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Kate Fleetwood as Medea at the Almeida theatre, London, 2015.

Fruits of the loom: why Greek myths are relevant for all time

From Medea to Helen of Troy, Greek myths still speak to the modern world. Classicist Charlotte Higgins explores stories that weave together the fabric of our existence

A mong my most treasured books as a child was a volume of Greek myths. My eldest brother, a sleep-deprived junior doctor at the time, bought it for me from a warren-like bookshop near his flat in London. The shop, sadly, is long gone, but I still have Children of the Gods by Kenneth McLeish, illustrated by Elisabeth Frink. It infiltrated my childhood imagination – it was one of the things that set me on the path to studying classics, and becoming a writer. The stories were strange and wild, full of powerful witches, unpredictable gods and sword-wielding slayers. They were also extreme: about families who turn murderously on each other; impossible tasks set by cruel kings; love that goes wrong; wars and journeys and terrible loss. There was magic, there was shapeshifting, there were monsters, there were descents to the land of the dead. Humans and immortals inhabited the same world, which was sometimes perilous, sometimes exciting. The stories were obviously fantastical. All the same, brothers really do war with each other. People tell the truth but aren’t believed. Wars destroy the innocent. Lovers are parted. Parents endure the grief of losing children. Women suffer violence at the hands of men. The cleverest of people can be blind to what is really going on. The law of the land can contradict what you know to be just. Mysterious diseases devastate cities. Floods and fire tear lives apart.

For the Greeks, the word muthos simply meant a traditional tale. In the 21st century, we have long left behind the political and religious framework in which these stories first circulated – but their power endures. Greek myths remain true for us because they excavate the very extremes of human experience: sudden, inexplicable catastrophe; radical reversals of fortune; seemingly arbitrary events that transform lives. They deal, in short, in the hard basic facts of the human condition. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, myths were everywhere. The stories were painted on the pottery that people ate and drank from; they were carved into the pediments of the temples outside which they sacrificed to the gods; they were the raw material of the songs they sang and the rituals they performed. Myths provided a shared cultural language, and a tentacular, ever-branching network of routes towards understanding the nature of the world, of human and divine life. They explained the stars. They told of the creation of plants and animals, rocks and streams. They hovered around individual locales, explaining the origin of towns, regional cults and families. They reinforced customs and norms – sometimes offering a narrative justification for habits of oppression, not least of women and outsiders. For a people scattered liberally across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea – Greek culture flowed out well beyond the boundaries of the modern Greek state – they also provided a shared sense of cultural identity.

What we think of as “the Greek myths” are the stories we find in the poetry, plays and prose of the ancient Greeks and Romans – a world also animated by an extraordinary surviving visual culture including ceramics, sculpture and frescoes. These myths deal with a long-lost past in which the worlds of immortals and humans overlap, and in which some exceptional humans can become almost divine. It is from this vast, contradictory, extraordinarily variegated body of literature that the tales in my new book are taken.

There was no canonical, fully authoritative account of the Greek myths in antiquity. There were certainly versions of stories that dominated. Euripides’s rendering of the Medea story, for example, became extremely popular, and you can see its famous final scene – the titular character magnificent in her dragon-drawn chariot – painted on Greek pots. But stories of the Greeks were endlessly variable, endlessly proliferating. The dizzying variety of stories reflects the geography, politics and culture of the Greek world – scattered over a mountainous mainland, a jagged coastline, hundreds of islands, and the western seaboard of what is now Anatolia. From the 8th century BC onwards, expanding trade networks also led Greeks to settle around the Black Sea, and on the coasts of north Africa, southern France and Spain. The same goddess might come with different associations, and differently weighted stories, in different city-states.

Penelope welcomes her husband Odysseus after he has rid the palace of the suitors.

This bubbling, argumentative diversity is reflected in classical literature. Disagreement on the details, I’d go so far as to say, is one of the most noticeable aspects of Greek storytelling about gods and mortals; ancient mythography is full of warnings along the lines of “some people say this happened but other people, somewhere else, say that something different happened”. For writers from antiquity onwards, this sense of branching choices has provided exhilarating freedom. A change of emphasis in a mythical tale could happen through compressing certain details in favour of expanding others. (A stratagem often used by the tragedians was to use an apparently minor episode in Homer as the seed from which to grow an entire plot.) It could happen through selecting a particular point of view for the telling, as Ovid does in his Heroides , a series of poems in the form of letters from female characters to mythical heroes. Stories could be radically altered: a playwright could perfectly well write a play in which Helen of Troy never actually goes to Troy. (I’m referring to Euripides’s Helen, in which the Greeks and Trojans fight over a replica Helen made of clouds, while the real woman sits out the war in Egypt; the playwright was borrowing the idea from the sixth-century BC poet Stesichorus.)

For the tragic playwrights of the fifth century BC, myth also offered a means of confronting contemporary politics and society. Aeschylus’s Oresteia trilogy is set in the distant aftermath of the Trojan war, but it also offers an origin myth – and thus a kind of legitimisation – for a new democratic order in Athens. Euripides’s Trojan Women and Hecuba are also set at the time of Troy’s defeat, but you can read them as reflections on the moral failures of the playwright’s own day, as Athens poured resources and human lives into a grinding 30-year conflict with Sparta. That’s partly why the plays are still being staged now, their urgency and vitality undimmed.

