Griechische mythologie

Dionysus and Ariadne

The fascinating Greek mythology, legends, gods and heroes

The Greek mythology can be divided in 3 eras-sections (or dynasties). 1st dynasty is the Uranus-Gaea, the fights between the Titans, Cyclopes and Uranus, Cronus. The 2nd dynasty, is the era of Cronus and Rhea, when the first Gods were born: Zeus (Jupiter), Hera (Juno), Hades (or Pluto), Poseidon (Neptune), Demeter (Ceres) and Hestia (Vesta). The 3rd dynasty is completed with the creation of the dodecatheon (12 gods) as religion: Athena (Minerva), Apollo, Ares (Mars), Hermes (Mercury), Aphrodite (Venus), Hephaestus (Vulcan), Dionysos (Bacchus), Pan, and Asclepios (Aesculapius). The Romans have adopted as subsitutes of their own the Gods and have just changed the names in Latin. The half gods (Hercules, Achilles, Orpheas, Perseus, Theseus...) and mythical heroes like Jason, Promitheus, Belerephon, Kekrops, Ikarus and Daedalos, Orion, Aias (Ajax) the Telamonian, Kadmos, were worsipped allover Greece. Almost all the names of constellations, stars, planets are from the ancient Greek mythology. The Troyan war is a historical event and not a fiction of the great poet Homer. According the legend, the Greeks carried out a great expedition against Troy, in order to take back the beautiful Helen of Sparta, abducted by Paris of Troy.

Main sources of the Greek mythology, are Hesiod (about 850 B.C.) author of the Theogony (Genesis), a rich collection of religious lore, Homer (8th century BC), the greatest epic poet, rapsodist of the Iliad and Odyssey, the lyric poet Pindar (518-438 B.C.) from Thiva, Aeschylus (524-456 B.C.) the great poetic dramatist, author of 90 plays, the famous writers Lucian and Apollodorus, several Alexandrians poets, some Roman writers and the famous traveler, geographer Pausanias.

It was natural for the Greeks to believe that the great gods have conquered the mighty rugged mountains which defied man. Mount Olympus is the highest in Northern Greece, Macedonia, standing 2.981 m high. There, they lived and cavorted and held council in a climate of perpetual spring-time, on the very top (Homer's Odyssey Z' 41-46).

Zeus was the father of gods and humans, the supreme ruler the god of the natural celestial phenomena (thunders, lightnings). The epithets given to him by Hesiod and Homer are more than 150 ! and typical for his attributes: Zeus Xenios, Horkios, Eunous, Iketes, Saviour.... and OLYMPIOS. The greatest warship place of Zeus was in Olympia, celebrating every 4 years (due the mount Olympus, home of Zeus, the area was called Olympia) in the festival to OLYMPIC Zeus. Olympia is the cradle of the modern days Olympic Games, after the revival of 1896, became the most important and greatest event on earth. Zeus sanctuary at Nemea, attracts thousands of spectators and participants, during the Nemean festivals to honor Zeus. This temple of Zeus is recently partly restaured by archaeologist Stephen Miller and iniciated the revival of the original Nemean Games. Dozens of ruined or half-ruined temples of Zeus are all over Greece and abroad.

Hera was the queen of and lawful wife of Zeus. Golden-throned hera, among immortals the queen. Chief among them in beauty, the glorious lady for the poet. Hera and Zeus represent in Greek mythology the perfect form of married couple. They gave birth to three children: Hebe, Ares (Mars - god of war) and Eileithyia. Hebe was the personification of eternal youth. She was the one who offered the nectar and the ambrosia to the gods, which stabilized their youth. Very often the goddess was jealous and Zeus gave her many chances for that! She was worshiped all over Greece. Very famous sanctuaries were on island Samos, in Athens, Corinth, Argos, Nemea, Olympia, Sparta and in Greek cities in Italy and Sicily.

Poseidon was a powerful god who ruled over the sea, the god of earthquakes and giver of horses to man. The Greeks were seafaring people. So it was logical to warship marine gods, Poseidon being the most important. He was the brother of Zeus and Hades (Pluto). Zeus, as the god of justice, drew lots portioning off the rule of the universe to himself and his brothers. Poseidon became Lord of the sea, Hades became the King of the underworld, while he himself became ruler of the sky. Well known are the quarrels of Poseidon with Athens for the possession of Athens, with Helios for Corinth and for Hera for Argos. We must mention also the winged horse Pegasos. who was son of Medusa and Poseidon. He was worshiped especially near the sea coasts and capes. Famous sanctuaries dedicated to Poseidon were all over the Greek world in the Mediterranean sea.. Asia Minor, Sicily, Italy, Sardenia, Corsica, south France and Spain. In Greece the Temple of Poseidon in Corinth near the Corinth canal) was the most famous, also because of the Isthmians festival dedicated to him. The sanctuary most well known to us, is the one at Cape Sounio at the southern-most of the mainland Athens-Attica point.

Heracles was in the Greek mythology the half-god son of Zeus and Alcmene. Born in Thiva city where Alcmene lived with her husband Amphitryon. Zeus fell in love to Alcmene and took the form of Amphitryon and visited her. From this union issued the greatest hero, and the mightiest of mortals. He had to serve his cousin King Euristheas, as purification-punishment of a crime he has committed while he was confused from a madness-attack, caused by the jealous goddess and wife of Zeus, Hera. The 12 dangerous and extreme difficult labors are: ti kll the huge lion of Nemea, to exterminate the Lernean Hygra (multi headed lake monster), to catch the sacred deer of Artemis, to chase the boar of Erymanthos mount, to clean the Augean stables, kill the Stymphalian birds, capture the Cretan bull, find and bring the horses of Diomedes, get the gridle of the queen of the Amazons Hippolyte, bring back the oxes of Geryones, bring the golden apples of Hesperides and the last was to bring the Guardian 3-headed mad- dog Cerberos, from Hades under-world, on earth! Heracles was participating in almost every major mythical event, always fighting against evel and bad, to offer the humanity a safer world.

Thesseus (or Thisseas) was a half-god heroe, who was worshiped especially by the Athenians, as he was more Athenian than the Dorian Herciles. He is connected with great heroic events, saving people and trying to provide his compatriots a safe and better living. He is the King who has unified all the settlements and villages in Attica, to make a great city,-stae, Athens. His greatest labor, was to kill the Mintaur, a giant with bulls-head. Thesseus killed the monster with the help of the princess Ariadne. She gave him a spool of thread and so he found his way back to exit the endless twisting corridors of the Labyrinth. He saved the youths and maidens from certain death and liberate the Athenians from the Minoans (Cretans). Thesseus was worshiped in Athens and there is a Temple dedicated in the Athens agora, the best preserved of Greece. The uncompleted sculptural works of the temple, are decorating the pediments of the temple, showing the labors of Thesseus. a metro station Thesseion is nearby the temple.

Other major half-god heroes in the Greek mythology are: Jason, Perseus, Bellerephon, Phaethon, Orpheus, Prometheus, Icarus and Daedalus.

Some of the greatest Homeric heroes of the Troyan war are: Achilles, Patroclus, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Ajax Telamon, Odysseus (the heroes of "ILIAS" and "OdysseIa"), Diomendes, Nestor... and Troyan heroes: Hector, Priamus, Paris, Cassandra, Laocoon, Sarpedon, Rhesus, Memnon, Penthesileia (the Amazon's queen), Aeneas (escapted and colonized Latio near Rome, according Roman mythology)....