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What is mythology - ...d beliefs." This indeed is as good a
definition as any, clear and all-inclusive, highlighting the essential
meanings of the word in its m...
The historical dimension of Greek myths - .... Consequently our view
of Greek religion and mythology has been (and will continue to be)
modified by new knowledge, not least in the area ...
Myths of Creation in Greek culture: Part 1 - ...iverse as a flat disc with hills,
touched at its rim by the vast dome of the heavens. The deity
Oceanus is the stream of ocean that encircle...
Myths of Creation in Greek culture: Part 2 - ...not think to ask that her beloved avoid ruinous old age and retain perpetual youth. Indeed as long as he kept
his desirable youthful bloom, Tith...
ZEUS Rise to POWER: The Creation of Man: Part 1 - ...and sisters as allies: Hestia,
Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Allied with him as well were
the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, for he h...
ZEUS Rise to POWER: The Creation of Man: Part 2 - ... even more
amazed at the kinds of skills and means that I devised; the greatest
this: if anyone fell sick, there existed no defense, neither...
Zeus, Hera and their children: Part 1 - ...His sisters Hestia and Demeter
share in divine power and functions; the other major gods and
goddesses are also given significant prerogativ...
Zeus, Hera and their children: Part 2 - ...ortal head of the lord and he made great
01 ympus tremble. After the two had made their plans, they parted; then
she leape...
Anthropomorphic conception and Greek humanism - ... more grand and
intense, their sentiments more praiseworthy and touching; and
they can embody and impose the loftiest moral values in the un...
Nemesis and Croesus - ... the seventy years will number
thirty-five and these additional months will add 1050 days.
All the days of the seventy years will total 26,2...
The Persians and Croesus - ...man placed him on the pyre wishing to see if any of the
gods would save him from being burned alive. At any rate
this is what Cyrus did, bu...
Poseidon and the sea monsters - ...Nereus, the eldest of his children, who
was gentle, wise, and true, an old man of the sea with the gift of
prophecy. Nereus in turn united ...
Athena and Minerva in greek mythology - ... of the immortals. was gripped
with awe as they watched. She quickly sprang forth from
the immortal head in front of aegis-bearing Zeus, bra...
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 1 - ... her birth gives her parents
as Zeus and Dione. Dione is little more than a name to us, but a
curious one, since it is the feminine form of ...
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 2 - ... the grip of
the eternal and all-dominating female through whom resurrection
and new life may be attained. An important variation on the sam...
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 3 - ...have
a way," he said, "whereby men may continue to exist but
will cease from their insolence by being made weaker. For
I shall cut each ...
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 4 - ... the nature of
this spirit. The conception you had of Eros is not surprising.
You believed, to infer from what you said, that Love
was ...
The Homeric Hymn to Artermis - ..., rejoicing in the chase as she draws her bow, made
all of silver, and shoots her shafts of woe. The peaks of the
lofty mountains tremble, ...
Callisto and Diana in Greek Mythology - ...er its smooth and sandy bed.
She praised the place; she dipped her feet into the water
and it pleased her. "No man is here to spy on us," s...
Who was Apollo in Greek Mythology - ... to the
home of Zeus. They all spring up from their seats as he
approaches and draws his shining bow, and Leto alone
remains beside Zeu...
Apollo and Zeus - ...dium, a theater,
and, of course, the great temple of Apollo himself.
The Pythian games, which were celebrated every four years,
included...
Apollo and the messengers - ...n's
arms, young fellow? The bow suits my shoulder; I can
take unerring aim at wild animals or at my enemies. I it
was ...
Hermes in Greek Mythology - ...g in love with Zeus. She in her modesty
shunned the company of the blessed gods and lived
within a shadowy cave; here the son of Cronus join...
Hermes speech to Zeus - ...d to the end I shall
not deceive you."
And Hermes answered him with clever words:
"Archer-god, your questions are well-considered; I do ...
Dionysus, Pentheus, Echo and Narcissus - ...e might ask
of him and then she made known her demand. Zeus was unwilling but was forced to comply, and Semele was consumed by the splendor
of...
Dionysus dialog with Pentheus - ...here from Lydia, some
wizard and sorcerer, with scented hair and golden curls, who has
the wine-dark charms of Aphrodite in his eyes. He spen...
DIONYSUS: Pentheus, I call on you - ...ons that the villagers
threw did not draw any blood, but when the Bacchae hurled
the thyrsus from their .hands they inflicted wounds on many.
...
The Homeric Hymn to Dionysus - ... fear takes for granted emotions and excitement that are essentially
Bacchic. Friedrich Nietzsche has provided the most imaginative
and influ...
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries: Part 1 - ...sees all, gave her to him.
Alone, away from Demeter of the golden scepter and
goodly crops, Persephone was playing with the deep-bosomed
...
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries: Part 2 - ...y breathed
around and about her and a delicious odor was wafted
from her fragrant garments. The radiance from the immortal
person of the ...
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries: Part 3 - ...th
horses. He is thus a god of agricultural wealth (compare his names,
Pluto, or Dis for the Romans) but he should not be confused with
...
The Underworld of Hades - ...s about how to reach Ithaca, his homeland
(12-99):
Our ship came to the farthest realm of deep-flowing
Oceanus, where the country of th...
Greek Local Legends The Theban Saga - ...otifs are
equally prominent in saga, folk tale, and romance-another reminder
of how artificial such distinctions in genre are in themselves,
...
Homeric and Platonic elements - ...r ones himself, and so that he
may know how to choose a life that follows the mean in
such circumstances, and to avoid the excess in either ...
Avernus, The lake. Charon - ...happened that
he uttered a prayer: "If only the golden bough would
show itself to me in so immense a forest. For the priestess
told all...
Charon, Menippus and Hermes - ...d wealth all alone and did not share
it with their relatives (these misers were the greatest
throng), and those who were killed for adultery...
Orpheus and Orphism. Who was Hymen - ...orch he held kept
sputtering with smoke that drew tears and would not bum
despite vigorous shaking. The outcome was even more
serious ...
A new dynasty was then founded by Labdacus - ...tuncle
of Laius, assumed the regency and then made himself king,
reigning for twenty years; Lycus was son of Chthonius, one of the
five Sp...
The seven against Thebes - ... daughters of the
king, Adrastus, in marriage; Adrastus, moreover, promised to restore
them to their lands (for it was by now clear that Eteoc...
Thebes Mycenae was the most popular source for legends - ...tself.
The family of Atreus was afflicted with a curse that brought evil
on its members generation after generation. The father of Atreus
...
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Below is a list of all Mythology articles. If you want to find a tutorial by keywords, all you have to do is a quick search in our directory. Just use the search option available at the top-right side of the page. The website search is powered by web-articles. Or, if you want to read specific Mythology tutorial, just point to it. The newest articles and tutorials are shown first in the list. To access the last ones, browse the pages 2, 3, 4... at the bottom. Also, you may browse articles alphabetically ordered.
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What is mythology (06/17/2007)
(...) Robert Graves, for example, distinguishes true myth, which for him is "the reduction to narrative shorthand of ritual mime performed in public festivals, and in many cases recorded pictorially on temple walls, vases, seals, bowls, mirrors, chests, shields, tapestries, and the like," from twelve other categories, such as: philosophical allegory, satire or parody, minstrel romance, political propaganda, theatrical melodrama, realistic fiction. The definitions set forth by Rose in his invaluable handbook have deservedly won wide acceptance. His distinctions are clear, serviceable, and enlightening; although inevitably artificial per se, they are by no means intended to be adopted as rigid. (...)
(...) Robert Graves, for example, distinguishes true myth, which for him is "the reduction to narrative shorthand of ritual mime performed in public festivals, and in many cases recorded pictorially on temple walls, vases, seals, bowls, mirrors, chests, shields, tapestries, and the like," from twelve other categories, such as: philosophical allegory, satire or parody, minstrel romance, political propaganda, theatrical melodrama, realistic fiction. The definitions set forth by Rose in his invaluable handbook have deservedly won wide acceptance. His distinctions are clear, serviceable, and enlightening; although inevitably artificial per se, they are by no means intended to be adopted as rigid. (...)
The historical dimension of Greek myths (06/17/2007)
(...) But we know today that the country was settled in Paleolithic times (before 70,000 B.c.). (...)
(...) But we know today that the country was settled in Paleolithic times (before 70,000 B.c.). (...)
Myths of Creation in Greek culture: Part 1 (06/17/2007)
(...) 700), as far as we can tell, was the first to give literary expression to a systematic explanation of how the gods, the universe, and mankind came into being. At any rate his is the earliest account that has survived, and it may be considered the classic Greek version in many respects; the genealogical scheme is presented in his Theogony, while his Works and Days adds significant details. Hesiod invokes the Muse in the manner of epic, but his text is steeped in a religious aura of divinely inspired revelation (Theogony 108 ff. (...)
(...) 700), as far as we can tell, was the first to give literary expression to a systematic explanation of how the gods, the universe, and mankind came into being. At any rate his is the earliest account that has survived, and it may be considered the classic Greek version in many respects; the genealogical scheme is presented in his Theogony, while his Works and Days adds significant details. Hesiod invokes the Muse in the manner of epic, but his text is steeped in a religious aura of divinely inspired revelation (Theogony 108 ff. (...)
Myths of Creation in Greek culture: Part 2 (06/17/2007)
(...) From within his voice flows faintly and he no longer has the strength that he formerly had in his supple limbs. Later writers add that eventually Tithonus was turned into a grass hopper. By far the most important Titans are Cronus and Rhea, but before we consider them we must again take up Hesiod's account (Theogony 139-210). (...)
(...) From within his voice flows faintly and he no longer has the strength that he formerly had in his supple limbs. Later writers add that eventually Tithonus was turned into a grass hopper. By far the most important Titans are Cronus and Rhea, but before we consider them we must again take up Hesiod's account (Theogony 139-210). (...)
ZEUS Rise to POWER: The Creation of Man: Part 1 (06/17/2007)
(...) Othrys. The struggle was said to have lasted ten years, the traditional length for a serious war, be it this one or the famous conflict of the Greeks against the Trojans. An excerpt from Hesiod will convey the magnitude and ferocity of the conflict (Theogony 678-721). (...)
(...) Othrys. The struggle was said to have lasted ten years, the traditional length for a serious war, be it this one or the famous conflict of the Greeks against the Trojans. An excerpt from Hesiod will convey the magnitude and ferocity of the conflict (Theogony 678-721). (...)
ZEUS Rise to POWER: The Creation of Man: Part 2 (06/17/2007)
(...) When Hermes, Zeus' messenger, appears in the last episode, Prometheus is arrogant and insulting in his refusal to bow to the threats of more terrible suffering and reveal his secret. The play ends with the fulfillment of the promised torment; the earth shakes and cracks, thunder and lightning accompany wind and storm as Prometheus, still pinned to the rock is plunged by the cataclysm beneath the earth; there he will be plagued by the eagle daily tearing his flesh and gnawing his liver. Prometheus' final utterance echoes and affirms the fiery heat and mighty spirit of his first invocation: "0 majesty of earth, my mother, 0 air and sky whose circling brings light for all to share. (...)
(...) When Hermes, Zeus' messenger, appears in the last episode, Prometheus is arrogant and insulting in his refusal to bow to the threats of more terrible suffering and reveal his secret. The play ends with the fulfillment of the promised torment; the earth shakes and cracks, thunder and lightning accompany wind and storm as Prometheus, still pinned to the rock is plunged by the cataclysm beneath the earth; there he will be plagued by the eagle daily tearing his flesh and gnawing his liver. Prometheus' final utterance echoes and affirms the fiery heat and mighty spirit of his first invocation: "0 majesty of earth, my mother, 0 air and sky whose circling brings light for all to share. (...)
Zeus, Hera and their children: Part 1 (06/17/2007)
(...) Although Hestia is important, her role and function are relatively limited and therefore she may be briefly discussed here. Her mythology is meager. She rejected the advances of both Poseidon and Apollo and vowed to remain a virgin; like Athena and Artemis, then, she is a goddess of chastity. (...)
(...) Although Hestia is important, her role and function are relatively limited and therefore she may be briefly discussed here. Her mythology is meager. She rejected the advances of both Poseidon and Apollo and vowed to remain a virgin; like Athena and Artemis, then, she is a goddess of chastity. (...)
Zeus, Hera and their children: Part 2 (06/17/2007)
(...) But whatever is fitting that you should hear, then not anyone either of gods nor of men will know it before you. But do not pry or ask questions about each and every thing to which I wish to give thought apart from the gods." And then ox-eyed Hera in her majesty replied: "Most dread son of Cronus, what kind of answer is this you have given? I have not pried too much or asked questions before but completely on your own you plan whatever you wish. (...)
(...) But whatever is fitting that you should hear, then not anyone either of gods nor of men will know it before you. But do not pry or ask questions about each and every thing to which I wish to give thought apart from the gods." And then ox-eyed Hera in her majesty replied: "Most dread son of Cronus, what kind of answer is this you have given? I have not pried too much or asked questions before but completely on your own you plan whatever you wish. (...)
Anthropomorphic conception and Greek humanism (06/17/2007)
(...) Ichor (a substance clearer than blood) flows in their veins. Just as they can feel the gamut of human emotion, so too they can suffer physical pain and torment. They are worshiped in shrines and temples and sanctuaries; they are honored with statues, placated by sacrifices, and invoked by prayers. (...)
(...) Ichor (a substance clearer than blood) flows in their veins. Just as they can feel the gamut of human emotion, so too they can suffer physical pain and torment. They are worshiped in shrines and temples and sanctuaries; they are honored with statues, placated by sacrifices, and invoked by prayers. (...)
Nemesis and Croesus (06/17/2007)
(...) The latter [wealthy but unlucky] is better able to fulfill his desires and to endure a great disaster that might befall him, but the other man [who is lucky] surpasses him in the following ways. Although he is not similarly able to cope with doom and desire, good fortune keeps these things from him, and he is unmaimed, fiee from disease, does not suffer evils, and has fine children and a fine appearance. If in addition to these things he still ends his life well, this is the one whom you seek who is worthy to be called happy. (...)
(...) The latter [wealthy but unlucky] is better able to fulfill his desires and to endure a great disaster that might befall him, but the other man [who is lucky] surpasses him in the following ways. Although he is not similarly able to cope with doom and desire, good fortune keeps these things from him, and he is unmaimed, fiee from disease, does not suffer evils, and has fine children and a fine appearance. If in addition to these things he still ends his life well, this is the one whom you seek who is worthy to be called happy. (...)
The Persians and Croesus (06/17/2007)
(...) And they made the attempt but were unable to master the flames. Then, according to the Lydian version of the story, when Croesus learned of Cyrus' change of heart as he saw all the men trying to put out the fire but no longer able to hold it in check, he shouted aloud calling on Apollo, if ever he had received from him any gift that was pleasing, to stand by him and save him from the present evil. In tears he called on the god and suddenly out of the clear and calm atmosphere storm clouds rushed together, burst forth in violent torrents of rain, and quenched the fire. (...)
(...) And they made the attempt but were unable to master the flames. Then, according to the Lydian version of the story, when Croesus learned of Cyrus' change of heart as he saw all the men trying to put out the fire but no longer able to hold it in check, he shouted aloud calling on Apollo, if ever he had received from him any gift that was pleasing, to stand by him and save him from the present evil. In tears he called on the god and suddenly out of the clear and calm atmosphere storm clouds rushed together, burst forth in violent torrents of rain, and quenched the fire. (...)
Poseidon and the sea monsters (06/17/2007)
(...) Peleus and Thetis celebrated their marriage in great ceremony and they had a son, Achilles, who did indeed become mightier than his father. Galatea, another Nereid, was loved by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon. Ovid's account (Metamorphoses 13. (...)
(...) Peleus and Thetis celebrated their marriage in great ceremony and they had a son, Achilles, who did indeed become mightier than his father. Galatea, another Nereid, was loved by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon. Ovid's account (Metamorphoses 13. (...)
Athena and Minerva in greek mythology (06/17/2007)
(...) Zeus, king of the gods, first took as his wife Metis, who was very wise indeed among both gods and men. But when she was about to give birth to the bright-eyed goddess Athena, then Zeus treacherously deceived her with wheedling words and swallowed her down into his belly at the wise instigations of Gaea and starry Uranus. These two gave Zeus this advice so that no other of the eternal gods might rule supreme as king in his place. (...)
(...) Zeus, king of the gods, first took as his wife Metis, who was very wise indeed among both gods and men. But when she was about to give birth to the bright-eyed goddess Athena, then Zeus treacherously deceived her with wheedling words and swallowed her down into his belly at the wise instigations of Gaea and starry Uranus. These two gave Zeus this advice so that no other of the eternal gods might rule supreme as king in his place. (...)
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 1 (06/17/2007)
(...) In general Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, love, and marriage. Her worship was universal in the ancient world, but its facets were many and varied. At Corinth, for example, temple harlots were kept in Aphrodite's honor; at Athens this same goddess was the staid and respectable deity of marriage and married love (one could presumably forget or deny the Aphrodite who betrayed her husband Hephaestus in Homer's story). (...)
(...) In general Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, love, and marriage. Her worship was universal in the ancient world, but its facets were many and varied. At Corinth, for example, temple harlots were kept in Aphrodite's honor; at Athens this same goddess was the staid and respectable deity of marriage and married love (one could presumably forget or deny the Aphrodite who betrayed her husband Hephaestus in Homer's story). (...)
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 2 (06/17/2007)
(...) And so great Zeus caused Aphrodite herself to fall in love with a man, because he did not want her to continue her boasts that she in her power had joined the immortal gods and goddesses in love with mortals to beget mortal children but had experienced no such humiliating experience herself. The Hymn continues (53-201): Zeus put into Aphrodite's heart sweet longing for Anchises, who at that time was tending cattle on the high ranges of Mt. Ida with its many streams. (...)
(...) And so great Zeus caused Aphrodite herself to fall in love with a man, because he did not want her to continue her boasts that she in her power had joined the immortal gods and goddesses in love with mortals to beget mortal children but had experienced no such humiliating experience herself. The Hymn continues (53-201): Zeus put into Aphrodite's heart sweet longing for Anchises, who at that time was tending cattle on the high ranges of Mt. Ida with its many streams. (...)
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 3 (06/17/2007)
(...) But he left a few on their bellies around their navel as a reminder of their experience of long ago. And so when their original nature had been split in two, each longed for his other half and when they encountered it they threw their arms about one another and embraced in their desire to grow together again and they died through hunger and neglect of the other necessities of life because of their wish to do nothing separated from each other. Whenever one of a pair died, the other that was left searched out and embraced another mate, either the half of a whole female (which we now call woman) or of a male. (...)
(...) But he left a few on their bellies around their navel as a reminder of their experience of long ago. And so when their original nature had been split in two, each longed for his other half and when they encountered it they threw their arms about one another and embraced in their desire to grow together again and they died through hunger and neglect of the other necessities of life because of their wish to do nothing separated from each other. Whenever one of a pair died, the other that was left searched out and embraced another mate, either the half of a whole female (which we now call woman) or of a male. (...)