For all these reasons, the modern reteller can never be some kind of faithful handmaiden of the stories. She must choose where, and at whom, to point the camera. In the compendia of mythical stories produced in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly those for children, the camera was usually pointed firmly at the figure of the hero. These characters – Heracles, Perseus, Jason, Theseus – were often subtly, or unsubtly, co-opted to offer models of male virtue for their young readers. Female characters were frequently relegated to the background as defenceless virgins, vicious monsters or grotesque old women. Homosexual desire was usually banished altogether.

Helen of Troy, by Evelyn de Morgan.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s volumes A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls and Tanglewood Tales provide excellent examples of this kind of tendency: his Theseus is a stout-hearted chap, unafraid of monsters; his Ariadne too virtuous a maid to abandon her family; his Medea reduced to a vindictive, jealous stepmother and ill-natured enchantress.

A complication for the reader (and reteller) is that the heros of ancient Greek literature was not at all the kind of person meant when the word “hero” is used in modern English – the self-sacrificing military man whom Hawthorne might have had in mind, or the frontline healthcare worker we might think of today. The heros of Greek literature was an extreme and disturbing figure, closely connected to the gods. Achilles is by modern standards a war criminal who violates his enemy’s corpse; Heracles murders his own wife and children; Theseus is a rapist.

Some of the flattening-down of the strangeness and violence of the characters of classical literature has doubtless been an understandable consequence of retelling the tales with children in mind. But the Greek myths shouldn’t be thought of as children’s stories – or just as children’s stories. In some ways, they are the most grownup stories I know. In recent years there has been a blossoming of novels – among them Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls , Natalie Haynes’s A Thousand Ships and Madeline Miller’s Circe – that have placed female mythological characters at the centre of stories to which they have often been regarded as peripheral. And authors such as Kamila Shamsie (in her novel Home Fire ) have used Greek myths as frameworks on which to hang modern stories. My new book, however, is more like an ancient mythological compendium than a novel. My work has not been to bring psychological insight to bear on a cast of characters as they develop through time, as a novelist might do, but to beckon the reader onwards through a many storied landscape, finding a particular path through a forest of tales.

To emphasise the contrast between different approaches is not to devalue the old retellings, such as Roger Lancelyn Green’s wonderful volume for children, Tales of the Greek Heroes , or Robert Graves’s beautifully written The Greek Myths , which provides an intriguing monument to his own preoccupations, prejudices and theories. Rather, it is to underline the power of the Greek myths to produce resonance for every new reader and writer, and for every generation. Once activated by a fresh imagination, the stories burst into fresh life. The Greek myths are the opposite of timeless: they are timely.

My first concern was to decide how to frame or organise my chosen stories. I considered the greatest of all compendia of myths: Ovid’s Metamorphoses , an epic poem about legendary transformations. Its content is inseparable from its structure: the poem organically transforms as it progresses, seamlessly unfurling each new story from the last. The form itself is expressive. Nothing is stable, it says. Everything is contingent, matter is always on the move.

Statues of Aphrodite and Artemis in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Clearly, I am not out to rival Ovid, but I realised that, like Ovid, I wanted the form of my chosen stories to be expressive in itself. I thought about other ancient authors who had framed mythological poems or compendia around various themes. One early text had used female characters as its organising principle: the fragmentary Catalogue of Women , once attributed to Hesiod. What remains is important and often beautiful; but it is a work that is largely concerned to establish genealogies of heroes, and the women’s chief role is to give birth. There was also the lost Ornithigonia by Boios, about the mythical origins of birds; the little handbook of erotic stories, Sufferings in Love by Parthenius of Nicaea (said to have been Virgil’s Greek teacher); and the fragmentary collection of star myths, Catasterismi , attributed to the Libya-born polymath, Eratosthenes. I decided to frame my Greek myths as stories told by female characters. Or to be strictly accurate, my women are not telling the stories. They have, rather, woven their tales on to elaborate textiles. The book, in large part, consists of my descriptions of these imagined tapestries.

This idea is rooted in a recurring motif in classical literature: the idea of telling stories through descriptions of spectacular artworks, a literary convention known as ekphrasis. The first and most famous ekphrasis is the description of the scenes decorating the shield of Achilles, in the Iliad . Much later, in the first century BC, the entire story of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur was told by the Roman poet Catullus through a long description of the designs woven into a bedspread. A feature of ekphrasis was that the item under description could, at times, take on its own life as a narrative, escaping the status of an imagined object. Specifically, though, the idea is inspired by the occasions in classical literature when female characters take control of a story.

On a number of striking occasions, this happens through the act of weaving. Take Helen of Troy: when we first encounter this most famous of literary characters, in book three of the Iliad , she is at her loom, weaving the stories of the struggles between the Greeks and the Trojans. She is the only person in the poem who has the insight to stand at a distance from the events unfolding in front of her, to interpret them, and to make art about them. Intriguingly, an early commentator on the poem, writing in antiquity, observed of this passage: “The poet has formed a worthy model for his own poetic enterprise.” Both writer and character are, the early critic noticed, making art from the same material – the poet in verse, Helen in tapestry.

Laurretta Summerscales in Yabin Wang’s reading of the Medea myth, M-Dao, by English National Ballet, 2016.

In the Odyssey , Penelope waits at home on the island of Ithaca for her husband, Odysseus. He has been away for 20 years, 10 years besieging Troy, and another 10 who knows where. He’s probably dead. It is time for her to remarry. She tells the suitors who are harassing her that she will decide on a husband when she has finished making her father-in-law’s winding sheet. Every day she weaves. Every night she unravels her work, delaying the decision. Describing this device, which is also a plot device, she uses the verb tolupeuein , which means to roll wool into rovings for spinning – or, metaphorically, to contrive a stratagem.

