Greek monsters in The Odyssey (2/2) (Z1, Z2)

The next isn’t necessarily a Greek monster, but it is an obstacle that prevents the protagonist of The Odyssey, Odysseus from continuing on his adventure home. The Lotus Flower was that obstacle. The Lotus Flower was found on one of the islands that Odysseus and his crew had landed on. When the men landed on the island, they were extremely hungry. They ate the only thing available, and that was the Lotus Flower. This flower is highly addictive, preventing the men from wanting to leave the island. There were other men there also; they seemed to be there for a long time. This flower made the men have very strong hallucinations, making them forget about their families and homes. Odysseus received advice from Athena telling him not to consume the flower, so he remained sane. Odysseus had to drag his crew back to the ship in order to leave or they would be stranded on the island for forever. These flowers are representation of drugs in today’s society, making a person completely forget about everything important in their life. It also stands for a certain thing that distracts a person from getting to a place or destination that can make you forget about everything important in your life.
                Scylla is the next Greek monster that Odysseus encounters on his journey home. Scylla is a six headed monster that takes six men from each boat that passes by, one man for each of the heads. She lives in a cave opposite of a whirlpool, Charybdis. Odysseus had to decide which side he wanted to go on. If he went to the whirlpool, everyone on the ship would drown, but if he went on the Scylla route, he would end up losing six of his men. He chooses to go the Scylla route and doesn’t scare his men by telling them that six of them will die.

            Charybdis is the whirlpool that is opposite of Scylla. It is seen as a sea monster, and people in Greek myth generally try to avoid it. Odysseus was the exception of this, but he did avoid the whirlpool by going the Scylla route of his journey. This resulted in the loss of six of his men, but it would have been better than losing all of his men, including himself, and his ship; everyone would have died. Later in the story, Odysseus is one a raft going down the same narrow pathway where Charybdis and Scylla are. This time, he goes down the path of Charybdis because by himself, he would have been killed instantly by Scylla. His raft was sucked into the Charybdis whirlpool, but he survived by holding on to a fig tree that was fortunately positioned right above the Charybdis darkness. In the next burst of water, his raft was thrown out of Charybdis’ mouth. Odysseus miraculously got ahold of his raft and paddled away to safety. This was the only story in Greek mythology in which a Greek mortal hero survived with Scylla and Charybdis. 

            The Cattle of the Sun were also among the Greek animals in which Odysseus encountered. They weren’t exactly monsters, but because of them, Odysseus and his men were punished by Zeus. These cattle belonged to Helios, the god of the sun. Odysseus and his men were trapped on the island, Thrinacia. The only food on the island was the cattle, so the men slaughtered them and ate them. They were trapped there from winds blowing the wrong way after the wind god gave them a bag of air to steer them home. When it was opened, it took them to this island.

Greek monsters in The Odyssey (1/2) (Y1, Y2)

One of the most popular stories of Greek mythology is the epic poem, The Odyssey, told by the blind poet, Homer. It tells of a hero’s journey through Greek mythology and his adventures throughout his journey. The protagonist in this story is Odysseus, and through his adventures, he discovers more than war, with the involvement of Greek mythology.

                In some cases, Calypso is seen not as a Greek goddess, but as a Greek monster instead. She is a nymph who was cursed and forced to stay on her deserted island forever. When Odysseus came across the island, he, because of Calypso, lost track of time. For what felt like a day gone by, years have actually gone by in reality. Calypso was fond of Odysseus so she kept him on her island until he finally was snapped out of his brain wash, so to speak, and left to continue on his journey home. The Greeks believed that Calypso is seen in the daily lives of people as others holding us back. She is seen as misleading, selfish, and full of herself, and we’re supposed to get rid of the “Calypso,” in our life. 

