...like we have today, the Ancient Greeks created their own answers about the world and what their place was in it. Over 2000 years ago the Greeks created the names and ideas of a myth and mythology. What they created were tales that are now known as myths. “A myth is a story based on tradition” (“Myths and Heroes” PBS.). Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines myth as, “a usually traditional l story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.” (Def.1a). These myths described the values and feelings that bounded members of society. The stories explained,...
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...The Greek civilization formed their gods and goddesses in the form of mankind. Why would they do this? Ancient Greeks had pride. They knew that the human race had come a long way to be where they were, and they saw no reason why humans were not appreciated. The human is a miracle, its strength, courage, endurance, looks, emotions, intellect, everything! Why would not one choose the most intelligent life form on the Earth to represent what might rule us as well? They should be at least equal in intelligence if not significantly smarter, and much more powerful at least. The Greeks were living in the immediate world surrounding them. They wanted to fulfill themselves with what actually was possible. If happiness meant catching a plentiful harvest of fish because a god blessed them it, why would not they be happy? Things in life were what the Greek valued, because they knew what was life, but not necessarily what lay in wait for them after they die, what judgment they would have, so they chose to live in the present and worship the gods for what they could. Filling their heads with unrealistic visions of beings that were alien to them was not what they wanted or thought was right. They got real things from the gods; it would only be just that they were realistic as well. So, in all the human being would be the perfect embodiment, the gods somewhat understanding the humans, the humans trying to make sense of the gods. They saw the human being as beautiful, graceful, and completely...
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...Polytheism Ancient Greek theology was based on polytheism, the beliefs in many Gods and Goddesses. Breaking the word down, “poly” comes from the Greek word for “many,” and “theism” from the Greek word for “God.” These divine entities tend to distinguish particular functions, and often took on human characteristics. The gods acted like humans, and had human voices. They would interact with humans, sometimes even spawning children with them. Even though the Gods were immortal, nor some of them are not all powerful. Fate is what they had to obey, which overrode all. The number of the deities would expand as the culture’s belief system developed. The Greek Gods/Goddesses directly took on human activities. The divine entities would also take on human form and personality. Man learned to accept or fear the powers of nature, such as the deities. Humans tended to see the divine entities as storms, seasons, the sun, and the moon as personal beings. However the earliest humans believed the main deities were An, Enlil, Enki, and Ninhursaga. In ancient Greece there were twelve deities that sat on top of Mount Olympus: Hermes, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hera, and Zeus, king of the gods. Under them sat Zeus' brother Hades, king of the underworld. Since its miraculous beginning in mainland Greece around 1800-1500 BCE, when Poseidon was the chief God and not Zeus, the deities were worshiped wherever Greeks lived or had a concept...
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...of Greek mythology was dated back to around the time of the Trojan War. Homer and Hesiod were two of the most well-known writers of Greek mythology and epic poetry. Although a lot of information is debatable about him, Homer was the first known person to write Greek literature. Homer has many claimed birthplaces. Among the most popular are Smyrna and Ionia. His main theme was the Trojan War between the Greek and Trojans. Even though he may have been blind, Homer is considered responsible for two of the most well-known books of Greek myth; Iliad and the Odyssey and Homeric Hymns which were short poems celebrating the various gods. The Iliad is a story of the siege of the city of Troy during the Trojan War. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a warrior, and his ten year journey from Troy to Ithaca after the fall of Troy in the Trojan War (“The Life and Work of Homer”). Hesiod is along the side of Homer when it comes to the creation of the Greek gods. He was said to be born after Homer. He was a shepherd who worked in the mountains of Helicon. He got his inspiration to write epic poetry from an experience he had on the mountain where he met the Muses that appeared before him in a mist after the death of his father. Two of his most famous works were Theogony and Works and Days. Theogony is the story of the creation of the Greek gods and their evolution. His second story, Works and Days, was about the struggle between him and his brother over the property of his father Greek mythology...
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...Greek Mythology vs. Roman Mythology Behold the mighty power of Zeus! Perhaps you would yell out the name Jupiter instead. Depending in which era and land you lived would dictate which name you would praise. Both civilizations believed in the same Gods, but gave them different names. The physical attributes of the Gods’ is one aspect of religion that the two cultures did not agree on. The afterlife is also a belief shared by the two cultures, while the path to which and the purpose on earth is very different. There are many similarities as well as differences between the Greek and Roman Mythologies The Greeks and the Romans believed in the same Gods for their respective religion. The two cultures had a God for the same occurrences in their lives. They both had a God or Goddess for everything from the sun and moon down to fertility and wine. Greeks and Romans even believed that there were Gods that ruled over the sky, land, sea, and even the underworld. Although they gave them different names, they still had the same power and ruled over the same areas. In Greek mythology Zeus, is the Father of the Gods and of all mankind. Zeus’ symbol is a lightning bolt, a bull, an eagle, and the oak. He was known to visit multiple mortal women in varied forms from humans to animals. The Romans believed in the exact formalities as the Greeks did when it came to their Father of the Gods, except the Romans gave him the name Jupiter. The physical attributes of the Gods and Goddesses...
