What was greek mythology based on

Centaur Centaurs had the upper body of a man and the body of a horse and lived in Thessaly. One time. The battle was ambiguous but Theseus judged the result by helping the Lapithes. This battle in ancient Greek art symbolizes the conflict between civilization and barbarism and that is why it was chosen as a theme in the metopes of the Parthenon.

The Sirens were bird-shaped with a female head. They were sea creatures, and despite being uncommon in appearance, they were beautiful and had a charming voice. However, they had the bad habit of enticing the sailors passing by their island with their song and devouring them.

When Odysseus passed by, warned by Circe, he closed the ears of his sailors with a candle and he himself got tied to the mast to enjoy the beautiful song. Medusa had a horrible shape, instead of hair she had snakes on her head and turned to stone anyone who looked at her. She was one of the three Mermaids - the others were Stheno and Evryali - daughters of Forki and Kito who were sea deities.

Polydeuces, king of Serifos, once asked the hero Perseus to bring him Medusa's head, hoping that the young man would fall victim to her. But he managed with the help of Athena to behead her using his shield as a mirror.

The moment he cut off her head, Pegasus and Chrysaor jumped out of her. Later Perseus offered Medusa's head to Athena and she fastened it to the aegis on her chest. Scylla was also the daughter of Forki and Kito, once a beautiful nymph that Poseidon longed for. The jealous Amphitrite turned her into a monster, poisoning the water she bathed in. Skylla had a fish body, a female upper torso, and dog heads protruding from her chest. In Homer, Scylla and Charybdis guard a strait through which Odysseus must pass with his boat.

Scylla devours alive six of his men, but the hero manages to pass unscathed. Lernaean Hydra was the daughter of Typhoon and Echidna, a horrible aquatic monster with reptile features and many snakeheads.

In fact, when one cut one, two others sprouted in its place. She lived in Lerna, Argolida, and spent her time torturing the world and guarding a gate to the Underworld, until Hercules exterminated her. Pegasus was a winged horse, the son of Poseidon and Medusa, from which he jumped when she lost her head. When he once went down to Corinth in the Pyrenees fountain to drink water, it was there he was captured and tamed by the hero Bellerophon and together they performed many feats, such as the extermination of Chimera.

Chimera was a three-headed creature: it had the body and head of a lion, a tail that ended in the head of a snake, and in the middle of its back came the neck and head of a chamois. Daughter of Typhoon and Echidna, fire came out of her mouth according to Homer and Hesiod.

Bellerophon was able to kill her because she was at a safe distance on Pegasus. Cerberus was a dog with three heads and a snake tail. He was the terrible guard at the entrance of Hades that did not let the souls go out and the living to pass. The extermination of Cerberus is the last feat of Hercules, the most difficult, the one for which the hero was first initiated in the Eleusinian mysteries. Hercules went down to Hades and asked the permission of the ruler of the Underworld to bring Cerberus to Eurystheus, which he did without using weapons.

The Titans were descendants of primordial deities, descended from the Chaos that ruled the vast universe. The first twelve Titans were a tribe of powerful, giant gods. The union of Gaia and Uranus gave birth to the Titans and the children of the Titans became known as the Olympian gods. Later the Olympian gods, led by Zeus, opposed the Titans whom they defeated in the famous Battle of Titans.

The fascinating tales of Greek Mythology are perfect for sparking the imagination of kids around the world. The aforementioned Percy Jackson books are a great way to introduce Greek Mythology to the younger generations. Additionally, a visit to the homeland of these tales will further help kids grasp the age-old stories that follow Greece since ancient times. If you plan on visiting Greece with kids, you can join out one of our specially-designed kid-friendly tours that will show them around the most important archaeological sites.

Along with the expert, licensed guides, they will have the opportunity to discover the myths and legends hidden under each and every rock. If you want to discover the secrets of the world-renowned Acropolis rock, the Private Mythology Tour of Acropolis and Acropolis Museum is the one for you.

For a kid-oriented exploration, opt for Acropolis for Families Tour. Entry Fees is ideal! The previously mentioned are only a few of the many examples of how ancient Greek mythology remains an integral part of everyday life. In case you want to dive into the wealth of Greek Mythology plan your own trip to Greece or check out one of our Greece tours. Table of Contents 1. What is Greek Mythology? When did Greek Mythology begin? Who created Greek mythology?

Eros and Psyche 6. Theseus and the Minotaur 8. Greek Mythology in our daily life 9. Get hypnotized To tantalize Enchanted by the color of your eyes Pour some milk on my cereal Don't panic! Greek Mythology books Greek Mythology Gods Greek Mythology Creatures Greek Mythology for kids. History and origin of Greek Mythology Mythology has changed over time to adapt to the evolution of Greek culture.

The mythological history of the world is divided into 3 or 4 broader periods: The Age of the Gods or Theogony birth of the Gods : myths about the origin of the world, the Gods, and the human race. The era of the Heroes, where the divine activity is limited. The last and greatest of the heroic myths is of the Trojan War considered by many researchers as a separate fourth period Who created Greek mythology?

