A brief retelling of ancient Greece. Myths of Ancient Greece and Rome

Heroes, myths and legends about them. Therefore, it is important to know their brief content. The legends and myths of Ancient Greece, the entire Greek culture, especially of the late period, when both philosophy and democracy were developed, had a strong influence on the formation of the entire European civilization as a whole. The mythology evolved over a long period of time. Tales and legends became famous because reciters wandered along the paths and roads of Hellas. They carried more or less long stories about the heroic past. Some gave only a brief summary.

The legends and myths of Ancient Greece gradually became familiar and beloved, and what Homer created was customary for an educated person to know by heart and be able to quote from anywhere. Greek scientists, who sought to put everything in order, began to work on the classification of myths, and turned disparate stories into an orderly series.

Main Greek gods

The very first myths are dedicated to the struggle of various gods among themselves. Some of them did not have human features - these were the offspring of the goddess Gaia-Earth and Uranus-Sky - twelve titans and six more monsters who horrified their father, and he plunged them into the abyss - Tartarus. But Gaia persuaded the remaining titans to overthrow their father.

This was done by the insidious Kronos - Time. But, having married his sister, he was afraid of the children being born and swallowed them immediately after birth: Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, Hades. Having given birth to the last child, Zeus, the wife deceived Kronos, and he was unable to swallow the baby. And Zeus was safely hidden in Crete. This is just a summary. The legends and myths of Ancient Greece terribly describe the events taking place.

Zeus's war for power

Zeus grew up, matured and forced Kronos to return his swallowed sisters and brothers to the world. He called them to fight their cruel father. In addition, some of the titans, giants and cyclops took part in the fight. The struggle lasted ten years. The fire raged, the seas boiled, nothing was visible from the smoke. But the victory went to Zeus. The enemies were overthrown into Tartarus and taken into custody.

Gods on Olympus

Zeus, to whom the Cyclops bound lightning, became the supreme god, Poseidon controlled all the waters on earth, and Hades controlled the underground kingdom of the dead. This was already the third generation of gods, from which all the other gods and heroes descended, about whom stories and legends would begin to be told.

The ancients attributed to the cycle about Dionysus, winemaking, fertility, the patron of night mysteries, which were held in the darkest places. The mysteries were terrible and mysterious. This is how the struggle between the dark gods and the light gods began to take shape. There were no real wars, but they gradually began to give way to the bright sun god Phoebus with his rational principle, with his cult of reason, science and art.

And the irrational, ecstatic, sensual retreated. But these are two sides of the same phenomenon. And one was impossible without the other. The goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus, patronized the family.

Ares - war, Athena - wisdom, Artemis - the moon and hunting, Demeter - agriculture, Hermes - trade, Aphrodite - love and beauty.

Hephaestus - to artisans. Their relationships between themselves and people make up the legends of the Hellenes. They were fully studied in pre-revolutionary gymnasiums in Russia. Only now, when people are concerned mostly with earthly concerns, do they, if necessary, pay attention to their brief content. The legends and myths of Ancient Greece are moving further into the past.

Who was patronized by the gods

They weren't very kind to people. They often envied them or lusted after women, were jealous, and were greedy for praise and honors. That is, they were very similar to mortals, if we take their description. Tales (summary), legends and myths of Ancient Greece (Kun) describe their gods in very contradictory ways. “Nothing pleases the gods more than the collapse of human hopes,” Euripides believed. And Sophocles echoed him: “The gods most willingly help a person when he goes towards his death.”

All gods obeyed Zeus, but for people he was important as a guarantor of justice. It was when the judge judged unjustly that man turned to Zeus for help. In matters of war, only Mars dominated. Wise Athena patronized Attica.

All sailors made sacrifices to Poseidon when they went to sea. In Delphi one could ask for favors from Phoebus and Artemis.

Myths about heroes

One of the favorite myths was about Theseus, the son of King Aegeus of Athens. He was born and raised in the royal family in Troezen. When he grew up and was able to get his father's sword, he went to meet him. Along the way, he destroyed the robber Procrustes, who did not allow people to pass through his territory. When he got to his father, he learned that Athens was paying tribute to Crete with girls and boys. Together with another batch of slaves, under mourning sails, he went to the island to kill the monstrous Minotaur.

Princess Ariadne helped Theseus through the labyrinth in which the Minotaur was located. Theseus fought the monster and destroyed it.

The Greeks joyfully, freed forever from tribute, returned to their homeland. But they forgot to change the black sails. Aegeus, who did not take his eyes off the sea, saw that his son had died, and from unbearable grief he threw himself into the abyss of the waters above which his palace stood. The Athenians rejoiced that they were freed from tribute forever, but they also cried when they learned about the tragic death of Aegeus. The myth of Theseus is long and colorful. This is its summary. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece (Kun) will give a comprehensive description of it.

The epic is the second part of the book by Nikolai Albertovich Kun

The legends of the Argonauts, the voyages of Odysseus, Orestes' revenge for the death of his father, and the misadventures of Oedipus in the Theban cycle form the second half of the book that Kuhn wrote, Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece. A summary of the chapters is indicated above.

Returning from Troy to his native Ithaca, Odysseus spent many long years in dangerous wanderings. The way home through the stormy sea was difficult for him.

God Poseidon could not forgive Odysseus for the fact that, saving his life and the lives of his friends, he blinded the Cyclops and sent unheard-of storms. Along the way, they were killed by sirens, captivated by their unearthly voices and mellifluous singing.

All his companions died while traveling across the seas. All were destroyed by evil fate. Odysseus languished in captivity with the nymph Calypso for many years. He begged to be allowed to go home, but the beautiful nymph refused. Only the requests of the goddess Athena softened the heart of Zeus, he took pity on Odysseus and returned him to his family.

And Homer created Odysseus’s campaigns in his poems - “The Iliad” and “Odyssey”; the myths about the campaign for the Golden Fleece to the shores of Pontus Evsinsky are described in the poem of Apollonius of Rhodes. Sophocles wrote the tragedy “Oedipus the King,” and the playwright Aeschylus wrote the tragedy about the Arrest. They are given in a summary of “Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece” (Nikolai Kun).

