Ancient Greek Mythology

What do I need to know?

How does Ancient Greek mythology provide insight into the customs and values of the period?
What is mythology? Who were the Greeks? What were their customs and values? How does myth help us to uncover the Greeks culture?

How can we use Ancient Greek customs, language, and archetypal characters to understand our world today?
How have aspects of Ancient Greek culture and language endured in our modern world? Who were the gods and heroes, and why are they so notable?

What are the purposes for which myth is written and literary technique used?
What are the main types of myth? How did the writers use each type? What are the elements of literary style and structure used in mythology?

Modern man often holds the mistaken belief that myth is about magic and nature rather than religion. In ancient times, the stories we refer to as myth were considered truthful accounts of the past.

Mythology
A myth is traditional narrative considered a truthful account of the past in society in which it is told. Generally, myth expresses and confirms religious values and norms.

Mythology versus Folklore

Myth is different from folklore or fairytale (admittedly fantastic). Both contributed to the cultural base of oral stories finally put to paper.

Oral Tradition
For centuries, stories, history, et cetera were passed down by word of mouth. Finally committing this information to written form fixed the stories and allowing them to be organized and reflected upon in art, philosophy, and theatre.

Written Word
Linear Bletters represented various phonetic (sound) patterns

Why begin with the gods?

The Greeks, unlike other early cultures on record, imagined their gods in their own image. Before then, deities were monsters that inspired a crippling fear, like the sphinx.

Human form grounded the gods in reality. Greeks could understand them and be at ease with them.

 Though Hercules spent his life battling monsters, he was born in Thebes. One can point to the exact spot where Aphrodite rose out of foam in Cythera. Pegasus, the winged horse had a stable. Even the gods have houses built by Hephaestus and beds they sleep in.

Even though the gods and goddesses were beautiful and powerful (and most were, of course, immortal), they were also jealous, silly, and vengeful. They could be tricked. They fell in love. They chose favorites.

What does Classical Lit really shows us?

It shows us how members of the human race thought and felt during a time period. One may argue that this is what all literature does. We learn about a time period by mean of its records. These texts provide amazing insight into an early civilization and early man, which is particularly significant as the Greeks are our predecessors intellectually, politically, and artistically.

Types of Greek Myth

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Origin myth Creation myth Moral stories Hymns (prayers) Epic Ritual