Get hypnotized Bronze head of Hypnos - credits: en. Enchanted by the color of your eyes One of the most charming features of a person is the iris of their eyes. Greek Mythology books The intricate and wildly imaginative world of Greek Mythology has been a source of inspiration for writers all around the world.

The deities that make up the twelve gods are the following: Zeus The father of the gods and the most important of them. Hera Sister and wife of the god Zeus. Poseidon God of the sea, rivers, springs, drinking water, and the liquid element in general.

Apollo God of divination art, music, and dance, moral order, and logic. Athena Goddess of Wisdom, arts, and sober war. Aphrodite Goddess of beauty, love, and intercourse. Mars God of battle and war. Hermes He was the messenger of the gods, preacher and psychic, protector of trade, travelers, and robbers. Artemis Goddess of wildlife, hunting, animals, and fertility. Demeter Goddess of land, agriculture, flora, food, fertility, and protector of farmers.

Estia Goddess Estia was the eldest daughter and the first child of Saturn and Rhea, which is why she became the head of all the great Deities.

Greek Mythology Creatures The creatures of Greek mythology were created entirely by the unbridled human imagination, and usually combine realistic elements of different existing creatures. Initiates were required to undergo initiation rites which may have included transvestism and centred on secret objects perhaps phalluses and passwords being revealed. The aim was to give devotees a glimpse of the "other side", so that they could return to their lives blessed in the knowledge that when their turn came to die they could ensure the survival of their soul in the Underworld.

Excavations have uncovered tombs containing passwords and instructions written on thin gold sheets as an aide-memoire for deceased devotees. The principal Greek Mystery Cults were those of Demeter, goddess of agriculture, and of Dionysus also known as Bacchus , god of wine, ecstasy - and of theatre.

Who first made a drama out of a crisis? How did theatres begin? In 5th Century Athens, theatre was closely connected to the cult of Dionysus, in whose theatre on the southern slopes of the Acropolis tragedies and comedies were staged at an annual festival. But the origin of theatre is a much-debated issue. One tradition tells of the actor Thespis hence "thespian" standing on a cart and playing a dramatic role for the first time around BC; another claims that drama began with ritual choruses and gradually introduced actors' parts.

Aristotle BC supposed that the choruses of tragedy were originally ritual songs dithyrambs sung and danced in Dionysus' honour, while comedy emerged out of ribald performances involving model phalluses. As a god associated with shifting roles and appearances, Dionysus seems an apt choice of god to give rise to drama. But from the earliest extant tragedy, Aeschylus' Persians of BC, few surviving tragedies have anything to do with Dionysus.

Comic drama was largely devoted to making fun of contemporary figures - including in several plays most famously in Aristophanes' Clouds the philosopher Socrates. What made Socrates think about becoming a philosopher? Socrates BC may have had his head in the clouds, and was portrayed in Aristophanes' comedy as entertaining ideas ranging from the scientifically absurd "How do you measure a flea's jump?

This picture is at odds with the main sources of biographical data on Socrates, the writings of his pupils Plato and Xenophon. Both the latter treat him with great respect as a moral questioner and guide, but they say almost nothing of Socrates' earlier activities. In fact our first description of Socrates, dating to his thirties, show him as a man of action. He served in a military campaign in northern Greece in BC, and during a brutal battle he saved the life of his beloved young friend Alcibiades.

The secret of the Greeks and the Greek mythology , though, is that myths and history are so artistically intertwined and interwoven that no one really knows where fiction ends and where history begins. Or maybe is it vice versa? It would be nice if you added more details. I would like to have academic articles about Greek Mythology: origin , development , modern interpretation , mythology and modern art and literature etc…….

Thank you very much in advance. For some reason the modern historians seem to forget the influence of Egyptian mythology on the mythology of the Greeks. An example would be the Libyan oracle to Ammon which Alexander the Great visited. Many of them are still told today. Greek myths influence many modern books, TV shows, and movies. Read more about Greek mythology, and you may notice some familiar stories!

The Percy Jackson movies are definitely great, but--did you know--they're based on books by Rick Riordan? Also, if you really want to learn more about Percy, add your idea to the Wonder Bank! Hi owen. You can submit your suggestion to the Wonder Bank. Jason was another Greek mythology character. He traveled across the sea of monsters to save someone.

Wonder is wrong because Hades is the king of the underworld not the world. So I would not trust wonder. Hi quinley. You can use the search function at the top of each Wonder or visit our Wonders Page. We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:.

Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Who were the Greek gods and goddesses? Who were the Greek heroes? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Try out these activities with help from an adult friend or family member: Ready to learn more about Greek mythology?

Read more about the Olympians and Greek heroes. Which characters do you find most interesting? Describe them to a family member in a text message or email. Check out these five Greek myths. Then, write your own story based on one of the tales. You can add characters, change the setting, and tell the story any way you want!

Then, share your story with a friend or family member. Explain how the myth inspired your story. The Greeks looked for explanations of the world in their mythology. What questions do you have about the world? Look around you. What are you curious about? Make a list of questions, then go on a Wonder Journey! Ask a friend or family member to help you find answers.

Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words harvest creatures harm demigods mythical scholars interacted influence fictional Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion.