We explain what Greek mythology is and its main gods and heroes. In addition, we explain its general characteristics and importance.
Greek mythology makes up the set of stories about Greek gods and heroes.
What is Greek mythology?
The set of stories is known as Greek mythology, Myths and legends belonging to the religion of Ancient GreeceGreek mythology continued to be part of Western culture through literary, philosophical, scientific and artistic references.
Originally, Mythological stories were transmitted orallyfrom generation to generation. Over the centuries, different versions were created that, over time, came to constitute a coherent corpus on the history and genealogy of the pantheon of Greek gods and heroes. During the Classical Age and the Hellenistic Period of Greek history, these stories were collected in written texts and formed the basis of what is now known as Greek literature. Their study is a subject of interest for various disciplines, from literature and philosophy to history, anthropology and psychoanalysis.
It should be noted that Greek mythology collected numerous traditional and religious elements of Ancient Greece, but also was understood as fiction by many of the ancient philosophers, like Plato (5th-4th centuries BC). In any case, it could be considered a valuable source of teachings and allegorical stories, just as it is for us today.
See also: Egyptian Gods
Origin of Greek mythology
The different stories, myths and legends that make up the corpus of Greek mythology from the classical period They were created and transmitted orally for centuriesSpecialists consider that the origin of these oral stories can be located in the remote times of the Mycenaean Civilization (1600-1200 BC) and that, during the Dark Ages (1200-800 BC), they were constituted as a coherent set of intertwined narratives, with elements coming from Indo-European, Mediterranean and Asian peoples.
During this stage, the entire community transmitted oral stories from generation to generation. The older ones told the younger ones the stories of the Greek gods and heroes.. But in addition to this family and collective circulation, there were poets who were especially dedicated to narrating traditional stories. The poets did not create the stories, but rather repeated and composed the story of mythical events known by the entire community.
With the introduction of alphabetic writing in the 8th century BC. C., mythological narratives began to be written. However, at the end of the 5th century BC. C. the Greek mentality abandoned the culture of orality. During this process, a type of poetry was forged that allowed the appearance of free and original versions of mythological narratives, linked to the author’s art and supported by the certainty that the traditional stories were already known by the entire community.
The corpus of Greek mythology
The stories of the age of the gods They explain the origin of the world and divine powers.
Greek mythology, like many other similar traditions, can be structured into three cycles of stories:
- The age of the gods. Myths about the origin of the world, the birth of the gods and their distribution of domains. Theogonies and cosmogonies belong to this period.
- The age of coexistence between gods and men. Myths and stories about cooperation, love and antagonism between gods, demigods and mortal men.
- The age of heroes. Myths and tales in which the gods play a more limited role, giving way to mortals and especially to their champions, the mythical heroes. The tales of the Trojan War cycle are from this period.
Main gods of Greek mythology
Poesidón ruled the waters and could grant sailors a good or bad journey.
First generation of gods
The primordial gods are those who correspond to the first divine generation and They are related to the creation of the world and its different elementsThey do not have a figure of their own, nor are they humanized as the gods of the second generation will be. Instead, they have a clear reference to space and form the framework of all existence.
Main primordial gods They are: Gaia (Earth), Tartarus (Abyss), Eros (Love), Erebus (Darkness), Ether (Light), Uranus (Sky), Pontus (Sea) and Cronus (Time).
Second generation of gods
The second generation of gods was consisting of the pantheon of Mount Olympus. These gods are defined by their relationships within the structure of a patriarchal family. The gods are immortal, but they have not existed forever. Each of them has an established origin within a genealogical scheme, which often explains the problems and events it goes through in its history.
The main Olympian gods are:
- Zeus. The father god, owner of lightning and the heavens, ruled the rest of the Olympian gods from his throne. Zeus was the son of the primeval gods Cronus and Rhea. His siblings were Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Hades and Poseidon. Hera, in addition to being his sister, was his wife. Together with Hades and Poseidon, she defeated her father Cronus and took over the throne. They divided the regency of the different worlds between them and Zeus became the sovereign god of the surface of the earth and Mount Olympus.
- Hera. Sister and wife of Zeus, she fulfilled the role of mother goddess, legitimate wife and mistress of the home. She was the mother of the gods Ares and Hephaestus and the immediate antagonist of the illegitimate children of Zeus, among whom were many heroes, such as Hercules or Heracles.
- PoseidonHe was the ruling god of the marine world and the subterranean regions, and was represented with a trident in his hand. His brothers were Zeus and Hades, and he was the son of Cronos. From his underwater throne he ruled the waters of the world and could grant sailors a good or bad journey.
