Edith Hamilton's Mythology

Due to Edith Hamilton’s book “Mythology” I know the Greeks valued strength above all and since I live in this era I know in today’s society we value care. Hercules was the greatest hero of Greece for simply his strength, “His qualities were those the Greeks in general honored and admired” (Hamilton 225). In today’s society if the hero does not care for the people he is hated. One example is Superman, he was hated at one point because according to the people he wasn’t helping the right cause. This shows that in today’s society we don’t just want someone strong but someone who cares. In movies such as “The Avengers” people valued self control because they wanted the Avengers to be under someone’s control. In Greece it was different, heroes acted on an impulse. Such as Perseus who has “... been led by his angry pride into making an empty boast” (Hamilton 200). Perseus did not have to kill Medusa he just wanted to prove himself worthy. This might seem brave to some but it was just reckless, the reason Perseus managed to accomplish …show more content…
They are called heros because all the heroes were men.Women were not thought of capable of fighting to the ancient Greeks but today many heroines have emerged. An example could be Wonder Woman, unlike the Greeks she is not just someone’s ally she is the hero. Examples of women who’ve helped heroes could Medea who helped Jason get the golden fleece and Ariadne who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth, Although most of the women have been romantically involved with the heros. On page 212 Ariadne went to Daedalus so he could tell her how to get out of the labyrinth she then “sent for Theseus and told him she would bring about his escape if he would promise to take her back to Athens and marry her” ( Hamilton). This shows how women were just allies to heroes in Ancient Greece but now they are heroes