CrisRejMahn

CrisRejMahn

GREEK MYTHOLOGY is the body of myths and

teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning

their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and

significance of their own cult and ritual practices. It was a part of

the religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to and study

the myths in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political

institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization, and to gain

understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.[1]

Greek mythology is explicitly embodied in a large collection of narratives, and implicitly in Greek representational arts, such

as vase-paintings and votive gifts. Greek myth attempts to explain the origins of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines and mythological creatures. These accounts initially were disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; today the Greek myths are known primarily from Greek literature.

The oldest known Greek literary sources, Homer's epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on the Trojan War and its aftermath. Two poems by Homer's near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession

of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices. Myths are also preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age, and in texts from the time of theRoman Empire by writers such

as Plutarch and Pausanias.

Archaeological findings provide a principal source of detail about Greek mythology, with gods and heroes featured prominently in the decoration of many artifacts. Geometric designs on pottery of the eighth century BC depict scenes from the Trojan cycle as well as the adventures of Heracles. In the succeeding Archaic, Classical,

and Hellenistic periods, Homeric and various other mythological scenes appear, supplementing the existing literary evidence.[2] Greek mythology has had an extensive influence on the culture, arts, and literature of Western civilization and remains part of Western heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology

and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in the themes.

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CrisRejMahn

TROJAN WAR

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged

against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks)

after Paris of Troy took Helen from her

husband Menelaus king of Sparta. The war is one of

the most important events in Greek mythology and has

been narrated through many works of Greek literature,

most notably through Homer's Iliad. The Iliad relates a

part of the last year of the siege of Troy; its sequel,

the Odyssey describes Odysseus's journey home. Other

parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems,

which have survived through fragments. Episodes from

the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other

works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets

including Virgil and Ovid.

ODYSSEY

The Odyssey (Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia) is one of two

major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It

is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed

to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the

modernWestern canon, and is the second oldest extant

work of Western literature, the Iliad being the oldest.

Scholars believe it was composed near the end of the

8th century BC, somewhere in Ionia, the Greek coastal

region ofAnatolia.[1]

The poem mainly centers on the Greek

hero Odysseus (known as Ulysses in Roman myths) and

his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus

ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan

War.[2] In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and

son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors,

the Mnesteres (Greek: Μνηστῆρες) or Proci, who compete for Penelope's hand in

marriage.

It continues to be read in the Homeric Greek and translated into modern languages

around the world. Many scholars believe that the original poem was composed in

an oral tradition by an aoidos (epic poet/singer), perhaps a rhapsode (professional

performer), and was more likely intended to be heard than read.[1] The details of the

ancient oral performance, and the story's conversion to a written work inspire

continual debate among scholars. The Odyssey was written in a poetic dialect of

Greek—a literary amalgam of Aeolic Greek, Ionic Greek, and other Ancient Greek

dialects—and comprises 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter.[3][4] Among the most

noteworthy elements of the text are its non-linear plot, and the influence on events of

choices made by women and serfs, besides the actions of fighting men.

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EROS AND PSYCHE

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived

three princesses. Psyche, the youngest, was very kind. She was also very beautiful. She

was so beautiful, in fact, that the powerful goddess of love, Aphrodite, became jealous of

Psyche.

In fear of what the great goddess might do to them if they paid attention to Psyche, all the

young men in the kingdom avoided Psyche

whenever possible, and none offered to marry her. Her two sisters married finally. But

Psyche stayed at home with her father.

Psyche could not remain at home forever. In those days, girls had to marry someone. Her

father consulted Apollo's oracle at Delphi for guidance. You know oracles! Who knows what

the oracle actually said. What the king heard was that his beloved daughter should

prepare for her death. Sadly, the king took Psyche to the edge of a cliff and left her there.

In despair, Psyche might have leaped to her death. Before she could, she felt herself

lifted into the air. Zephyrus, the gentle west wind, had taken pity on the girl, and gently carried her to a faraway palace. It was the home of his good friend, Eros, the

lonely god of Love.

Eros was a handsome young man, but he had a pair of very big wings. He did not wish

to scare Psyche. He made himself invisible and warned Psyche if she valued his love, not to try to catch a glimpse of him.

Psyche was treated with great gentleness and good company and much laughter and

soon fell in love with her invisible host. For some time, they were blissfully happy. But Psyche longed to see her family. Eros finally agreed to allow her to invite her two

sisters to his palace.

Filled with envy at the sight of the palace and the riches it contained, her two sisters

maliciously convinced Psyche that she was being fooled, that her husband was a fearsome monster, and that she had to escape!

"But he's so kind, so gentle," she argued. "He cannot be a monster. I would know!"

"He's fooling you, Psyche. Trust us." They returned home, dissatisfied with their own lives, and jealous of Psyche's.

Psyche cried and cried, but one night, she took a lamp in one hand and a dagger in

the other, and crept into her host's bedroom. Instead of the monster she expected to find, she saw Eros, a handsome young man, with two white wings. She was not

frightened at all.

CrisRejMahn A drop of oil from the lamp she held fell on the sleeping god. He woke instantly. He

saw his Psyche, leaning over him with a dagger in her hand. With great sorrow, he spread his wings and flew away.

Psyche crumbled to the floor. How foolish she had been to listen to her sisters. She

ran outside, to the river. She threw herself into the water. She expected to drown. But Pan, the god of shepherds, pulled her safely from the water.

"Aphrodite is the goddess of love. Ask for her help," Pan advised her.

Psyche prayed to Aphrodite for help. Aphrodite was still jealous. She pretended to help

her, because she was, after all, the goddess of love, but gave Psyche tasks to prove her

love for Eros that no mortal could possibly accomplish. Yet, Psyche accomplished task after task. Although she did not know it, Psyche was helped by invisible beings, sent

by Eros, who loved her still, and watched over her.

At last, Aphrodite told Psyche her final task was to retrieve a box from the underworld, a very special box filled with magical beauty supplies. With these, she

could make herself so beautiful that Eros would fall hopelessly in love with her.

You'd think Psyche would be excited - her last task! - but Psyche knew she had to die

to enter the land of shades. It was hopeless.

Suddenly, she heard a voice speaking softly in her ear. It warned her of dangers ahead and what she had to do to retrieve the box without dying.

The voice was very clear. Here is what she had to do:

1. Have a coin ready for the toll to the underworld

2. Bring three pieces of sweetbread to give to Cerberus, the three headed dog

3. DO NOT EAT ANYTHING, not even a seed

4. Once you find it, bring the box to Aphrodite without looking inside.

Psyche did everything she was told. She arrived back in the land of light safely.

Waiting for Aphrodite to show up, she became nervous. What if it was the wrong box? Psyche opened the box just a crack to peek inside. A foul smelling cloud poured out.

Psyche dropped to the ground as if dead.

To save her life, Eros returned to his visible form, and prodded her with the point of a golden arrow. She awoke immediately.

"Psyche, what am I going to do with you? Will you never learn?"

"I have learned," Psyche said softly. "I've learned that I love you."

Eros gathered her into his arms and flew them back to his palace.

CrisRejMahn It took a while, but Eros finally convinced his mother, Aphrodite, to accept Psyche as

his wife. With Aphrodite's help, he convinced the great Zeus to admit Psyche to the ranks of the immortal gods.

In celebration, Psyche and Eros threw a party at the palace. Apollo played his lyre.

Dionysus brought the wine. And all the gods rejoiced. As for Eros and Psyche, they lived happily ever after.