In order to devise an accurate definition of what a myth really is, a handful of elements must be incorporated into one. A myth is not just a fictional story. A myth needs to follow certain guidelines in order to be categorized as such. Some rudiments of a myth would incorporate religion of any kind, a way to explain the origin of a concept, a connection with other stories within the same society, a communal authorship due to the fact that it came into existence through oral tradition, and it is believed to be true by the member of the culture from which the myth was originated. These are the features that make a story a myth.
             Religion is a corner stone of mythology. All mythological stories are based on the belief of some higher existence or supernatural being. Greek Mythology revolves around many gods and goddesses. The stories from ancient Greece customarily center on the many deities that were believed to be in power in this culture. A good example in literature is the play Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. It was written in 430 B.C. This is a drama about Prometheus. Prometheus was the wisest Titan. When Zeus revolted against Crones, Prometheus fought on Zeus's side. Zeus gave Prometheus the task of creating man. He is known as the protector of mankind. He gave mankind fire and tricked Zeus in other ways in order to benefit man. This enraged Zeus and he had him punished by chaining him to a rock and having an eagle tearing at his liver. The characters in this play are: Prometheus, Bias, Crates, Ephesus (the god of fire, the smith and armored of the gods; he made the chains that held Prometheus bound), Oceanus (the unending stream of water encircling the world), and Io. In Greek mythology Io was a lover of Zeus. When Hera became suspicious, Zeus turned Io into a cow and Hera took the cow as a gift. When Io finally became free of Hera she wandered the Earth trying to escape from Hera's wrath. She met Pr...