- HadesHe was the god of the realm of shadows and the dead, brother of Zeus and Poseidon, and son of Cronus. He always appeared retired in his domains, and made Persephone his wife (previously called Core, daughter of the goddess Demeter).
- AresHe was the god of war and violence, son of Zeus and Hera. He was associated with male virility and heroism, bravery in battle and armies.
- Hephaestus. He was the lord of fire and the art of metals, son of Zeus and Hera.
- Aphrodite. Goddess of beauty and passion, she was the daughter of Cronus (but not of Gaia), sister of Zeus and wife of Hephaestus, whom she deceived with Ares and with numerous mortals. Her birth is attributed to the spilling of the semen of Cronus, father of the Titans, over the waters of the sea, when Zeus castrated him and defeated him forever.
- Apollo. He was the solar god, protector of paternal rights, inventor of music (he was represented with a lyre) and of prophecy. He was the twin brother of Artemis, son of Zeus and Leto.
- Sagebrush. She was the hunting goddess, virginal and lunar, with an affinity for wild animals and virgin terrain. She is depicted with a quiver full of arrows and often a deer and a cypress.
It may be useful to you: Beauty (in philosophy)
Main heroes of Greek mythology
Achilles was one of the heroes of the Trojan War.
Greek mythology It is characterized by the abundance of heroic figures. Heroes were demigods: they surpassed men in power, strength and audacity, but they differed from the gods in that they were mortal. They were examples of virtue and participated in incredible feats. They had a relationship with the divine, either through ancestry or by having been favored by some god or goddess. Heroes belonged to a memorable past, not as remote as the time of the gods. Many noble families of the different Greek poleis claimed to be descended from some mythical hero, and several cities claimed to have been founded by one of them.
Each hero had his own story and personality.. But they all shared some common characteristics, such as the desire for enduring fame and the pursuit of the heroic life.
Two groups of heroes can be distinguished:
In the first group, the oldest heroes are grouped, whose lives were crossed by adventures in the unknown world. These heroes They dedicated themselves to defeating monsters and creating safe spaces for their community.. Among them are:
- Perseus. Founder of the city of Mycenae, he was a brave hero who faced various monsters. He was the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Danae, and at the same time brother and great-grandfather of Heracles. Among his exploits, Perseus beheaded the gorgon Medusa and saved Princess Andromeda from the monster Ceto.
- Heracles. The illegitimate son of Zeus and Queen Alcmene, he was hated from his birth by Hera, who subjected him to numerous labors. These almost impossible tasks included defeating the Nemean Lion, the Hydra of Lemnos, the Cerberus of Hell, among others.
- Theseus. He was the king of Athens, of divine descent, to whom many feats are attributed, among the most important, the liberation of the island of Crete from the Minotaur: a mythological being half man and half bull. The monster devoured his virgin heroes and maidens, and lived in the heart of a labyrinth. Theseus defeated the beast and left the labyrinth again guided by the thread that Princess Ariadne gave him. He then married her.
- Jason. Son of Aeson, rightful king of Iolcos, he was the leader of the Argonauts (a group of mythical heroes). Jason set out on a quest for the Golden Fleece (a sacred and magical object), to regain his rightful place on the throne.
The other heroic group is made up of the great warriors of the battles against the cities of Thebes and Troy. These heroes correspond to a later chronology, and as the ancient Greeks believed, their existence belonged only to a couple of generations before themselves. Among the heroes of this group are:
- AchillesKing of the Myrmidons, son of Peleus and the nymph Thetis, he was invulnerable except for his heels, his only weak point. He went to the Trojan War with the other Greek kings, knowing, through maternal prophecy, that death and fame awaited him on the battlefield.
- Ulises. Protagonist of the epic poem Odysseyis the most ingenious and shrewd of the Greek heroes who embarked on the Trojan War. He was the one who devised the strategy to defeat and sack the city, which gave Greece the advantage. On his return to Ithaca, where he was king, he lost his crew and his ship and wandered for 10 years in the Mediterranean.
Main myths of Greek mythology
Cronus devoured his children as soon as they were born from Rhea’s womb.
The origin of the world
According to Greek mythology, the world was created by three divine powers: Chaos (“the void”), Gaia (“the earth”) and Eros (“renewal”)Uranus, comparable to the sky, was the son and husband of Gaia. Gaia and Uranus were the parents of the first gods: the Titans…