greek mythology

The Influences of Greek Mythology

[Name of Author]

[Institution information]

The ancient Greek civilization is perhaps one of the most well-known and popular civilizations known in modern times . There are numerous aspects of ancient Greek civilization which shed a large influence on contemporary society , from athletics to literature . Most of these influences may have changed in form through the years . Nevertheless it remains a fact that modern thought and activities still resemble a hint of what has transpired back in the ancient times of the Greek civilization . Greek mythology continues

today as one of the earliest foundations of the human society

Greek mythology has had a wide body influence in both early empires and contemporary societies , one of these includes the English Romantic poets who were seriously interested in Greek myth , both in itself as a subject for poetry , than their eighteenth-century predecessors (Zwerdling , 1964 ,

. 447 . Another influence of Greek mythology can be observed in the field of psychology such as the cases where several notable psychological dysfunctions among ordinary individuals have been associated with early Greek observation on human psychology . An example of these cases is premature ejaculation where an old Greek mythos describes such an instance among Greek gods (Ehrentheil , 1974 ,

br 128 . It has been further observed that such a Greek myth is probably the first time in history and in literature that an ejaculation praecox was described (Ehrentheil , 1974 ,

. 128 , further adding up to the broad influence of Greek mythology in numerous fields of what the society has accumulated throughout the ages

In contrast to what Greek mythology has brought upon the gains of humanity , it is equally important to consider the reason why such a broad influence has taken shape from generation to generation . While it remains a hardly debatable presumption that the society has evolved in terms of both technology and culture , the influence of Greek mythology has persisted and resisted the strings of changes which have altered the course of the society . In to arrive at an understanding of these ideas , it is significant to begin with the major factors which constitute the whole of Greek mythology

Rit Nosotro (2007 ) states in his article Greek Mythology : From Rome to Today ' that prior to understanding the effects of Greek mythology and thought , one should first learn the origins and development of Greek ideas . This is true primarily because one will find it hard to comprehend the influences of Greek mythology in modern society if there is little or no understanding of the basic Greek ideas . For the most part , it has been noted that Greek ideas evolved from a belief in deities who were superior to the ordinary individual , and that euhemerism or the theory that the gods were in fact deified human beings (Zwerdling , 1964 ,

. 448 ) supports the belief that Greek ideas went on to create the beginning of humanism (Nosotro , 2007

Greek mythology is largely characterized by the belief in gods and goddesses who rule the world supreme , and that these gods and goddesses have their own domains . Yet it appears that Greek religion originated from the worship of one God ' named Zeus which eventually developed into the worship of many (Nosotro , 2007 . It has also been argued that in the beginning Greek religious thought was monotheistic ' and that its state of polytheism was the product of the accretion of centuries of poetic flattery or vulgar superstition (Zwerdling , 1964 ,

. 449 Whatever the case may be , contemporary literature sees Greek mythology as largely embodied by polytheistic beliefs

This progression from a single deity to the branching out of multiple deities indicates a corresponding effect on the activities of early Greek civilizations . Polytheism eventually paved the way for the creation of many sanctuaries ' which honored more than one god ' as ancient citizens of the Greek communities were very religious people ( Influences of Greek Mythology ' 2002 . Hence , ancient Greeks had the religious responsibility to attend to the worshipping or honoring of their gods and goddesses as part of their daily routines

In effect , much of their daily activities were influenced largely by their religious beliefs and responsibilities . For instance , since ancient Greeks had the responsibility of giving votives ' or gifts offered to the gods ( Influences of Greek Mythology ' 2002 , these people would have to increase their productivity in terms of labor or say for instance , goods produced through vegetation harvest . In doing so , physical labor would have to compensate the extra harvest needed for the votives . Eventually , the ancient Greeks saw themselves as individuals whose religious beliefs prescribe them to work on the higher ends with higher tasks

In the field of arts such as theater or performance arts , the Greeks were able to incorporate their religious beliefs into these arts . For instance , the Greeks had built theaters in to have a distinct place where performances will be held . Henry Montgomery (1959 ) notes that Greek theaters in antiquity were in many instances of huge proportions ' such as the theater of Dionysus in Athens which could seat 17 ,000 spectators ' and the theater in Epidauros can still accommodate 14 ,000 (Montgomery , 1959 ,

. 242 . As expected performances in these Greek theaters largely include Greek mythology Modern variations of these classical Greek theaters have already spawned in many different continents , further supporting the idea that the influence of Greek mythology has indeed reached staggering distances

Modern interpretations of Greek mythology have survived the ages , and many theaters across countries stage such mythology from time to time for various reasons . Whatever the reasons may be , it is sufficient to note that theatrical performances of Greek mythology have transcended time . In most cases , adaptations of the Greek mythology have been one piece of the larger whole in these modern theatrical performances . For instance , Greek drama now occupies a regular place in the London theater season ' and that translations ' of the Greek mythology are even beginning to proliferate in China (Foley , 1999 ,

. 1

Moreover , it can be noted that the field of academics also share a significant part and role in studying ancient Greek mythology . Schools which include in its curriculum the study of Greek literature especially in terms of Greek mythology have given an extra avenue or the preservation and continuance of Greek thought and mythology

In terms of sports or athletics , there is little room to doubt that Greek mythology has a large role in the development and persistence of these sports . The Olympics is a solid testimony to the great influence of Greek mythology in human society . Gill observes that every aspect and all the panhellenic games had foundation myths ' where the games played began as compensation for deaths (Gill , 2004 . Still , Vaughan (2002 ) believes that there are several myths which describe the origin of these Olympic festivals ' which gives the rough presumption that there may be other reasons as to why the Olympic Games came into existence

It is also believed that the Olympics were a major form of the religious festivities during the ancient Greek civilization where the games were held in honor of Zeus . The name itself Olympics is largely associated with the name of the place where the games were held - Olympia , names after Mt . Olympos , which is a rural sanctuary location situated in the western side of Peloponnesos

Nevertheless , what is important to note is the fact that much of the sporting events in the Olympic Games that we have today largely resemble what were once thought to be a form of a gathering of athletes during ancient times . The influence of Greek mythology on both the ancient Olympic Games and the modern Olympic games are greatly felt . In fact without Greek mythology , the Olympic Games would have not found its way into existence

In terms of religion , there are many theories surrounding the influence of Greek mythology especially to the Christian religion . Debates have revolved around the pursuit for the grains of ancient Greek mythology in the scopes of Christian theology . There is wide disagreement , however on what exactly are the strands of Greek mythology imbibed in the doctrines of Christianity . Furthermore , there is a wide disparity over the alleged differences between the perceived pagan roots of modern Christianity and the religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks

Greek mythology is partially characterized by the ardent use of symbols such as statues or icons for the Greek gods and goddesses . It can be argued that Greek mythology parallels that of paganism to a certain extent . Indeed , the arts of the Greek civilization which include stone sculptures of statues are largely indicative of their iconic representation of the deities . In fact , a great deal of the surviving Greek statues of gods and goddesses share human-like features in many ways . This points us to the aspect of humanism persistent in Greek mythology where human features are supposedly attributed to the deities in terms of how the ancient Greeks visibly and physically represent their gods and goddesses

On the other hand , Christianity also has its own representations of saints as well as a human representation of Jesus who is believed by the Christian community as the Son of God . Even more significant is the Christian belief in Heaven and Hell which separates the two extremes of good and evil as the final resting places of mankind . It is perhaps one of the most noticeable parallels between Greek mythology and Christianity among many others . Another is the fact that both Christianity and Greek mythology subscribe to the belief in one supreme God

The debates about the apparent influence of Greek mythology on Christianity nevertheless remain unresolved although there are claims which argue that the several similarities between the two and the fact that Christianity as a religion came years after Greek civilization may indicate some of the proofs that Greek mythology influenced Christianity

The influence of Greek mythology can also be observed in astronomical terms , especially on how the names of the constellations were patterned after Greek mythology . As far back as the ancient Greek civilization people already began to identify constellations in the night sky and associate them with the images of the Greek gods and goddesses . Examples of constellations named after Greek mythological characters are Hercules , Orion , Andromeda , Hydra , Cassiopeia and Draco just to name a few

These names were retained through the generations , and the latest additions to the discoveries of constellations and other heavenly bodies were mostly patterned after Greek mythological characters . The influence of Greek mythology on astronomy indeed cannot be denied

In essence , the mysteries and wonders behind Greek mythology remain a large part of the fertile imagination of mankind . Yet even though these things may be considered largely a product of one 's imagination , the breadth of its influence appears to circumscribe the whole of humanity From astronomy to the Olympics , much of what we have today echoes voices of the distant past , especially of ancient Greece

References

Influences of Greek Mythology (2002 , January 30 , 2002 . Retrieved November 25 , 2007 , from http /techcenter .davidson .k12 .nc .us /spring5 /goddess2 /Influences .htm

Ehrentheil , O . F (1974 . A Case of Premature Ejaculation in Greek Mythology . The Journal of Sex Research , 10 (2 , 128-131

Foley , H .

(1999 . Modern Performance and Adaptation of Greek Tragedy Transactions of the American Philological Association , 129 , 1-12

Gill , N . S (2004 . Origin of the Olympic Games . Retrieved November 25 , 2007 , from http /ancienthistory .about .com /b /2004 /08 /07 /origin-of-the-olympic-games .htm

Montgomery , H . C (1959 . Amplification and High Fidelity in the Greek Theater . The Classical Journal , 54 (6 , 242-245

Nosotro , R (2007 . Greek Mythology : From Rome to Today Retrieved November 25 , 2007 , from http /www .hyperhistory .net /apwh /essays /cot /t2w06greekinfluence .htm

Vaughan , V (2002 . The Origin of the Olympics : Ancient Calendars and the Race Against Time . Retrieved November 25 , 2007 , from http /www .onereed .com /articles /vvf /olympics .html

Zwerdling , A (1964 . The Mythographers and the Romantic Revival of Greek Myth . PMLA , 79 (4 , 447-456 PAGE \ MERGEFORMAT 8 ...