Greek+&+Roman+Mythology+1

(8 of 12)
 * Main List of Gods and Go﻿ddesses: **
 * =====Jupiter/Zeus (King of the Gods)=====
 * =====Juno/Hera (Queen of the Gods)=====
 * =====Poseidon/Neptune (King of the Seas, Brother of Zeus and Hades, One of the Three Brothers who were born from Cronos)=====
 * =====Hades/Pluto (King of the Underworld, Brother of Zeus and Poseidon, One of the Three Brothers who were born from Cronos)=====
 * =====Athena (Goddess of War (mainly), Civilization,Wisdom, and Strength)=====
 * =====Hephaestus (God of Technology, Fire, Volcanoes, Blacksmiths, and Craftsmen)=====
 * =====Ares (God of War [He lost every battle he fought but 1 :)], Bloodthirst, and Slaughter)=====
 * =====Hermes (Messenger of the Gods, Travels between Mount Olympus and the Underworld)=====
 * Circe (goddess of magic and the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun: Circe transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into animals through the use of magical potions. She was known for her knowledge of drugs and herbs)

[|Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus] by Heather Norvall



Narcissus

Narcissus was a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and a nymph Liriope. When Narcissus was a teenager a nymph named Echo fell in love with him, but he did not love her back and soon she disappeared. A goddess named Nemesis heard Echo's prayers for revenge. Nemesis arranged for Narcissus to see his reflection and fall in love with it. It is said that Narcissus is still gazing at his image in the river Styx in the underworld.

Prometheus

Prometheus, son of Iapetos and Themis, is perhaps the most preeminent champion of mankind. Iapetos is known as the most witty and human-like variant of the Titans.

He is also the brother of Atlas and Epimetheus. http://www.pantheon.org/areas/gallery/mythology/europe/greek/prometheus.html

Mary Shelley titled her novel //Frankenstein// as also "The Modern Prometheus," because Prometheus is credited as the one who brought fire to humans and then faced the wrath of the gods, and her character Frankenstein gave life to the dead and was also doomed for his act.

Prometheus is noted as being one of the only titans to not side with his brothers in the Titanomachy, and instead decide to side with the Olympians. As a reward for this action, Zeus places Prometheus in charge of creating mankind. Throughout the process of shaping mankind (quite literally,), Prometheus begins to favor his own creation over Zeus.

At this point, one must discern the assumptions made about Prometheus from greek fact. In an attempt to save humankind from the negligence of god, Prometheus stole some of the powers of Zeus and Hephaestus to give man fire (by way of reeds). However, Zeus did not punish Prometheus for this act.

When Prometheus and Zeus were planning the rituals included in animal sacrifice, Prometheus decieved Zeus by allowing the humans to take the meat of a sacrificed animal, whereas the gods take the bones. For this, Zeus bode Hephasteus to chain Prometheus to the Caucasus mountains, and have his liver eaten out daily by an eagle.



Perseus

Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae. The oracle of Apollo told King Acrisius, Danae's father, that Perseus would one day kill him. And so, Acrisius shut Danae and baby Perseus in a large chest and cast them out to sea. However, they made it safely to the island of Seriphos where and King Polydectes took them both in. Perseus grew up to become a strong young man. Polydectes wanted to marry Danae, but she rejected him, and he couldn't force her to marry him because Perseus was there to protect her. And so, to get rid of Perseus he sent him on a mission to bring him the head of Medusa ( a snake-haired maiden who turned all who saw her into stone). During his voyage, Hermes gives him winged sandals and Athena gives him a shield. He continued his journey, and he cut off Medusa's head. On his way back, he saved a woman's life named Andromeda and married her. In the end, when Perseus found out that Polydectes forced Danae to be his handmaiden, he turned Polydectes into stone by using Medusa's head. After such exploits, Perseus became king and founder of the famous Greek city Mycenae.