Aphrodite and Eros in Greek mythology: Part 4 (06/17/2007)
(...) Love and the lover desire what they do not possess, namely, the beautiful and the good, and the ultimate goal of their pursuit is happiness. Love finds particular expression in the procreation of what is beautiful both physically and spiritually, and all men in their quest to bring forth in beauty are thereby touched by a divine harmony with the immortal. Procreation is the closest means by which the human race can attain to perpetuity and immortality; love, then, is a love of immortality as well as of the beautiful and the good. (...)
(...) Love and the lover desire what they do not possess, namely, the beautiful and the good, and the ultimate goal of their pursuit is happiness. Love finds particular expression in the procreation of what is beautiful both physically and spiritually, and all men in their quest to bring forth in beauty are thereby touched by a divine harmony with the immortal. Procreation is the closest means by which the human race can attain to perpetuity and immortality; love, then, is a love of immortality as well as of the beautiful and the good. (...)
The Homeric Hymn to Artermis (06/17/2007)
(...) The goddess Leto mated with Zeus and bore the twin deities, Artemis and Apollo. The story of Apollo's birth on the island of Delos is recounted in the next chapter in the version given by the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, but there are variants. Traditionally Artemis is born first at a place called Ortygia (the name means Quail Island), which cannot be identified with certainty. (...)
(...) The goddess Leto mated with Zeus and bore the twin deities, Artemis and Apollo. The story of Apollo's birth on the island of Delos is recounted in the next chapter in the version given by the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, but there are variants. Traditionally Artemis is born first at a place called Ortygia (the name means Quail Island), which cannot be identified with certainty. (...)
Callisto and Diana in Greek Mythology (06/17/2007)
(...) '' And as she spoke she seized Callisto's hair and threw her to the ground. Callisto spread her arms in suppliant prayer; her arms began to bristle with black hair, her hands to be bent with fingers turning to curved claws; she used her hands as feet and the face which once delighted Jupiter grew ugly with grinning jaws. Her power of speech was lost, with no prayers or entreaties could she win pity, and a hoarse and frightening growl was her only utterance. (...)
(...) '' And as she spoke she seized Callisto's hair and threw her to the ground. Callisto spread her arms in suppliant prayer; her arms began to bristle with black hair, her hands to be bent with fingers turning to curved claws; she used her hands as feet and the face which once delighted Jupiter grew ugly with grinning jaws. Her power of speech was lost, with no prayers or entreaties could she win pity, and a hoarse and frightening growl was her only utterance. (...)
Who was Apollo in Greek Mythology (06/17/2007)
(...) But they all trembled and were very much afraid and not one of them, even the more rich, dared to receive the god Phoebus, until lady Leto came to Delos and asked with winged words: "Delos, if you would like to be the home of my son, Phoebus Apollo, and to establish for him a rich temple-do not refuse, for no one else will come near you, as you will find out, and I do not think that you will be rich in cattle and sheep or bear harvests or grow plants in abundance-if you would then have a temple of Apollo, the far-shooter, all men will congregate here and bring hecatombs and the aroma of rich sacrifices will rise up incessantly and your inhabitants will be nourished by the hands of foreigners." Thus she spoke; Delos rejoiced and said to her in answer: "Leto, most renowned daughter of great Coeus, I should receive your son, the lord who shoots from afar, with joy, for the terrible truth is that I have a bad reputation among men, and in this way I should become greatly esteemed. But I fear this prediction (and I shall not keep it from you): they say that Apollo will be someone of uncontrollable power, who will mightily lord it over both the immortal gods and mortal men on the fruitful earth. (...)
(...) But they all trembled and were very much afraid and not one of them, even the more rich, dared to receive the god Phoebus, until lady Leto came to Delos and asked with winged words: "Delos, if you would like to be the home of my son, Phoebus Apollo, and to establish for him a rich temple-do not refuse, for no one else will come near you, as you will find out, and I do not think that you will be rich in cattle and sheep or bear harvests or grow plants in abundance-if you would then have a temple of Apollo, the far-shooter, all men will congregate here and bring hecatombs and the aroma of rich sacrifices will rise up incessantly and your inhabitants will be nourished by the hands of foreigners." Thus she spoke; Delos rejoiced and said to her in answer: "Leto, most renowned daughter of great Coeus, I should receive your son, the lord who shoots from afar, with joy, for the terrible truth is that I have a bad reputation among men, and in this way I should become greatly esteemed. But I fear this prediction (and I shall not keep it from you): they say that Apollo will be someone of uncontrollable power, who will mightily lord it over both the immortal gods and mortal men on the fruitful earth. (...)
Apollo and Zeus (06/17/2007)
(...) The Odes of Pindar written to celebrate the glorious victors in the athletic competitions have proven to be among the most sublime lyrical outpourings of the human spirit. Physical excellence intensified a sense of physical beauty that inspired Greek artists to capture in sculpture and in painting the realism and idealism of the human form. The crystallization of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders of architecture in the construction of sublime and eternal architectural forms was also inspired by religious as well as civic devotion. (...)