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...Assignment: HUMA215 Individual Project Unit 1 Title: Compare/Contrast Greek and Roman Cultures Assignment: Part 1: Fill in the below table with both similarities and differences of the Greek and Roman cultures. Indicate if you are describing a similarity or a difference. If you are describing a similarity then place your research information under both the Greek and Roman culture. If you are describing a difference list the difference between the two cultures under each culture. Please fill in all 10 lines within the table, each row will expand as you type in your information. | Similarity/Difference | Greek Culture | Roman Culture | 1 | Difference | Greek surrounded by mountains | Roman surrounded by the sea | 2 | Difference | Spoke Greek | Spoke Latin | 3 | Similarity | Clothing - Toga - worn everyday | Clothing - Toga - worn rarely worn | 4 | Difference | Gods and Myths started first | Adopted the Gods and Myths from Greek | 5 | Difference | Greek Gods were represented with gorgeous bodies, muscles, faces and hair. | Roman Gods were represented with warriors, strength and mythology. Believed Gods weren't beautiful. | 6 | Difference | Lives were more about art, drama and philosophy | Lives were more about hard work and craftsmanship | 7 | Similarity | Brought food to the graves of where the Gods or their families laid | Brought food to the graves of where the Gods or their families laid | 8 | Difference | Believed that in the importance...
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...Greek and Roman Gods | | | Roman Colosseum | | Roman Gods | | | Greek and Roman Gods * Facts and information the deities of the Romans and the Greeks * Religion and Mythology of the Romans and Greeks * Facts and interesting information about the gods and goddesses of the Greeks and Romans * History, Facts and Information about the religion and deities of the Greeks and Romans * Different Greek Names in the religion and Mythology of the Romans * List of Names and Table of Names | | | | | | Greek and Roman Gods History, Facts and Information about Greek and Roman Gods The content of this article provides interesting mythology, facts and information about Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Greek and Roman Gods worshipped by the two nations had similar roles and duties. However, their names were different. The religion of the Romans differed in some respects from that of the Greeks. For information regarding the differences between the Greek and Roman religion please click the following link:Greek and Roman Religion Different Names of Greek and Roman Gods - Mythology In the mythology of the Romans there are separate Latin and Greek names for one imagined divinity. Examples of these separate names are "Ares" of the Greeks and "Mars" of the Latins, "Poseidon" of the Greeks is "Neptunus" of the Latins, "Aphrodite" of the Greeks is "Venus" of the Latins. More names of Greek and gods of the Romans are shown in the list on the following table...
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...PAN & ZEUS Thesis Zeus and Pan were very meaningful to the Greeks because they shaped their everyday lives and beliefs. Pan and Zeus were important to the Greeks because… Greek people had something that they called a hearth. It was a fireplace outside of their homes. The fireplace had a statue of a god that they could worship while they were at home. People left food and flowers as they were passing by to honor the gods. It also has shaped how we live today by going to church and worshipping our gods, and what other people believe in. Large bodies of water surround most of Greece. The Ionian sea, Aegean sea, Mediterranean sea, the Black sea, and the sea of Crete. The first 3 are the main ones though. Crete was...
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...Greek Mythology Lindsey Schneider Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 A.M\ Mrs. Martin Greek mythology is the body of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks. Greek mythology concerned the gods and heroes of the Greek religion, the nature of the world in which they lived, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. The myths that these Greeks came up with were the answers to everything (History.com). The times were much simpler and they did not have real explanations for anything that happened around them. They could not answer questions about the weather, or why things happen in the way that they do. The myths and the ideas of immortal beings, being in control of everything around them gave them a sense of understanding. The idea of gods and goddesses helped to justify the social system in which they lived and gave some meaning to the world people saw around them (History.com). In Greek Mythology, perhaps one of the most rudimental yet one of the most important elements are the Greek Gods and Goddesses. Unlike religious gods today, though, the Greek gods resembled human being in their form and their emotions, and suffered from the same dilemmas humans throughout time have faced ranging from love triangles to the loss of a child and even in plenty of cases, childish fights. The ancient Greeks believed in a numerous amount of gods and depicted them to be very much like people. The gods were said...
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...U MYTHOLOGY U GODS AND GODDESSES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Michelle M. Houle Copyright © 2001 by Michelle M. Houle All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Houle, Michelle M. Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology / Michelle M. Houle. p. cm. — (Mythology) Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: Discusses various Greek myths, including creation stories and tales of principal gods and goddesses. ISBN 0-7660-1408-8 1. Mythology, Greek—Juvenile literature. [1. Mythology, Greek.] I. Title. II. Mythology (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) BL782 .H68 2000 398.2’0938’01—dc21 00-028782 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Our Readers: All Internet Addresses in this book were active and appropriate when we went to press. Any comments or suggestions can be sent by e-mail to Comments@enslow.com or to the address on the back cover. Cover and illustrations by William Sauts Bock CONTENTS Chart of Major Gods and Goddesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The War Between the Titans and the Olympians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Prometheus and Earth’s First Inhabitants . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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...ancient Greek myths because they influenced the ancient Greeks’ daily life and developed a sense of community within each city state. The people of ancient Greece believed that the diverse range of deities within Greek mythology influenced and controlled life on Earth, which made all aspects of life dependent on the attitudes of the gods. Each deity possessed specific desirable traits making them admired by the ancient Greeks. However, the gods also showed moral weakness to represent how it is natural to be influenced by temptation. It is interesting that the most powerful individuals in the universe were given flaws, which made each god and goddess more relatable. Mythology was intertwined...