Nike

Nike was the winged daughter of Pallas, who was a titan, and the spirit Styx of the river in the Underworld. In Greek Mythology, she represented victory in battle and athletics; she was very good at running, flying, and considered an "able charioteer." She is most well known because, even though her father was a Titan, she fought against the Titans and helped the Olympians win in battle. In Roman mythology, her name was Victoria. The shoe company Nike is named after her, as the signature swoosh relates to her speed and wings. Nike, however, is considered to be a less important goddess because of the fact that she has no purpose as messenger or god amongst those that are present in Mount Olympus. She is said to have used her power for her own pleasure rather than to care for the people. Nike is the sister of Kratos, Bia, and Zelus. Remember that Nike is only considered to be a demigod, mainly due to the fact that the philosophy behind Nike was considered as a concept, rather than a personality. Her brothers Kratos and Zelus represented the ideas of power and passion, while Bia represented force.



Apollo and Daphne

After Apollo, the son of Zeus, made fun of Cupid, son of Venus, for playing with arrows because he thought manly men should use them and not "saucy boys" like Cupid, Cupid decided to get revenge with his own arrows. He shot a love arrow at Apollo, and a lead arrow which repelled love at the new object of Apollo's affection, Daphne. Thus began the chase. Despite all his pleas and confessions of adoration, Daphne rejected Apollo because, even without the arrows, she always detested the idea of marriage even though her father wanted a grandson and thought he would get one quickly because his daughter was so beautiful. Daphne blamed her own beauty for the chase and asked for her father to change her form so that Apollo would stop pursuing her. He changed her into a tree, but Apollo remained by the tree and declared it his out of eternal love. *Poets often allude to this myth.

In //Oedipus// many references are made to the god Apollo. For example Oedipus says, "Lord Apollo, let him come with a lucky word of rescue, shining like his eyes" (lines 92-93). The people of Thebes closely worship Apollo because the sanctuary at Delphi was dedicated to him. For guidance citizens of Thebes visited the Oracle at Delphi where the god Apollo would inform them on what they should do. For example, Creon says "Apollo commands us... 'Drive the corruption from the land'" (lines107-109).



Arachne and Athena

Arachne was a mortal who wanted to compete with Athena, known for being the goddess of war but also crafts, in the art of weaving. Arachne was often compared to Athena in skill because her weavings were so beautiful, but instead of accepting it as a compliment, decided to challenge her. In response, Athena disguised herself as an old woman and recommended that Arachne not challenge Athena. Arachne was angered, and let the old woman know that she was not afraid of the goddess. Athena revealed herself and the contest began. In her weaving, Arachne depicted the gods in a very negative, offensive (to Athena) way. Athena made Arachne feel immense guilt which caused her to kill herself, however, Athena felt pity and sprinkled aconite on her which made her turn into a spider, and she spent the rest of her days spinning thread.



Hercules

Hercules was the son of Zeus ( the king of the gods of Olympus) and the mortal, Alcmene. Hercules was a hero of superhuman strength and courage. When Zeus' wife, Hera, (the queen of gods) found out that Zeus and Alcmene were expecting a baby, Hercules, Hera decided to make Hercules' life miserable. She did this by making Hercules go mad, which caused him to kill his wife and children. As a form of punishment, Apollo commanded him to do 12 tasks, so that the evil might be cleaned from his spirit. When the tasks were completed, Apollo said, Hercules would become immortal, he would become a god. Also, after his tasks were completed,he went on many more adventures such as rescuing the princess of Troy from a hungry sea-monster.



Cupid and Psyche

The story of Cupid and Psyche is a story written in the 2nd century AD in Apuleius's //Golden Ass//. There was a king who had three daughters. The youngest, Psyche was so beautiful that people around her started to neglect Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. This upset Venus so devised a plan to destroy the girl who all thought were more beautiful than her. The father, after going to seek the future of his well loved and beautiful daughter found out that she had a horrible fate: she was to be taken and left on a hillside in order for her future husband, a serpent with wings that flies through the starry night, to come and pick her up. After taking her there, they all ran back, leaving the daughter to face her fate, however, Zephyrus the West wind, brought her to an enchanted land. Here, a home made of gold, and even at night was so bright that it created its own artificial light (the house of Cupid). Upon returning that night, Cupid, whose identity is unknown, tells her that the girl may stay in this lovely home, if she would not see his face. After their daily affair, she returns home and tells her sisters, jealous of her, about her great fortune and the nice man with a magical house, who she now sees as a husband. After bringing the sisters to her new home, the sisters, jealous, devised a plan to destroy their sister: they told her that her husband was a great serpent, who, after impregnating her, would eat both her and her child together. That night, through much drama, she learns of her husbands godly identity, who flees from her sight and refuses to return. After seeing her good fortune having been destroyed by her sisters, she seeks revenge. After telling them of how her husband no longer seeks her companionship, but rather theirs, they, as idiots run out to the cliff to be taken away by Zephyr to his domain. Of course, the wind never came and they ran off the edge and fell to their doom. After seeking shelter in Athena's temple, and after completing Venus's labors, she asks for the acceptance of her husband, Cupid, who finally agrees to take her back. Thus ends their tale.

