Category: Myths

Over the course of many centuries, Mythology has passionate many generations with their rich diversity of characters and adventurous lives that may have existed in ancient times, and fed the imaginations of many people. Countless places are lost but their stories sill remain in our heads, Since that from a very young age we start to investigate, research and read stories about myths of ancient civilization that mostly deal with various aspects of life like traditions, cultural value, human origin, natural events and mostly love. Till nowadays some Scientifics and researchers thanks to their observations have based their theories and allude on them in many cases. Every culture in the world has some type of mythology and mostly they are familiar to many of us. Egyptian, Maya, Chinese and even Greek each civilization has brought it own magic from stories of goddesses, legendary kings and witches.

Because people used to believe that those are true and the same questions always come back in our minds, whether those stories real, whether they have based on real event or was it just created by the imagination of our ancestors since that it is full of supernatural beings. Although the Romans Empire and ancient Greeks were quite different, their mythology were almost the same in many different aspects. It is quite hard to distinguish between reality and myths in our advanced world because we only came back to them to convince ourselves about the impossible or unexplainable things even though we cannot ignore the fact that in our contemporary culture they still exist and it is not ready to disappear. .

There are a very large number of theories that have sought to explain the birth of myths, legends and tales. Till today people can find stories about divine beings that represent the creature of our world. In Ancient Greek’s civilization, they have left multiple developed unique styles of arts, astronomy, languages, and rituals that we have through thousand of left and forgotten mythological stories of Gods and Goddesses that they have associated to aspects of nature and life, since that they have always believed in polytheism, which is religion with many gods. Compered to all the other civilization, they have one thing in common with the Roman Empire is that one gods from whom others deities have come, and in Greek civilizations they have named the king of all other gods and men, Zeus. His name derives from a Greek word for bright and that is why. He was known as the Olympian god of the sky and the thunder, but in the Roman Empire they have decided to all it in another way, his name was Jupiter. Both gods were the protector of human kind and come to their rescue each time needed. Seen like that there is no actual differences between them. And as known, no king can rule without his queen by his side. Hera was known as the queen of Greek gods and the wife of the leader Zeus. As one of most important female character in ancient Greek’s History, She was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Furthermore there was an ancient story about her and how much she had hatred Heracles, the son of her husband from another mortal woman. Hera have done everything in her power to make his life difficult, she even tried to kill her stepson by sending snakes to attack him, and all this hate can only be explained by the fact that her husband had cheated on her with a mortal. Since then Zeus’s son had many trouble caused by her since that she was the source of all the trials and battles of Heracles. In Roman Empire, Juno who is Jupiter’s wife, has always been compared to Hera, since that they have a lot of similarities. Despite all that they have had plenty of difference point. One of those that we can have is that, unlike Hera who is always jealous of her husband’s girlfriend and trying to get revenge, Juno was represented as kind, graceful, and tender and has spent a lot of her time to women and being their protector. Another point is that unlike Hera, Juno had as title of being the moon goddess and in her honor they have named the month of June since that it was when most of wedding occurred and added to this in ancient Rome, people believed that she was the giver of the light on the night of the full moon. Moreover, we have among the supreme gods of Mount Olympus in ancient Greek Poseidon, The god of the sea, earthquakes and horses and one of Zeus‘s siblings and as named in Roman Empire Neptune known as well for being Jupiter’s brother. When both, the same image came to our mind of the sea, with a bearded man who holds in his hands a trident and seating above a throne of sea shells drawn by sea horses. For Neptune, we have probably all of us heard his love story with Amphitrite who have started with him seeing her dancing that day in Naxos’s island, She was in all her splendor that day that he have fallen in love at first sight with her beauty but unfortunately she rejected his marriage proposal although He sent one of his dauphin servant to convince her. Since then they have lived happily ever after and Neptune immortalized dauphin in the heavens. In other part, Poseidon was more related to governance and power since that he have done many incredible thing to become the god of all deities. Especially as the legends says, Poseidon and Athena the goddess of wisdom wanted to rule over Athens and each one presented a gift to the leaders and that is when olive tree was created, but Poseidon had the idea to create a new animal which was the horse, given that he could do the hard work, transportation and battle. Except that the leader appreciated more the tree, which was seen as more useful since that it could provides wood, olives, olive oil and since, then Poseidon and Athena were rivals and decided to put Athens in drought. Cronus as know in the ancient Greek mythology was the king of first generation of Titanes and the god of time and as all other gods he was identified with Saturn from the Roman empire. He had three sons who were one of the most powerful gods of all times Zeus (Jupiter), Poseidon (Neptune), and Hades (Plato). And after his death they have divided the power so that each one of them could rule over one aspects of the earth. Moreover, Hades, the oldest of his siblings, was made god of the underworld and as all other he had similarities with the Roman Empire god Pluto but one of the most important fact about him is that he was a bit hated by the ancient civilization since that he was also the god of dead and spent his time with them. But one of the differences between them is that Pluto was also lord of wealth because of all minerals discovered under the earth like silver, gold, and gems. And he was known for being more kind and more loving especially to his wife Proserpina. A famous Greek story about Hades was about Orpheus a musician who lost his wife on his wedding day so he have traveled to the underworld to get her back by trying to convince Hades to do it but he never came back since then, and the same story is given by the Roman version but with a change in person’s names and personalities.