In Ovid’s Metamorphoses , Philomela, an Athenian princess, has been imprisoned and raped. The perpetrator, her brother-in-law Tereus, has cut out her tongue to prevent her from telling anyone. But she weaves her story, and thus bears witness to the crime, moving the plot along to a gruesome conclusion. In another part of Metamorphoses , a young woman called Arachne challenges the goddess Minerva (the Roman version of Athena) to a tapestry-making contest. Arachne weaves a design showing the terrible crimes committed by the gods; Minerva – who is, significantly, the goddess of winning – depicts the stories of the awful punishments that lie in wait for humans when they challenge the gods. Arachne will soon discover the consequences of her choice of design. These are some of the characters who control the many narratives contained in my book.

Chris Ofili’s illustration of Odysseus’s return, for Greek Myths: A New Retelling

Running through Greek and Roman thought is a persistent connection between the written word and the woven thread, between text and textile. The Latin verb texere , from which the English words text and textile derive, means to weave, or compose, or to fit a complex structure together. Textum means fabric, or framework, or even, in certain branches of materialist philosophy, atomic structure. The universe itself is sometimes described as a kind of fabric: Lucretius, in his first-century BC scientific poem On the Nature of the Universe , describes the earth, sea and sky as three dissimilar elements that are texta , woven together. Texere is related to the Greek verb tikto , which means to engender, to bring about, to produce, to give birth to. In turn the Latin and Greek words are related to the Sanskrit takman , child, and taksh , to make or to weave. Greek and Roman literature is full of metaphors that compare its own creation to spinning and weaving. Ovid describes Metamorphoses , for example, as deduct um carmen , a fine-spun song. When relating how he outwitted the Cyclops, Homer’s Odysseus says: “I wove all kinds of wiles and cunning schemes” – which you could read as a description of the shrewd design of the Odyssey itself.

My book reasserts the connectedness of all this: text and textile, the universe, the production of ideas, the telling of stories, and the delicate filaments of human life. These are the lives that are so cunningly and ruthlessly manipulated by the Fates, the all powerful ancient goddesses who spin, wind and finally cut the thread of each person’s existence.

Greek Myths: A New Retelling is published by Jonathan Cape (£20) . To support the Guardian and the Observer buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com . Delivery charges may apply.

Charlotte Higgins will be in conversation with Mary Beard about the Greek myths at a Guardian Live online event on 3 November. Book tickets here

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Greek gods and religious practices.

Terracotta aryballos (oil flask)

Terracotta aryballos (oil flask)

Signed by Nearchos as potter

Bronze Herakles

Bronze Herakles

Bronze mirror with a support in the form of a nude girl

Bronze mirror with a support in the form of a nude girl

Terracotta column-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)

Terracotta column-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)

Attributed to Lydos

Terracotta kylix (drinking cup)

Terracotta kylix (drinking cup)

Attributed to the Amasis Painter

Terracotta Panathenaic prize amphora

Terracotta Panathenaic prize amphora

Attributed to the Euphiletos Painter

Terracotta amphora (jar)

Terracotta amphora (jar)

Signed by Andokides as potter

Terracotta Panathenaic prize amphora

Attributed to the Kleophrades Painter

Terracotta statuette of Nike, the personification of victory

Terracotta statuette of Nike, the personification of victory

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)

Attributed to the Tithonos Painter

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)

Attributed to the Nikon Painter

Terracotta stamnos (jar)

Terracotta stamnos (jar)

Attributed to the Menelaos Painter

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)

Attributed to the Sabouroff Painter

Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)

Attributed to the Phiale Painter

Marble head of a woman wearing diadem and veil

Marble head of a woman wearing diadem and veil

Terracotta oinochoe: chous (jug)

Terracotta oinochoe: chous (jug)

Attributed to the Meidias Painter

Gold ring

Ganymede jewelry

Set of jewelry

Set of jewelry

Gold stater

Gold stater

Bronze statue of Eros sleeping

Bronze statue of Eros sleeping

Ten marble fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief

Ten marble fragments of the Great Eleusinian Relief

Limestone statue of a veiled female votary

Limestone statue of a veiled female votary

Marble head of a deity wearing a Dionysiac fillet

Marble head of a deity wearing a Dionysiac fillet

Marble statue of an old woman

Marble statue of an old woman

Marble statuette of young Dionysos

Marble statuette of young Dionysos

Colette Hemingway Independent Scholar

Seán Hemingway Department of Greek and Roman Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2003

The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods, each with a distinct personality and domain. Greek myths explained the origins of the gods and their individual relations with mankind. The art of Archaic and Classical Greece illustrates many mythological episodes, including an established iconography of attributes that identify each god. There were twelve principal deities in the Greek pantheon. Foremost was Zeus, the sky god and father of the gods, to whom the ox and the oak tree were sacred; his two brothers, Hades and Poseidon, reigned over the Underworld and the sea, respectively. Hera, Zeus’s sister and wife, was queen of the gods; she is frequently depicted wearing a tall crown, or polos. Wise Athena, the patron goddess of Athens ( 1996.178 ), who typically appears in full armor with her aegis (a goatskin with a snaky fringe), helmet, and spear ( 07.286.79 ), was also the patroness of weaving and carpentry. The owl and the olive tree were sacred to her. Youthful Apollo ( 53.224 ), who is often represented with the kithara , was the god of music and prophecy. Judging from his many cult sites, he was one of the most important gods in Greek religion. His main sanctuary at Delphi, where Greeks came to ask questions of the oracle, was considered to be the center of the universe ( 63.11.6 ). Apollo’s twin sister Artemis, patroness of hunting, often carried a bow and quiver. Hermes ( 25.78.2 ), with his winged sandals and elaborate herald’s staff, the kerykeion, was the messenger god. Other important deities were Aphrodite, the goddess of love; Dionysos, the god of wine and theater ; Ares, the god of war ; and the lame Hephaistos, the god of metalworking. The ancient Greeks believed that Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in mainland Greece, was the home of the gods.