Allusions to Cupid:
There is an allusion to Cupid in __The House of The Spirits__ (Also to the Acropolis and Venus and Adonis) on page 215. "...into a replica of the Acropolis crowned with a cloud of meringue on which rested two mythological lovers, Venus and Adonis, fashioned out of almond paste colored to imitate the rosy tones of their flesh, their blond hair, and the cobalt blue of their eyes; with them was a pudgy Cupid, also edible, which was sliced in half with a silver knife by the proud groom and the dejected bride." This allusion may seem insignificant, but Cupid, the roman god of love has been placed on a wedding cake in which there is absolutely NO LOVE between the bride and groom. Knowing about Cupid and the story of Venus and Adonis depends the readers knowledge of the fact that this arranged marriage could only turn out for the worst with a lack of love in the relationship.

Allusions to Aphrodite:
There is also an allusion to Aphrodite in __The House of The Spirits.__ The context of this quote is in the Christopher Columbus, where Esteban goes to "try to recover his good humor." The quote starts on page 315. "Allow me to offer you the best in the house. I'm going to introduce you to Aphrodite... And Aphrodite appeared in the room, with her hair piled three stories high, barely covered by a few layers of tulle and dripping with artificial grapes from her shoulders to her knees. It was Tránsito Soto, who had acquired a definite mythological look, despite the tasteless grapes and circus gauze." The fact that Tránsito Soto could be compared to Aphrodite really creates significance because Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, love and sexuality. The description of Tránsito as Aphrodite really creates an image of beauty for the readers, enhancing the text.

Prometheus (and Io)

Prometheus was able to foresee the future and was known as the preserver of man. He stole fire from Zeus and the gods, and as a punishment Zeus sentenced Prometheus to be chained for eternity the Caucasus. Every day, according to legend, an eagle eats Prometheus’s liver each day, and each day his liver is restored. Io was once a princess who was turned into a cow by Zeus. Zeus had fallen in love with Io, and his wife, Hera, had gotten very jealous. One day, Io found Prometheus chained to a rock and they began to talk. Prometheus attempted to comfort Io, but could not. Io continued walking. After Io reached the Nile River, Zeus turned her back into a human. The Ionian Sea is named after Io.

The Story of Prometheus is referenced in Mary Shelley's //Frankenstein// as it was also entitled //The modern Prometheus//. Both Prometheus and Frankenstein (the creator of the monster, not the monster himself) attempt to better a creation when it was not their right to do so. Prometheus gives humans fire, and Frankenstein creates a mock human. In both cases, the creator is punished–Prometheus by the removal of his liver, and Frankenstein by the killing of all of those close to him.





The Golden Fleece

Phrixus and Helle were the children of Athamus and Nephele. Their stepmother Ino was jealous of them, like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. Ino had seed-corn roasted (so it wouldn't sprout), and then told the messengers, who were trying to consult the oracle at Delphi about why it wouldn't grow, to say that the oracle needed the sacrifice of Phrixus in order for the crops to grow again. However before he could be captured, Nephele sent a golden ram to carry the children away. Helle fell into the Hellespont, but Phrixus landed at Colchis and married the daughter of King Aeetes. He then sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its pelt to Aeetes, who put it in an oak tree. The myth then goes on to say that the pelt remained there as treasure.