Myths and legends about gods, titans, and numerous heroes disturb the imagination of artists of the word, brush and cinematography of our days. Standing in a museum near a painting painted on a mythological theme, or hearing the name of the beautiful Helen, it would be good to at least have a little idea of what is behind this name (a huge war) and to know the details of the plot depicted on the canvas. “Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece” can help with this. A summary of the book will reveal the meaning of what you saw and heard.

Myths and religion of ancient Greece briefly

Read also other articles in the section:

- Nature and population of ancient Greece

Myths of Ancient Greece briefly

In their legends - myths - the Greeks tried to explain the origin of everything that surrounded man: natural phenomena, relationships between people. In myths, fiction was closely intertwined with reality. Myths are the creativity of the people of that era when writing and fiction did not exist. By studying myths, we penetrate into the most distant times of human history, getting acquainted with the ideas and beliefs of ancient people.
Myths formed the basis for the works of Greek poets, artists, and sculptors. They captivate with their poetry, spontaneity, rich imagination and are the property of all humanity.
Many Greek myths tell about the exploits of heroes who were distinguished by their extraordinary strength, courage, and courage.
One of the people's favorite heroes was Hercules. The Greeks talked about twelve labors he performed. Hercules fought with predators that attacked people, fought with giants, performed the most difficult work, and traveled to unknown countries. Hercules was distinguished not only by his enormous strength and courage, but also by his intelligence, which allowed him to defeat stronger opponents.
Already at that time there were people who understood that man owed his victories over nature not to the gods, but to himself. This is how the myth of the titan Prometheus appeared. In this myth, the main Greek god Zeus
is portrayed as a cruel and domineering king, striving to maintain his dominance and therefore interested in keeping people always in darkness and ignorance.
Prometheus is the liberator and friend of humanity. He stole fire from the gods and brought it to people. Prometheus taught people crafts and agriculture. People have become less dependent on nature. The cruel god punished Prometheus by ordering him to be chained to a rock in the Caucasus. Every day an eagle flew to Prometheus and pecked out his liver, and at night it grew back. Despite the torment, the courageous Prometheus did not humble himself before God.
In the myth of Prometheus, the Greeks glorified humanity’s desire for freedom and knowledge, the fortitude and courage of the heroes who suffer and fight for the people.

Religion of Ancient Greece in brief

The Greeks explained many incomprehensible phenomena by the intervention of the gods. They imagined them to be similar to people, but strong and immortal, living on the top of the high Mount Olympus (in Northern Greece). From there, the Greeks thought, the gods ruled the world.

Zeus was considered the “Lord of gods and men.” In the mountains, lightning often killed shepherds and livestock. Not understanding the causes of lightning, the Greeks attributed it to the wrath of Zeus, who struck with his fiery arrows. Zeus was called the Thunderer and the Cloud Remover.
The menacing sea, before which sailors were often powerless, was given over by the Greeks to the power of Zeus’s brother, Poseidon. Another brother of Zeus, Hades, was given the kingdom of the dead. Entrance

this dark kingdom was guarded by the terrible three-headed dog Kerber
Athena was considered the favorite daughter of Zeus. She entered into a rivalry with Poseidon for the possession of Attica. Victory was supposed to belong to the one who would give people the most valuable gift. Athena gave the people of Attica an olive tree and won.
The lame Hephaestus was considered the god of fire and blacksmithing, and Apollo was considered the god of the sun, light, poetry and music.
In addition to these main Olympian gods, every region of Greece had its own. Every stream, every natural phenomenon was deified by the Greeks. The winds that brought heat and cold were also considered divine.
The Greek religion, like other religions, inspired man that he depended on the gods for everything, whose mercy could be achieved through rich gifts and sacrifices. In temples, at altars, cattle were slaughtered; Believers brought bread, wine, vegetables, and fruits here. The priests spread rumors about supposedly miraculous healings of the sick by the will of the gods, and people donated to the temple images of diseased body parts cast from precious metals.

In some Greek temples, priests allegedly recognized the will of the gods and predicted the future using various signs. The places where predictions were given and the predictors themselves were called oracles. The oracle of Apollo in Cellphi (Central Greece) was especially famous. Here in the cave there was a crevice from which poisonous gases came out. The priestess, blindfolded, sat down by the crevice. Her consciousness became darkened from the effects of the gases. She shouted incoherent words, and the priests passed them off as the prophecies of Apollo and interpreted them according to their interests. The Delphic priests received rich gifts for their predictions. They profited from people's superstitions.
Religion is a distorted reflection of reality. Religion reflects life
of people. When the Greeks began to process metal, they created a myth about the blacksmith god Hephaestus. The Greeks imagined the relationships between the gods on Olympus to be the same as the relationships between people. Zeus ruled the gods despotically. When Zeus's wife Hera once misbehaved, he ordered her to be suspended by her hands to the sky and heavy anvils tied to her feet. This myth reflected the powerless position of a woman, wholly dependent on the head of the family. Believers endowed Zeus with the traits of a cruel, domineering, unjust basileus.
The image of the blacksmith god Hephaestus symbolizes the transition of the Greeks to metal processing, but myths attributed to God such wonderful products that blacksmiths could not create: invisible nets, self-propelled carts, etc.
The myths of the ancient Greeks and their religion convey reality distortedly.

Poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey"

The Greeks have preserved legends about the war between Mycenae and Troy. These tales formed the basis of the great poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”. Their author is called the ancient poet Homer. Nobody knows where and when he was born. Poems from Homer's poems were first passed down orally and then written down. They depict the life of Greece in the 11th-9th centuries. BC e. This time is called Homeric time.
The Iliad is a story about the tenth year of the Greek war with Troy or Ilion, as the Greeks otherwise called it.
The supreme leader of the Greek army was the Mycenaean king Agamemnon. Mighty and glorious heroes took part in the war on both sides: Achilles among the Greeks, Hector among the Trojans.