The world of mythology in Ancient Greek and Roman Empire was full of magic and legendary stories about gods and goddess, but they are not only limited to that since that they were full of heroes and each having his or her own story to tell. The ancient Greek have created the word for heroes since that at the beginning it is a geek words Hero which means men who have sacrificed his life for others in earth. More often they are the sons or daughters of gods and goddesses and even thought they were mortal but due to their glory and courage they have became immortal. One of the most known heroes is Hercules, he was Zeus’s son from his mortal girlfriend and as cited before he had a lot of troubles when it comes to face him stepmother Hera because of her jealousy. His story is quite fascinating since that when Hera tried to kill him with all possible ways and even with snakes that he have crushed, and all this was when he was only a little kids, but he was stronger than anyone and had many clever tricks that he uses to stay alive and a lot of courage. Even when Hera and Eury, the king of a little village, have created twelve impossible tasks that they were sure that they will take the life of our hero in one of them and probably even from the first one. After surviving to all those impossible labors, Hercules did not only lived but he have also discovered new true friends and experienced a great adventure. He was not only known in the ancient Greek’s mythology but he has existed also in the Roman Empire, the main difference was basically about the parent’s names, Jupiter and Alcmene. Even for the twelve labors, a king of Mycenae where Hercules worked for twelve years gave them. But he was not the only one, since that we have also Perseus who is also a famous Greek hero. Perseus was also Zeus’s son which means that he was also half god half man since that his mother was a Danae, a princess of an ancient Greek city. One of his qualities is that he was brave, great speaker and quick thinker. Furthermore, he is really famous for his story with Medusa, a gorgon who could turn men into stones and who had hair made of living snakes. Thanks to the help of Athena, our hero could wisely attend his goal and face her without looking in her eyes. And this mythical story have inspired a lot of person, especially artists, around the world for their painting and sculpture. Not only the Greeks had their own mythic Heroes but also a lot of stories about the Roman Empire include legends that have shown their braveness and courage to always end up with a moral to the entire listener especially the youngest. The most famous story in Roman Empire was about two twins Romulus and Remus. At first they were rejected and abandoned by themselves but hopefully they were saved and were suckled by a female wolf. Later a herdsman called Faustulus adopted them. When they grow up Remus was imprisoned in the same place where they were born and that’s when their grandfather suspected their identity. After that Remus and Romulus were back together and have joined the forces with their grandfather to restore the throne. By the end of the story, Remus was killed due to his brother who betrayed him for a challenge, and for Romulus, after killing his brother from anger, went on a journey looking forward to discover the city of Rome. And that’s when the new city Roma, according to his own name, was constructed. This legend has not only explained the origin Rome’s name but she also has fascinated hundred of person, who a young baby twins were raised by a flocks of wolf. Furthermore, before the role of the woman was limited to her house duty and taking care of her kids and husband, and it is quite rare to see a woman who has a function in society. But with the Roman Empire they have seen her beyond that with giving her part in their myths and legends for examples we have our legendary Lucretia. Other than being a noble woman She was the legend that Rome has never known before with her courage and wisdom. Her story is a little bit sad and depressing since that after being raped by Sextus Tarquinius better known as Tarquin, an Etruscan king’s son and being threatened to abandon her bare corpse in the arms of a slave and pretend to have caught them in the act of adultery which is going to make her lose her dignity in front of all the member of her family and the empire. In the presence of all persons in the place, she have decides to commit a suicide to put an end to her dishonor and prove her innocence betrayed by the king’s son. Following her tragic death, a kind of rebellion spread to the streets of Rome and have overthrew the Roman monarchy which generated the transaction of the Roman government from being a powerful kingdom to a republic. This horrible incident has ignited a war that has ended up by expelling the ancient king Lucius from the country. And as it was cited by most of works about this myth, our victim’s husband became the first consul of Roman Republic. Since that incident even though there are till today no contemporary sources to prove the existence of the legendary Lucretia but her story has been adapted in many forms and even the rape itself has became an important theme in European arts and literature and even historian do not want to use the world myth for her story although it is the case.

In the really ancient time whether in ancient Greek or Roman Empire, Mythology was really important to our ancestor. They were quite religious and had really big faith in their gods and goddesses that could take care of them. For decades now, we have noticed that through different period of times and different civilization people have worshipped the same gods and goddess, that had the same roles to play inside the society but the only difference was that they had different names. They have created them in order to facilitate they everyday life and It also helped them as well to have a better understanding of life, how it was created, days and nights, weather, season…and especially phenomenon for which they could not provide any clear explanation. Plus it kept them believing that they had their creators to look after them during their tough times and their heroes to make them more secure and have their justice when needed since that in all stories of ancient civilization there is always an understanding between man, heroes and, gods that has facilitated to historian of nowadays to have a better point of view of those people and how they looked at the world. Till today in our contemporary world we still hear about myths and legends in both Ancient Greek and Roman Empire. Even if they were two different civilization but they have shared most of their gods and ancient heroes.

References

1. Adhikari S. (February, 2019) Top 10 Interesting Roman Mythology Stories, Ancient History Lists. Retrieved from: https://www.ancienthistorylists.com/rome-history/top-10-interesting-roman-mythology/
2. Dean G. (1998), Poseidon, The Olympians: myth web. Retrieved from: http://www.mythweb.com/gods/Poseidon.html
3. Donald L. W. (May, 2018) Roman Mythology, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrived from : https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Mythology/
4. Donn L. (n.d.) Ancient greek gods for kids: the 12 Labors of Hercules. Greece mr donn. Retrieved from : https://greece.mrdonn.org/greekgods/hercules.html
5. Hades (Pluto) in Orpheus and Eurydice (n.d.) SHMOOP University. Retrieved from : https://www.shmoop.com/orpheus-eurydice/hades-pluto.html
6. Hera vs. Juno (n.d.) Myths and legends. Retrieved from: http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/userstory20445-hera-vs-juno.html
7. Joshua J. Mark (October, 2018) Mythology, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://www.ancient.eu/mythology/
8. McCord J. (April, 2014) Hercules and Juno, Jessica McCord Senior English Mythology. Retrieved from: https://jessymc96.wordpress.com/2014/04/22/hercules-and-juno/
9. Myth stories (n.d.) Tales beyond belief. Retrieved from: http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/myth-stories/myth-stories-index.htm
10. Myth stories: Cronus (n.d.) Tales beyond belief. Retrieved from: http://www.talesbeyondbelief.com/myth-stories/cronus.htm
11. The myth of Perseus and Medusa (n.d.) Greek Myths and Greek Mythology. Retrieved from : https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-perseus-and-medusa/
12. Zeus, Greek God of the sky and thunder, King of the Gods (April, 2019) Greek Mythology. Retrieved from: https://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Zeus/zeus.html

The first main point in chapter one I see, is that myths are stories. The difference between mythology and stories is that mythology is used to represent culture, religion, and/or the complexity of nature before science was as advanced as it is now. Myths may be fiction, but most were believed to be true at one time or may still be believed in some cultures. Researchers of mythology believe that by studying these myths, we can get an insight to the culture of where the myth originated. We can understand why they believe some of these myths to be sacred and a source of worship. I think there can be a lot taken and learned from myths. Most myths have years and years of history behind it. I think you can take something away from every myth, even the most abstract ones. Because myths are so old, I believe that some of them have truth to them. They get changed throughout history. An example would be, the Trojan War. One archeologist believes they found the city burned, but another believes there was a different reason the city was burned and it had nothing to do with the Trojan War. I think the great thing about myths is that some of them are hard to prove true or false. It makes it more interesting to study. I do think there are exceptions and that a lot can be scientifically proven false. For example, the myth that thunder is two clouds colliding has been proven false by science. Myths show me that people can be very imaginative. It also shows the difference in every culture. I think it’s interesting to see how different the cultures’ myths are. For example, Greek myths and Native American myths are very different. Greek myths have a lot of stories about gods and goddesses. Native American myths consist of spirits, nature, and animals.