(...) The Odes of Pindar written to celebrate the glorious victors in the athletic competitions have proven to be among the most sublime lyrical outpourings of the human spirit. Physical excellence intensified a sense of physical beauty that inspired Greek artists to capture in sculpture and in painting the realism and idealism of the human form. The crystallization of the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders of architecture in the construction of sublime and eternal architectural forms was also inspired by religious as well as civic devotion. (...)
Apollo and the messengers (06/17/2007)
(...) Cupid shot the leaden arrow at Peneus7 daughter, while he pierced Apollo's inmo'st heart with the golden one. Straightway Apollo loved, and Daphne ran even from the name of "lover." Companion of Diana, her joy was in the depths of the forests and the spoils of the chase; a headband kept her flowing hair in place. (...)
(...) Cupid shot the leaden arrow at Peneus7 daughter, while he pierced Apollo's inmo'st heart with the golden one. Straightway Apollo loved, and Daphne ran even from the name of "lover." Companion of Diana, her joy was in the depths of the forests and the spoils of the chase; a headband kept her flowing hair in place. (...)
Hermes in Greek Mythology (06/17/2007)
(...) He happened to meet it in the very entranceway, waddling along as it ate the luxurious grass in front of the dwelling. When Zeus' son, the bringer of luck, saw it he laughed and said at once: "Already a very good omen for me; I shall not be scornful. Greetings; what a delight you appear to me, lovely in shape, graceful in movement, and a good dinner companion. (...)
(...) He happened to meet it in the very entranceway, waddling along as it ate the luxurious grass in front of the dwelling. When Zeus' son, the bringer of luck, saw it he laughed and said at once: "Already a very good omen for me; I shall not be scornful. Greetings; what a delight you appear to me, lovely in shape, graceful in movement, and a good dinner companion. (...)
Hermes speech to Zeus (06/17/2007)
(...) I know then that you are very rich in these gifts and you have only to make the choice of whatever you desire to learn. So, since your heart is set on playing the lyre, sing and play and be merry; accept this gift from me and you, my dear friend, bestow glory upon me. With this clear-voiced companion in your hands,' sing beautifully and well, knowing the art of proper presentation. (...)
(...) I know then that you are very rich in these gifts and you have only to make the choice of whatever you desire to learn. So, since your heart is set on playing the lyre, sing and play and be merry; accept this gift from me and you, my dear friend, bestow glory upon me. With this clear-voiced companion in your hands,' sing beautifully and well, knowing the art of proper presentation. (...)
Dionysus, Pentheus, Echo and Narcissus (06/17/2007)
(...) The tradition of his arrival in Greece makes clear that he is a latecomer to the Olympian pantheon. His origins lie in Thrace (note, for example, the Dionysiac aspects of Orpheus' missionary zeal) and ultimately Phrygia. The date for the introduction of the worship of the god into Hellas is difficult to establish; it probably belongs to the obscure period of transition after the fall of Mycenae (ca. (...)
(...) The tradition of his arrival in Greece makes clear that he is a latecomer to the Olympian pantheon. His origins lie in Thrace (note, for example, the Dionysiac aspects of Orpheus' missionary zeal) and ultimately Phrygia. The date for the introduction of the worship of the god into Hellas is difficult to establish; it probably belongs to the obscure period of transition after the fall of Mycenae (ca. (...)
Dionysus dialog with Pentheus (06/17/2007)
(...) You are my grandfather, won't you toss away your garland of ivy and rid your hand of the thyrsus? You persuaded him, Tiresias. Why? By introducing this new divinity among mankind do you hope that he will afford you an additional source of income from your omens and your sacrifices? If it were not for your gray hairs, you would not escape being bound and imprisoned along with the Bacchae for initiating evil rites. As far as women are concerned, I maintain that whenever the gleam of wine is in their feasts, there can be nothing further that is wholesome in their ceremonies. (...)
(...) You are my grandfather, won't you toss away your garland of ivy and rid your hand of the thyrsus? You persuaded him, Tiresias. Why? By introducing this new divinity among mankind do you hope that he will afford you an additional source of income from your omens and your sacrifices? If it were not for your gray hairs, you would not escape being bound and imprisoned along with the Bacchae for initiating evil rites. As far as women are concerned, I maintain that whenever the gleam of wine is in their feasts, there can be nothing further that is wholesome in their ceremonies. (...)
DIONYSUS: Pentheus, I call on you (06/17/2007)
(...) And so, my lord, receive into the city this god, whoever he is. He is great in many respects but especially in his reputed gift to mortals, about which I have heard, the grape, our remedy for pain and sorrow. With no more wine there could be no more love and no other pleasure for mankind besides. (...)
(...) And so, my lord, receive into the city this god, whoever he is. He is great in many respects but especially in his reputed gift to mortals, about which I have heard, the grape, our remedy for pain and sorrow. With no more wine there could be no more love and no other pleasure for mankind besides. (...)