Ancient Greek religious practice, essentially conservative in nature, was based on time-honored observances, many rooted in the Bronze Age (3000–1050 B.C.), or even earlier. Although the Iliad and the Odyssey of Homer, believed to have been composed around the eighth century B.C., were powerful influences on Greek thought, the ancient Greeks had no single guiding work of scripture like the Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible, or the Muslim Qu’ran. Nor did they have a strict priestly caste. The relationship between human beings and deities was based on the concept of exchange: gods and goddesses were expected to give gifts. Votive offerings, which have been excavated from sanctuaries by the thousands, were a physical expression of thanks on the part of individual worshippers.

The Greeks worshipped in sanctuaries located, according to the nature of the particular deity, either within the city or in the countryside. A sanctuary was a well-defined sacred space set apart usually by an enclosure wall. This sacred precinct, also known as a temenos, contained the temple with a monumental cult image of the deity, an outdoor altar, statues and votive offerings to the gods, and often features of landscape such as sacred trees or springs. Many temples benefited from their natural surroundings, which helped to express the character of the divinities. For instance, the temple at Sounion dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea, commands a spectacular view of the water on three sides, and the Parthenon on the rocky Athenian Akropolis celebrates the indomitable might of the goddess Athena.

The central ritual act in ancient Greece was animal sacrifice, especially of oxen, goats, and sheep. Sacrifices took place within the sanctuary, usually at an altar in front of the temple, with the assembled participants consuming the entrails and meat of the victim. Liquid offerings, or libations ( 1979.11.15 ), were also commonly made. Religious festivals, literally feast days, filled the year. The four most famous festivals, each with its own procession, athletic competitions ( 14.130.12 ), and sacrifices, were held every four years at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia. These Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world. Many other festivals were celebrated locally, and in the case of mystery cults , such as the one at Eleusis near Athens, only initiates could participate.

Hemingway, Colette, and Seán Hemingway. “Greek Gods and Religious Practices.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grlg/hd_grlg.htm (October 2003)

Further Reading

Burkert, Walter. Greek Religion . Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1985.

Hornblower, Simon, and Antony Spawforth, eds. The Oxford Classical Dictionary . 3d ed., rev. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Pedley, John Griffiths. Greek Art and Archaeology . 2d ed. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998.

Pomeroy, Sarah B., et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History . New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Robertson, Martin. A History of Greek Art . 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1975.

Additional Essays by Seán Hemingway

  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition .” (April 2007)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Greek Hydriai (Water Jars) and Their Artistic Decoration .” (July 2007)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Hellenistic Jewelry .” (April 2007)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Intellectual Pursuits of the Hellenistic Age .” (April 2007)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Mycenaean Civilization .” (October 2003)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Africans in Ancient Greek Art .” (January 2008)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Ancient Greek Colonization and Trade and their Influence on Greek Art .” (July 2007)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.) .” (January 2008)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Athletics in Ancient Greece .” (October 2002)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander the Great .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ The Technique of Bronze Statuary in Ancient Greece .” (October 2003)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Cyprus—Island of Copper .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Music in Ancient Greece .” (October 2001)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Etruscan Art .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Prehistoric Cypriot Art and Culture .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Seán. “ Minoan Crete .” (October 2002)

Additional Essays by Colette Hemingway

  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Art of the Hellenistic Age and the Hellenistic Tradition .” (April 2007)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Greek Hydriai (Water Jars) and Their Artistic Decoration .” (July 2007)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Hellenistic Jewelry .” (April 2007)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Intellectual Pursuits of the Hellenistic Age .” (April 2007)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Mycenaean Civilization .” (October 2003)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Retrospective Styles in Greek and Roman Sculpture .” (July 2007)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Africans in Ancient Greek Art .” (January 2008)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Ancient Greek Colonization and Trade and their Influence on Greek Art .” (July 2007)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Architecture in Ancient Greece .” (October 2003)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.) .” (January 2008)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ The Labors of Herakles .” (January 2008)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Athletics in Ancient Greece .” (October 2002)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ The Rise of Macedon and the Conquests of Alexander the Great .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ The Technique of Bronze Statuary in Ancient Greece .” (October 2003)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Women in Classical Greece .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Cyprus—Island of Copper .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Music in Ancient Greece .” (October 2001)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) and Art .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Etruscan Art .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Prehistoric Cypriot Art and Culture .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Sardis .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Medicine in Classical Antiquity .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Southern Italian Vase Painting .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Theater in Ancient Greece .” (October 2004)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ The Kithara in Ancient Greece .” (October 2002)
  • Hemingway, Colette. “ Minoan Crete .” (October 2002)

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List of Rulers

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  • Ancient Greece, 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
  • Ancient Greece, 1–500 A.D.
  • Southern Europe, 2000–1000 B.C.
  • Southern Europe, 8000–2000 B.C.
  • 10th Century B.C.
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  • Ancient Greek Art
  • Aphrodite / Venus
  • Archaic Period
  • Ares / Mars
  • Artemis / Diana
  • Athena / Minerva
  • Balkan Peninsula
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  • Deity / Religious Figure
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  • Musical Instrument
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  • Mythical Creature
  • Nike / Victory
  • Plucked String Instrument
  • Poseidon / Neptune
  • Religious Art
  • Satyr / Faun
  • String Instrument
  • Zeus / Jupiter

Artist or Maker

  • Achilles Painter
  • Amasis Painter
  • Andokides Painter
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  • Lysippides Painter
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Greek Mythology Influence Analytical Essay

Introduction, reference list.

