In ancient Greece there was once a matriarchal society. We know this because it is evident in the literature that has passed into our hands and from the religions of these ancient peoples. While this evidence is before us the reason for the change to a patriarchal society is not so evident. Very li...

Aeschylus's plays "Agamemnon", "The Libation Bearers", and "Eumenides" were all based on one parent child conflict that gradually manifested into one the best-known curses in Greek mythology. Tantalus, one of Zeus's many sons, started this havoc when he attemp...

When the ancient Greek craftsmen and builders toiled away in 550 BC, they knew that their labors would not be in vain; they knew that they would be blessed. To the early Greeks, the legends of the Greek gods were more than legends; they were beliefs that most Greeks shared. Greek mythology is a myst...

The goddesses have a major role in both epics as Helpers of men. They have varied reasons for this. One is a maternal instinct. This is displayed in the literal mother-son relationships of Aphrodite and Aeneas, Thetis and Achilles, and the protective instinct that Athene displays in Book 3 of the ...

Zeus is the supreme god of the Olympians. He is also the ruler of the sky, and controls the weather, clouds, and the wind. Zeus has many titles, or epithets, such as the god of justice and mercy, the protector of the weak, the punisher of the wicked, and king of the gods. He was protector of the tra...

Homer began his song revealing to his audience that Hades had permission from Zeus to abduct Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter. One day, a glorious narcissus sent by Earth to lure Persephone to her abduction while she was playing and gathering flowers with the daughters of Oceanus. With cur...

After Diomedes wounds Ares, Ares immediately flies to mount Olympus to complain to Zeus. Zeus' original reaction (5.1027-1030) is to compare Ares to his mother Hera. Zeus shows his anger towards Ares vividly and also lends to his compassion as his father. Zeus is torn here; we can see his em...

Revenge in Greek Tragedies The theme of revenge is ever present within the Iliad, the Odyssey, and The Oresteias Agamemnon. Within the Iliad and its ever present themes, the theme of revenge is against the Trojans due to Paris taking Meleanus' wife Helen who was claimed to be the most beautifu...

HADES "GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD" Hades (Pluto) was the God of the Dead. He ruled the kingdom of the dead which was also named Hades. He was the son of Cronus and Rhea (Titans), and the older brother of Zeus (the King of the Gods). In spite of Hades importance to the Greeks, they did not devote ...

Demeter and Persephone: Relationship Between Parent and Child In the Story of Demeter and Persephone we learn about the relationship between parents and their children. More importantly, this relationship is a mother daughter relationship and has Ideas that Greek culture might have practiced. In thi...

An epic simile (also known as a Homeric simile) is defined as an extended simile often running to several lines, used typically in epic poetry to intensify the heroic stature of the subject and to serve as decoration, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Epic similes can be found quite often t...

The Greeks believed that the earth was formed before any of the gods appeared. The gods, as the Greeks knew them, all originated with Father Heaven, and Mother Earth. Father Heaven was known as Uranus, and Mother Earth, as Gaea. Uranus and Gaea raised many children. Amoung them were the Cyc...

Humans are scared of what they don't understand, and so in a way to try and understand the world around them, humans made up gods. Gods are a simple way of answering any question, and humans all throughout history have made up gods and/or supreme beings such as the Greeks did. The ancient G...

In the begining, there was Chaos. From Chaos and Mother Earth came the first race of Greek deities, the Titans. These first gods were ruled by Saturn, who had received the prophesy that his son will over throw him. Well, he ate all his children save one, the one his wife, Mother Earth (Gaia) place...

The Greek creation story began with only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. It was a place of death and silence; it was an endless abyss of darkness. Then somehow Love was born and from it came Light and Day. Once there was Light an...

In Greek mythology, heroes, gods, and goddesses had many characteristics in common. Some of the characteristics that were most commonly shared were having divine parents, accomplishments of inconvenient tasks, and extraordinary strengths. Two heroes in Greek mythology that had a lot in common were T...

Eros is the god of Love. His mother is Aphrodite, goddess of love. Aphrodite is called "the mother of the Twin Loves" (Eros & Anteros). Even though a lot of representations of Eros are a man or a boy Eros is neither a male nor a female. Some say that Eros is not even a God. Some call him &...

The Greek heroes, Hercules and Theseus, are uniquely distinct from each other by their tasks, toils, and triumphs. The gods assist both of them while they accomplish great tasks; however, their personalities, lives, and intellect are not similar in manner. First, Theseus is a mild-mannered, just ma...

When discussing the relationship of ancient gods and humans, one must first explore the nature of the divine and human behavior. A unique attribute of ancient mythological literature is the application of anthropomorphism in regards to the divinity. The human-like characteristics given to each etern...

When you think of Greek Mythology, you think of Zeus, probably, or Hercules (which is Roman). Well, there is A LOT more to it than just him. I mean a lot, a lot. There are dozens upon dozens of gods. But not all of them are worth mentioning, but most are. Because I can't make this very lo...

When one thinks of a god, an almost immediate association with powers and miracles comes to mind. Gods are portrayed as almighty beings who contribute to historical events ranging from uncontrollable earthly forces to the outcome of a treacherous battle. We know much today of legends and myths becau...

In Modern day, fate is not much more than a synonym for the future but to the characters of the Iliad; it was the overwhelming force of their lives. The story of the Iliad is in short about the Trojan War and how the Greeks finally conquer the city of Troy. Most individuals who have never read eve...

Women in Greek history have had many roles. In Ancient Greece the mythological stories tell of very powerful women. Some archeological finds hint at the same suggestion. Women also represent some of the most powerful of deities. In the Classical Age women were subservient and primarily homebound. W...

Women in Greek history had many roles. In Ancient Greece, mythological stories tell of very powerful women. Some archeological finds hint at the same suggestion. Women also represent some of the most powerful of deities. In the Classical Age, women were subservient and primarily homebound. Women did...

Persephone and Demeter One day, Persephone was in the field gathering the crops and Hades, the god of the underworld, was admiring her. He decided that he had to have her as his wife. Hades then shook the ground and caused it to split open and Persephone fell into the realm of the underworld....