The Homeric Hymn to Dionysus (06/17/2007)
(...) The women eventually were turned into bats. The story of Lycurgus of Thrace is given a brief and affecting version in Homer (Iliad 6. 130-40). (...)
(...) The women eventually were turned into bats. The story of Lycurgus of Thrace is given a brief and affecting version in Homer (Iliad 6. 130-40). (...)
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries: Part 1 (06/17/2007)
(...) By the counsel of Zeus, his brother and her uncle Hades, the son of Cronus, who bears many names, the lord and host of many, led her off with his immortal horses against her will. As long as the goddess could behold the earth, starry heaven, the deep flowing sea full of fish, the rays of the sun, and still hoped to see her dear mother and the race of everlasting gods, hope soothed her great heart, although she was distressed. But the peaks of the mountains and the depths of the sea echoed with her immortal voice, and her lady mother heard her. (...)
(...) By the counsel of Zeus, his brother and her uncle Hades, the son of Cronus, who bears many names, the lord and host of many, led her off with his immortal horses against her will. As long as the goddess could behold the earth, starry heaven, the deep flowing sea full of fish, the rays of the sun, and still hoped to see her dear mother and the race of everlasting gods, hope soothed her great heart, although she was distressed. But the peaks of the mountains and the depths of the sea echoed with her immortal voice, and her lady mother heard her. (...)
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries: Part 2 (06/17/2007)
(...) But his spirits were not soothed, for the nurses who tended him now were indeed inferior. The whole night long, trembling with fear, they made their supplication to the illustrious goddess, and as soon as dawn appeared they told the truth to Celeus whose power was great, just as Demeter the goddess of the beautiful crown had commanded. Then Celeus called the many people to an assembly and bade them build a splendid temple to Demeter of the lovely hair and an altar on the rising hill. (...)
(...) But his spirits were not soothed, for the nurses who tended him now were indeed inferior. The whole night long, trembling with fear, they made their supplication to the illustrious goddess, and as soon as dawn appeared they told the truth to Celeus whose power was great, just as Demeter the goddess of the beautiful crown had commanded. Then Celeus called the many people to an assembly and bade them build a splendid temple to Demeter of the lovely hair and an altar on the rising hill. (...)
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries: Part 3 (06/17/2007)
(...) This religion was of a special kind, not the general prerogative of everyone, but open only to those who wished to become initiates; these devotees were sworn to absolute secrecy and faced dire punishments if they revealed the secret rites. This does not imply that initiation was confined to a select few. In early times membership was inevitably limited only to the people of Eleusis and Athens, but soon participants came from all areas of the Hellenic world and eventually the Roman Empire as well. (...)
(...) This religion was of a special kind, not the general prerogative of everyone, but open only to those who wished to become initiates; these devotees were sworn to absolute secrecy and faced dire punishments if they revealed the secret rites. This does not imply that initiation was confined to a select few. In early times membership was inevitably limited only to the people of Eleusis and Athens, but soon participants came from all areas of the Hellenic world and eventually the Roman Empire as well. (...)
The Underworld of Hades (06/17/2007)
(...) Then the souls of the dead who had departed swarmed up from Erebus young brides, unmarried boys, old men having suffered much, tender maidens whose hearts were new to sorrow, and many men wounded by bronze-tipped spears and wearing armor stained with blood. From one side and another they gathered about the pit in a multitude with frightening cries. Pale fear took hold of me and then I urgently ordered my companions to flay the animals which lay slaughtered by the pitiless bronze and burn them and pray to the gods, to mighty Hades and dread Persephone. (...)
(...) Then the souls of the dead who had departed swarmed up from Erebus young brides, unmarried boys, old men having suffered much, tender maidens whose hearts were new to sorrow, and many men wounded by bronze-tipped spears and wearing armor stained with blood. From one side and another they gathered about the pit in a multitude with frightening cries. Pale fear took hold of me and then I urgently ordered my companions to flay the animals which lay slaughtered by the pitiless bronze and burn them and pray to the gods, to mighty Hades and dread Persephone. (...)
Greek Local Legends The Theban Saga (06/17/2007)
(...) Death itself is the ultimate conquest, be it for a resurrection god like Dionysus, or a hero like Heracles. Rewards for achievement exist on various levels. The hand of a fair maiden, political security, the wealth and power of a kingdom are not uncommon goals. (...)
(...) Death itself is the ultimate conquest, be it for a resurrection god like Dionysus, or a hero like Heracles. Rewards for achievement exist on various levels. The hand of a fair maiden, political security, the wealth and power of a kingdom are not uncommon goals. (...)
Homeric and Platonic elements (06/17/2007)
(...) Generally speaking the number of those who came down from the sky and were caught in this kind of predicament was not small, since they were untrained in suffering. But many of those from earth, since they had themselves suffered and seen others suffer, did not make their choice on impulse. Because of this and because of the chance of the lot, for many souls there occurred a change from an evil or a good fate or the reverse. (...)
