Tantalus

The underworld is one of the most interesting and mystifying ideas of Greek literature. There are various myths of the location to this world, what souls experience there, and how to access it. Multiple authors and bards contributed to the creation of the underworld, each adding or tweaking previous portrayals. In particular, Homer and Hesiod spoke of the underworld in many of their works. Hesiod focuses more on describing the creation of the underworld, its roots, and primary rulers. Homer’s…

The bald eagle, Nike, the structure of government buildings and libraries, what do these things have in common you ask? The answer is quite simply that they were all influenced from something in Greek Mythology. Greek mythology and Greek culture in general have had a major impact on American culture. “You can’t walk to any U.S city without seeing something that has been influenced by the Greeks,” says Chiron, a character from one of Rick Riordan’s, popular writer of the Percy Jackson books…

The worshipping of Gods and the reverence of religion in Ancient Greek culture forged the moral and ethical codes of this rich society. The impact of Greek Gods can be felt in numerous aspects of the lives of many ordinary Greeks. It supplied them with means to celebrate festivals, build magnificent temples and transform their everyday lives. These forms of reverence given to spiritual beings gave hope to many and provided light to their suffering. To understand the deep impact of Gods and…

who did nothing but bring his country forward and yet his lowly uncle attempts to graze his father’s legacy. Referring to Niobe of Greek mythology, Hamlets attempts to draw a connection to the extent to which his mother wept. Niobe is daughter of Tantalus and her legacy lies in the weeping she cried for the death of her children. Hamlet’s fate led to the death of many children in the play such as Ophelia and later Laertes, the son of…

Who started the Trojan War? This question has led to numerous debates among historians. There is no concrete answer to this question, because Greek plays blame different individuals. Aeschylus’ Agamemnon suggests that the curse on the house of Atreus should be blamed for the suffering brought on by the Trojan War, while Euripides’ The Women of Troy implies that Helen is to blame, whereas I will argue that it is the Gods’ fault. In the play Agamemnon there are two parties debating who to blame…

Odysseus, “’the Son of Pain,’” unquestionably earns his name in full (19.464). He frequently brings pain onto himself and others, like when he tells Polyphemus his name is Nobody. He stays true to his real name, Odysseus, in this moment by using his characteristic cunning; afterwards, as he leaves the island of the cyclopes, he yells out his true name, “’Odysseus, raider of cities,’” and ultimately brings as much misfortune onto himself as he did to Polyphemus, thus remaining as the man that…

o 19) The Iliad: Book XXIV: Achilles and Priam  Summary: This section focuses on the immediate aftermath of Hector’s murder. The gods step in and Apollo protects Hector’s corpse and Zeus gets Thetis to convince Achilles to ransom Hector to Priam. Hermes guides Priam with his treasure to Achilles’s tent for the ransom exchange. The ransom exchange happens and Priam leaves in the middle of the night with Hector’s corpse. The Trojans are aroused and upset with they see Hector and ten days later,…

Countee Cullen’s story is one of miracles. He was an orphaned black man in a world that was working against him. However, through these hardships that were out of his control, Cullen thrived and succeeded past expectations. His poetry astounded the world, and broke barriers that seperated America. Cullen had a tragic start to his life. He was adopted at a young age after losing his parents and brother. In 1928, he married Yolande Du Bois, who came from a well-known family (Biography.com).…