In ancient legends, people reflected their ideas about the world around them, they believed in the existence of Olympus, the heavens and the underworld. The mythology of ancient Greece tells about the origin of the gods and people most vividly. The Greeks preserved hundreds of legends about how cultural heroes were born, what became famous? and how their further fate was unleashed.
What is mythology? The concept of gods and heroes
Translated from the ancient Greek word "myth" means "narration." This category may include legends about gods, heroic deeds of nature and natural phenomena. The myth was perceived as reality and passed on from generation to generation. It can be argued that it is one of the oldest forms of oral folk art.
The myth was the result of myth-making: all nature and the world consisted of sentient beings forming a community. The ancient Greeks fetished physical objects and forces, animated them. Supernatural forces were attributed to everything inexplicable that a person was confronted with. The ancient Greek gods were anthropomorphic. They possessed a human appearance and magical knowledge, could change their appearance and were immortal. Like humans, the gods performed feats, suffered defeats, and were dependent on less powerful, at first glance, creatures - the three goddesses of fate. Moira decided the fate of every heavenly and terrestrial inhabitant, so even Zeus did not dare to argue with them.
How is myth different from religion?
All ancient peoples, including Greek and Roman, went through the stage from fetishism to idolatry. Initially, objects of worship could be wood and metal products, which soon began to take on a divine shape, but the statues were still a bare stone without soul and magical power.
Mythology and religion are similar concepts, and sometimes it is difficult to identify differences in them, since the second is an integral part of the first. In many national religions, the subject of worship is anthropomorphic creatures endowed with supernatural power - these are the gods, whose diversity can be traced in Roman and Greek cultures. The existence of any religion is unthinkable without mythology. Heroes fight, get married, give birth to offspring - all this happens with the participation of miraculous powers and magic. At the moment when the myth is trying to explain supernatural events, it begins to acquire a religious coloring.
Ancient mythology as an arsenal of world culture
Friedrich Engels argued that without Greek and Roman influences there would be no modern Europe. The revival of the ancient Greek heritage began during the Renaissance, when writers, architects and artists again began to draw inspiration from the plots of Hellenic and Roman legends. Today, in museums around the world, visitors are presented with majestic statues of gods and other creatures, and paintings can tell about a certain moment of a significant event. The theme of "mythology" was of interest to the writers of the "Golden Age". Pushkin and Derzhavin turned to antiquity, only to display their thoughts they did not use a brush with paint, but a word.
It is curious that the myths of the Greek and Roman peoples formed the basis of world culture even after many centuries. Modern man has a different point of view regarding the origin of the Universe, however, he does not cease to turn to ancient ideas and is happy to study the cultural heritage of the past. The myth was the first attempt to explain the universe, and over the centuries it acquired not a religious, but an aesthetic character. The strengths of the characters depicted in the Odyssey and the Iliad attract modern men, while the girls try to be like Venus, Aphrodite, Diana with their character and beauty. Unfortunately, many do not attach importance to how firmly myth and mythology entered the life of modern man. But they play a huge role in world culture.
Earth Origin
The ancient mythology of the Greeks and Romans is striking in its originality. Many still wonder how people could have so skillfully imagined the creation of the world - or maybe it was all really? In the beginning there was Chaos, from which Gaia - the earth. At the same time, Eros (love), Erebus (darkness) and Nyukta (night) occurred. Tartar was born underground, a hellish place to which sinners went after death. From night and darkness came Ether (light) and Hemera (day). The earth gave birth to Uranus (heaven), who took her as a wife and gave birth to six titans, which gave the world rivers, sea goddesses, the sun, the moon, the wind. Now all the elements existed on the planet, and the inhabitants did not know misery until evil creatures appeared. The earth gave rise to three cyclops, which the jealous Uranus entered into darkness, but the youngest by name, Kron, scrambled out and took his father's power. The rebellious son could not go unpunished, and mythology also narrates about the further development of events. The goddesses and gods called Death, Discord, Deception, Destruction, Sleep and Vengeance, for the crime were born Nyukta. So the ancient world appeared, according to the ideas of the ancient Greeks. The descendants of Chaos lived in the underworld and on land, and each had its own purpose.
Gods of greek mythology
The ancient religion was significantly different from the present, and if today representatives of the four main religious faiths believe that there is only one Creator, but a few millennia ago, people had a different opinion. The Greeks believed that the gods lived on the sacred Mount Olympus. Each had its own appearance and purpose. The mythology of ancient Greece is represented by twelve major gods.
