Greek Mythology and Feminine Divinity
Hesiod's Theogony tells of many goddesses who were wily, powerful and ruled many significant aspects of life. However, the Homeric Hymns to Demeter and Apollo show how limited and domesticated goddesses had become. Though the goddesses retained powers over human beings and their own fertility, they were nevertheless considerably weakened when dealing with other gods.

Greek Mythology Limits and Domesticates a Previous Notion of Power in the Divine Feminine

Hesiod's Theogony

Hesiod wrote about women like he was going through a tough divorce: "Zeus who thunders on high made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil" (Evelyn-White, The Theogony of Hesiod ll. 590-612). Beginning with Persephone (Evelyn-White, The Theogony of Hesiod ll. 767-774), women keep men poor but are good for bearing children, who can take care of men when they are old (Evelyn-White, The Theogony of Hesiod ll. 590-612). However, the…...

Greek and oman
Greek Mythology: Identification of Heroic Greek Myths in Modern Movies

There are many effective and functional parallels in modern movies to ancient myths. They make us feel and think about many things. Modern movies that have been successful at the box office are inspired by Greek myths. We see common themes, characters and motifs of myth in the modern movies. The goal here is to identify the mythic elements and heroic myths in some of the successful modern movies.

Myth is a system that recurred themes and patterns that were used by people to make some sense out of world. "The Homeric legend of Heracles rescuing Hesione by slaying the Monster of Troy, for example, may have a paleontological origin" (Wilford). Movies such as "The Godfather" and "Godfather II" were praised for excellence; they showed a lust for crimes and violence and explained the details of obsession for an organized…...

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References

Fournout, Olivier. "The Hero Figure in Business and Cinema." The management-Hollywood Hero May. 2012. Web. 8 Aug, 2012.

Kirby, Nicholas. "Humanizing the Gangster: An Examination into the character from Hawks' to DePalma's Scarface." Auburn University Aug. 2008. Web. 8 Aug. 2012.

Wilford, John N. "Greek Myths: Not Necessarily Mythical." The New York Times 04 July. 2000. Web. 8 Aug. 2012.

Wood, Michael. "Jason and the Golden Fleece." BBC 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Aug. 2012.

There were many other gods and goddesses and other supernatural beings in both mythologies (Meeks 2002). There were godlings, demigods, river nymphs and tree dryads and other mythical creatures, such as satyrs, comprising the entire belief systems. These systems were polytheistic as well as animistic. The system held that every tree, river and every part of nature had a spirit or energy behind it. Hercules was a famous demigod (Meeks). Mythology was central to the everyday lives specifically of the ancient Greek people (World News 2007). Myths not only explained natural occurrences, the people's varied cultures, conflicts and relationships. They also endowed them with a sense of pride to be related to some mythological hero or god. Quite a few of them even doubted the truth of myths, such as the Trojan War in Homer's two great epics. Military historian Victor Davis Hanson and Classic Professor John Heath at Santa…...

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Bibliography

Meeks, Travis. Roman and Greek Mythology of Gods and Goddesses. Essortment: Pagewise, 2002. Retrieved on October 27, 2007 at http://mdmd.essortment.com/greekromanmyth_rnpe.htm

MSN Encarta. Greek Mythology. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Retrieved on October 27, 2007 at http://encarta.msn.comencyclopedia_761570116/Greek_Mythology.html

Sheppard, David. In the Beginning. Introduction to Greek Mythology: Tragedy's Workshop, 2006

Wickersham, John M., ed. Greek Mythology. Myths and Legends of the World: MacMillan Reference Books, Nov 2000

One such myth revolves around Atlas's attempt to trick Heracles into taking over his burden. Heracles however in turn tricked Atlas into returning to his position under his burden. Eventually, according to Dixon-Kennedy (59), Atlas grew so weary of his burden that he requested Perseus to use Medusa's head to turn him into stone. Mount Atlas in North Africa is then said to be the basis for this myth.
It is also interesting to note that the Atlas myth is not exclusive to ancient Greece. Dixon-Kennedy (58) notes that Hittite mythology includes a similar figure in the form of Upelluri. According to Homer's mythology on the other hand, Atlas was a marine figure with the task of supporting the pillars between heaven and earth.

The name of Atlas also has several manifestations in the Western culture of today. One of the creators on the upper western quadrant of the moon is…...