There are many myths about creation. I think the fact there are so many and that people need and want a creation story to believe, shows how humans want to believe in a greater being or purpose. I think it’s hard for people, including me, to believe that creation is random and that there is no reason for existing. I think that brings up a lot of questions for people. If you have a simple science class in high school, it makes it hard to believe that it wasn’t purposeful. The human body is complex and amazing, and that alone makes it hard to believe. I do find it easier to believe in the Genesis story than other stories. It makes as much sense as to me as it can. I don’t know that I would believe it if there weren’t more Bible stories to back it up. If Genesis was the only book in the Bible, then I think it would be much harder for me to believe, and I would probably brush it off like the other creation myths. I think a lot of creation stories are like that. The myth is only about creation, there isn’t anything after it. There may be other myths in that culture, but they’re not an extension of the creation story. The creation myths I really enjoyed learning about this week were the Native American creation stories. I think it says a lot about their culture, and it’s so different than the other creation myths. Most of them had to do with animals doing all of the work. For example, a turtle swimming up from the ocean and carrying the mountains and valleys on its back. It’s an interesting story and a creative one, but how did the turtle exist? Where did the ocean come from?

I think there are two reasons that there is incest in creation stories. One reason is that most of the incest stories are about gods, so a lot of them had children with their brothers and sisters. I think it has something to do with the fact of power and that in some cases they might have been the only gods or people that existed.

Greek mythology is depicted throughout the world. Sometimes it’s noticeable and other times it’s not. It is seen in poems, movies, advertisements, video games, books, and paintings. There are so many structures that are named after gods or beings from Greek myths. An example would be, Hydra the Revenge roller coaster in Pennsylvania. It is coiled like a serpent, and it represents Hydra coming back to life to seek revenge on Hercules. The interesting thing is that most people who ride the roller coaster have no idea about the history or meaning of it. It just shows that Greek myths are represented in plain sight and people don’t realize it. My favorite Greek myth representation is the constellation Scorpio, which was named to represent the scorpion that attacked Hercules. I wasn’t sure why Greek mythology is still prevalent today. I knew it was interesting, but so are Norse myths and they’re not as engrained in our society. I learned that Greeks myths impacted literature, architecture, and fine arts. That helped me to understand why Greek myths are still so prevalent.

In the video, “Ancient Greece Cultural Geography” I learned that Greece was divided into city-states. They were basically very small, individual countries. The interesting thing to me is that they didn’t really communicate. Because of that, they all had different governments and laws, but they all worshipped the same gods and passed down the same myths from generation to generation. The next video I watched was, “25 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Greek Gods”. One interesting thing I took away from this was about is Ares, the god of war. Despite being one of the most well-known Greek gods today, he was not popular in ancient Greece and was not among the widespread worship. Lastly, in “Greek Mythology Gods and Goddesses Documentary” I found it very interesting that the reign of the gods of Olympias began when Zeus grew up and attacked his father who had swallowed his siblings. Zeus’ mother had tricked his father and hidden him away, so he wouldn’t also be swallowed. When Zeus attacked his father, his siblings emerged and they began their reign.

One of my favorite myths from this week was about Scotland and Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway myth is about an Ireland giant, Finn McCool, falling in love with a giant woman from Scotland. Finn McCool decided he would build a stepping stone bridge to Scotland, so his love could join him in Ireland. She also started building from her side. When another giant from Scotland, who also was in love with the giantess, found out about their causeway, he started to throw rocks across the ocean at Finn McCool. Their feud ended, as well as the building of the causeway, when McCool through a giant rock in the ocean. This rock is said to be the Isle of Man. The causeway was never finished. I think this myth is so different than the others. It has a lighter feel to it. It’s sad that the giants were never united, but the idea of the myth is beautiful. The video also mentioned how the natives love to tell the tale to all the tourists. The Giant’s Causeway really is beautiful, and I would love to see it in person someday.

From Norse mythology, I’ve always found the myth of Asgard fascinating. I love the idea that there is another world in the sky and that is connected to earth by a rainbow bridge, Bifrost. It was home to the Norse gods such as Thor and Odin. Odin is the most powerful god in Norse mythology. Odin was known for his wisdom, which he paid for by giving up an eye. He traded his eye to drink from the Well of Uror, and he earned knowledge and wisdom of the world by doing so. His son Thor was the most beloved god in Norse mythology. He was best known for his strength and his hammer, Mjolnir.

Pat Soloman asked in his TED talk if we were being heroes of our own story. He didn’t mean to be a hero we have to save a certain amount of people or save the world. He said, “Are you living with fear, or are you living with courage and compassion?”. I think that courage and compassion are something everyone should strive for in their life. I try to do this as much as possible, but in reality, everyone fears different things. As a child, I was way too concerned with what everyone thought of me, and I feared that for years. It wasn’t until I graduated high school and went to college, that I consciously moved that to the back of my mind. I realized that it’s not important. If I’m being compassionate, kind, and the best I can be, then the people who are meant to be in my life will except me. I think that transition to college helped me and put me on a different path. I went to the same private school from kindergarten to senior year. It was almost like I didn’t have the space to change, because I never had the opportunity to meet new people and experience new things. I do think I am creating my own journey now. Joseph Campbell said “Follow your bliss. Find where it is and don’t be afraid to follow it”. I think that’s the part of the journey I’m in now. I’m really excited about my future now, and I think I was too scared in the past to be excited. Right now, I’m following my bliss. If my path changes, I hope I still have the courage I do now to follow it, and push new fears away. Because fear is the only thing holding you back from being the hero of your story.

A trickster is a person, god, or animal who tricks or deceives people. They are both intelligent and foolish, irresponsible, selfish, funny, and loveable. They are known to break the rules and find joy in it. They live to fool people, and they are almost always one step ahead. They are often underestimated, because they put off an air of foolishness. Depending on the myth, the trickster may be considered a hero, others are considered evil. There are differences in the myths about tricksters based on culture. For example, the Native American myths have multiple animals that are seen as tricksters, the Raven and the Coyote. The Norse myths have Loki as a trickster, who is a shape shifting god. They both have most of the same characteristics, like all tricksters do. The difference is because of the culture of the origin of the myth. The Raven is not seen as a god, because Native American people do not believe in deities but in spirits. The Norse myths are filled with deity, so that is why their trickster would be seen as a god. My favorite trickster from the reading would be Loki. I’ve always loved the Norse myth about Thor and Asgard, and Loki is definitely my favorite to learn about. Loki is dramatic and impulsive, but he’s not seen as evil. He is focused on himself first, like all tricksters, but he also is there for his kingdom when he is needed. He did mess with people for fun though. He would challenge anyone and cheat and trick his way to a victory. He would use his challenger’s weaknesses to keep them coming back to challenge him and continue to beat them. I think it was less about beating someone for the end result alone and more about making them look foolish during the process.