The impact of Greek mythology on the modern society cannot go unnoticed. Many spheres of the modern society have borrowed heavily on Greek mythology. Areas like modern language, arts and traditions among others all exhibit the influence of Greek tradition in the modern society.

A good example of this is where people with no or little understanding of Greek legends still know that Hercules was a strongman and that Venus is the god responsible for love. This goes ahead to show how the Greek mythologies have taken root in our modern society. In fact, majority of the traditions that people in the modern society carry out have their origin in Greece.

One Greek mythology that has influenced the whole world is the celebration of the Olympic Games. According to historians, the Olympic Games are a traditional Greek sport that was established in 776 B.C. The Greeks used these athletic contests to award vegetal crowns to people who excelled in different areas.

According to historians, the foundation of the Olympic Games is credited to Herakles. According to the myth, Zeus set up the games to celebrate his legendary success over his father Kronos. This event was celebrated once every four years and involved all Greece citizens.

As time went by, the rest of the world adopted the use of Olympic Games as a unifying event. Today, the Olympic Games are regarded as the most popular sporting event in history. In fact, the modern day sport has minimal differences compared to the original games. This goes a long way in exhibiting just how Greek culture has influenced the world systems. (Barringer, 2010)

In the modern society, very few people can speak Greek fluently. However, the English language has been greatly shaped by Greek mythologies. An example of this is a term like “Herculean task”, which refers to doing something that requires a big effort. According to historians, the term comes from the Greek legend that refers to the labors assigned to Hercules. Another common name in the English language that has its roots from the Greeks is the sleep inducing drug known as morphine.

According to English experts, this name has its origins from Morpheus, the Greek god responsible for bringing sleep. The Greek god of love Zeus otherwise known as aphrodisiac has also been incorporated in the English language. Today, the modern language uses the term aphrodisiac to refer to any stuff or condition that stimulates sexual need.

Besides their use in languages, Greek mythology also has a great impact on science. Today, most heavenly bodies have been given the names of Greek characters. On top of this, nearly all the planets and most of the stars in the solar system have been given Roman translations of Greek characters.

There is no doubt that the modern world has borrowed much from Greek mythology. Reference to Greek mythology proliferate every sphere of our society. The Olympic Games one of the most celebrated athletic sport has its origins from the Greek culture.

The sport has undergone the test of time and today it is considered as an event that unifies the world. In fact, some things that we take for granted as maps have their origin from Greek myths. The Europe continent that houses many communities is named after Europa, the virgin carried off by Zeus, who tricked her by masquerading as a bull.

Barringer, J. (2010) Art, Myth, and Ritual in Classical Greece . Retrieved from http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521646475&ss=exc

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The Greek Mythology and Its Influence on the Modern Societies

The Greek Mythology and Its Influence on the Modern Societies

Introduction.

Greek Mythology has indeed played significant contributions to contemporary society. The study of Greek mythology has always been understated as it has received minimal emphasis without considering the weight it has on the shape and structure of modern society. Therefore, the study of Greek mythology gives a good understanding of the History of the Greeks considering their gods and goddesses of the Greeks. It is important to note that myths have two significant functions in modern societies. Firstly, myths are meant to provide answers to awkward and strange questions that children often ask and also the second role of myths is to give justifications of the existing social systems or structures and provide an account of the old rites, cultures or customers. However, mythology refers to the collections of several myths, legends, tales, and stories that are frequently passed down from one particular generation to another through the use of various means and depicted in several ways (Graves 1990).

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Thus, this paper will explicitly discuss how Greek mythology influences us today. More specifically, the paper will outline Greek mythology's impact on culture, arts, industry, language, science, and the Christianity.

Is there an impact of Greek mythology on western culture? Greek mythology has been passed on through many ways and has brought great significance in the modern western society. The mythologies within the Greek myths have influenced many individuals of all ages. It has many ideas and stories that allow Greek mythology to gain importance in our modern world. The Greek myths and stories form part of literature, language, industry marketing and all forms of media in the cinema world.

What Impact Has Greek Mythology Had on Today's World Industries?

What is an example of the influence of Greek mythology and symbols on our culture? Different companies exist throughout the globe with the Greek mythologies with most of them being in Europe and America. Most of the companies are identified by an individual as having a connection to the Greek mythology heroes or persons.

Many industries and company names including some sayings have their origin from Greek Mythology. An example is Ajax cleaning, which is a cleaning brand. Ajax was a Greek warrior who fought in the Trojan War. Dionysus Wine and Spirits Company is another example of a company that had its name originate from Greek mythology. Many others include Medusa headphones and the Tennessee Titans football team. Nike, a very popular sports brand, is based on the goddess of victory. Pandora jewelry is also named after the first woman that was mentioned in Greek mythology. A famous computer virus known as Trojan meaning to harp is derived from the Greek culture referred to as the harpy. Another saying is that of calling someone nemesis which means a minor god (Dowden and Ken 2011).