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References

Dixon-Kenney, Mike. Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology. ABC-CLIO, 2008

Dowden, Ken. The Uses of Greek Mythology: Approaching the Ancient World. Routledge, 2005

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Little, Brown & Company, 1998

Myths-and-Mythology.com. Impact of Greek Mythology on Western Culture. 2009. http://www.myths-and-mythology.com/articles/mythology-impact/impact-greek-mythology-.php

Using this as a foundation, the Ancient Greeks built a society in which women had few rights and were basically the property of men.
But women were only one aspect of Greek culture, a culture that seemed to be based on pessimistic beginnings. Hesiod's "The Five Ages of Man" describe a period in which the world slowly devolved from a paradise into the chaos and horror of the ancient world. The world went from a Golden Age, to a Silver Age, a Bronze Age, the Age of Heroes and finally the ancient world. And the fate of man deteriorated with each passing age. But not only was the world better in the past, the afterlife was also much better. Man went from a death that was little more than sleep, through several stages each more dire than the previous age, and finally to the horrors of Hades. The myth of…...

Greek Mythology
In ancient Greek, the word "myth" literally means "word" or "story." It refers to authorless tales perpetuated by ancient Greek communities. The characters in Greek myths are typically gods and heroic humans. Each story contains moral lessons for humans on earth that they learn from the immortal gods and various kinds of tragic human heroes. Most often, these lessons either concern morality or an explanation of how a feature of nature was created.

The myths are generally believed, at least since the studies of the Swedish scholar Martin Nilsson (1874-1967), to have been acquired during the Mycenaean age being transmitted by poets and minstrels in a monarchic and probably militaristic society in which local kings were vassals of an overlord. Nilsson's assumption in the early 1930s that the Mycenaeans were Greeks was later confirmed when the architect Michael Ventris deciphered the Linear . tablets in 1952 a few years before…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Harris, William. The Heroes and Heroic Deeds. Retrieved December 30, 2002, from Greek Mythology and Pre-History

Web site:  http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/GreekMyth/Chapter1TheHeroes.html 

Mitchell, Esther. (2001). Mythological Characters. Retrieved December 31, 2002, from Pagewise, Inc.

Web site: http://sdsd.essortment.com/mythologicalcha_rbot.htm

Thus, the idea of the Morai combined predestination and free will to suggest that a person could choose the actions he or she would take, but was predestined to face the consequences of those choices.
In the Oedipus trilogy, however, this view is questioned. Although Oedipus does suffer from a character flaw -- pride -- and he does kill his father and sleep with his mother, he does not know who they are when he does so. In addition, both events can be explained as rational. Oedipus kills his father, King Laius, when he does not know his identity after an altercation at an intersection. Jocusta, Laius's former wife, becomes his wife after the event. Although Oedipus is not a perfect human being, it can be argued that his treatment was unfair, as he did not make a conscious choice to kill his mother and father. Indeed, Stephandies (2009) points…...

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References

Atsma, A.J. (2008). Moirai. Retrieved July 24, 2009, from  http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html 

"Greek Mythology." (2008). Retrieved July 24, 2009, from http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Go-Hi/Greek-Mythology.html

Saunders, C. & A, P. "Fates: The Three Greek Goddesses of Destiny and Fate."

Retrieved July 24, 2009, from  http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/greek-mythology.php?deity=FATES

Twenty days had passed when Atonos decided to test the architect's desire to succeed, and willingness to sacrifice what he loved most for the temple. Atonos concluded he had to send an evil messenger to talk to Karos and convince him of the necessity of human sacrifice in the case of the temple. The messenger was disguised as a mortal passing by. One morning before leaving for the site, Karos saw a man lying on the ground outside their cave, and dragged him inside. Karos made a fire, and asked his wife to make some food for the stranger who appeared to be in bad health. They started talking, and soon Karos found himself opening up and complaining about his misfortune to the stranger. The messenger talked in a calm voice which was reassuring to Karos who believed he could confide in the man he had just met. Karos told…...

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In fact, while it incorporated Greek mythology, ancient ome had a very permissive attitude towards other forms of religion. Even when the state attempted to restrict various religious practices, the atmosphere still provided a very fertile ground for early cult worship. "The beliefs espoused by many of these cults- moral conduct on earth and eternal life after death- made the inroads of the cult of Christianity possible" (What life was like 1997, p.131). What this demonstrates is that the oman religious pantheon, because it took from a number of different religious backgrounds, exhibited a tremendous flexibility that revealed Greek roots but did not limit itself to the Greek religious tradition.

eferences

Campbell, J & Moyers, B 1988, the power of myth, Doubleday, New York.

Cavendish, (ed.) 1980, an illustrated encyclopedia of mythology, Crescent Books, New York.

Jones, P & Pennick, N 1997, a history of pagan Europe, outledge, New York.

Murray, a 1998, Who's…...

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References

Campbell, J & Moyers, B 1988, the power of myth, Doubleday, New York.