In the first years of the war, the Greeks were victorious. But one day Agamemnon quarreled with Achilles. The Greek hero refused to fight, and the Trojans began to push back the Greeks. Achilles' friend Patrbcles, knowing that the enemies were afraid of the mere sight of Achilles, put on Achilles' armor and led the Greeks with him. The Trojans, mistaking Patroclus for his friend, fled. But at the gates of Troy Hector came out against Patroclus. He killed Patroclus and took Achilles' armor.
Having learned about the death of his friend, the Greek hero decided to take revenge on the Trojans. In new armor, forged for him by the god of blacksmithing, he rushed into battle on a war chariot. The Trojans hid behind the city walls. Only Hector did not retreat. He fought desperately with Achilles, but fell in battle.

The Greek hero tied the body of the vanquished man to his chariot and
dragged the Greeks into the camp.
Other myths tell of the death of Achilles and the end of the Trojan War. Achilles was killed by Hector's brother. He hit the hero with an arrow in the only vulnerable spot - the heel. This is where the expression “Achilles' heel” comes from, i.e. a vulnerable spot.
The Greeks took Troy by cunning. One of the Greek leaders, Odysseus, proposed building a huge wooden horse and placing soldiers in it. The Trojans, taking the amazing horse as a gift from the gods, dragged him into the city. At night, getting out of the horse, the Greeks killed the guards and opened the gates of Troy.
After the fall of Troy, Odysseus went to the shores of his native island of Ithaca. “Odyssey” is a story about the wanderings of Odysseus, about his return to his beloved homeland.
The poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey” are a wonderful monument of fiction; people loved and preserved these poems. They glorify courage, bravery, and ingenuity in the fight against difficulties.
In sonorous verses, Homer glorified friendship, camaraderie, and love of country. Through the poems of Homer we get acquainted with the life of the Greeks of the Homeric era. The Iliad and Odyssey are the most valuable source of historical knowledge about ancient Greece. They reflected the social structure of the Greeks over a number of centuries.

The most important element of Greek culture were myths, that is, tales, traditions, legends dating back to ancient times. They constitute a rich treasury of images and subjects. Myths reflect man's need for creativity, to understand the world around him and himself. Myths were created at a very early stage of the development of Greek society, in various regions of continental Greece, in Attica, Boeotia, Thessaly, Macedonia and other areas, on the islands of the Aegean Sea, on Crete, on the coast of Asia Minor. These regions developed their own

Local cycles of myths. Later they merged into a single pan-Greek system, in which the artistic talent and religious worldview of the ancient Hellenes manifested themselves.

Birth and death, the change of seasons, sea ebbs and flows, thunderstorms and rains, weather changes, flowering and withering of plants, the appearance of fruits on them - these and many other phenomena of the surrounding world were attributed to the action of certain fantastic, divine forces. These phenomena often appeared in the form of specific, visible images and were personified, that is, identified with living beings. If a person could not explain a natural phenomenon, especially

To overcome it, such as a drought or an epidemic, he attributed it to the action of some fantastic forces.

It seems that Greek nature itself predetermined that special multicoloredness that permeates mythology: valleys and mountain ranges, a sparkling blue sea with many islands, cozy bays, a blinding southern sun, evergreen vegetation, a warm climate. The earth was inhabited by fabulous creatures: mountain nymphs - oreads - lurked in the mountains, dryads - in the forests, naiads - in the rivers. But myths were not only a bold flight of human imagination. They often reflect folk wisdom, observations of life around us, and insight into human nature. Therefore, Greek mythology rightfully became part of universal human culture. That is why situations and heroes of myths have entered our everyday speech in expressions and phrases that have become popular.

We use the expression “Sisyphean labor”, meaning hard, meaningless work. The origin of this concept is as follows. According to myth, Sisyphus, the king and founder of Corinth, and according to another version, the father of Odysseus, was famous for his enviable cunning and suffered punishment in the underworld for his frauds. He had to roll a heavy stone up the mountain, which, having reached the top, fell down, after which everything was repeated all over again. We are talking about “titanic” efforts, “giant” proportions. In myths, titans and giants are huge giants who fought with the gods themselves.

Myths are closely related to folk cultures and beliefs. They often absorbed popular common sense. Thus, the ancient Hellenes had the custom of making sacrifices to the gods; At the same time, a lot of good meat was lost. Then the Titan Prometheus found a way to help people. Having slaughtered the sacrificial bull, he butchered it so that two unequal heaps were formed: one contained bones and tripe, and the other - pieces of edible meat. Prometheus covered both heaps with skins and invited the supreme god Zeus to choose one of them. Zeus was flattered by a larger pile. This incident, reproduced in myth, established the rule: after the ritual of sacrifice, the Greeks began to leave inedible parts for the gods, and for themselves what could be eaten. In Greek mythology, there are a variety of creatures: demons, satyrs, unbridled and playful; semi-humans and chimeras, fire-breathing creatures, etc. The main characters of mythology are gods and heroes.

The basis of Greek religion was anthropomorphism - likening to man. The gods had a human appearance, were beautiful, and most importantly, immortal. They are characterized by a variety of human qualities, although they manifest themselves with special strength and intensity: generosity, generosity, jealousy, deceit. Gods and heroes not only resembled ordinary people, but also communicated with them, mere mortals, and could enter into love relationships. Some ancient Greek aristocrats counted gods among their ancestors and were proud of their divine origins.

Greek gods were divided into several categories according to their importance. Twelve main, supreme gods lived on the snow-covered Mount Olympus, about 3000 meters high. At the top of Olympus were the palace of Zeus and the dwellings of other gods, who were called Olympians. The name Olympus itself is close to the concept of “sky”. The Greeks believed that there were three generations of gods, and, according to legend, the younger ones overthrew the power of the older ones. Mythology thus reflected the rivalry between individual clans and tribes for supremacy.

The main supreme god, the father of all gods and people, was Zeus. He was considered the son of Cronus, the god of time, and therefore was called Kronid. Zeus rode across the sky in a golden chariot; he was depicted sitting on a throne with an eagle and a scepter in his hands and a beam of lightning as the main attributes of power. From the heights of Olympus, he scattered his gifts to people and established order on earth and established laws.

