Greek and Roman Deities

Paper Summary:

In ancient Greece and Rome, traditions, histories, and other elements of society were passed down as oral traditions from one generation to another. While ancient Greek culture predates Roman culture, the two cultures developed a degree of interaction and similarity between the peoples. The mythology of these two cultures reflected many of the ethical issues that were important in that time. This paper shows that it is not surprising, considering their close geographic proximity, that there was a certain degree of mixing of cultures and, consequently, mythology as well. The research explores the similarities and differences between Greek and Roman deities.

From the Paper:

"Virgil wrote the Aeneid in the early Roman period, which was based largely on the Greek understanding of the gods and goddesses. However, he wrote characters that would appeal to the Roman social structure and ideology, and "romanized" the Greek deities. His works were based on the Greek writer Homer, who portrayed Zeus and Hera as petty complainers. The Roman ideals would not allow for a noble complainer, therefore Virgil transformed Zeus and Hera into heroic Jupiter and an angry God Juno, who struck fear in the hearts of men."

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