Cavendish, R (ed.) 1980, an illustrated encyclopedia of mythology, Crescent Books, New York.

Jones, P & Pennick, N 1997, a history of pagan Europe, Routledge, New York.

Murray, a 1998, Who's who in mythology: a classic guide to the ancient world, Crescent Books,

The Everlasting Influence of Greek Mythology
Greek mythology has permeated various facets of our modern world despite being rooted in stories that are millennia old. This ancient framework of gods, heroes, and epic adventures not only served a religious and mythological purpose for the ancient Greeks but also now impacts todays society through language, entertainment, psychology, and various other spheres of contemporary life.

One of the most prominent legacies of Greek mythology is found within the realm of language. Many English words and expressions have their origins in Greek myths. Terms such as "herculean," meaning task that requires great strength, stem directly from the myth of Hercules and his twelve labors (Bulfinch, 1855). Similarly, the word "tantalize" is derived from the myth of Tantalus, a king who was punished by Zeus to endure eternal hunger and thirst (Hamilton, 1942). These mythological references have become so deeply ingrained in our language that they…...

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References

Bulfinch, T. (1855). Bulfinch\'s Mythology. Harper & Brothers.

Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythology. Little, Brown and Company.

Riordan, R. (2005). Percy Jackson & the Olympians Series. Disney Hyperion Books.

Freud, S. (1899). The Interpretation of Dreams. Hogarth Press.

Greek Mythology
When the clay tablets that comprise the Akkadian / Old abylonian Epic of Gilgamesh were first pieced together and translated by scholars in the nineteenth century, some aspects of the ancient text seemed remarkably familiar. There was, for example, the account of a great flood, with only a pair of survivors, Utnapishtim and his wife: "How is it that one man has saved himself? / No breath of life was meant to be kept safe / from its obliteration in the flood."[footnoteRef:0] The first translators of Gilgamesh were familiar with at least two versions of this story. The first, which arguably everyone knows (and which in 2014 is about to receive a big-budget Hollywood treatment) is the Old Testament story of Noah's Ark -- and the narrative parallels between Utnapishtim and Noah are numerous. ut the other ancient myth is a Greek one, the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha,…...

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Bibliography

Ferry, David (translator). Gilgamesh. New York: Farrar Straus, 1992.

Hallo, William W. The World's Oldest Literature: Studies in Sumerian Belles-Lettres. The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2010.

Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Samuel Butler. MIT, Internet Classics Archive.  http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.11.xi.html 

Mondi, Robert. "Greek Mythic Thought in the Light of the Near East." In Edmunds, Lowell (ed.) Approaches to Greek Myth. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990.

Temptresses like Circe use their sexual wiles to ensnare men. After Circe attracts all of Odysseus' crew, she turns them into swine, to show her greater power over the male sex, much like a haughty fashion model might flirt with men, even though she feels far too superior to really treat them with respect.
Destroyers like Eris, who threw the apple at the feet of Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite marked 'to the fairest' to sow discord between the goddesses also exist today in the form of 'home-wreckers' who destroy marriages -- perhaps like Monica Lewinsky almost destroyed President Clinton's presidency! Heroes who overcome tremendous odds, like the proud Hector who nearly defeats the Greek army in Homer's "Iliad," are also still evident today -- although the current hero lionized in the press, Barak Obama, seems far more moral than any of the more self-serving heroes of Homeric epic, who seem…...

They both feature in Greek mythological connotations that are dated back to the period of Greek dominance. They both adapt big screen movies and pictures that are scary and with intent. Medusa is more cryptic unlike Circe. They are fear-representation arts in human life. For instance, it is common to note the similarities of the two pieces of art in what takes place in the big screens
The description of Circe is very scary to the audience. She is a daughter of Titans Hyperion and Perseis. She is a powerful witch that hails from the family of Colchis. She is violet-haired, beautiful, and red-eyed sorcerer. She is a known creature that turns people into animals. As Medusa did, she had innate powers that transcended to her from the family protocols. She turns people into animals called Bestiamorphs. Moreover, she has the ability to control the minds of the people. She…...