Various companies have used the Greek mythology terms to name the different companies. For instance, the Amazon Company which is one of the most recognized companies in e-commerce services. Very few people have understood that the site is named after the warrior women race in the ancient Greeks. Moreover, the Venus Company is named after the Greek goddess of love who was called the Aphrodite. The goddess was also known for her beauty and pleasure. Therefore, the company used the brand name to portray the beauty, love, and happiness that the world is described by the Venus skin.

The modern marketing society plays an important role in our industries since it has significant influence in the flow of goods and services. The identity and brand of a particular good are considered to be very crucial in the marketing industry.

Further, in the Greek mythology, Ambrosia,' which is a Greek term for the Gods food and sometimes used to refer to their drinks, exists in the Ambrosia software. Some well-known foods that had their name originate from this Greek term include Ambrosia Salad and the Ambrosia Natural Foods.

Also, the mythological being Centaur that is part human and part horse, in our society give the centaur floor machines, Centaur riding school and the centaur therapy company the origin of their names.

Furthermore, the Greek goddess of agriculture in Greek mythology called Demeter, has audio devices and products designed and manufactured by Demeter Amplification. There also exists a center of software services called Demeter as well as a consultation agency called Demeter Matrix Alliance.

The United States air force has a transport plane that is used to carry huge weapons and war tools called Hercules. They also have a company that manufactures chemicals and their resulting products. This chemical company has been named Hercules Incorporated.

Besides, the name Hyperion has the meaning, he who goes before the sun. This theory exists in the field of business analysis software as well as a company which has a website named www.hyperion.com. Hyperion word is also used in the publishing of business books.

Trident which comes from the trident of Poseidon is used for a known gum and a Greek sea god called Poseidon is found in a traveling agency known as Poseidon travel. In the Greek mythology, the word Angus is used to refer to a giant watchman that has 100 eyes. In our society, Angus Security is a security company that deals with the protection of commercial business enterprises.

Effect of Greek Mythology on Science

Besides, in science, it is said that our solar system is heliocentric, which means that the planets run around Helios. Then, there is a theory called the Gaia theory. The word Gaia is an implication with its roots from the Greek mythology meaning Mother of Earths (Woodard and Roger 2007).

In modern science, scientists use various terminologies for natural satellites. Those names are attributed to have their roots from the Greek mythological stories. Some quotations depict some natural satellites that are named after the Greek mythological creations and the stories related to them.

In computer science, which field illustrates the influence of Greek mythology and symbolism, Trojan horse is used to refer to a computer virus that pretends to exist without harm but in the real sense, it causes damage to the computer. The virus name is derived from Greek mythology. Homer gives the description about the story of the Trojan horse from which this meaning was derived.

Greek Mythology Influence on English Language

Before the Renaissance, specialists and scholars could not borrow the Greek terms; they were rather used by ordinary individuals. Afterward, these terms became part of the English language in many indirect ways.

It's hard to count how many languages did Greek mythology influence, but it has great effects on the modern English language in different ways. Examples include; the herculean. A task that refers to the twelve labors of Hercules, at the time he was attempting to do an impossible mission.

Morpheus is a Greek name that refers to the Greek god of sleep. Morphine means the drug both of which comes from this Greek name Morpheus.

Panic is a Greek word that means chaos or pandemonium. It is also used by the Greeks to refer to the woods or fields. The word panic arose when chasing a young maiden into the woods.

Achilles' story came from Greek mythology. The only place in his body that was susceptible to attack was his heel. And now the word Achilles heel had its origin from this story. When Achilles was a baby, it was said that an arrow in his foot would lead to his death. The only way that his death would be prevented was that his mother would take him to river Styx which would offer him the powers of invincibility. His mother would do this by dippingAchilles body into the water while holding him by the heels. His heels were not supposed to be washed by the water from this magical river (Dowden and Ken 2011).

As an example of Greek mythology's influence on modern society, many modern expressions have illusions from famous people and events from Greek mythology. The expressions are too many to count but still, they can be found in our society. Such an expression includes being caught between a rock and a hard place,' between the devil and deep blue sea.' Both phrases come from the tales about sailors caught between the monsters of Scylla and Charybdis of Greek mythology.

The Odysseus journey also refers to his attempt to pass Scylla which is a symbol of his influence on culture for many years. These expressions are often used in English conversations as well as literary expressions.

Past writers like Shakespeare and Dante often refer to Greek mythologies. For example, the Greek drama, narratives, and songs are specific subjects of study and scrutiny by many theorists and philosophers.

In coming up with the terms Electra complex and Oedipus complex, Sigmund Freud borrowed these from Greek mythology in developing his theories related to human development. All these show how easy it is to see that Greek mythology is the root of different aspects in our modern language and expressions (Waterfield 2012).

Besides, Greek mythology's influence on language and culture does not have a concern on single terms. There are numerous terms, expressions, songs, proverbs and words that are related to old Greek mythology.

So many names are derived from the Greek gods. Such names include the volcano. Volcano originates from a Roman god Vulcan who was a god of the forge. The famous book of maps, the Atlas, comes from a Greek Titan that carries the heavens on his shoulders. The word cereals come from a Greek goddess word of agriculture. Medicines came from this too.

Greek Mythology’s Influence on Modern Literature and Art

The most important form of literature that has an influence on modern society is the works that are made for young readers. The format of these works varies and has different impacts on young people. Each topic differs on the topics of the Greek mythological world. The childrens books vary in formats, methods, and composition. They include picture books, novels, coloring books, dictionaries and comic books. Some comic books are published in series and the Greek heroes give an important literary work that can permit young readers to notice the way authors interpret the Greek mythological texts (Waterfield 2012).

