Greek Gods and Mythology

Greek mythology is a term used to describe a set of beliefs held by the residents of Greece and Asia Minor about 1,200 years B.C. For every culture, there is a need to make sense of the universe: its ups and downs, and its beginnings and endings. For the ancient Greeks, their source of strength was mythology. Myths are stories shared by a group of people that are part of their cultural identity. Myths are sometimes thought of as lies, but in ancient Greek language, a myth was defined as a traditional tale.

Nobody really knows how Ancient Greece, mythology began. In one ancient myth, everything was thought to have originated from Chaos, a dark, silent abyss. The Greeks believed in many gods. The Titans were believed to be the elder gods before the Olympians overthrew them. Kronos, the ruler of the Titans, was in power until his son Zeus dethroned him. Titans can be thought of as the ancestors of the Greek gods.

The Olympians were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon. They were a group of gods who lived on Mount Olympus. They were all believed to be related to each other. There are sometimes considered to be twelve Olympians, sometimes fourteen. Plato connected the twelve Olympians with the twelve months. The Olympians are only a small part of the group of Immortals that were believed to rule the earth and sky. Forces of nature are considered “bodies” of the Immortals

The Trojan War was the greatest conflict in Greek mythology. There is disagreement as to whether the Trojan War actually happened. It was thought to last approximately ten years, from 1194 B.C. to 1184 B.C.

The poet Homer wrote the Iliad, an epic poem which dealt with the fall of Troy. The Iliad is the oldest piece of western literature that has survived to modern times. It is a war chronicle that describes a ten year stalemate battle, and the intervention of the gods to bring it to its conclusion. Another Greek poet whose work has survived is Hesiod, whose works are from the perspective of a small independent farmer.

Greek mythology survived several hundred years of being passed down verbally from one generation to the next before ever being written down. Myths sometimes varied in the telling, and there are many different versions of the same myths. Greek mythology had a great impact on literature, sculpture, and painting.

Ancient Greeks have had a great impact on history. (Greek paraphernalia) and Greek symbols can still be found. For example, Greek letters are used to represent sororities such as Kappa Alpha Theta. Art and Greek clothing are easily recognizable. Greek mythology is where it all began.