Abstract
Why are the gods portrayed as they are in the "Metamorphoses"? The essay outlines the different presentations of divinity in this book and hypothesizes why its author, Ovid, might have written the story this way, given his relationship with religion and the State. The essay makes good use of Latin.

From the Paper
"The gods of the Metamorphoses are distinguished by their often amoral relations with humans and by their lack of epic majesty. Like many other Roman poets, Ovid often presents the gods in a comical or unflattering light, yet he goes to an extreme not approached by other writers. Although J. Solodow suggests his stories lack a meaning beyond entertainment, the immense catalogue of divine rapes and the inglorious depiction of the gods begs an explanation. The gods have the same flaws as humans--pridefulness, lust, jealousy, and speaking before they consider the consequences of their decrees?and mortals suffer as a result. The gods are not aloof from the mortal world and do not seem superior to mortals in any meaningful way. In Ovid: A Poet Between Two Worlds, Hermann Frankel said of the Metamorphoses that ?Its value cannot be grasped by conventional standards, nor will its peculiar import reveal itself to the casual reader. Its very luster is baffling. The brilliant surface causes us to wonder how much, or how little, may lie hidden beneath.? Perhaps beneath the surface, the Metamorphoses contains a sly political allegory."

Tags:roman, empire, vergil, Jupiter

Abstract
This paper gives an analysis of Pindar's "Olympian Ode 1" by focusing on how it embodies elements common to the myths of Pelops and Demeter. The analysis further shows how many of the innovations or choices made by Pindar in telling the story of Pelops are based on the myths of Demeter, Ganymede and Achilles. Also highlighted are the values important to Ancient Greek civilization and how they are reflected in Pindar's poetry.

From the Paper
"Pindar was a Greek poet of aristocratic birth and lived most of his life in Thebes. As one historian notes, Pindar developed into the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece. The extant poems of Pindar are odes commissioned to celebrate victories in the Olympic games. As one literary critic notes of what are commonly known as Pindaric odes ..."

Tags:Kore, Zeus, Poseidon, Pisa, kingship, chariots, underworld, Mount Olympus, nectar, ambrosia, mortality, honor, Tantalus

Abstract
This paper will seek to analyze the relationship of Odysseus to the Gods in the "Odyssey" by Homer. By managing to show this supernatural connection to a higher power, we can surmise how Odysseus learns valuable lessons from them.

Abstract
This paper examines how although written in the 8th century BC, Hesiod's "Theogony" provides a detailed and authoritative account of the Greek creation myth and how as such, is regarded as a significant primary source of Greek mythology. It looks at how the manner in which the poem organizes and records the origins and chronology of Greek myth and displays connections with the myths of other cultures - ensures that it remains a work of vital importance to the study of Greek mythology. It discusses how although Hesiod's poem charts Greek mythology from the universe's origins with Chaos; through the Titans; to the conflicts between various gods, to the eventual stability achieved by Zeus, its primary relevance as a reference source is in its detailed account of the Olympians.

From the Paper
"Greek myths, as with the traditional tales of most cultures, were initially passed orally from generation to generation resulting in a great deal of variation, from place to place and from time to time. Hesiod's Theogony is one of the earliest known attempts to chronicle a culture's myths in the permanent and stable form of a written work, and is therefore of immense importance to the study of mythology. Through the medium of poetry, Hesiod constructs a "standard" record of the origin of the Greek world, and a detailed genealogy of the Greek gods. However, it is this genealogical focus that may prove the greatest obstacle to the modern reader, as the construction of Hesiod's poem often resembles that of a list or table of information and possesses no significant dramatic plot."

Tags:olympians, zeus, chaos, gods

Abstract
This paper examines how gods and humans have complex relationships in Homer's "Iliad". It looks at how the portrayal of the Olympians given by Homer is in keeping with contemporary Greek thinking. It also considers whether perhaps Homer secretly hated the gods and uses the "Iliad" to lampoon them. It discusses how it is in their interactions with mortals that the Olympians seemingly "ungodly" behavior shows itself and through which Homer illuminates the relationships between gods and mortals.

From the Paper
"Essential to understanding the relationships between gods and mortals in the Iliad is the awareness that some of the mortals themselves are semi-divine, being descended from various gods, not all Olympian. Achilles of course is the son of a mortal father and the goddess Thetis, daughter of Oceanus, a Titan. Aeneas figures prominently as a nearly unconquerable Trojan and in addition to being remotely descended from Jove by his ancestor Dardanus (also an ancestor of Priam) is also the son of a mortal father and the goddess Venus, herself a daughter of Jove according to Homer. Glaucus is descended from Aeolus, the Greek wind-god and a cousin of Sarpedon, himself a son of Jove."

Tags:olympian, achilles, troy

Abstract
Despite the fact that Homer's gods and goddesses often behave like petty, vindictive, and spoiled men and women, Homer's Olympian deities remain powerful beings who play a critical role in shaping human destiny. The paper shows that Homer's Olympians are not more moral than their human counterparts in terms of their actions and various types of involvement over the course of the story line of the epic poem "The Odyssey." It shows, however, in the face of the gods' tendencies to play favorites amongst humans and to manipulate the fate of mortals, human hubris is powerless. Fate, or the will of the gods may be cruel and unfair, but it is inexorable.