“Myths and fairy tales encompass our common human desires and experiences, and human desire is ultimately fulfilled in Christianity.” I fully agree with this statement from one of the articles from this module. I think a lot of Christians think that by letting their children read or watch fairytales they are going to believe in that and not in the religion they want them to believe. Children have a big imagination, and fairytales are what they are interested in. Fairytales can teach children important life lessons that they may comprehend better by watching or reading about it in a language they understand or are interested in. The article also mentioned the Chronicles of Narnia. That movie has a lot of references to Christianity that children relate to. They like the idea of another world, and children their age getting to go there through a closet. Besides the fact it was an imaginary world, it was filled with life lessons and the basics of Christianity.

“The lessons that are hidden (in plain sight) in fairy tales aid in children’s education.” I think the great thing about children watching and reading fairytales is that they get a different life lesson from each one. Every one of them has a different main point that is vital to success and happiness as adults. They teach children to be kind, tell the truth, except people’s differences, stay true to yourself, and fight for what you believe in. I think these characteristics are the basics of what you want your child to learn, and they’re doing that while being entertained and focused.

“Reading is a way of thinking about yourself. You become a better person because of it and it aids in maintaining your intellectual and ethical integrity.” I’ve always loved to read even as a kid, and of course I started off with fairytales. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t love reading and writing as much as I do now. It puts you in another world when you need to get out of yours. You put yourself into the character’s shoes, and you can see things in a different perspective. I think that is very important. We all grew up a certain way, and we were taught certain things. I think reading makes it easier to relate to people who aren’t like you, because you’ve seen different perspectives.

I think urban legends and monster stories are very interesting. I don’t personally think that vampires and werewolves are real, but I love fiction books and movies about them. I think there are many reasons people are interested in these types of stories. Vampires and werewolves are the most talked about monsters, in my opinion. I think that has something to do with the interest. Books and movies romanticize them, which is something that almost everyone is interested in. Also, I think people are naturally drawn to superior beings. Vampires and werewolves are known to be faster and stronger than us. To me, it relates to how we think, and not everyone has the same interests. One person might be interested in urban legends while another person is more interested in sports. I think the two interests correlate though. For example, a die-hard soccer fan would be fascinated by their favorite player because of their talent, strength, and speed. To them, their favorite player is superior. In general, I think that the interest in urban legends shows how imaginative humanity is, and how sometimes everyone needs an escape from reality. Urban legends and monster stories are one of many ways people can do that.

I would say I’m gullible in some situations. I tend to trust people very easily. My first instinct is to believe someone is telling me the truth. I’m more gullible about realistically possible situations though. If someone spoils my favorite show before I watch the finale and says my favorite character dies, I’m going to believe them. If someone tells me that they have proof that aliens are real, I’m not going to believe them. My best friend is the most gullible person I know, and she’s the first person that came to mind because of that. I would say she’s more gullible with people she knows. She would believe the craziest things I tell her, but not a stranger. I would say I would believe anyone if it sounded realistic, but not even my family if it sounds like an impossible situation. To be less gullible, I could acknowledge that people do lie even if there is no reason for it. I could look into what they told me if it is important to my life and the choices that I make.

Greek religion is not equivalent to Greek mythology which is worried about customary stories; however, the two are intently interlinked. Inquisitively, for people so strictly disapproved, the Greeks had no word for religion itself; the closest terms were Eusebeia (“piety”) and Threskeia (“cult”). Despite the fact that its roots might be followed to the remotest periods, Greek religion in its created structure kept going in excess of a thousand long time, from the hour of Homer (most likely ninth or eighth century BCE) to the rule of the sovereign Julian (fourth century CE). During that period its impact spread as far west as Spain, east to the Indus River, and all through the Mediterranean world. Its impact was most set apart on the Romans, who recognized their divinities with those of the Greeks. Under Christianity, Greek legends, and even divinities made due to holy people, while the adversary Madonna’s of southern European people group reflect the autonomy of neighborhood cliques. The rediscovery of Greek writing during the Renaissance and most importantly, the novel flawlessness of the Classical model delivered an upheaval in taste that had sweeping consequences for Christian strict workmanship. The most-striking normal for Greek religion was the faith in an assortment of human gods under one incomparable god. Clerics essentially took care of factions; they didn’t establish a pastorate, and there were no holy books.

From the later sixth century BCE ahead, fantasies, and divine beings were dependent upon objective analysis on moral, or different grounds. In those conditions it is barely noticeable the way that most Greeks “accepted” in their divine beings in generally the cutting edge feeling of the term, and that they asked in a period of emergency not just to the “significant” god, however, to any divinity on whose help they had built up a case by penance. Keeping that in mind, every Greek polis had a progression of open celebrations all through the year, that was proposed to guarantee the guide of the considerable number of divine beings who were subsequently regarded. They helped the divine beings to remember administrations rendered and requested compensation. Especially during times of emergencies, the Greeks, similar to the Romans, were frequently ready to appeal to divinities obtained from different societies.

The early Greeks customized each part of their reality, normal and social, and their encounters in it. The earth, the ocean, the mountains, the waterways, custom-law (Themis), and one’s offer in the public arena and its products were altogether observed in individuals just as naturalistic terms. At the point, when Achilles battles with the River in the Iliad, the River addresses Achilles in any case, utilizes against him just such weapons as are fitting to a flood of water. Penance was offered to the Olympian gods at sunrise at the raised area in the Tremens, which typically stood east of the sanctuary. Speaking to as it did a blessing to the divine beings; penance comprised the chief verification of devotion. The divine beings were content with the consumed part of the offering, while the clerics and admirers shared the rest of the meat. Unique creatures were consecrated to various gods; for example yearlings to Athena, dairy animals to Hera, pigs to Demeter, bulls to Zeus and Dionysus, pooches to Hecate, game, and calves to Artemis; ponies to Poseidon; and asses to Priapus, however, the qualifications were most certainly not thoroughly watched.

