandfather. However, as the stories of the gods and goddesses unfold, the Greeks and Roman's interpretation of Zeus' characteristics are different. Zeus is always upheld as the king of gods, but his other personal attributes to his godly rein are conflicting. Zeus' characteristics of fearfulness of female deities, cunningness and use of trickery, and lust in Ovid's Metamorphoses compared to the Theogony are opposed due to Hesiod's true respect of Zeus versus Ovid's lack of respect of Jupiter in Roman mythology.
The most different were that persons of the period were putting extreme emphasis on just one religion and, thus, many art forms became seemingly infiltrated with biblical scenes and interactions of higher figures in the church. However, in literature, it is evident that God had created everything we know, we can see this being addressed in “Genesis” of The Holy Bible (kingjamesbibleonline.org). “[a]nd God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” However, with Greek and Roman religions, they had a pantheon in which had various supernatural deities to use and choose from. Although, the similarity that they share is that they both celebrate, pray, and give tribute to the god (s) in the form of ceremony or building of temples (churches in monotheistic
My research paper will investigate the Greek God Apollo. The reason I chose Apollo was I have never had a chance to look into other Gods or Goddess’ other than Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The next seven paragraphs are paraphrased depictions, stories and relational information directly related to the god Apollo The information was compiled by author: Atsma, Aaron J., on the website: Theoi.com. Theoi Project Copyright © 2000 – 2011. 12 May 2014. Each paragraph is a separate encyclopedia reference and is noted in the following footnotes reference.
Mythology was critical to Greek people’s everyday life, just like how religion is in our modern day in age. Everyday events, such as a thunderstorm, could be linked to a god or goddess. For example, when an earthquake would happen, it would be Poseidon crashing his tritan on the ground. People’s lives revolved around the whole ideology and it served as a way to explain the unexplained and to help them in times of need. All of the stories of these great gods and goddesses were passed down generation through generation each time getting more extreme and distorted. People idolized these beings and built stunning life like sculptures of them. Zeus was the most important of all the Greek gods and also king of Mount Olympus. He became a king after
In ancient times, the Greeks had absolute and undeniable respect for their gods. They demonstrated their admiration by putting in place many rituals and celebrations to reverence the gods that they loved and feared in order to ensure harmony with them. In particular, the focus will be on the religious beliefs of the Greeks, including prayer and sacrifice, as well as on festivals and the arts, such as the ancient Olympic games and theatre. These aspects of their culture made a significant contribution to their quality of life. Moreover, these topics will be examined in relation to the twelve Olympian gods and their associates.
The Differences between Apollo and Dionysus are not difficult to see. Though both Gods are associated wi...
When we look at Greek Mythology we often run into the gods of that era. Sometimes they are merely backdrops to the human element of the story but in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story.
I will demonstrate that Zeus, the Greek myth god, and Marduk, the spitting image of Zeus in the Mesopotamian stories, have many similar and different characteristics, but both seem to have a similar purpose because of their power, identity, and other leadership roles and ideals.
They had similar beliefs, but also immeasurable differences. It was composed of many meaningful gods and goddesses that all played a part in the everyday life of the average Roman and Greek person of that time.
Both of these myths reveal to us about their understanding of the universe, and about their culture. Not only do they talk about their various gods, and heroes, but they also talk about how they viewed the universe in general (Rosenberg 79). Greek mythology evolved from two early civilizations, the Mycenaean’s and the Minoans. It was the combining of these different Greek cities and Kingdoms during 10th century B.C. that created the Greek Mythology. Its geographic isolation gave it a place for mythologies to evolve (Gale Virtual Reference Library: Greek Mythology 454-456).
Throughout the history of the world there have been a number of civilizations which have had a longstanding influence not only their own people and culture, but also on various other societies and civilizations. The Greek and Roman civilizations are two such civilizations. Both Greek and Roman influences have permeated societies and cultures besides their own. While there are many notable similarities between ancient Greek and Roman mythology and religion, there are likely also many differences in their origins, beliefs, and practices. Still, ancient Greek and Roman mythology and culture have influenced people of the world from the medieval ages up to the present. Indeed, ancient Greek and Roman mythology and culture have influenced world theology through the ages.
Hermes (Latin name Mercury) is the messenger of the gods. He is the fastest of all the gods and goddesses. He is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is a guide who knew the way to the underworld. So he would show the dead souls the way to the underworld. Hermes is also known as the patron of traders, merchants, thieves and everyone who lived by their wits.
In ancient Greece and Rome, each of the gods was associated with specific objects. Zeus (Jupiter), the father of the gods, was often accompanied by an eagle or a thunderbolt; Apollo, the god of art, by a lyre; Artemis (Diana), the hunter, by a bow and quiver. In addition, the Romans perfected the use of secular allegorical symbols. For example, a woman surrounded by bunches of grapes and sheaves of wheat would be readily understood as a representation of the bounties of the earth.