Greek Mythology Essay -- essays research papers

Greek MythologyMythology was an constituent(a) part of the lives of all ancient tidy sums. The myths ofAncient Greece are the most old(prenominal) to us, for they are deeply entrenched inthe consciousness of Western civilization.The myths were accounts of the lives of the deities whom the Greeks worshipped.The Greeks had many a(prenominal) 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, ledgers of spine-tingling poeticalbeauty and food for the imagination. They serve a whileless universal need, and make believe inspired great literature, art and music, providing archetypes throughwhich 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, nutmany are allegorical accounts of historical facts.The Olympian family were a desperate lot despite being related. The next timeyou ha ve 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 thegoddess Roman name, Ceres. In Greek the word for such products is demetriaka.Demeter was worshipped as the goddess of earth and fertility.genus Zeus was the king and leader of the 12. His symbol was the thunder and in manyof his statues he appears holding one.Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, was most at home in the depths of theAegean where he lived in a sumptuous golden palace. When he became angry (whichwas often) he would use his trident to create massive waves and floods. Ever clothed upon expanding his domain, he challenged Dionysos for Naxos, Hera forArgos and Athena for Athens.Ares, god of war, was a nasty piece of hold out fiery tempered, bloodthirsty,brutal and violent. In contrast Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, symbol ofsecurity, happiness and hospitality, was as pure as driven snow. She spurneddispu tes and wars and swore to be a staring(a) forever.Hera was not a principal deity her job was a submissive one she was Zeuscupbearer.Athena, the powerful goddess of wisdom and patron of Athens, is said to havebeen natural (complete with helmet, armor and spear) from Zeus head, withHephaestus acting as midwife. Unlike Ares, she derived no pleasure from fighting, yet preferred settling disputes peacefully using her wisdom... ...ed to Greece where he organized bibulousrevelries and married Ariadne, daughter of King Minos.In addition to the gods the Ancient Greeks idolise many beings who had probablyonce been mortal, such as King Minos, Theseus and Erichthonious. Intermediaries in the midst of gods and humans, such as the satyrs, also appear in the myths. Thesatyrs lived in woodwind instrument and had goat horns and tails they worshipped the godDionysos, so, appropriately, they spent much of their time drinking and dancing.Nymphs lived in secluded valleys and grottoes and occupie d themselves withspinning, weaving, bathing, singing and dancing. Pan put up them irresistible.The Muses, of which there were nine, were nymphs of the mountain springs theywere believed to inspire poets, artists and musicians.Finally, mention should be made of the trey crones Tisiphone, Aledo and Megara sometimes called the Furies whose job it was to deal with grievances frommortals, and punish wrongdoers. They had dogs heads, snakes hair, bloodshoteyes, coal smuggled bodies and bats wings and carried brass-studded scourges. Itwas considered unlucky to call them by name they had to be called frenzy the kindly onesBill Gates