The investigation of a religion’s history incorporates the investigation of the historical backdrop of the individuals who upheld it, together with their otherworldly, moral, political, and scholarly encounters. Greek religion as it is right now seen presumably come about because of the blending of strict convictions and practices between the approaching Greek-talking people group who landed from the north during the second thousand years BCE and the indigenous occupants whom they called Pelasgi. The incomers’ pantheon was going by the Indo-European sky god differently known as Zeus (Greek), Dyaus (Indian), or Jupiter (Roman). Be that as it may, there was likewise a Cretan sky god, whose birth and demise was praised in ceremonies and fantasies unique in relation to those of the incomers. The incomers applied the name of Zeus to his Cretan partner. Lie wise, there was a propensity, cultivated however not really began by Homer and Hesiod, for significant Greek divinities to be given a home on Mount Olympus. When built up there in a prominent position, the Olympians came to be related to nearby divinities and to be doled out as consorts to the neighborhood god or goddess.

Gatherers have believed Ancient Greek to be one of the most persuading social demands in current life. Greek culture was a great time for monstrous achievements and divulgences. It helped in different circles, for example, languages, educational systems, myths, and music. The suggested philosophers, for example, Pythagoras, Plato, Thales, and Aristotle saved our impelled way of life.

Language is one of the most significant bits of the Greek Culture. It is the procedures by which we talk now. It’s the course by which we talk with people. Language causes us make. The basic thing you learn is your letter sets. By then you become acquainted with the sound of the letters to make words. anguage is the techniques by which we pass on what necessities be. We understands how to break down, structure and so forward. We can shape books, articles, papers and so on. We moreover have various languages that we can comprehend how to talk. Our language can expand to better ourselves.

Nowadays, we contribute half of your essentialness going to class and the other aspect of our life’s working. In today’s world you cannot get a job if you don’t have any kind of education. It’s so crucial to have a GED, high school diploma, or some type of college degree. Math plays a fundamental improvement in our typical ways of life. We cannot do anything without math. Some way, things deal with counting. We start off with the stray bits of including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Enlargement was calculated in the Greek time by totaling the separation in the symbols. Multiplication was used by duplicating. Division relied on the reverse. He felt with the triangles, broadness, circles, and right triangles. By then Pythagoras came in managing the unrefined figures. Pythagoras hypothesis utilized right picked triangles. Their answers gave building squares to the future mathematicians could expand on during the current moment.

Mythology was tremendous in Ancient Greece. It helped question things and make people wonder. It legitimized a present social structure and record for standard conventions. In Ancient Greece time, accounts about God, legends, In Ancient Greece time,and monsters were important things. It in like manner explained where we would look for after decimation. It offered seminar on the best way to deal with oversee have a chipper lifestyle. The myths helped shape the present society. Greek Mythology is so far being used starting now. I’m the present world a few myths have a negative impact. They do in light of the way in which that it doesn’t show up consistency. Myths was used for religions, educational, and entertainment purposes.

Music has an enormous impacts in the present time. We us music for everything. We have different sorts of genres of music, for example, gospel, r&b, rap, zydeco, Rock and so forth. I’m by protection, I look at music when I wake up. Music keeps me quiet and centered.In case we didn’t have music ,I personally would be lost. In Ancient Greece music was basically utilized as training purposes, religions, and metro ceremonies. In like manner, music was utilized in men’s life. Plato and Aristotle, was first to look at parts of the bargains. They created rhythm and harmonies. The felt it helped the human spirit for pleasure and torment. Plato feels music isn’t simply to strengthen your voice, but it helps the preview of the spirit for pleasure and misery. Plato thinks music prepares the youthful for virtue by familiarizing then with their feelings. For example,they have created lullabies. Lullabies were utilized to rock nursery children to rest or bring them to harmony.

I have constantly discovered the Ancient Greek interesting because of the manner where they included. The Greeks were very proud of their culture. They had a very strong eagerness in the things they did. We have learned an immense measure of educational things from the Greeks. Plato, Thales, Aristotle,and Pythagoras demonstrated to us a great arrangement of things that regardless we take on and carry right until now.

Introduction:

Greek mythology presents the set of tales about many gods, goddess and heroes. In really ancient times, Greek mythology was passed down from one generation to another as stories by word of mouth. Later, they were defined in art form and appeared as images on vases. Dhara is also one of the main characters of Greek mythology who is considered as the most beautiful woman who has ever lived. She was residing in her life happily with her family but her death was so painful that anyone can ever imagine.

Body:

Dhara was born in the Mount Olympians. She was the daughter of Pale and Ghea, King of the Living Land. She had two friends named Deter, a beautiful horse and Lea, the goddess of water. She only had one brother named Miyan who loved Kiara but Kiara did not like Dhara as Kiara wanted herself to be the most gorgeous women but she had a scar in her face which made her not as beautiful as Dhara is. Dhara was a young woman and she looked like Persephone, Zeus’ and Demeter’s daughter. She grew up in Mount Olympians with her parents and her brother. She had a special power to attract anyone because of her beautiful and gorgeous face same as Persephone but she never negatively used her powers as she loved her parents a lot. She symbolises beauty and innocence. When she got kidnapped by Heirus, the god of the Underworld, she was heartbroken but later she found out that Heirus is a very kind and loving person and wanted her to be his bride, so she agreed and got married with him and with God’s will she gave birth to Herra. After giving birth to Herra, Dhara was so happy and residing her life peacefully with her husband, Heirus but one day, somebody stole Herra and Dhara went to his husband and made a request that she wanted Herra back at any condition. Heirus tried to find Herra a lot but never succeeded and after some time Dhara was feeling so weak and miserable as she was spending every single day by crying in the memory of her little daughter which made her blind one day and at last spending her whole life waiting for her daughter she lost the glory on her face and became so dull and died. Dhara got involved in a myth that she eloped with Paer, the most beautiful man before she got married to Heirus.

Conclusion:

Dhara passed through many hardships as got kidnapped by Heirus, her husband and before her death, she lost her daughter whom she loved a lot. We can’t even think that she would be suffering from these difficulties in her life as she was so beautiful and innocent but we can’t trust destiny as our life depends upon it. So, we should never regret in our life if we lost something or in a bad time because if Dhara who was considered the most beautiful woman in Greek mythology suffered from obstacles then we are the normal humans how can we save ourselves from these hardships.