= =

Theseus
Theseus was the king of Athens. There is controversy about the subject, but some say that he was the son of Poseidon and Aethra, others say that he is the son of Aegeus and Aethra. Before he was born, Aegeus left sandals and a sword underneath a large rock, and told Aethra that if she were to have a son, he should lift the rock and retrieve the items once he was big enough. When Theseus was born and grew, he soon got the sword and sandals and began to make his way to Athens. Aegus's wife Medea tried to kill Theseus twice, once by making him fight a bull (unexpectedly, he won) and then after giving him poisoned wine, which Aegeus knocked away at the last second. Theseus is famous by overcoming many challenges placed before him, and succeeded in life despite those who tried to take him down. He was exiled later in his life, and thrown off of a cliff by Lycodemes.

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus was known as the greatest musician and poet of Greek myth. He was said to have the ability to charm wild beasts with his song. Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, was bitten by a serpent and sent to the underworld. To save her, he sang to Hades, the God of the underworld, and his songs were so beautiful that Hades agreed to let Eurydice depart from the underworld to join the living once again as long as Orpheus did not look back as he brought her to the surface. Orpheus looked back and Eurydice once again went to the underworld. After the loss of his wife, Orpheus was miserable. One day he was attacked by a group of Ciconian Maenads, who were female followers of Dionysus, the God of wine. These Maenads tore him to pieces and his head floated down the river until it stopped on the isle of Lesbos, a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea.



Daedalus (and Icarus)

Daedalus was a very talented craftsman. Though he created many things, he also had a nephew who invented a saw, based off of the teeth of a snake. Daedalus felt that he had never created something of this ingenuity and was terribly envious of his nephew, Talus. Daedalus threw his nephew off of the tallest point of the city where they lived in a fit of jealous rage. His punishment was to be sent to serve King Minos, who requested that Daedalus build a Labyrinth for the son of his wife and a bull, which was the Minotaur. Many humans were sacraficed at the hand of Minos to the Minotaur and the King of Athens, Theseus, wanted to kill the Minotaur so that this would stop happening. He recieved help from Daedalus who told him hot to solve the Labyrinth—the Minotaur was killed, and Theseus survived...alive. Assisting in this was the second crime Daedalus committed; he was punished when he and Icarus - his son - were imprisoned in the Labyrinth themselves. Since he was so crafty, Daedalus fashioned some wings and managed to fly away from the Labyrinth with Icarus. Icarus was warned not to fly "too low lest his wings touch the waves and get wet, and not too high lest the sun melt the wax" since the wings were made of feathers and wax ( http://galev06.physics.uoc.gr/daedalus.html). Icarus failed to listen and was so excited to be flying that he melted the wings when he flew too high, and thus lost the ability to fly, crashing into the sea. Daedalus was free, while Icarus floated to the shore and was placed on an island that was named after him.



Pygmalion and Galatea

The creepiest of all Greco-roman stories, Pygmalion and Galatea stands to be one of the most commonly used stories to show the generosity of the gods. Here, Pygmalion a sculptor of great esteem, whose sculptures are so great that even figures of human seem disgusting in comparison, becomes disgusted by the sights of all of the faults of females of rome: Prostititutes, Cheaters, etc. He, believing that no real woman in the city will be suitable for marriage or appealing for marriage, creates a woman out of ivory. She, apparently, is so beautiful that the artist, himself, falls in love with the stone being. Often he caressed and kissed the statue. When the festival of Aphrodite came, he often asked the goddess for a wife suitable for his liking, and similar to that of the statue, in order to be respectful to the god and not seem greedy. The goddess, feeling pity, grants his wish. That night, he lays the statue down as he believes it is his wedding night. When kissing the statue its face grows warm and he sees that the statue turns human. Afterwards, they continue their life until their death.

=BIBLIOGRAPHY:= http://www.pantheon.org/articles/g/golden_fleece.html http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/theseus.html http://www.p-synd.com/ti/inspira.htm http://www.goddess-athena.org/Encyclopedia/Athena/Arachne.htm http://www.online-mythology.com/apollo_daphne/ http://www.jwwaterhouse.com/view.cfm?recordid=93 http://www.loggia.com/myth/nike.html http://vimeo.com/12348575 - by Heather Norvall

http://galev06.physics.uoc.gr/daedalus.html http://www.pantheon.org/articles/o/orpheus.html http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanPrometheus.html http://www.pantheon.org/articles/n/narcissus.html