Zeus's wife Hera was the supreme Greek goddess, the queen of the gods, who patronized marriage, conjugal love and childbirth. She was portrayed as a majestic woman of rare beauty. Zeus's brother Poseidon was the god of the sea, all springs and waters, as well as the bowels of the earth and their riches; His palace was located at the bottom of the sea. The god of death was another brother of Zeus - Hades, who reigned deep underground. The kingdom of Hades, where the rays of the sun did not penetrate, looked gloomy, terrible and cold, and the afterlife was a misfortune. The son of Zeus Apollo is the god of harmony and spiritual activity, the god of the arts. He received from Hermes the lyre he invented and became the patron of the muses, hence his nickname: Apollo Musaret, that is, the leader of the muses.

Muses were goddesses, companions of Apollo, patroness of science, poetry and the arts: Clio - history, Euterpe - lyric poetry, Melpomene - tragedy, Thalia - comedy, Terpsichore - dancing, Calliope - epic poetry, Polyhymnia - hymns, pantomime, Urania - astronomy, Erato - love, erotic poetry.

The sister of the golden-haired Apollo was Artemis, the goddess of hunting, fertility, patroness of animals, as well as everything that lives on earth, grows in the forest and in the field. In sculptures she was depicted with a bow and quiver over her shoulders, hunting in forests and fields. The goddess Athena, one of the most revered in Greece, was born by Zeus himself, appeared from his head. She was the goddess of wisdom; the main city of Greece was named in her honor and the main temple, the Parthenon, was erected. Athena patronized the city-states of Greece, gave them wise advice, and saved them in times of danger. The son of Zeus, Hermes, is the god who patronizes travelers, crafts, and trade. The god of war, Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera, usually appeared in the guise of a heavily armed warrior - a hoplite. This is the least favorite of the descendants of Zeus, who was not tolerated because of his belligerence and bloodthirstiness. The son of Zeus and Hera was the god of fire, as well as the art of blacksmithing, Hephaestus. He was depicted wearing an apron and holding a blacksmith's hammer, surrounded by sparks and smoke. Hephaestus, the only Olympian engaged in productive work, was considered a skilled forger.

Ares' wife, the most beautiful Aphrodite, the goddess of love, outwardly personified the Hellenic ideal of female beauty. She awakened love in the hearts of both gods and mortals and therefore had all-conquering power and reigned over the world. One of the greatest goddesses was considered the sister of Zeus Demeter, the goddess of fertility, the patroness of agriculture: without her mighty power nothing would be born.

The favorite god was also the son of Zeus Dionysus, the patron of viticulture and winemaking. Celebrations in honor of the god Dionysus played a large role in the development of Greek theater. In addition to the main Olympic gods, there were also numerous “second-class” gods. Among them is Eros, the son of Ares and Aphrodite, a playful teenager, a winged archer, the god of love; Hypnos - god of sleep; Thanatos - god of death; Hymen: - god of marriage; Asclepius, son of Apollo and Coronis, is the god of healing; Eris - goddess of strife; Nike - goddess of victory, etc.

Along with the gods, heroes, or titans, were “involved” in myths. Heroes were considered semi-divine personalities who stood between gods and people. Heroes were also people who really existed, historical figures - the Athenian commander (Miltiades), statesmen. (Solon), founders of philosophical schools, major poets, whose activities played a large role in the life of the Greeks. Their tombs were often located in the center of cities as a reminder of past exploits. There were also heroes and legendary figures created by folk imagination.

One of the most famous and noble martyred heroes in mythology was Prometheus, who provided invaluable service to the human race. Among the most beloved folk heroes was Hercules, endowed with enormous strength. Literally, his name means “performing exploits due to the persecution of Hera.” When Hera planned to kill the baby Hercules by setting two snakes on him, Hercules strangled them. Surpassing everyone in strength and not knowing any rivals in military exercises, Hercules performed 12 labors. Among them is the killing of a monstrous lion; the destruction of the hydra - a monster with the body of a snake and nine heads of a dragon; extermination of the Stymphalian birds, which devastated the area, chasing animals and people, tearing them apart with copper beaks, and many others. These and other episodes form a whole cycle of fascinating short stories.

Among the popular heroes of Greece, Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danaus, known from many myths, also accomplished many feats. Like Prometheus, he is depicted in works of world art, on the canvases of Rubens, Rembrandt and Titian. Theseus was also considered the greatest hero of Greece, who was credited with creating the ancient political system in Athens. The legendary singer Orpheus was revered as heroes; the greatest architect and builder Daedalus; the rich man Tantalus, so proud that he considered himself equal to the gods, and for this was severely punished; Pygmalion, a sculptor who can even bring his creations to life.

Mythology played a huge role in the development of ancient Greek literature. The plots and images of myths were used in many works: in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, in the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. At the same time, cults and traditions associated with mythology served as the basis for the creation of certain genres and forms of literature, for example, lyrics, tragedy, comedy, and ancient theater.

The Myth of Pygmalion

Aphrodite is favorable to those who serve her faithfully. She brought happiness to Pygmalion, the great artist from the island of Cyprus. Pygmalion lived alone, avoided women, and was not married. But one day he made a statue of a girl, inexpressibly beautiful, out of white ivory. Looking at his creation, he admired its perfection and vitality. It seemed that the girl was breathing, that she was alive. As a result, Pygmalion fell in love with his own creation. Powerless to control his passion, he even addressed the statue with words, but it was mute. Then, at a festival in honor of golden Aphrodite, he sacrificed a heifer with gilded horns to her and prayed to the goddess of love to give him a girl as beautiful as his statue as his wife. After this, the flame of the altar flared up brightly. This was a sign that the goddess heard his request. When Pygmalion returned home, he saw that the beautiful statue was alive. So the goddess of love gave Pygmalion a beautiful girl as his wife. This plot, originally rethought, is the basis of Bernard Shaw's famous play Pygmalion.