Apart from the language and industry, Greek mythology has also influenced the modern day arts. The modern day arts have always incorporated Greek mythology in its different features. In the music industry, for instance, the all-female rock band called The Bangles featured in the top hits in 1980 with its single which was called Venus. Also, many movies have been developed by mythical characters. Famous movies that have used the mythical characters include Percy Jackson and the lightning thief, Hercules and Troy have clearly demonstrated the Greek myth in the modern audience. Moreover, Inception, a movie which is directed and produced by Leonardo Dicaprio was hugely motivated by the Greeks myths as it has shown the myth of labyrinth. It is likely that the mythical prince Ariadne was well acquainted with the secrets of ways of manipulating the maze.

Besides, many poets and writers for instance William Shakespeare, Dante, Milton, and T.S Eliot were highly inspired and motivated by the Greek mythology that enabled them to use the mythology in the majority of their works. For instance, the poets, and writers majorly used direct allusions to portray their feelings and the general objectives in their works. They, therefore, make references to Greek mythology to enhance more understanding and knowledge of the Greek myths(Graf 1996).

Furthermore, one of the most recognized arts and literature shows the Greek mythology influence today. For instance, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli is considered one of the most famous paintings or artworks that are still relevant in today's modern world.

Moreover, the Olympic games which is one of the most celebrated and recognized games and competitions in the world currently attracts many athletes and competitors all...

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Essay – Greek Mythology And Its Influences

We have all grown up listening to stories about heroes and villains, about good and evil, about what’s right and what’s wrong. But have we ever wondered where these stories originated from? Given this wondrous opportunity I would like to enlighten you on a certain section of such stories namely -Greek Mythology!

A myth refers to a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon and typically involves supernatural beings or events.

All the way back in 1955, the poet and scholar Robert Graves, wrote that myths have two main functions. The first is to answer awkward questions such as ‘Who made the world?’ ‘Where do souls go after death’ and ‘Who was the first man?’. The second function is to justify an existing social system and account for traditional rites and customs.

Myths originated in prehistoric times, that is, before writing was invented. Without written records it is difficult for us to know specifically when or how myths came about. It is only through archaeological clues and prehistoric works of art that tentative assumptions about the nature of these early myths can be made.

Ancient Greece had stories about Gods, Goddesses, heroes and monsters that played an important part of everyday life. There is no original source in Greek mythology that introduces all of the myths’ characters and storylines, as there is in the Christian Bible or the Hindu Vedas. Greek myths were initially propagated in an oral-poetic tradition most likely by Minoan and Mycenaean singers starting in the 18th century BC. However, these stories explained everything from religious rituals to the weather, customs, institutions, or religious rites of people. They gave meaning to the world people saw around them.

Some of the most famous Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology were: • Zeus (king of the Gods, controlled the sky, thunder and the weather); • Hera (Zeus’ wife, the Goddess of women, marriage and family); • Poseidon (brother of Zeus, God of seas and earthquakes); • Aphrodite (the Goddess of love and beauty); • Hades (Zeus and Poseidon’s elder brother, he represented death); • Hermes (A son of Zeus, messenger of the Gods); • Demeter (Goddess of agriculture, vegetation and crop growth); • Apollo (God of music, arts, light and medicine); • Athena (Goddess of wisdom, skill and war).

It was believed that the family of Greek gods lived in a cloud palace above Mount Olympus which was the highest mountain in Greece. These gods were thought to have special powers, and each had control over a different aspect of life. Diving further into all these Gods and Goddesses would help us understand the roles and importance they played in ancient Greece.

  • Zeus Zeus was the king of the Gods. He was believed to be the most powerful as he was the God of the sky, thunder, and controlled the weather. He had different powers, his most famous being the ability to hurl lightning bolts at those who displeased him! He hated dishonesty, and would punish those who lied or broke promises.
  • Hera Hera was Zeus’ wife and queen of the Gods. She would have been the second most powerful as being married to Zeus’ was no ordinary thing. She would have had to have not only beauty but also brains. She is believed to be the Goddess of women, marriage and family. Hera was well worshipped by the Ancient Greeks, and the oldest and most important temples of the region were built in honour of her.
  • Poseidon Poseidon was the brother of Zeus, and God of the sea and earthquakes. Although one of the Gods of Mount Olympus, he spent most of his time in the ocean. His weapon was a trident which was said to be so powerful it could shake the earth and shatter any object! He had a reputation for being bad-tempered and moody, and would seek revenge on those who angered him.
  • Aphrodite Aphrodite was the Goddess of love and beauty. The Greeks believed Aphrodite was created from the foam of the sea on the shores of Paphos, Cyprus. She was considered the most beautiful of the gods, and later married Hephaestus, God of metalwork and fire.
  • Hades Hades was Zeus and Poseidon’s elder brother. Although a God of Mount Olympus, Hades rarely left his dark kingdom, the underworld, where he ruled over the dead. Because he represented death, Hades was the most feared of the Ancient Greek Gods – some people even refused to say his name! Hades was aided in the underworld by his three headed dog, Cerberus.
  • Hermes A son of Zeus, Hermes was the messenger of the Gods. He was also responsible for guiding the dead to the underworld. Hermes was said to be the fastest of theGods and wore winged sandals and a winged hat. He was also known for his intelligence and wit, and would help Zeus with his important decisions.
  • Demeter Demeter was the Goddess of agriculture, vegetation and crop growth. She was also associated with the seasons. The Ancient Greeks believed that her daughter, Persephone, was taken from her for four months each year, during which Demeter would grieve and withdraw her gifts from the world, creating winter.
  • Apollo A son of Zeus, Apollo was the Greek God of music, arts, light and medicine. He was famous for playing the lyre (an instrument a bit like a small U-shaped harp) – and he was also believed to have invented the lute (a pear-shaped string instrument). Although associated with health and healing, together with his twin sister Artemis, he could bring disease and plague to humans.
  • Athena Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom, skill and war. She taught humans various skills and crafts such as weaving, and would protect heroes during war. She was said to be Zeus’ favourite daughter, so much so that he would allow her to use his weapons – even his thunderbolt!

