Ancient Greek Mythology
Greek mythology is the group of myths and teachings that were created by the ancient Greeks, about their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and has created a large array of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and mythological creatures. Almost all of what we know of Greek mythology today are known primarily from Greek literature.
The Ancient Greeks mythology was an astoundingly large part of their lives. They prayed to gods and goddesses for successful childbirth, blessings, prosperity and knowledge, and looked to the tales about them for inspiration and as a way to guide their lifestyle. Athens, for example, is named after the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena. The naming ceremony of Athens has a legend of its own.
Greeks had many carvings, statues, busts, vases and paintings featuring the gods and them visiting Earth, or lounging up on Mt Olympus, the believed home of the gods. Mt Olympus itself was a sacred place.
When it came to childbirth and the gods, in Sparta in particular, babies were often left out in the open for hours, even days on end, to see if they would survive. The parents believed it was the gods will whether the baby lived or survived.
Mythology and the gods influenced the Greeks' every decision, battle and daily lives, and was a major part of their culture and what the Greeks are remembered for.
The Main family of gods (aka The Olympians) is as follows.
Zeus- Ruler of Olympians, God of weather, sky, thunder, lightening, law, order and fate.
Poseidon- God of sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and creator of the horse.
Hestia- goddess of the hearth, home and chastity.
Hermes- god of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, thievery, trickery, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics and animals.
Hera- Queen of Olympians, goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires.
Hephaestus- god of fire, metal-working and crafts.
Hades- Lord of the Underworld, god of the dead and earths hidden wealth (agricultural and minerals)
Dionysus- God of wine, parties, festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, drugs and ecstasy.
Demeter- Goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth and nourishment.
Athena- Goddess of intelligence, skill, warfare, battle strategy, handicrafts and wisdom.
Artemis- Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, plague and the moon.
Apollo- Brother of Artemis, God of light, music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, darkness, poetry, purity, athletics, manly beauty, enlightenment.
Ares- God of war, bloodshed and violence.
Aphrodite- goddess of love, beauty, desire and pleasure.
The Ancient Greeks mythology was an astoundingly large part of their lives. They prayed to gods and goddesses for successful childbirth, blessings, prosperity and knowledge, and looked to the tales about them for inspiration and as a way to guide their lifestyle. Athens, for example, is named after the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena. The naming ceremony of Athens has a legend of its own.
Greeks had many carvings, statues, busts, vases and paintings featuring the gods and them visiting Earth, or lounging up on Mt Olympus, the believed home of the gods. Mt Olympus itself was a sacred place.
When it came to childbirth and the gods, in Sparta in particular, babies were often left out in the open for hours, even days on end, to see if they would survive. The parents believed it was the gods will whether the baby lived or survived.
Mythology and the gods influenced the Greeks' every decision, battle and daily lives, and was a major part of their culture and what the Greeks are remembered for.
The Main family of gods (aka The Olympians) is as follows.
Zeus- Ruler of Olympians, God of weather, sky, thunder, lightening, law, order and fate.
Poseidon- God of sea, rivers, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and creator of the horse.
Hestia- goddess of the hearth, home and chastity.
Hermes- god of boundaries, travel, communication, trade, thievery, trickery, language, writing, diplomacy, athletics and animals.
Hera- Queen of Olympians, goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings and empires.
Hephaestus- god of fire, metal-working and crafts.
Hades- Lord of the Underworld, god of the dead and earths hidden wealth (agricultural and minerals)
Dionysus- God of wine, parties, festivals, madness, chaos, drunkenness, drugs and ecstasy.
Demeter- Goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth and nourishment.
Athena- Goddess of intelligence, skill, warfare, battle strategy, handicrafts and wisdom.
Artemis- Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, animals, young girls, plague and the moon.
Apollo- Brother of Artemis, God of light, music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague, darkness, poetry, purity, athletics, manly beauty, enlightenment.
Ares- God of war, bloodshed and violence.
Aphrodite- goddess of love, beauty, desire and pleasure.