(...) Generally speaking the number of those who came down from the sky and were caught in this kind of predicament was not small, since they were untrained in suffering. But many of those from earth, since they had themselves suffered and seen others suffer, did not make their choice on impulse. Because of this and because of the chance of the lot, for many souls there occurred a change from an evil or a good fate or the reverse. (...)
Avernus, The lake. Charon (06/17/2007)
(...) Aeneas eagerly breaks off the golden bough; after the funeral rites for Misenus have been completed he takes it to the Sibyl (237-322): There was a deep and rocky cave with a huge yawning mouth sheltered by. the black lake and the darkness of the forest; no birds at all were able to wing their way overhead, so great and foul an exhalation poured up to the vault of heaven from the lake. Its name, Avernus, deriving from the Greek, means birdless. (...)
(...) Aeneas eagerly breaks off the golden bough; after the funeral rites for Misenus have been completed he takes it to the Sibyl (237-322): There was a deep and rocky cave with a huge yawning mouth sheltered by. the black lake and the darkness of the forest; no birds at all were able to wing their way overhead, so great and foul an exhalation poured up to the vault of heaven from the lake. Its name, Avernus, deriving from the Greek, means birdless. (...)
Charon, Menippus and Hermes (06/17/2007)
(...) I see opposite fortifications of Pluto's palace erected by the forges of the Cyclopes and the vaulted arch of its door where we have been ordered to lay down this gift!" She had spoken and making their way together through the gloom of the path they hurried over the space between, and approached the gates. Aeneas reached the entrance, sprinkled himself with fresh water and placed the bough on the threshold. When this had been done and the gift had been given to the goddess, then at last they came to the happy places, the pleasant green glades of the Woods of the Fortunate, the home of the blessed. (...)
(...) I see opposite fortifications of Pluto's palace erected by the forges of the Cyclopes and the vaulted arch of its door where we have been ordered to lay down this gift!" She had spoken and making their way together through the gloom of the path they hurried over the space between, and approached the gates. Aeneas reached the entrance, sprinkled himself with fresh water and placed the bough on the threshold. When this had been done and the gift had been given to the goddess, then at last they came to the happy places, the pleasant green glades of the Woods of the Fortunate, the home of the blessed. (...)
Orpheus and Orphism. Who was Hymen (06/17/2007)
(...) All of us direct our course here, this is our very last home, and you hold the longest sway over the human race. Eurydice too, when she in her ripe age has gone through the just allotment of her years, will fall under your power; I ask as a gift her return to me. If the Fates refuse this reprieve for my wife, it is sure that I do not wish to return either. (...)
(...) All of us direct our course here, this is our very last home, and you hold the longest sway over the human race. Eurydice too, when she in her ripe age has gone through the just allotment of her years, will fall under your power; I ask as a gift her return to me. If the Fates refuse this reprieve for my wife, it is sure that I do not wish to return either. (...)
A new dynasty was then founded by Labdacus (06/17/2007)
(...) They avenged Antiope by killing Lycus and tying Dirce to the horns of a bull that dragged her to her death. From her blood sprang the fountain at Thebes that is called by her name. Amphion and Zethus now became rulers of Cadmeia and built walls for the city, whose stones were moved into place by the music of Amphion's lyre. (...)
(...) They avenged Antiope by killing Lycus and tying Dirce to the horns of a bull that dragged her to her death. From her blood sprang the fountain at Thebes that is called by her name. Amphion and Zethus now became rulers of Cadmeia and built walls for the city, whose stones were moved into place by the music of Amphion's lyre. (...)
The seven against Thebes (06/17/2007)
(...) The Argive army had seven leaders: besides Adrastus, Polynices, and Tydeus, there were Capaneus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, and Amphiaraus. Amphiaraus had the gift of prophecy, and he knew that all seven, except for Adrastus, would be killed, and therefore he opposed the expedition. But Polynices bribed Amphiaraus ' wife, Eriphyle, with the necklace of Hamonia, to persuade her husband to change his mind. (...)
(...) The Argive army had seven leaders: besides Adrastus, Polynices, and Tydeus, there were Capaneus, Hippomedon, Parthenopaeus, and Amphiaraus. Amphiaraus had the gift of prophecy, and he knew that all seven, except for Adrastus, would be killed, and therefore he opposed the expedition. But Polynices bribed Amphiaraus ' wife, Eriphyle, with the necklace of Hamonia, to persuade her husband to change his mind. (...)
Thebes Mycenae was the most popular source for legends (06/17/2007)
(...) 87-89), Poseidon "gave him a golden chariot and tireless winged horses. And Pelops overcame the violence of Oenomaus and took the girl as wife. She bore him six princes, sons full of courage. (...)
(...) 87-89), Poseidon "gave him a golden chariot and tireless winged horses. And Pelops overcame the violence of Oenomaus and took the girl as wife. She bore him six princes, sons full of courage. (...)
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