So how has Greek mythology influenced modern society?

The influence of Greek mythology can be seen in many aspects of popular culture today. From the earliest days of literature, authors have drawn inspiration from the tales of Greek mythology. William Shakespeare’s plays often drew on elements of Greek mythology, and he was not alone in his use of these stories. Many modern authors have also used Greek mythology as a source of inspiration, from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books.

Greek mythology has had a profound influence on pop culture and the arts, as the stories, characters, and motifs of the myths have been adapted, interpreted, and reimagined in a wide variety of forms, from literature and film to music and visual art.

Greek mythology has also influenced some of our modern-day games such as the Olympics. The Olympic Games started in Ancient Greece in the city of Olympia. The participants were the city-states of Ancient Greece and its colonies.

The Olympic Games were held every four years in honour of Zeus, the King of the Gods. The prizes for winning were fame and glory. Statues of the winners were built and sometimes the winners’ faces were even put on coins. The Olympics of Ancient Greece lasted from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century BCE before dying out.

Inspired by the ancient Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the event by founding the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 23, 1894, and the modern Olympic Games were born. Today, we still celebrate some of the old traditions, such as the olive leaf crowns on winners’ heads, the lighting of the Olympic flame, and the Opening and Closing celebrations.

Apart from this even the buildings and architecture we see today has been largely inspired by Greek mythology. Each Greek structure was inspired by the story and unique abilities of a specific God and each aspect and characteristic of Greek architecture was designed to complement and relate to one another.

The most famous example of Greek architecture is the Parthenon, a magnificent building with pillars located in Athens. It was a temple dedicated to Athena, Queen of the Gods, from the people of Athens. The columns or pillars we see on grand buildings are mostly inspired by Greek architecture. Today, pillars are used in many public buildings such as churches and libraries. One famous modern-day building is the White House in America where President lives.

Greek mythology has had a significant influence on the naming and branding of various products and companies in modern times. Many brands and businesses have used names and imagery from Greek myths to evoke feelings of strength, power, and prestige. For example, the name of the brand “Nike,” which is known for its athletic footwear and clothing, is taken from the Greek goddess of victory. The brand’s logo, featuring the winged goddess, further emphasizes this association. Similarly, the brand “Hermes” is known for luxury leather goods, and accessories. The brand name comes from the Greek god of commerce, thieves and messenger, it also features a logo with the caduceus – symbol of Hermes.

Even many famous car manufacturers have used names from Greek mythology for their luxury models, such as the Mercedes-Benz “S-Class”, which is named after the Greek god of the moon and music. Many ships, and other transportation are also named after Greek gods and heroes, as they are associated with power and protection.

The enduring legacy of Greek mythology has had a deep impact on the branding and naming of products and companies, as the names and imagery from myths continue to evoke feelings of strength, prestige, and power.

Greek mythology is still relevant today, as the stories, characters, and concepts from the myths continue to be a source of inspiration and influence in many areas of contemporary culture. They provide a way for people to understand and relate to their own experiences and emotions, and can offer a sense of connection to a deeper, timeless human experience.

Greek myths provide valuable insight into the human condition. The myths explore universal themes such as love, hate, power, jealousy, and mortality that are still relevant today. Most people will not really notice it unless they are told to do so, but there are so many Greek influences around the world today. In fact, it is impossible to go around to completely understand the basics of things like fine arts, literature, and performing arts without touching on some Greek myths.

To summarize, any modern person who reads or hears of Greek myths will be hard-pressed to stay unaffected. They are simply that good and hence have withstood the test

By Prisha Lopez

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WOW! Congratulations Prisha 👏 The writer in you has come forth, good research and apt use of vocabulary. Wishing you success in all your future endeavours 👍😍 …. lots of love and blessings Dadu.

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    The mythologies within the Greek myths have influenced many individuals of all ages. It has many ideas and stories that allow Greek mythology to gain importance in our modern world. The Greek myths and stories form part of literature, language, industry marketing and all forms of media in the cinema world.

  21. The Influence Of Greek Mythology

    The Influence Of Greek Mythology. Greek Mythology is the ancient Greeks' way of explaining the creation of the world, as well as the weather, luck. They had stories, or myths, about gods who ruled the elements, gods who were all powerful. These gods' powers were the explanation of natural events such as: wind, rain, or sunshine, as well as ...

  22. Greek Mythology And Its Influence

    Greek mythology has had a profound influence on pop culture and the arts, as the stories, characters, and motifs of the myths have been adapted, interpreted, and reimagined in a wide variety of forms, from literature and film to music and visual art. Greek mythology has also influenced some of our modern-day games such as the Olympics.

  23. Compare and contrast the gods and goddesses of Greek and ...

    Over 500 word essay regarding the topic for greek mythology. greek and roman mythology are two of the most mythological traditions in the world. both of these. Skip to document ... While many of the gods and goddesses in both mythologies have similar names and spheres of influence, there are important differences that reflect the cultural and ...