Greek Mythology

According to myths and legends, Theseus lived in the Late Bronze Age, about a generation (20–30 years) before the start of the Trojan War, which according to myth occurred at some time in the...

Florists' Transworld Delivery (FTD) was founded in 1910 under the name Florists' Telegraph Delivery. It took advantage of what was then the radical new technology of the telegraph, which enabled...

Uranus, Cronus (also spelled Cronos or Kronos), and Zeus represent three generations of Greek gods. They are mentioned in many different literary and mythological works, but the most detailed...

The Greek goddess Athena was also called “Pallas Athena.”.\ She adopted the second name in honor of her friend, Pallas, whom she regretted killing in a heated argument. Athena (or “Minerva” to the...

Zeus is the Greek sky god, ruler of Olympus, and supreme arbiter among the gods, so he is most certainly immortal, and there are definitely stories that demonstrate this quality. To begin with, you...

It is anachronistic and often counterproductive to view Greek mythology through the modern lens of moral allegory. While such stories did exist in the ancient world, like Aesop's Fables which are...

The Theban Saga is a collection of sagas, or legends, that focuses on important events in mythology around the founding of Thebes, a major city in Boeotia which is a region in mainland Greece. It...

Prometheus and Epimetheus are titans and brothers, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. Whereas Prometheus is highly intelligent, cunning, brave, and resourceful, Epimetheus is...

In Greek mythology, the Titan Prometheus was tasked by the gods with providing mankind with the comforts that were needed to thrive. Prometheus recognized that humans were suffering naked and...

This is a real interesting idea. I think that Hercules' labors could have modern application. Obviously, physical strength would have to be a part of this. Building off of the idea of bringing...

Several Greek myths have community as a central value. Ancient Greek societies valued loyalty, hospitality, and family, all of which contribute to a strong community. Whether approaching battle,...

Phaethon was the son of Helios and Klymeme. In Greek mythology, he begged his father to allow him to drive the chariot of the sun. At first Helios said "no," because Phaethon was too young and...

Zeus's main argument is that giving fire to humans, as Prometheus has done, is the wrong thing to do, as it will make humans stronger, and that's the last thing that the almighty king of the gods...

The Trojan Saga refers to the events that led to the Trojan War, the events which occurred during the war, and the aftermath of the conflict. The Trojan War was a conflict between the Achaeans...

Cronus and his siblings had been imprisoned in the Earth by their father, Uranus. Uranus had feared that his son Cronus, in particular, would usurp his throne, and in a theme often seen in Greek...

Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility, has always been very protective of her daughter Persephone, whom she had by Zeus, the father of the gods. Many suitors have come knocking at...

Hades and Elysium are both realms of the afterlife. Hades as a realm takes after the god Hades. Hades, the brother of Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus, was the eldest son of Cronus, the...

Because you don't mention which specific text you are reading to learn the myth of Persephone and Demeter I am not sure what specific imagery that author is using to tell the story. That said, the...

For the most part, modern society preaches a respect for the environment. While it might not be followed to the greatest of extent, individuals are taught to display respect for the ecology....

Theseus is an important, legendary figure in Athenian history. He was revered as the Athenian king who unified Attica under Athenian hegemony. Numerous stories about Theseus slaying monsters on the...

Polyphemus and Orion according to Greek Mythology were sons of the Greek Lord Poseidon. Polyphemus was one of three Cyclops, who were one-eyed giants. He was the progeny of Poseidon and a nymph...

I think that there are many different conceptions of women offered in the Greek myths. This is similar to how there are many different conceptions of men offered in the narrative of Greek...

Hephaestus (Vulcan in the Roman form) was the Greek god of blacksmithing, craftsmanship and metallurgy. Thus, his domain was fire, smithing, and forge. According to the prevailing Greek myth as...

The Titan Prometheus committed what the gods regarded as a very serious crime. Feeling sorry for man’s weak and servile state, he broke into the workshop of Hephaestus and Athena on Mount Olympus...

The claim that Greek gods are anthropomorphic means that they appear to have human form. The term "anthropomorphic" actually derives from two Greek words, "anthropos", meaning "human", and...

The Greek myths reflect the patriarchal norms of Greek society, in which men are in charge and women are sex objects at their disposal. As scholar Jane Harrison noted, a pantheon of powerful female...

One common theme between the Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter and that of Theseus and the Minotaur is the sacrifices that people or gods make for love and for causes greater than their personal...

The key creation myth in Greek mythology can be found in Hesiod's Theogony. It depicts a succession of power struggles between various divine forces as the universe gradually moves away from the...

Ovid relates the tragic story of Echo and Narcissus in his Metamorphoses. Echo is a beautiful nymph used by Zeus to distract his wife, Hera, with her chatter when Zeus goes off to pursue other...

Trees have placed a central role in most mythological and theological lore because they symbolize life, nature, and the mystery of time. Trees branch out, they their lifespan is interminable, and...

What you should remember is that Roman culture and religion did evolve separately from that of the Greeks and involved different assumptions and religious practices. Thus, you should keep in mind...

The Greek gods and goddess were like humans in almost every way. Indeed, there are far more similarities than differences. The gods are immortal and have magical, though limited, powers. They live...

In terms of "relationship," I would look at this more as to how they got along rather than how they were "related." There seems to be no connection in terms of Zeus being Prometheus' father, etc....

In Book XII of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, the hero, Odysseus, gets some advice from an immortal nymph named Circe about how to survive the rest of his journey home. She tells him that he and...

Without knowing in exactly which direction the essay is going to go, I can't dial in a perfectly tailored hook for the essay. However, I can help get you started by briefly discussing four...

When we study the Greek creation myths, we notice that there is plenty of sex and violence, and this likely reflects the experiences of the human beings that developed those myths. Let's look at...

Daedalus is the mythological figure who created two pairs of gigantic wings in which he and his son, Icarus, could use to fly. Before doing so, Daedalus warned Icarus to fly neither too high nor...

In both myths about Apollo and Daphne and Apollo and his lyre, Apollo deals with gods taking the form of a child. In Apollo and Daphne, the god deals with Eros (Cupid), a god depicted as a...

Greek mythology is packed full of motifs, themes, values, and messages. We'll explore a few of these to get you started on this assignment. You might look closely at the theme and value of heroism....

At 16, Theseus lifted the rock under which his father Aegus had placed the the sword and sandals that would identify Theseus as his son, and travelled to Athens to reclaim his birthright.On the way...

The Greek heroes all conform to a fairly narrow archetype which we find in Homer. They are categorized to such an extent that we can rank the heroes of the Iliad and, to a lesser extent, the...

According to Greek mythology, Acrisius was the son of Abas, king of Argos. Acrisius had a twin brother named Proteus that he exiled so he could seize the inheritance and take over the kingdom....

In the Indian epic, the Ramayana, we find a scene that reminds me of Homer's Odyssey. In the Ramayana, the person who marries Sita must be able to pick up Shiva's bow and string it. Rama does so...

Allusions abound in modern literature! Knowing what a pomegranate has to do with springtime might serve you in understanding a lot of poetry. Knowing that Cupid isn't just a cute creature of love...

This is a great question. There is no one reason for mythologies. So, let me name a few of them. First, there is something in humans that need to explain the world around them. In light of this...

There is perhaps no better source to consult on matters of ancient Greek history and mythology than the historian Robert Graves, so it is to him that we turn for an answer to the question of who or...