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...Greek and Roman Comparison Lisa Lain HIS275CA June 1, 2015 Zachary Lenz Greek and Roman Comparison The Greek and Roman empires were very important to the history of the world. With their empires came religions and philosophies. While their religions were much different, both the Greeks and the Romans turned to Christianity at some point. Their philosophies were also quite different. They each studied the building blocks of the universe and created their own theories. With any empire come societal struggles. Both the Greek and Roman empires dealt with such struggles but the main aspect of the struggles varied. Territorial expansion was very important in both the Greek and the Roman empires. They both sought out to find more land and fought for the land they found through wars and battles. Trade and commerce were a major contribution to both empires as well. While both empires traded different things both within their empires, they also traded outside of it. The Roman and Greek civilizations also dealt with a decline in civilization. The reasoning behind their declines was different, but both empires contributed to their own decline. Religions and Philosophies While the Greek and Roman religions differed greatly, they both turned to Christianity at one point. In the beginning religions, the Greeks and Romans alike believed in many gods. Each of these gods was believed to be a god of certain events. Both the Greek and the Romans worshipped their gods at temples...
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...weather in ancient Greece were necessary due to the lack of technological and intellectual advancements it took to really explain the origins of wind, thunderstorms, and rain. “The economy of the ancient Mediterranean world was agriculturally-based. Given the importance of weather to agriculture, it should not be surprising that there was a good deal of interest in the explanation and prediction of weather in the ancient world” (Taub). The mortals of ancient Greece were “normal” people. They worked for a living, served the gods and feared Zeus’ wrath. More revolutionary explanations for the weather in their world would not come around for hundreds of years, leaving a haze of uncertainty and a flurry of stories. The ancient Greeks had many explanations for and references to natural occurrences such as rain, wind, and thunderstorms. The thoughtful myths and the reasoning behind them made these curious occurrences suddenly logical and rational. It was through the descriptions of these events that the mortals of Greece realized that the actions of the gods were out of their control. Taking into account the simplistic lifestyle that Greek mortals led in a society sustained by growing crops year-round, they needed to know-or think they knew why their crops would die, and how and why the weather caused surpluses and droughts. First, the good: rain. A common occurrence in the Mediterranean region, the rain alone was seen as hope, a sign of good things to come. The Greek poet Hesiod described...
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...People respected and believed in it. The two major mythologies known are Greek and Roman. What are the similarities and differences between these two famous mythologies? The Roman mythology has two types of creation. Certain people believe it was created around the 12th century BC, after the war between Greece and Asia. The legend says that after the war, Aeneas, a very strong and popular soldier of the Greek royal army, won the battle against Asia but then decided to leave for Carthage. There, the Queen Dido fell in love with him but Aeneas left her to travel to Italy, where he found Rome. From there, Aeneas knowing the gods from his culture decided to create a new mythology with new gods. The other type of creation of the Roman mythology consists of two men from Greece, Romulus and Remus, who were the sons of the God Mars and a mortal woman named Rhea Silvia. These two brothers lived with their uncle. When their parents died the uncle decided to kill the two brothers so he could receive the power of their father, the God Mars. In the conflict, Remus died but Romulus escaped to a new city named Rome, where he became its first king. “The date that Romulus founded Rome was 753 BC” (Varro). There were several more gods in the Roman Mythology. There were 21 considered very important for the people because they represented earth and the living on earth. They were pictured that way because they were related to touchable things on earth, sometimes not only to touchable objects...
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...Greek gods and goddesses had elaborate and untamed personalities. They had imperfections and shortcomings along with merit and virtue just like humans. Besides their respected powers the Greeks added other things to the gods’ personalities such as: Zeus was known as a philanderer, his wife Hera a nagger, their daughter Aphrodite a loose woman, their son Ares a bully. While the Greeks honored and revered the gods to their faces at the same time making them the butts of countless stories. Many stories depicted them as spoiled, quarrelsome, stingy, jealous, and lacking concern for the human race (Farnell 47). This is pretty much the story for humans in general. If there was one God in Greek mythology it would be Zeus. He is considered the father of the gods and mortals by the Greeks. His roots and overall guidance have been traced back to ancient Indo-Vedic traditions. Zeus and the Vedic sky god, Dyaus, share many similar powers and stories (Smith 189). Zeus is loosely translated to “housemaster” and that is how the Greeks viewed him. The Greek creation stories of Zeus vary widely, but there is one that is generally accepted. Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of the deities Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera (Cook v2 17). According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, fearing that he might be deposed by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. When Zeus’ birth came to fruition, Rhea wrapped...
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