Black Athena

and Hermes and bore each god one child. Aphrodite had multiple affairs with mortal men and even fought with Persephone over Adonis (greekgods.org). Jealousy is what brought Hephaestus to life. Hera gave birth to Hephaestus to smite Zeus’ birth of Athena. Ron Leadbetter describes in great detail Hephaestus’…

Many people value love, as it makes them feel wanted and cared for, something that all humans crave at some point. However, with love comes other less than admirable traits like selfishness or hatred. One of the minor goddesses in The Odyssey, Calypso, embodies love in every sense of the word. She expresses her love for Odysseus by caring for him and offering him immortality. However, her strong devotion to him leads to a furious outburst and an unwillingness to release her lover. Calypso is…

Gods and goddesses played a primary part in the Ancient Greek society and culture. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and eternal youth, was an essential goddess to Mount Olympus. Since she was the most attractive goddess on Mt. Olympus, which should not be shocking since she is the goddess of love, many gods and mortals were attracted to her (“Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Beauty, Love and Eternal Youth”). Along with beauty, Aphrodite possessed a magical girdle that attracted people to…

Long ago, there once lived a beautiful gold-haired goddess named Hedona. Hedona was the youngest daughter of Odeus, the God of Oppression and Ielia, the Goddess of Hope. She was sister to Dytos and Eta. Dytos was the God of Logic, while Eta was the Goddess of Secrecy. Hedona was the Goddess of Time and was able to control the past, present, and the future. She could freeze or fast-forward time if she wanted to, but she had to be aware of the consequences of her own actions, as well as the…

In an unheard-of myth, Atalanta acts as a female deity, who is known for her immense strength and agility. She has had an eventful childhood that makes her very powerful. Atlanta has defeated many battles that have made her prominent. She is an exemplary huntress and could out race any man. The Hero’s Journey is a pattern that is found in many different types of literature and was written by Joseph Campbell. Atalanta does follow some of the steps of the Hero’s Journey, but she also deviates from…

The Tail of Friendship Back in the years of 1200 BC there’s a story of two best friends named Theseus and Pirithous. These two were considered heroes back in that day. They then decided that great heroes deserve better wifes, and so what women would be better than Zeus’ daughters. So this is where their friendship would be put to the test. But what is friendship and is it even fair to say that these two were friends? There are a lot of questions that can be asked from this story but so few…

religious worship, but it was also used as a successful political platform, and at this point in history as a sign of authority and knowledge. The Parthenon was a religious symbol for the city of Athens, its where they would have offered an agalma to Athena to ensure the city’s safety. It is not just about what the temple stood for but also what was depicted on the temple. The friezes of the Parthenon hold so much cultural insight from the depiction of the procession to the sacrificial ceremony.…

Mythology is filled with many stories about gods and goddesses, as well as the many journeys they went on. Mythology is a collection of myths that belong to a specific culture or religion. Greek mythology is one of those specific cultures. Throughout Greek Mythology, the myths consist of tales about irony, adultery, morals, crimes, and human disputes. One of the gods that continued to appear in certain myths about human disputes or adultery was Poseidon. People considered Poseidon to be a very…

Both men are the kings of their homelands at some point. “. . . leaving Beowulf to ascend the throne, to sit in majesty and rule over the Geats. He was a good king” (163). On the other hand, Odysseus is the king of Ithica from the beginning. Both epics are written to focus on honor and glory. (quote about defeating Grendel). Beowulf defeats the demons in order to attain glory and a better name. (Odysseus yelling at Cyclops quote). Odysseus also wants to better his name by achieving his actions…

The next theme is perseverance. Penelope and Odysseus especially showed the most perseverance. One of the reasons that they showed the most perseverance is that they both are survivors. Odysseus was gone for twenty years, ten in the Trojan War and ten more in his voyage home. Penelope has persevered against the intruders for about four years, playing one against another with plenty schemes, in example, when she knitted a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes. Odysseus' perseverance is…