Greek Mythology - E-book - ePub

Greek mythology is the repertoire of myths and teachings thatoriginated in ancient Greece on a wide spectrum of topics liketheir gods, heroes, the different ritual practices, thephenomenon of nature, and the significance of their cult. Thesemyths and teachings come in the form of stories which havebeen told and retold from one generation to another, andtoday, these stories are popular among people around theworld.
Many stories which are considered to be a part of Greekmythology today have had their roots in other cultures andmyths. While the Greek mythology is considered to be 2, 500years old, some stories that have originated in a differentculture may be more than 4, 500 years old. In addition to narratives, Greek myths are present in the formof sculptures, paintings and other representational arts. Vasepaintings and votive gifts were the most common mediums ofshowcasing such arts.
The most renowned literary source for Greek mythology hasbeen Homer's poems and epics. Other luminaries who areknown to have contributed to the Greek myths are Plutarchand Pausanias. Greek mythology has had a great impact on the culture, artand literature of Greece. Whether it was ancient poets orcontemporary ones, Greek mythology has been the source ofinspiration of many luminaries in the literary world.
Manyartists have been influenced by Greek mythology as well. The Greeks and Romans believed the Greek mythology to be apart of their history. They found pride in being able to tracetheir descent to the families of one of the heroes or Gods. There were very few who doubted or questioned the factsbehind these myths and teachings. This was before 5thcentury BC when Homer's epos was considered to be thebasis of Greek acculturation.
As philosophy and rationalismreplaced the myths, many began to criticize the mythologicalgenealogies. Today, Greek mythology is an interesting topic which garnersattention from many curious minds, but most of it is takenwith a pinch of doubt and while we will still find Greekmythology to be an influence on arts and literature, it is nolonger a way of life for the people as it once used to be.