Ancient Greek myths are the best known mythological stories because they involve colossal characters that are easily recognisable. Myths are stories to teach people about morals, they were also often used to teach people about events such as diseases and deaths and natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. In Greek tradition, a hero was a human, male or female, of the remote past, who was endowed with superhuman abilities by virtue of being descended from an immortal god. Rather than being paragons of virtue, as heroes are viewed in many modern cultures, ancient Greek heroes had all of the qualities and faults of their fellow humans, but on a much larger scale. Further, despite their mortality, heroes, like the gods, were objects of cult worship – a dimension which is also explored in depth in the course.

Hero and heroine came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice that is, heroism for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence In mythology and legend, a man or woman, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his or her bold exploits, and favoured by the gods.” Somebody who does something dangerous to help somebody else. Greeks needed heroes that could example an exceptional trait, but also show signs of weakness.

Achilles is probably synonymous to a fearless and strong warrior. He is known due to the Trojan War. While still a baby, his mother dipped him in the River Styx to make him immortal and invulnerable. However, she was holding him from his heel and this part was the only vulnerable part in his body – the one that led to his death as well. Achilles was the fear of the Trojans during the War but was killed by Paris, when Aphrodite advised him to aim at Achilles’ heel. Achilles was freakishly strong, fearless, and an absolute master of combat. His sense of loyalty to his cousin, Patroclus, and his mercy to King Priam showed a benevolent and compassionate side of the warrior. On the other hand, Achilles was also fierce, quick-tempered and, in some instances, capable of great cruelty, as evidenced by his treatment of Hector’s body. His arrogance and pride were constant sources of consternation for his fellow Greeks, as is best displayed by the feud with Agamemnon. Achilles’ character suffers from similar scrutiny for his role in Homer’s The Iliad. He is by far the greatest warrior for the Greeks. His exploits on the battlefield are well-known, showing such strength and courage that his enemies fear even his presence. Achilles is in every sense of the word a hero. Yet when one thinks of his actions in The Iliad, such as his public humiliation and defilement of Hector’s corpse, whether his actions can be defined as heroism is questioned.

As a male, the typical hero build is tall, muscular and imposing, golden hair flowing in the breeze and armed to the teeth. Odysseus was none of this. He was a relatively slim (fit guy slim, not stick like slim), short and of red hair. He was proficient with the bow and quite noble, although he was more likely to charge in sword in hand like his kinsman like achilles. But unlike achilles, behind the red hair lies a masterful, strategic and analytical mind. It was his cunning that made the theft of Athena’s talisman from troy possible, his mind that gave birth to the trojan horse and his wit that allowed him to escape polythemeus. Quite contradictory to the greek ideal of charge in, think later, like achilles or Heracles. These are the defining characteristics of Odysseus.

To the Ancient Greeks Odysseus was the perfect hero; intelligent, strong, pious and a favourite of the gods. It’s he who thought of the Trojan hose trick which won them the war and his adventures in the Odyssey only further demonstrates his ability as a hero by slaying beast like the Cyclops and returning home and putting an end to the suitors horrific behaviour. Odysseus’ main characteristic is metis, or resourcefulness, cunning. He does have military prowess as we see particularly in the Iliad, and then later in the Odyssey with the slaughter of the Suitors, but his cunning is his main praised trait. The Romans found this dishonourable, but it does help Odysseus get out of various sticky situations! He’s also a good speaker, tactful with words and manipulative. He’s a stark contrast to Achilles. One of the main aims of a Greek hero is to attain kleos, or glory. This is a renown through stories and song, usually achieved after dying an heroic death – Achilles gets this, hence Odysseus’ praise to him in the Underworld, when Achilles ruefully admits that he’d rather be living and working on another man’s land, than be king over the lifeless dead.

All myths are connected to each other in some way or another. Whether its because everything started from a void, or because gods created everything, or because the myth show humans worshipping the gods. Those tiny details can connect a whole bunch of myths.

A lot of myths about creation start off with a void. For example, today’s Big Bang Theory starts with a void. Even the bible story begins with a void, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void; And darkness was upon the face the deep”. What is void exactly or nothingness? Human beings can’t properly perceive nothingness because if we imagine it then it turns into something, so we don’t exactly know what void is. However, a mythologist named David Leeming found a better way to define the void that comes before everything: Choas. He defines chaos as “the primal void or state of uniform nondifferentiation that precedes the creation of the world in most creation myths”. David Leeming wasn’t the first one to use the word chaos instead of void. According to the poet Hesiod who wrote The Theogony, a Greek myth about creation and the gods, he wrote, “Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth”. So it seems that chaos is what is around be anything comes into existence and brings order. Also, in other myths, it seems that to get order, light must come from darkness.

Another thing that all myths have in common is how mortals are tempted to do things. For example in the bible the first woman created, Eve was tempted by a snake to eat from a tree. See, god let Adam and Eve live in the garden of Eden as long as they did not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, because the snake tempted her and she and Adam then ate from the tree, god threw them out of the garden. Another story about temptation is Pandora’s Box. According to Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman and was created after Prometheus stole fires from heaven and gave it to humans. In order to counter the blessing of fire, Zues asked Hephaestus to make a woman who they would then give a box the contained all evil and misery. Pandora was told to never open the box and because of that she got curious and was tempted to open it. Another story from Greek mythology about temptation is the story of the sirens. Sirens are said to be half-human and half-bird who would sing to tempt sailors closer to them. If the sailors were successfully tempted by them then they would be sailing to their doom.