| Thunderer Zeus | The lord of heaven and the entire human, divine world, the son of Cronus. At the birth of his children, his father swallowed Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. Zeus grew up in Crete and years later rebelled against Kron, won with his assistant giants, freed his brothers and sisters. |
| Hera |
Goddess of family and marriage. Beautiful, but cruel, punishes the lovers and children of her husband Zeus. So, she turned his beloved by the name of Io into a cow. |
| Hestia |
Patroness of the hearth. Zeus awarded her for the vow of innocence and made the goddess of sacrifice, which began the solemn events. And so the ancient saying originated - "start with Hestia." |
| Poseidon | Zeus's brother, lord of the oceans. He managed to marry Amphitrite, the daughter of the sea elder Nereus, and so he began to rule the water element. |
| Hades |
God of the underworld. In his retinue are the carrier of the souls of the dead by the name of Charon and the judges of sinners - Minos and Radamant. |
| Athena | Goddess of wisdom and needlework. Born from the head of Zeus, therefore differs among others by a sharp mind. Cruel Athena turned into a spider Arachne, who decided to compete with her in weaving. |
| Apollo | Lord of the sun, could predict fate. His beloved Daphne did not reciprocate the love of a handsome man. She turned into a laurel crown and began to adorn the head of Apollo. |
| Aphrodite |
Goddess of beauty and love, daughter of Uranus. According to legend, she was born on the island of Crete. When Aphrodite came out of the foam, the goddess of the seasons, Ora, marveled at the beauty of the girl, took her to Olympus, where she became the goddess. |
| Hermes | Patron of travelers, knew a lot about trade. God, who gave people written language, earned the title of cunning since childhood, when he stole cows from Apollo in infancy. |
| Ares | Lord of the war, son of Zeus and Hera. In his retinue there are Deimos (horror), Phobos (fear) and Eris (discord). It is curious that not in every mythology of the world God carried out his activities accompanied by helpers, but the Greeks paid special attention to this. |
| Artemis | Apollo's sister, forest maiden, goddess of the hunt. Fair, but fierce, she punished the hunter Acteon and turned him into a deer. The unfortunate were torn to pieces by their own dogs. |
| Hephaestus | Expert in blacksmithing, son of Zeus and Hera. The mother threw the newborn son off a high cliff, but he was caught by the sea goddesses. Years later, Hephaestus took revenge on Hera and forged a golden throne for her, from which she could not get out for a long time. |
Roman gods
Greek mythology has always been considered exemplary. The goddesses of the Romans had their original names and mission, and this was the end of their story. The people did not come up with new legends and took the plots from the Greeks as a basis, since their art was more vivid and colorful. Roman culture was less rich, so many points were borrowed from Hellenic heritage.
Among the Romans, Jupiter was the supreme god, and Juno was his wife. They had the same responsibilities as in Greek mythology. The sea lord is Neptune, and the patroness of the hearth is Vesta. The god of the underworld was Pluto, and Mars was the chief commander. Minerva was the Roman counterpart of Athena, Phoebe was a great fortuneteller, and his sister Diana was the forest lord. Venus is a goddess of love born of foam. Mercury patronized travelers and helped people in trade. The blacksmith Vulcan was the Roman counterpart of Hephaestus. Thus, although Roman mythology was considered poorer, the number of gods was the same as that of the Greeks.
Sisyphean labor, panic fear and others
Human speech becomes colorful through the use of proverbs, phraseologisms and means of artistic expression. Ancient mythology is felt not only in a high literary style, but also in everyday life.
Speaking of overwork and useless work, a person often uses the phraseology "Sisyphean Labor", without even delving into its etymology, while the phrase has ancient roots. For disobedience to the gods, the son of Aeolus and Enareth was severely punished. For millennia, Sisyphus has been forced to roll a huge stone uphill, the height of which there is no limit, but it is worth letting the unfortunate hands - as a block will crush it.
Each of us must have experienced panic fear at least once in a lifetime, and we owe this expression to the god Pan with the bizarre appearance of a man with goat legs. With its sudden appearance, the creature instilled fear in the travelers, and from his sinister laughter in his veins the blood froze. So the expression “panic fear” appeared, meaning the fear of something inexplicable.
Tantalum is a cunning Greek who tried to steal their wonderful food from the table of the gods and share it with people, for which he was severely punished. The unfortunate was thrown into hell and, exhausted by thirst, could not get drunk, since he was throat-deep in water. As soon as he opened his mouth, the liquid disappeared. So the phraseology “tantalum flour” appeared.
People who do not know what mythology are, allow themselves to shine with the mind, using interesting phraseological units in their speech. In his epic, Homer devoted several stanzas to the description of the rampant laughter of the gods. The great ones often allowed themselves to mock at something stupid and absurd, while laughing at full strength. So the expression "homeric laughter" was born.
Mythological subjects in the literature of recent centuries
It is fair to assert the influence of ancient culture on Russian poetry. Alexander Pushkin often turned to the ancient Greek heritage, and in his novel in verses "Eugene Onegin" you can read many verses, which feature the names of Zeus, Juvenal, Circe, Terpsichore, Flora and other deities. Sometimes you can find single words or whole expressions written in ancient Greek. This technique is relevant even in modern times, and often journalists, politicians and other influential figures prefer to speak with aphorisms. C`est la vie sounds much more solemn than a simple “such is life”, and the letter ended with the phrase Vale et me ama takes on great value and depth of thought. By the way, the Pushkin hero of the novel himself preferred to end the message with this phrase in ancient Greek.