The Myth of Adonis

The goddess of love Aphrodite fell in love with the son of the king of Cyprus - the beautiful young man Adonis, surpassing all mortals in beauty. Forgetting about everything in the world, Aphrodite spent time with Adonis in Cyprus, hunting with him in the mountains and forests of the island. She tried not to part with him, and when leaving him for a while, she asked him to be careful and avoid formidable animals such as lions and wild boars. One day, when Aphrodite was not around, the dogs picked up the trail of a huge boar and rushed after it. Adonis was already preparing to hit the beast with a spear when the boar rushed at him and inflicted a mortal wound on him.

Having learned about the death of Adonis and experiencing it hard, Aphrodite went barefoot along the mountain slopes and gorges in search of him, her tender feet leaving bloody footprints on the stones. Finally she found the murdered Adonis and began to moan bitterly over him. Wanting to preserve his memory forever, the goddess commanded a beautiful anemone flower to grow from the young man’s blood. And where drops of blood fell from the wounded legs of the goddess, scarlet roses appeared. They were luxurious, and their color was as bright as the blood of the goddess. Then Zeus took pity on Aphrodite's grief. He ordered his brother Hades, the god of the underworld of the dead, to release Adonis to earth from the kingdom of shadows every six months. After spending six months in the kingdom of Hades, Adonis returns to earth at the same time to meet the bright rays of the sun and the embrace of golden Aphrodite. All nature rejoices, rejoicing in their love.

Myth of the Trojan War

Zeus and the god of the sea Poseidon argued about Thetis's love. The goddess of justice, Themis, intervened in the dispute and predicted that Thetis would give birth to a son who would surpass his own father in strength. To save themselves from possible danger, the gods decided to marry Thetis to a mere mortal Peleus. At the wedding of Thetis and Peleus, which took place in the cave of the centaur Chiron, all the Olympian gods gathered and generously presented the newlyweds with gifts. At the same time, the goddess of discord Eris was not invited to the feast. Stung by such neglect, she decided to punish the gods in a very sophisticated way. She threw a golden apple on the banquet table with the inscription: “To the most beautiful.” Since then it has become known as the “apple of discord.” Three goddesses began to argue about who should own it: Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, who were by no means devoid of feminine vanity. Even Zeus refused to speak on this matter. He sent Hermes to the vicinity of Troy, where among the shepherds was the handsome Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam. According to prophecy, Paris, the son of Priam and Hecuba, was destined to become the culprit of the death of Troy. To avoid this fate, Priam ordered that Paris be taken to the forest thicket and left there. But Priam’s son did not die; he was suckled by a bear. When Hermes approached Paris with a proposal to resolve this dispute, he was embarrassed. Each of the goddesses convinced the young man to award the apple to her. At the same time, they promised him enviable gifts: Hera promised power over all of Asia; Athena - military glory and victories; Aphrodite is the most beautiful of mortal women to marry. Without hesitating for long, Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite. From then on he became the favorite of Aphrodite, and Hera and Athena, as we will see, hated Troy and the Trojans.

This beautiful woman was Helen, the wife of the Spartan king Menelaus. Soon Paris came to visit him. Menelaus warmly received him and arranged a feast in his honor. Seeing Elena, Paris fell in love with her. But she was also amazed by the beautiful newcomer, dressed in luxurious oriental clothes. Having left for Crete, Menelaus asked her to take care of the guest. But Paris repaid him with black ingratitude. Taking advantage of her husband's absence, he took Elena away and at the same time seized his treasures.

Menelaus regarded this not only as a personal insult, but also as a blow to all of Greece. After all, Elena was her national treasure. He gathers the leaders of the Greek tribes and sets off on a campaign against Ilion (the ancient name of Troy, from which the title of the poem comes). The commander-in-chief of the army is Menelaus' brother Agamemnon, the king of Argos, belonging to the Atrid family, over whom, as we will see later, a curse weighs. In the ranks of the Achaean (Greek) warriors are Odysseus, the king of the island of Ithaca, the courageous warrior Diomedes, the brave Ajax, and the owner of the magic arrows Philoctetes.

The bravest was young Achilles, king of the Myrmidon tribe. At birth, he was destined to have a long and happy life if he did not take part in the war, and a short, brilliant life if he began to fight. Hoping to outwit fate, Thetis bathed Achilles in the waters of the underground river Styx, making his body invulnerable. Only his heel was unprotected, by which she held the baby (hence the expression “Achilles heel”). The mother tried to hide Achilles and not give him the opportunity to take part in the campaign. She hid him by dressing him in women's clothing, but Achilles gave himself away. He became part of the Greek army, which, according to legend, numbered more than one hundred thousand people and more than a thousand ships. The army sailed from the harbor of Avdida and landed near Troy. The demand for the extradition of Helen in exchange for lifting the siege was rejected. The war dragged on. The most important events took place in the last, tenth year.

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice

Orpheus, the great singer, son of the river god Eager and the muse of song Calliope, lived in Thrace. His wife was the tender and beautiful nymph Eurydice. The beautiful singing of Orpheus and his playing of the cithara not only captivated people, but also enchanted plants and animals. Orpheus and Eurydice were happy until a terrible misfortune befell them. One day, when Eurydice and her nymph friends were picking flowers in a green valley, a snake hidden in the thick grass waylaid them and stung Orpheus’ wife in the leg. The poison spread quickly and ended her life. Hearing the mournful cry of Eurydice's friends, Orpheus hurried into the valley and, seeing the cold body of Eurydice, his tenderly beloved wife, fell into despair and moaned bitterly. Nature deeply sympathized with him in his grief. Then Orpheus decided to go to the kingdom of the dead to see Eurydice there. To do this, he descends to the sacred river Styx, where the souls of the dead have accumulated, whom the carrier Charon sends on a boat to the domain of Hades. At first, Charon refused Orpheus' request to transport him. But then Orpheus played his golden cithara and charmed the gloomy Charon with wonderful music. And he transported him to the throne of the god of death Hades. In the midst of the cold and silence of the underworld, Orpheus’ passionate song sounded about his grief, about the torment of his broken love for Eurydice. Everyone who was nearby was amazed by the beauty of the music and the strength of his feelings: Hades, and his wife Persephone, and Tantalus, who forgot about the hunger that tormented him, and Sisyphus, who stopped his hard and fruitless work. Then Orpheus stated his request to Hades to return his wife Eurydice to earth. Hades agreed to fulfill it, but at the same time stated his condition: Orpheus must follow the god Hermes, and Eurydice will follow him. During his journey through the underworld, Orpheus cannot look back: otherwise Eurydice will leave him forever. When the shadow of Eurydice appeared, Orpheus wanted to hug her, but Hermes told him not to do this, since in front of him there was only a shadow, and there was a long and difficult path ahead.

