Greek mythology is made up of a collection of myths told by the ancient Greeks as a way to understand and explain their world. These stories about gods, goddesses, mythological creatures and heroes permeated daily life and provided an explanation for everything – the natural world, passing of time, traditions, customs and rites.
The pantheon of Greek mythology was often flawed, complex and capricious, and prone to human emotions and shortcomings. Gods such as Zeus, Aphrodite, Hades, Poseidon, Athena and Artemis were jealous, lustful, vengeful, fickle and petty. They meddled with mortals and punished those who slighted or challenged them in even the smallest ways.
Greek mythology has been paramount in shaping the culture, tradition, art and literature of the Western world for thousands of years and continues to be alive and well in modern culture. Inspiration from Greek myth can be found in brand names, logos, names of sports teams and so on. Think Nike (Greek goddess of victory), Asus (from Pegasus, the flying horse) and the Versace logo (which features a Gorgon head).
The importance of Greek mythology has influenced society in numerous ways, and it’s often credited for being the roots of modern thinking. The stories hold important morals and lessons that are relevant even today. Our series of articles capture the essence of the Greek myths, covering their importance, symbolism and relevance today.
English words come from various sources, as the language was shaped by the influence of many older as well as different languages and cultures. As you’d expect, this means that quite a lot of ...
One thing that most ancient religions and myths have in common are the number of bizarre stories and concepts that they carried. Not only are many such myths incredibly disturbing from today’s ...
The Nine Muses were minor goddesses of Greek mythology, who were closely linked to the arts and sciences. They guided and inspired mortals in their creation of literature, music, drama and other ...
Greek mythology is the home of many fantastic and magical weapons used by the Greek heroes, demi-gods, gods, and Titans. Yet, for some reason, Greek myths aren’t usually associated with their ...
Perhaps most renowned for her involvement with Odysseus in Homer’s epic the Odyssey, the nymph Calypso often evokes mixed feelings in Greek mythology. Calypso - devious or lovingly devoted? You ...
Many Greek gods are famous to this day for their unique looks, myths, and characteristics. There’s one goddess, however, that we know very little of, even though she sounds like she should have ...
In Greek mythology, “Aeolus” is a name given to three characters who are genealogically related. Their accounts are also so similar that ancient mythographers ended up mixing them up.
Three ...
In ancient Greek mythology, there were several deities related to the notion of moral balance (or ‘sophrosyne’). Among these, Astraea, the virgin goddess of justice, stands out for being the last ...
Love has been a powerful driving force throughout all of mankind’s history. It is an emotion so complex and relevant to cultural life, that the Greeks had not one but several deities for it. In ...
In Greek mythology, each mountain was believed to have its own deity. The Ourea were the primordial deities that represented the mountains of the world known to ancient Greeks. They were the ...
Greek mythology is filled to the brim with erotic desire and and sexual misconduct. Zeus, the almighty King of the Gods, cheated on his wife regularly with many women, goddesses, demi-goddesses, ...
A daughter of the Greek god of war Ares and a Queen of the famous Amazon warrior women, Hippolyta is one of the most celebrated Greek heroines. But who exactly was this mythical figure and what ...
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