The Russian poet Osip Mandelstam knew perfectly well what mythology is, and his desire for antiquity began with the first collection "Stone". In the poems, images of Erebus, Homer, Odyssey are noticeable, and there is also a golden fleece. The poem Silentium !, which is translated from Latin as “silence, ” arouses interest in the reader by its name alone. The heroine in the lyric text is the goddess Aphrodite, whom Mandelstam urges to remain sea foam.
The founder of Russian symbolism Valery Bryusov admits that for him "Rome is closest", therefore Roman mythology often appears in its poetic lines. In the works, he recalls Agamemnon, Orpheus, Amphitrion, Orion, praises the beauty of Aphrodite and asks to accept this verse; appeals to the god of love Eros.
Gavrila Derzhavin openly transferred the ode of the Roman poet Horace to Melpomene. The main idea of the poem "Monument" is the eternity of the poetic heritage and recognition of his work. After several decades, Alexander Pushkin writes the eponymous piece and mentions Rome in the epigraph. Exegi monumentum translated from Latin means "I have erected a monument to myself." Thus, the theme of immortality is revealed among three great poets: Horace, Derzhavin and Pushkin. Geniuses prove that literature and mythology can coexist, and thanks to their union, magnificent works are born.
Painting and architecture based on mythology
Pyotr Sokolov’s painting “Daedalus Tethering Wings to Icarus” is considered the pinnacle of fine art, and therefore has often been copied. The work was written in 1777 and today is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery. The artist was struck by the legend of the great Athenian sculptor Daedalus, who, together with his son Icarus, was imprisoned in a high tower. The cunning man made feather and wax wings, and freedom seemed already close … Icarus flew high to the sun - his aircraft burned, and the youth fell and crashed.
The Hermitage has a unique banner, which remained intact after the madman splashed acid on him and hit him with a knife. We are talking about "Danae" - a picture of Rembrandt. A third of the canvas was damaged, and the restoration took more than twelve years. From mythology, you can learn that Danae was imprisoned in the tower by her father, when he was predicted to die at the hands of Perseus, the daughter of his daughter.
Ancient mythology was also of interest to Russian sculptors, who chose metal as the material for their work. The bronze sculpture "Marsy" Theodosius Shchedrin introduces another hero of the ancient myth. Forest satyr showed courage and decided to rival Apollo in musical art. The unfortunate flutist for impudence was tied to a tree, where they skinned him.
Signoria Square in Florence is decorated with a marble sculpture "Menelaus with the body of Patroclus", created on the basis of the plot of the Iliad. The original statue was carved two thousand years ago. Patroclus, who went into battle with Hector instead of Achilles, immediately dies, and Menelaus holds his lifeless body and reflects on revenge. Ancient mythology is often of interest to sculptors, since the subject of inspiration is man. The creators did not hesitate to depict the bends of a beautiful body that were not covered by clothes.
"Odyssey" and "Iliad" as the pinnacle of ancient mythology
Ancient Greek epic works are studied in schools and higher educational institutions, and the characters of the characters depicted in them are still borrowed by writers to create stories and novels. Ancient mythology is represented by the epic poems "Odyssey" and "Iliad", the creator of which is considered to be Homer. He wrote his works in the 8th century BC, and only two centuries later they were recorded by the Athenian tyrant Pisistratus, and until then they were transmitted by the Greeks by word of mouth. The dispute about authorship arose due to the fact that parts of the epic were written at different periods of time, and it was also alarming that the name Homer translated means "blind."
The Odyssey tells of the adventures of King Ithaca, who had been held captive by Nymph Calypso for ten years, after which he planned to return home. Difficulties await the hero: he falls on the island of cannibalistic cannibals and cyclops, swims between Scylla and Charybdis, descends into the underworld, but soon returns to his beloved Penelope, who has been waiting for him faithfully all years and rejected all the suitors.
The Iliad is a heroic epic narrating about a Trojan war that arose due to the theft of Princess Elena. Odysseus also takes part in the actions, who appears before the readers in the guise of a cunning and diplomatic ruler, who skillfully owns oratory. The protagonist of the epic is Achilles. The main battles are fought by Hector, who at the end dies a terrible death.
Mythology of other peoples
The Greco-Roman heritage is the richest and most colorful, therefore, in the history of world culture takes a leading position. Ancient mythology existed among other peoples, and many stories are intertwined with each other. All objects of worship of the ancient Slavs, which until 988 were pagans, were destroyed by princes who wanted to abandon Christianity as a single religion. It is known that they had wooden statues of Perun, Dazhdbog, Khors. Less significant deities were analogues of Greek nymphs and satyrs.
In Egypt, mythology is still in pride of place. The gods Amon, Anubis, Imhotep, Ra, Osiris and others are depicted on the walls of the pyramids and in other ancient temples. Today, in this country, most people profess Islam and Christianity, but do not try to eradicate the traces of the ancient religion and are sensitive to cultural heritage.
Myth is the basis of religion, and the current religious beliefs of small or large nations have a connection with mythological plots. Each Scandinavian country has its own rich culture, and Indians, Hispanics, Japanese, Caucasians, Eskimos, and French also have it. This heritage is passed down from generation to generation orally or in writing.