Something else that myths have in common is that there is a place after death. Some afterlives are better than others. For instance, in the Mayan afterlife, people had to travel through the dark underworld where gods would torture and torment them to reach heaven. The only people that started the afterlife in heaven were woman who died while giving birth or people who were sacrificed to please the gods. Another example is in Norse mythology. Although the Vikings don’t have any formal writings about their afterlives any writings that have been found show that there are certain ways the Norse thought of death and the afterlife. For the most part, there seems to always be an underworld of some sorts. Two that are mentioned the most are Valhalla and Hel. Valhalla is where the god Odin and his valkyries live like heroes and will live there until they are called by Odin to fight by his side at Ragnarok. Ragnarok is the fall of the gods and the universe. We would consider Valhalla as heaven whereas we would consider Hel as purgatory. Hel is ruled by a goddess named Hel and the dead that go to Hel do what they did while they were alive. They eat, drink, fight, sleep and practice magic and they tend to stay with the family that they did when they were alive. However, because they are almost nothing written about the Norse afterlife, we don’t know how one is chosen to get to Valhalla instead of Hel. But it is mentioned a lot in burial writings of people who fell in battle that they would go to Valhalla. Another afterlife that is mentioned a lot in mythology is the Greek afterlife. Their afterlife was known as Hades and was ruled by the god of death, Hades. Within Hades, there were multiple places you could go but that depended on what they did during their lifetime. If they were wicked while they lived then they would be sent to Tartarus or the Fields of Punishment where they would be forgotten. If they were good during their lifetime they would be sent to Elysium where they would be remembered forever. The person also had a choice to be reborn. If they were reborn 3 times and each time they were sent to Elysium, then they would be able to go to the Isle of the Blessed. Because Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome have myths that are similar, the roman afterlife is alike to the greek afterlife. The Romans believed that if you were a warrior or hero you would be sent to Elysium. If you were an ordinary person you would be sent to the Plain of Asphodel and if you had committed crimes against society you would be sent to Tartarus where you would be tortured until you were deemed forgiven. Another mythology that has an afterlife story is the ancient Egyptians. However, unlike the other afterlives, in order to reach the Egyptian afterlife, your heart would be weighed in the Hall of Truth against the feather of truth. That means that even if you did something bad in your life but you had good intentions you would still be able to go to the Field of Reeds. If your heart was lighter then the feather of truth then you would be sent to the Field of Reeds. The Feild of Reeds was similar to earth except that there was no sickness, no disappointment, and no death. The people in the Feild of Redds live by the streams and beneath the trees with the ones that they loved during life. However, if your heart was heavier then the fether of truth then it would be devoured by Amut, a god that had a face of a crocodile, the front of a leopard and the back of a rhino. Once the heart was devoured then the person’s soul no longer existed. The Egyptians had no ‘hell’ because a fate worse then death was no longer existing.

Afterlives, being tempted and creation from a void are only some of the connections in myths. They are many more, so many in fact that it’s almost impossible to review all of them, especially here. However, the few connections here al least prove that there are connections to be found. There many more, for example, humans worshipping gods, being able to be reborn again and re-experience life.

Works cited

1. “Creation from the Void: Crash Course World Mythology #2.” YouTube, CrashCourse, www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eVFgfQ2694. The Deluding of Gylfi, www.blight.com/~sparkle/ring/prose/gylfi.htm.
2. Dhwty. “Popol Vuh: The Sacred Narrative of Maya Creation.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 18 Sept. 2018, www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/popol-vuh-sacred-narrative-maya-creation-002893. Infobase Learning – Login, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/PrimarySourceDetails/7?primarySourceId=6824&q=Creation.
3. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pandora.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 Apr. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Pandora-Greek-mythology.
4. Chaffey, Tim, and Midwest Apologetics. “Giant Speculations: The Bible and Greek Mythology.” Creation Today, 30 Oct. 2019, creationtoday.org/giant-speculations-the-bible-and-greek-mythology/.
5. “Maya Civilization.” Ducksters Educational Site, www.ducksters.com/history/maya/religion_and_mythology.php.
6. “Death and the Afterlife.” Norse Mythology for Smart People, norse-mythology.org/concepts/death-and-the-afterlife/.
7. Mark, Joshua J. “The After-Life In Ancient Greece.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 4 Nov. 2019, www.ancient.eu/article/29/the-after-life-in-ancient-greece/.
8. Nancy. “Ancient Romans.” AllAboutHistory.org, All About History, 13 July 2005, www.allabouthistory.org/ancient-romans-faq.htm.
9. Mark, Joshua J. “The Egyptian Afterlife & The Feather of Truth.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2 Nov. 2019, www.ancient.eu/article/42/the-egyptian-afterlife–the-feather-of-truth/.

Introduction

“I think that we need mythology. We need a bedrock of story and legend in order to live our lives ‘coherently.” These words of Alan Moore perfectly describe mythology’s’ importance around the world of keeping people’s moral alive. Greek Mythology has been around for more than 2,700 years, and their unrealistic yet quite interesting, entertaining stories have been passed on and retold each in new and different versions. Even though the Greek Mythology stories are not realistically valuable, it is significant to understand the deeper meaning or lessons of the stories, and the contributions ancient Greece has provided to our modern world today.

In ancient Greece, stories about gods, goddesses, heroes and monsters were an essential part of everyday life. These myths were a major portion of ancient Greek culture because this was how they passed down lessons from generations to generation. Many of Greek Mythology stories explained the cause and the idea of the world, the lives, and exercises of gods, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and noteworthiness of the ancient Greeks religion and ritual practices; it gave meaning to the world people saw around them. At the center of the stories were mostly about the powerful Greek gods, like a significant Olympian, Zeus, the king of the gods. The stories even involved mortals who get involved with the gods leading to most tragic endings. For example, the myth about Pandora’s Box involved a god, Prometheus, who gave fire as a gift to mortals; Zeus, took vengeance by presenting Pandora, the first mortal woman, to Earth and giving her a box full of dread and misery if she opened it, and unfortunately the curiosity got the best of her and she released all the harsh things around the world. Pandora’s Box provided a theme that is that curiosity is a trait in humans that can most easily be, and is most often, their downfall like the saying “curiosity killed the cat.” Another example would be when Odysseus came home disguised as a beggar by the help of the goddess, Athena, to plot his revenge against the suitors. From Odysseus’ point of view as suitor he is able to learn who the loyal one remains and who treat him with disrespect; with the information he collects, Odysseus is able to plot his revenge, giving the suitors a gruesome death. Although in the story Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, treats “the beggar” with respect and nobility. Taken together, these story plot scenes illustrates and teaches people to be respectful and kind to whomever it may be, whether a king or a beggar.These myths were advised to people, and it helped them realize the difference between right and wrong. It helped them deal with how they ought to be modest and never think themselves eternal, or they may very well be refuted in the most terrible and inauspicious of ways. These myths show present-day individuals a look at how people thought in the past, what they thought about imperative, how their ethics worked, and so forth.

Greeks have made an essential contribution to education, olympics, philosophy, and art and architecture. Literature and theatre was an important aspect of Greek culture and influenced modern drama; Greek cuisine was another significant modern day influence of today’s society. Greeks have made many contributions especially to education like math and science. Such as the basic ideas of geometry and some of the astronomical ideas describing the planetary movement, Earth’s axis, and the heliocentric system. A famous physician Hippocrates established medical schools, he wrote many medical treatises, and because of his investigation of diseases and remedies, he is credited being the founder of modern medicine. Art, literature, and theatre were important in greek culture and ancient Greek society as of today. The performance of tragedy and comedy was majorly popular. Aeschylus, a playwright, was the first to introduce the idea of characters interacting with dialogue, theater devices, like irony, were exemplified in those works. Greek artists and architects created unique and beautiful designs on the distinctive buildings and structures that included temples, and theatres. Their perspective and distinctive designs of buildings would go on to influence architects in the Roman world significantly and provide the foundation for the classical architectural orders which would dominate the western world to the present day. Greek cuisine is even another influential factor of the greeks. Food such as gyros, souvlaki, baklava, lakma,and halva were eaten by the Greeks and are most popular today. The civilization of ancient Greece has been immensely influential to our modern day world and has shaped peoples aspect of life. The contributions go to the lengths of dominating most of our beliefs coming out to be foundational in Western culture in general. Scholar, architects, scientists, philosophers, and artists established the scholarly frameworks of numerous fields of study. Regardless of whether it be biology, medicine, engineering, astrology, or mathematics, mostly all of the significant information that we underestimate originates from ancient Greeks and their findings and creations.