Quickly passing the kingdom of Hades, the travelers reached the River Styx, where Charon ferried them on his boat to a path leading steeply up to the surface of the earth. The path was cluttered with stones, darkness reigned all around, and the figure of Hermes loomed ahead and there was barely a glimmer of light, which indicated that the exit was close. At that moment, Orpheus was overcome with deep anxiety for Eurydice: was she keeping up with him, was she lagging behind, was she getting lost in the darkness. After listening, he did not discern any sound behind him, which exacerbated the uneasy feeling. Finally, unable to bear it and breaking the ban, he turned around: almost next to him he saw the shadow of Eurydice, stretched out his hands to her, but at the same moment the shadow melted into the darkness. So he had to relive the death of Eurydice a second time. And this time it was my own fault.

Greek mythology gave the world the most interesting and instructive stories, fascinating stories and adventures. The narrative immerses us in a fairy-tale world, where you can meet heroes and gods, terrible monsters and unusual animals. The myths of Ancient Greece, written many centuries ago, are currently the greatest cultural heritage of all mankind.

What are myths

Mythology is an amazing separate world in which people confronted the deities of Olympus, fought for honor and resisted evil and destruction.

However, it is worth remembering that myths are works created exclusively by people using imagination and fiction. These are stories about gods, heroes and exploits, unusual natural phenomena and mysterious creatures.

The origin of legends is no different from the origin of folk tales and legends. The Greeks invented and retold unusual stories that mixed truth and fiction.

It is possible that there was some truth in the stories - a real-life incident or example could have been taken as a basis.

The source of the myths of Ancient Greece

How do modern people know myths and their plots for certain? It turns out that Greek mythology was preserved on the tablets of the Aegean culture. They were written in Linear B, which was only deciphered in the 20th century.

The Cretan-Mycenaean period, to which this type of writing belongs, knew most of the gods: Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and so on. However, due to the decline of civilization and the emergence of ancient Greek mythology, mythology could have its gaps: we know it only from the most recent sources.

Various plots of the myths of Ancient Greece were often used by writers of that time. And before the advent of the Hellenistic era, it became popular to create your own legends based on them.

The largest and most famous sources are:

Homer, Iliad, Odyssey
Hesiod "Theogony"
Pseudo-Apollodorus, "Library"
Gigin, "Myths"
Ovid, "Metamorphoses"
Nonnus, "The Acts of Dionysus"

Karl Marx believed that the mythology of Greece was a vast repository of art, and also created the basis for it, thus performing a double function.

Ancient Greek mythology

Myths did not appear overnight: they took shape over several centuries and were passed on from mouth to mouth. Thanks to the poetry of Hesiod and Homer, the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, we can become familiar with stories in the present day.

Each story has value, preserving the atmosphere of antiquity. Specially trained people - mythographers - began to appear in Greece in the 4th century BC.

These include the sophist Hippias, Herodotus of Heraclea, Heraclitus of Pontus and others. Dionysius of Samois, in particular, was involved in compiling genealogical tables and studying tragic myths.

There are many myths, but the most popular are the stories associated with Olympus and its inhabitants.

However, the complex hierarchy and history of the origin of the gods can confuse any reader, and therefore we propose to understand this in detail!

With the help of myths, it becomes possible to recreate the picture of the world as imagined by the inhabitants of Ancient Greece: the world is inhabited by monsters and giants, including giants, one-eyed creatures and Titans.

Origin of the Gods

Eternal, boundless Chaos enveloped the Earth. It contained the world's source of life.

It was believed that it was Chaos that gave birth to everything around: the world, the immortal gods, the goddess of the Earth Gaia, who gave life to everything growing and living, and the powerful force that animates everything - Love.

However, a birth also took place under the Earth: the gloomy Tartarus was born - an abyss of horror filled with eternal darkness.

In the process of creating the world, Chaos gave birth to the Eternal Darkness, called Erebus, and the dark Night, called Nikta. As a result of the union of Nyx and Erebus, Ether was born - the eternal Light and Hemera - the bright Day. Thanks to their appearance, light filled the whole world, and day and night began to replace each other.

Gaia, a powerful and blessed goddess, created the vast blue Sky - Uranus. Spread over the Earth, it reigned throughout the world. The High Mountains proudly stretched towards him, and the roaring Sea spread across the entire Earth.

Goddess Gaia and her titan children

After Mother Earth created the Sky, Mountains and Sea, Uranus decided to take Gaia as his wife. From the divine union there were 6 sons and 6 daughters.

The Titan Ocean and the goddess Thetis created all the rivers that rolled their waters to the sea, and the goddesses of the seas, called Oceanids. Titan Hipperion and Theia gave the world Helios - the Sun, Selene - the Moon and Eos - the Dawn. Astraea and Eos gave birth to all the stars and all the winds: Boreas - northern, Eurus - eastern, Noth - southern, Zephyr - western.

The overthrow of Uranus - the beginning of a new era

The goddess Gaia - the mighty Earth - gave birth to 6 more sons: 3 Cyclopes - giants with one eye in their forehead, and 3 fifty-headed, hundred-armed monsters called Hecantocheirs. They possessed limitless power that knew no limits.

