Another aspect of ancient Greek mythology that thrives in modern-day society is the lessons that the myths taught. The word “μύθος” (mythos) translates to “story” in the English language (Green 197). Due to this, the stories of ancient Greece are called myths, although the ancient Greeks themselves did not believe these tales of gods and goddesses were merely stories. The Although the myths are no longer heeded as warnings against the wraths of gods and goddesses, the myths held truths pertaining to human behavior. A myth whose moral greatly influences society today is the story of King Midas, who was plagued by his addiction to wealth. For returning Dionyssus’s satyr to him, King Midas was rewarded with a wish. The foolish king wished for
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For the answer, one must look closely at why mythology was such a pillar in ancient society. When one thinks of ancient Greek society, the image of an almighty Zeus looming over mortals, wielding a lightning bolt comes to his mind. This depiction is not entirely inaccurate; the ancient Greek people placed a large emphasis on the gods of Olympus, and viewed them as divine beings that used the souls of mortals as mere playthings. Myths came to infamy through the ancient Greeks’ attempt to explain the baffling occurrences of nature. The ancient Greek attributed natural disasters, miracles, and even misfortune to the gods in order to comprehend the reasoning behind these peculiar events. The ancient Greeks utilized mythology as a means of explaining the unknown. In attempt to comprehend the “why” question, myths were created in order to place the blame for the disasters that plagues humanity. Due to the amount of scientific advancements made in present-day society, the people of today no longer turn to mythical beings to account for disasters in the world. The most infamous example of the ancient Greek people futile is the tale of Pandora’s box, or jar, according to Hesiod. Angry with the titan Prometheus for giving the power of fire to man, Zeus created the first woman, Pandora (“all gifts”), to spite him (Gill). Pandora was given a box with strict instructions not to open it, but her sense of curiosity overcame all reason and she opened the box, releasing all of the suffering in the world, such as illness and work. The only beneficial part of the box was hope, which provided one with the will to continue on, despite any adversity. The ancient Greeks could not fathom why so many hardships existed during one’s life, thus Pandora was created as a way to explain all the
For the answer, one must look closely at why mythology was such a pillar in ancient society. When one thinks of ancient Greek society, the image of an almighty Zeus looming over mortals, wielding a lightning bolt comes to his mind. This depiction is not entirely inaccurate; the ancient Greek people placed a large emphasis on the gods of Olympus, and viewed them as divine beings that used the souls of mortals as mere playthings. Myths came to infamy through the ancient Greeks’ attempt to explain the baffling occurrences of nature. The ancient Greek attributed natural disasters, miracles, and even misfortune to the gods in order to comprehend the reasoning behind these peculiar events. The ancient Greeks utilized mythology as a means of explaining the unknown. In attempt to comprehend the “why” question, myths were created in order to place the blame for the disasters that plagues humanity. Due to the amount of scientific advancements made in present-day society, the people of today no longer turn to mythical beings to account for disasters in the world. The most infamous example of the ancient Greek people futile is the tale of Pandora’s box, or jar, according to Hesiod. Angry with the titan Prometheus for giving the power of fire to man, Zeus created the first woman, Pandora (“all gifts”), to spite him (Gill). Pandora was given a box with strict instructions not to open it, but her sense of curiosity overcame all reason and she opened the box, releasing all of the suffering in the world, such as illness and work. The only beneficial part of the box was hope, which provided one with the will to continue on, despite any adversity. The ancient Greeks could not fathom why so many hardships existed during one’s life, thus Pandora was created as a way to explain all the