From the Paper
"The tale's stated reason for Odysseus' extensive wanderings lie in the fact that the hero has offended the god of the seas, whose favor he requires so he can return home via boat. Odysseus was trapped in the lair of the man-eating Cyclops, and cleverly blinded the beast so he could escape. One might say that it was fair that Odysseus committed such an action. If he had not, he would have sacrificed not only his own life, but also the life of the other sailors in his care. "Eater of guests/under your roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!'" cries Odysseus. (9:522-523)"

Tags:Odysseus, Athena, Penelope, Cyclops, Agamemnon

Abstract
The paper relates that Zeus, son of Cronus and Rhea, was one of the most powerful gods in the rich Greco-Roman mythology, and he led the young generation of gods, the Olympians, in the battle against the old generation, the Titans, led by his father. The paper further relates that the war, Titanomachy, lasted for 10 years and Zeus, his siblings and allies were victorious. The paper describes how this victory enabled the creation of new heavenly order; the Cronus kingdom was divided with Zeus receiving the heavens, his brother Poseidon the oceans and the third Cronus' son Hades the underworld.

From the Paper
"Zeus, son of Cronus and Rhea, was one of the most powerful gods in the rich Greco-Roman mythology. He led the young generation of gods, the Olympians, in the battle against the old generation, the Titans, led by his father. The war, Titanomachy, lasted for 10 years and Zeus, his siblings and allies were victorious. This victory enabled the creation of new heavenly order. The Cronus kingdom was divided with Zeus receiving the heavens, his brother Poseidon the oceans and the third Cronus' son Hades the underworld. Zeus married his sister, Hera the goddess of earth who became the queen of gods (Scott Littleton, 2002; Morford, 2003)."

Tags:mythology, homoeroticism, gods

Abstract
This paper examines the ethical issues and consequences of the increase of drug use among athletes. From Olympians to baseball home-run hitters, the paper looks at who is using -- and why. The author also discusses testing and fines (or other punishment from governing bodies). The paper concludes with a discussion about the ramification of drug use in professional and high level amateur sports, and its influence on society, particularly on impressionable youth athletes.

From the Paper
"Athletes have always been contemptuous of sport's attempts to regulate drug use, but they tended to keep their mouths shut. Most resented the upper hand that testing gave management, but they were too afraid of being caught, punished, and embarrassed to speak up unless they were squeaky clean, retired or busted. The line between what is effective and legal and what is effective and illegal is diminishing. It is not clear anymore because the people who are making these illegal and controversial substances are getting good and they are finding ways to dim the line. By all accounts, athletes and coaches are becoming much more aggressive and skillful in using drugs ranging from sodium bicarbonate, which keeps muscles from tiring, to patches soaked with synthetic testosterone to build muscles. Having to resort to such extreme measures to win represents the egocentric nature commonly found in athletes today."

Tags:steroids, testing, Olympics, baseball, homeruns, sports, WNBA, baseball

From the Paper
"The sculptures of the Parthenon represent a high point in Classical sculpture and a culmination in the centuries-long effort by Greek sculptors to fashion images that represent natural movement and repose. But, with the increased naturalism of the Classical era, it became difficult for artists to reconcile that realism with the ideal. In comparison with the other sculpture of the Classical era, the sculptures of the Parthenon (447-432 BC) represent a unique solution to this problem.

It might have been assumed that the expression of mood and emotion, which constituted the essence of the representation of the ideal, would be facilitated by greater realism. Yet increasing realism did just the opposite, and much of Classical sculpture is distinctly less inclined toward the ideal than.."

Abstract
This paper explains that Heracles, which means glory of Hera, is best known as the strongest of all mortals and considered as a super hero and the deciding factor in allowing the Olympian gods to win their battle with the giants. The author points out that Heracles was the last mortal son of Zeus and the only man born of mortal woman to become a god upon his death. The paper relates that Heracles was renowned for making the world safe for man by destroying many dangerous monsters; his self-sacrifice obtained the ascent to the Olympian realms, welcomed by the gods.

Table of Contents
The Twelve Labors of Heracles for King Eurystheus
The Traditional Order of the Twelve Labors
Kill the Lion of Nemea
Kill the Nine Headed Hydra
Capture the Erymanthian Boar
Capture the Cerynian Hind
Clean the Augean Stables in One Day
Kill the carnivorous birds of Stymphalis
Capture the Wild Bull of Crete
Steal the Mares of Diomedes
Obtain the Girdle of Hippolyte
Obtain the Cattle of Geryon
Steal the Golden Apples of the Hesperides
Capture Cerberus
Heracles Good and Evil Character
Heracles Marriage Life, Sex Life and Death
Heracles Male Lovers

From the Paper
"Heracles first task that he must performed for King Eurythus is to put to death the mighty Lion of Nemea. Heracles used his bow and arrow to kill the Lion of Nemea. Apparently the arrows just bounced off the lion's coat. Heracles had no choice but to fight the monster with his bare hands. The fight was so violent. Heracles had his little finger bitten off but this only made him angrier and stronger. He grasped the lion tightly around the neck and squeezed. The lion choked to death. After the lion death Heracles skinned the lion and wears the skin for protection."

Tags:eurystheus, mortal, strongest, monsters, self-sacrifice