Struck by the ugliness of his giant children, Uranus renounced them and ordered them to be imprisoned in the bowels of the Earth. Gaia, being a Mother, suffered, weighed down by a terrible burden: after all, her own children were imprisoned in her bowels. Unable to bear it, Gaia called on her titan children, persuading them to rebel against their father, Uranus.

Battle of the gods with the titans

Being great and powerful, the titans were still afraid of their father. And only Kronos, the youngest and treacherous, accepted his mother’s offer. Having outwitted Uranus, he overthrew him, seizing power.

As punishment for the act of Kronos, the goddess Night gave birth to death (Tanat), discord (Eris), deception (Apata),

Kronos devouring his child

destruction (Ker), nightmare (Hypnos) and vengeance (Nemesis) and other terrible gods. All of them brought horror, discord, deception, struggle and misfortune into the world of Kronos.

Despite his cunning, Kronos was afraid. His fear was based on personal experience: after all, his children could overthrow him, as he once overthrew Uranus, his father.

Fearing for his life, Kronos ordered his wife Rhea to bring him their children. To Rhea's horror, 5 of them were eaten: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon.

Zeus and his reign

Heeding the advice of her father Uranus and mother Gaia, Rhea fled to the island of Crete. There, in a deep cave, she gave birth to her youngest son, Zeus.

By hiding the newborn in it, Rhea deceived the tough Kronos by allowing him to swallow a long stone, wrapped in swaddling clothes, instead of her son.

As time went. Kronos did not understand his wife's deception. Zeus grew up while in Crete. His nannies were the nymphs Adrastea and Idea; instead of his mother’s milk, he was fed with the milk of the divine goat Amalthea, and hardworking bees brought honey to baby Zeus from Mount Dikty.

If Zeus began to cry, the young Kuretes standing at the entrance to the cave struck their shields with their swords. Loud sounds drowned out the crying so that Kronos wouldn't hear it.

The myth of the birth of Zeus: feeding the milk of the divine goat Amalthea

Zeus has grown up. Having defeated Kronos in battle with the help of the Titans and Cyclops, he became the supreme deity of the Olympian Pantheon. The Lord of the heavenly powers commanded thunder, lightning, clouds and downpours. He dominated the Universe, giving people laws and maintaining order.

Views of the Ancient Greeks

The Hellenes believed that the gods of Olympus were similar to people, and the relationships between them were comparable to human ones. Their lives were also filled with quarrels and reconciliations, envy and interference, resentment and forgiveness, joy, fun and love.

In the ideas of the ancient Greeks, each deity had its own occupation and sphere of influence:

Zeus - lord of the sky, father of gods and people
Hera - wife of Zeus, patroness of the family
Poseidon - sea
Hestia - family hearth
Demeter – agriculture
Apollo – light and music
Athena - wisdom
Hermes - trade and messenger of the gods
Hephaestus - fire
Aphrodite - beauty
Ares - war
Artemis - hunting

From the earth, people each turned to their god, according to their purpose. Temples were built everywhere to appease them, and gifts were offered instead of sacrifices.

In Greek mythology, not only Chaos, the Titans and the Olympian Pantheon were important, there were other gods as well.

Nymphs Naiads who lived in streams and rivers
Nereids - nymphs of the seas
Dryads and Satyrs - nymphs of the forests
Echo - nymph of the mountains
Fate Goddesses: Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos.

Ancient Greece gave us a rich world of myths. It is filled with deep meaning and instructive stories. Thanks to them, people can learn ancient wisdom and knowledge.

It’s impossible to count how many different legends exist at the moment. But believe me, every person should familiarize themselves with them by spending time with Apollo, Hephaestus, Hercules, Narcissus, Poseidon and others. Welcome to the ancient world of the ancient Greeks!

In the glorious city of Argos lived a king named Acrisius. He was rich and respected, but he was not happy because he did not have an heir. One day the king decided to turn to the Delphic oracle for help, where the priestess Pythia told him the future. She said that you will have a daughter, and she will give you an heir, who will kill you when he grows up. The king did not utter a word; he was horrified by such a prediction. After some time, the king of Argos actually had a daughter, but not an ordinary one. The girl was of incredible beauty, she was named Danae, in honor of the founder of the dynasty, King Danae and his fifty daughters Danaids. According to legend, Danaus received a prediction that he would die at the hands of his son-in-law. He had 50 beautiful daughters. And his brother Egypt has 50 young men. The Egyptians wanted to intermarry with the daughters of Danaus, but he was against this union.

Perseus was also given magic sandals, with which he could quickly soar above the ground. The donated bag had the magical ability to change in size depending on the volume of things placed inside. Having put the sandals and hat of Hades into it, Perseus went to the decisive battle.

Battle with the Gorgon Medusa Thanks to the magic sandals, Perseus managed to cross the sea and get to the island where the snake-haired monsters lived. When the hero managed to find the Gorgons, they were all asleep, to his happiness. The mirror-polished shield served Perseus as eyes.

With its help, he was able to clearly see the sleeping sisters with steel scales and golden wings. Only the snakes on the Gorgons' heads moved a little. The myth of Perseus and Medusa the Gorgon says that the hero’s task was complicated by the fact that the deadly sisters were like two peas in a pod.

One more step

On the advice of Athena, Danaus built a huge 50-oared ship to escape the fifty sons of Egypt. However, on the island of Argos, the Egyptians reached the Danaids and forced her to marry them. The festive bells sounded, the holiday ended, but the silence of the night was interrupted by the last cries of the young husbands.

By order of their father, the Danaids plunged sharp daggers into their husbands' hearts at night. Hypermnestra alone failed to kill her new husband Lynceus. She took pity on him and saved him. Subsequently, their union brought about a whole generation of heroes; Hercules himself belonged to this family.
According to one version, Lynceus subsequently caused the death of Danaus. The Danaids themselves received their punishment only after death. Having found themselves in Hades, they are now forced to forever fill a bottomless well with water.
Acrisius can kill his daughter with one hand, but he is afraid of angering the gods. He doesn't do anything.

