Origins of Greek Myths

Greek Mythology was used to explain everything that the Greeks didn't have an answer for. It explained constellations, religion, and why the weather changed. The Ancient Greeks were polytheistic, meaning that they believed in many gods. They also believed in anthropomorphism. This means that they believed that the gods took human form.

Greek Mythology is still used throughout stories today. A modern story with Greek Mythology used throughout the novel includes Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Older stories with myth used being Homer's The Odyssey and The Iliad. Even when literature isn't centered on mythology, it is still sometimes is referenced in popular books today.

Roman Mythology is very closely related to Greek Mythology. It came after Greek Mythology was started, about 1,000 years. Many of the Roman gods are taken from the Greeks, but given different names.  Some differences include the god of love. Eros is the god of love for the Greeks and Cupid is the god of love for the Romans. Greek gods are believed to be very beautiful and in human form. The Roman gods are only represented in the minds of the Roman people.  

The Greeks honor the gods through art, statues, temples, and literature. The people of Greece believed that if they honored the gods, they would get rewards and their prayers would be answered. The temples were supposed to represent each god’s ‘home’. People would offer items like food and drink to the gods. They believed that if they didn’t honor the gods, they would be punished. This includes not having enough food and extreme weather changes.

There are references to Greek Myth used today besides in literature. Some Greek names are used for restaurants, band names, companies, corporations, etc. An example of the use of Greek Mythology today includes the bands Muse and Styx. A Muse is any of the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus. In Greek Myth, Styx is the goddess of the underworld river. Greek Myth is still used often today.