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Reference list

Bade, Patrick. Femme fatale images of evil and fascinating women. New York: Mayflower

Books. 1979

Binias, Silke. Symbol and symptom: the Femme Fatale in English poetry of the 19th century and feminist criticism. Heidelberg: Winter. 2007

Federici, Corrado, Leslie Anne Boldt-Irons, and Ernesto Virgulti. Beauty and the abject:

Mycenaean Greece's relationship to Crete during the two centuries between 1600 and 1400 .C. is complex, as both civilizations competed for control of the Mediterranean Sea. "To judge from the known tablets, there appear to have been a number of distinct kingdoms within Mycenaean Greece, all of which seem to have been independent" (Stanley 277). Following the destruction of Knossos in or about 1400 .C., supremacy was given to the Myceneaens, and the Minoan culture and tradition dominated the mainland (Taylour 1964 57).
In Mycenaean culture chaos reigned while Cronus fought his offspring. In mainland Greece and its environs, political chaos appeared to reign, finally resulting in one powerful, unified group who agreed that the son of Cronus, Zeus, should rule the pantheon ("Uranus" Encyclopedia Mythica). At last, Greek dominance over the lands, and thus over the religion, seems to have stopped the creation of creation stories some time during…...

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Bibliography

Aeschylus (ed. Smith, Herbert Weir). Prometheus Bound. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1926.

Drury, Nevil. Dictionary of Mysticism and the Occult. San Francisco, Harper & Row, 1985.

Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, 1979.

Homer (ed. Butler, Samuel). The Illiad. With an English Translation by a.T. Murray. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.

Lotus-Eaters: From Literature to Television
Greek myths have long been utilized as backdrops and inspirations for various works of arts from literature to popular media such as television programming. The myth of the Lotus-eaters, or the lotophagi, was first popularized in the epic poem The Odyssey which details Odysseus's quest to return to Ithaca, his home, after having participated in the siege of Troy. Alfred Tennyson used the lotus-eaters myth as the basis for his 1832 poem "The Lotos-Eaters." Moreover, the lotus-eaters myth was referenced in the 2011 season premiere of the television show True Blood. The lotus-eaters have inspired great works of literature, such as Tennyson's "The Lotos-Eaters," as well as popular media as in the case of HBO's True Blood.

In Tennyson's "The Lotos-Eaters," the unnamed Odysseus addresses his crew and provides reasons as to why they would indulge in eating the lotus flower. The poem is written in…...

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Works Cited

"She's Not There." True Blood. HBO. 26 June 2011. Television.

Tennyson, Alfred. "The Lotos-Eaters." Poet's Graves: Serious about Poets and Poetry. Web.

Accessed 11 July 2011, from  http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Tennyson/song_of_the_lotos-eaters.htm

1. The influence of Greek mythology on Chaucer’s "The Canterbury Tales" and Boccaccio’s "The Decameron"
2. The portrayal of Greek gods and goddesses in Chaucer and Boccaccio’s works
3. The role of fate and destiny in Greek mythology and its connection to the themes of love and tragedy in Chaucer and Boccaccio’s writings
4. Comparing and contrasting the use of Greek mythological figures in Chaucer’s and Boccaccio’s works
5. The significance of classical allusions and references to Greek mythology in the literary techniques of Chaucer and Boccaccio
6. The role of heroism and epic narratives in Chaucer and Boccaccio’s works, drawing parallels to Greek mythological....

Chaucer and Boccaccio: Exploring Echoes of Greek Mythology

The works of Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio, two literary luminaries of the medieval era, are replete with allusions to Greek mythology, a testament to its enduring influence on Western literature. This essay will delve into the significant ways in which Chaucer and Boccaccio incorporated Greek myths into their writings, examining its impact on characterization, narrative structure, and thematic development.

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: A Tapestry of Mythological Intertexts

Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" is a masterpiece that deftly weaves together a diverse cast of characters on a pilgrimage. Embedded within these tales are numerous references to Greek....

1. The Role of Mythology in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
2. The Influence of Classical Mythology on Chaucer's Characters
3. The Importance of Mythological Allusions in Chaucer's Works
4. Comparing and Contrasting Chaucer's Use of Mythology with Other Medieval Writers
5. The Symbolism of Mythological Creatures in Chaucer's Tales
6. The Concept of Fate and Destiny in Chaucer's Mythological References
7. The Role of Gods and Goddesses in Chaucer's Narrative Structure
8. Exploring the Theme of Love and Desire Through Mythological Figures in Chaucer's Writing
9. The Mythological Roots of Chaucer's Moral and Ethical Themes
10. The Evolution of Mythological Themes in Chaucer's Literary Career.
11. A Comparative Analysis of Chaucer's....

Twilight's Reflection on Easter's Themes

1. The Duality of Light and Darkness

Easter marks the triumph of light over darkness, the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. Twilight, a state of transition where light and darkness intertwine, mirrors this duality. An essay could explore the symbolic interplay between the waning light of twilight and the darkness of the tomb, contrasting it with the dawn of Easter's hope and victory.

2. The Transformation of Dawn

Twilight precedes the dawn, a time of anticipation and renewal. Easter is a celebration of the transformation wrought by Christ's resurrection, bringing hope and a new beginning. An essay could....