Attention

The messenger of the gods hands Perseus a silver shield, lends him his winged sandals, a bag and a very sharp sickle that can cut anything. Hermes advises Perseus to fly to the caves where three sorceresses live - the Graias. The Grays were full sisters of the Gorgons. According to legends, they were either already born old or were born gray-haired. The three of them had only one eye, which they took turns passing on to each other.

Thanks to his winged sandals, Perseus quickly flies to the right place. According to one version, Perseus takes possession of their eye by force at the moment of its transfer. According to another, the eye accidentally falls out of the hand of one sister and Perseus returns it.

For this, stunned by the beauty and kindness of the young man, the Grays tell him the way to the island where the Gorgons live. Perseus immediately goes to the said island, and a terrible picture appears before him.

Myths of ancient Greece: the myth of Perseus

Over time, his daughter becomes more and more beautiful, and the age is approaching when she can already be matched. Besides this, there is not a single man who would not want such a beautiful and beautiful girl as his wife. However, Acrisius remembers the prediction; secretly he wishes his daughter to die.
One day he calls his daughter and her nurse with him. He leads them for a long time until they reach a huge tower. He asks them to come in first and the huge door immediately slams shut. Now Danae is locked in the tower, now no young man will be able to get close to her.
Danae screams in horror, but the inhabitants of Argos consider her missing, no one will hear her. But what is hidden from the eyes of men cannot be hidden from the eyes of the gods. Soon Danae is noticed by Zeus himself. God is amazed by her beauty.
Zeus never appeared to mortal women in order to take possession of them.

The myth of Perseus - summary. Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa

Important

One day he decided to go to the oracle to find out the future fate of his reign. In Ancient Greece, as you know, rule could be passed on from father to son, but not to daughter. And Acrisius received a terrible prediction. His grandson will take his life.

So Acrisius decided that Danae would not marry, and he would not have heirs. Many years later. Danae lived in chambers underground. Acrisius forgot about the oracle's prediction. And here's the problem! Zeus fell in love with Danae at first sight. The Thunderer descended from heaven and entered her chambers. Soon a boy was born, who was named Perseus. The difficult fate of Perseus - the anger of King Acrisius Acrisius became angry and decided to punish his daughter. Perseus was hammered into a box along with Danae and thrown into the sea. Of course, God did not allow his son to die. Zeus did not allow the box to sink to the bottom. For a long time the boy was carried by the waves on the sea, but found salvation.

The myth of Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa

Thus, the ancient myths about Perseus tell of the victory of light over darkness, the change of night to a new day. Almost all legends from antiquity are interpreted in a similar way. Any myth - about Perseus, Orpheus and Eurydice, Theseus and Ariadne, the exploits of Hercules - appears in this theory as a description of physical phenomena.

Whatever the meaning behind the poetic narrative, ancient tales continue to delight with their imagery and colorfulness. The myth of Perseus inspired the creation of great paintings by Delacroix, Rubens, Veronese, and Titian. The famous sculpture by Cellini, depicting the hero with the severed head of Medusa in his hand, is still considered the most beautiful decoration of Florence.
The legend of the battle of Perseus with the Gorgon Medusa Having reached the place described by Hermes, he sees three terrible gorgons on a rock. Each scale burns with fire. How to determine which of them is Medusa? The myth of Perseus says that the brave hero heard a hint from Athena. It was the goddess who pointed him to Medusa. The battle proceeded as follows:

Perseus rushed at Medusa from above.
He defended himself with a shield and cut off her head in one fell swoop.
He then put on a helmet to avoid fighting the immortal gorgons.
Used my sandals to escape.

They chased him, but could not find him.
The hero returns home with Medusa's head in a bag! An interesting fact from the myth about Perseus According to ancient Greek mythology, when Perseus returned home, the blood of Medusa dripped from the bag. At this time, the hero of ancient Greek mythology was flying over Libya.
All the people also feasted with the rulers of Ethiopia. During the feast, Perseus told the guests about his exploits. However, the wedding feast was ruined after Andromeda's first groom appeared with a large army. Phineus in the palace began to accuse the hero of stealing his bride, after which a desperate battle began. Perseus bravely fought against superior enemy forces, but was able to win only with the help of the head of Medusa. Thus, the statue of Phineus with an expression of fear and slavish prayer in his eyes remained forever in the palace. Return to Serif and revenge on Polydectes Perseus did not stay long in Ethiopia after the bloody battle. Together with his beautiful wife, he hurried to return to his native island. Perseus's mother was in despair at this time, because she had to constantly hide in the temple of Zeus from Polydectes. The angry Perseus decided to get even with the king of Serif.

Myths about Perseus summary 5 6 sentences

If you are the son of Zeus, you will defeat Medusa the Gorgon,” Polydectes manipulates. “Okay, I’m ready.” After these words, Perseus sets off. The hero goes to the West, where the queen rules, the goddess of the night, where three dangerous gorgon sisters live. Their bodies are covered with strong, shiny scales, and their hands are covered with sharp claws that can cut through flesh. Snakes moved along the hair, and the eyes burned with rage. Anyone who met their gaze immediately turned to stone. The most powerful was the Gorgon jellyfish, but it can be killed. The two older sisters are immortal. The gods take the side of Perseus For a long time, Perseus wandered, but no one could help him on the way to the jellyfish. Only the glorious goddess Athena decided to tell the hero of ancient Greek mythology where to go. She sent Perseus to Hermes.

Myths about Perseus summary 5-6 sentences

Together with Danae and Andromeda, Perseus sailed to his homeland, Argos. Having learned about this, his grandfather Akrisius, who had previously thrown him into the sea, fled to the city of Larissa. After some time, the king of Larissa, Teutamides, invited Perseus to participate in athletic games.

A disc thrown by Perseus during the games accidentally hit Acrisius in the leg, and the former king died from this wound. There the prophecy given to him was fulfilled. Repenting over this involuntary murder, Perseus decided to relinquish power over Argos, inherited from his grandfather, and exchanged kingdoms with his uncle Megapentus, who ruled in Tiryns. Near Tiryns, Perseus built another glorious city - Mycenae. The walls of Mycenae were built from huge stones by the Cyclops.