All in all, Greek Mythology has played a vital role in contributing to our modern world today, even though we might not know it, it provided the different and traditional aspects of life. It is important for people to learn the origin of the lessons that we grasp onto and use everyday in our lives which is from the Greek myths or stories and the contributions such as astrology, architectural design, education, books, philosophy and a lot more which have had impacted our lives immensely today.

Years ago, Poseidon, Gods Zeus, and Hades joined and obliterated their parents, the Titans, and they had help from Kraken. Afterward, they divided the world among themselves Zeus took the skies, while Hades was left with the Underworld upon being tricked by Zeus. Poseidon took the seas, and Shortly after, the Gods created the mortals, whose faith fueled the gods’ immortality. As time passed, mortals began to wonder and soon resisted their creators, angering the Olympians.

Many, many, years after, a fisherman finds a coffin adrift in the ocean, which discovers an infant, Perseus that was alive, and his mother Dana that was dead. The fisherman, named Spyros, and his wife, Marmara, raised Perseus as their own son, alongside their daughter. Years after, The child grew up, and with his family was fishing when they watched men from the city of Argos destroy a statue of Zeus and declared war on the Gods. Mad at this desecration, the Gods unleash their Furies who’d attack the soldiers and destroy that fishing vessel. Only Perseus would survive and is found by a group of soldiers.

Hades threatens to unleash his monster against Argos unless Andromeda is offered as a sacrifice. Before leaving, he reveals that Perseus is a demigod and the son of Zeus.

Perseus, Io, Suleiman, Draco, and his remaining soldiers, Solon, Eusebios, and Texas, cross into the Underworld. The men enter Medusa’s temple while Io remains outside because she’s a female. Medusa kills all three of Draco’s men quickly. Suleiman and Draco both put up a good fight against the gorgons, sacrificing themselves in the process. Perseus finally cuts off her head by using his shield to see her with his back turned. As he leaves the temple with Medusa’s head, Calibos appears behind Io and stabs her. Perseus and Calibos fight whereupon finally accepting that he is a son of Zeus, Perseus picks up the Olympian sword and stabs Calibos, who with his last urges Perseus not to become a God.

Before dying, Io urges a reluctant Perseus to leave her and save Andromeda and Argos. Then she dissolves into a golden ethereal vapor. Pegasus appears and Perseus mounts the flying horse and hastens back to Argos as the Kraken is released. The people of Argos seize and bind Andromeda to offer her to the Kraken. Meanwhile, as people die in the Kraken’s wake, the balance of power on Olympus shifts. Hades reveals he does not require the faith or worship of mortals (as Zeus does), as he has learned to survive on their fear. Hades then effortlessly subdues the weakened Zeus.

Perseus rescues Andromeda, who is now the rightful Queen of Argos. Andromeda asks Perseus to stay by her side as King, but he declines. Perseus also refuses another offer of godhood from Zeus, who then proclaims that if Perseus is to live as a human he should not be alone and revives Io.

The Odyssey, translated by Fagles, is about a hero facing life-threatening challenges to return home to his kingdom and family after his victory during the Trojan war. Beowulf, which is translated by Seamus Heaney, is about a god-like warrior fighting against all evil. In both stories, the protagonist’s epic heroism is explored, and throughout the reading, contradictions and conflicting heroic characteristics are manifested. Odysseus and Beowulf both are prone to adventure for the sake of glory, but Odysseus’ motivation is preceded by self-importance and Beowulf’s motivation is built upon his nobility. This can be best exemplified by Beowulf’s approaches to life, Odysseus’ listening to the sirens, Beowulf’s battles, and Odysseus blinding the cyclops.

Odysseus is motivated by the pursuit of glory. Glory is obtained mainly by the conquer of his obstacles and achievements of strength and intellect. However, Odysseus’ quest for glory leads to the recklessness that violates and angers the gods. In seeking glory, Odysseus greatly expands his journey home. He chooses to make decisions that affect the outcome of his original goals and intentions. For example, Odysseus and his men approach the island of sirens. They say, “… pound the huge roaring breakers of blue-eyed Amphitrite the clashing rocks they’re called by all the blissful gods. Not even birds can escape them… No ship of men has ever approached and slipped past” (Homer 198), To Odysseus, that is a challenge that he must conquer. He tied himself to the mast of the ship, and he was only able to hear the siren’s song. Being the first to hear the siren song, and still be alive was an extraordinary boast of self-importance, and he adapts that sense of glory because he has accomplished the works of no other. During the siren song, Odysseus could barely restrain himself, “I signaled the crew with frowns to set me to see… we’d left the sirens fading in our wake, once we could hear their song no more” (Homer 202). He had temptations to be set free but because of his crew, he was able to achieve his goal, by crossing the siren’s island. Odysseus also develops this source of power that originates from his glory. Odysseus displays his desire for glory through his careless actions.

Odysseus is portrayed as a great hero through his strength and intellect, but his selfish personality and intent only being for glory depict him as less of a hero. Odysseus utilizes his mortality and mental ability to triumph over his enemies. Odysseus has an excessive amount of pride which drives his motivation for his self-admiration. His power and glory asserting him bring upon the raise of his narcissism, which proves that his life revolves around his fame because of how he takes on his adventures and challenges. One of Odysseus’ many obstacles is facing the Cyclops. He speaks of himself as “Nobody,” when he is addressed by the cyclops, keeping his identity a secret. Having the power to escape the island he successfully blinds the Cyclops. Knowing that his victory over the Cyclops was profound and gratifies his vanity, he chooses to accredit himself, “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say, Odysseus… Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca” (Homer 227). Odysseus feels that his bravery and glory need to be known, as the man who bested the giant. This exhibits how his self-importance is his primary source of motivation and that his adventures are only to be attained for his self-pride.