Greek Mythology

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer first explains that Greek mythology is a collection of stories by ancient Greeks about their gods and heroes. The writer notes that these stories include myths of the origin of the world, an attempt to understand and interpret the universe and the origin of the world in human terms. Many of these stories have been passed down from ancient times and in more than one version. The writer discusses that ancient beliefs eventually mixed with legends from Greek kingdoms and city-states and myths from other tribes. Together, they evolved into this body of stories that were accepted by most Greeks. These myths were transmitted from generation to generation for hundreds of years in the form of spoken tales. It was not until the Classic Period that these stories were put down in written form. The writer looks at the Greek system of gods and goddesses and concludes that traditional literary mythology reflected an increasing dissociation from actual religious practice.

From the Paper:

"The leader was Zeus, the god of the sky, the weather, thunder, lightning, and the father of all mortals and immortals. His wife and sister was Hera. Poseidon, his brother, was god of the seas and shaker of the earth or earthquakes. Athena was the goddess of war, of crafts and of wisdom, the wisest of the gods and goddesses. Apollo was the god of light and order, of both plague and healing who foretold the will of Zeus, his father. His twin sister, Artemis, was goddess of childbirth and all wild animals. Aphrodite, a daughter of Uranus, was the goddess of erotic love. Hermes was the guide of souls in the underworld and the god of sleep and dreams. Demeter, the symbol of Gaia, was goddess of the earth and vegetation. His mother Persephone was a sister of Zeus. Dionysus was th god of madness, frenzy, of wine and the theater. Hephaestus was the god of fire and of the crafts. And Ares was the god of war and the only son of Zeus and Hera. Hades was not among the 12, but he was the ruler of the underworld."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Meeks, Travis. Roman and Greek Mythology of Gods and Goddesses. Essortment: Pagewise, 2002. Retrieved on October 27, 2007 from http://mdmd.essortment.com/greekromanmyth_rnpe.htm
• MSN Encarta. Greek Mythology. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Retrieved on October 27, 2007 from http://encarta.msn.comencyclopedia_761570116/Greek_Mythology.html
• Sheppard, David. In the Beginning. Introduction to Greek Mythology: Tragedy's Workshop, 2006
• Wickersham, John M., ed. Greek Mythology. Myths and Legends of the World: MacMillan Reference Books, Nov 2000
• World News. Mythology and Ancient Greece. W N Network: W N Network, 2007. Retrieved on October 27, 2007 from http://upge.wn.com/?t==ancientgreece/index35.txt

More papers on Greek Mythology:

• Analytical Essay # 115061 : "The Origins of Greek Mythology"
• Term Paper # 147555 : "Overview of Greek Mythology"
• Analytical Essay # 149469 : "Free Will in Greek Mythology"

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