                One of the most well-known monsters of The Odyssey is the Cyclops, Polyphemus. This Cyclops lived in a cave which he covered with a rock upon leaving and being inside of the cave. When they had the chance, Odysseus and his crew when into the cave and became trapped. The Cyclops ended up killing some of the crew by consuming them (ew!), but Odysseus and some of his men did end up surviving. The survivors got together, and when the Cyclops fell asleep, they took a sharp spear and pierced the eye of the Cyclops. This blinded the Cyclops, making it possible for the crew to eventually escape. They escaped by tying themselves under the sheep in the cave. When the Cyclops let the sheep out, the men untied themselves, unsuspecting of the blind Cyclops, and barely escaped alive.

                Circe is another nymph that Odysseus encountered on his journey. Odysseus goes to the home of Circe to find out how he was supposed to get home because he was currently at a stop on his journey. Circe allowed Odysseus and his crew to eat and drink what she had in her home. Odysseus was protected by Athena so when he ate, he remained a human being. His crew was turned into swine. She threatens her and she eventually turns Odysseus’s crew back into human beings. She also tells him that he needs to go to the Underworld to figure out how to get home. Circe represented wealth and taught the Greeks that they should never let their greed overcome them. 

                The Sirens are the next of the Greek monsters that Odysseus encountered on his never ending journey. They were “women” that sang on their island trying to lure men onto their island, in order to eat them. He encounters them after visiting Circe. The other nymphs on Circe’s island told Odysseus that if he wanted to, he could hear the song of the Sirens. He had his men tie him up to a post so he wouldn’t be tempted to jump off the boat and die. He had his men put wax in their ears in order to prevent them from jumping off the ship as well. The men were instructed not to untie Odysseus no matter how much he pleaded. The Sirens are known about singing about men’s pasts. Odysseus heard about his involvement in the Trojan War. The Sirens represent people who try to make you live in your past.

Chiron (X1, X2)

In Greek mythology, Chiron was a centaur that was appointed, generally by Zeus or other gods, to assist in helping the heroes of Greek myth. Chiron was believed to be a centaur, a mythical creature that consisted of a body having a torso of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Chiron’s skills matched those of his “foster father,” Apollo. He was involved with hunting, medicine, prophecy, archery, and music. He was often seen in his environment that consisted of nature.

Generally, in Ancient times, centaurs, like another mythical creature the satyrs, we seen as wild animals that got rowdy and violent when they became intoxicated. Unlike this stereotype, Chiron was the exact opposite. He was a very intelligent centaur and was very civilized. He was also a great healer, astrologer, and respected oracle known for his unique skill with medicine. His peaceful character and intelligence were thanks to teachings when he was younger by Artemis and Apollo. This is the opposite of what is expected not just because he is a centaur, but because he is also a descendent of Cronus, the ruthless Titan ruler. This was different than other centaurs because other centaurs are descendents of sun and raincloud.

Chiron’s main location was on Mount Perlion. At this mountain, he was married and had four children. He married a nymph that was named Chariclo. His children consisted of three daughters and one son. His daughters were Hippe, Endeis, and Ocyrhoe. His son’s name was Carystus.

Chiron was said to be “the first among the centaurs and highly revered as a teacher and tutor. His students were, previously stated, heroes of Greek myth. Some of these were Aclepius, Aristaeus, Ajax, Aeneas, Actaeon, Caeneus, Theseus, Achilles, Jason, Peleus, Telamon, Perseus, Hercules, Oileus, Phoenix, and on some cases, Dionysus was seen being taught by the centaur.

                Unlike normal centaurs, Chiron had a slightly different appearance. This demonstrates his heritage and statues. His front legs are human, unlike the others that’s legs are completely horse. This made him completely identifiable when submersed with the other mythical creatures. This made his relation to the previous Titan god, Cronus, more evident. Chiron is often seen carrying a branch with dead hares that he captured and hangs off of it. He is often seen as one of the only centaurs that wears clothing. The exception to Chiron being the only centaur seen wearing clothes would be two of the less prominent centaurs, Nessus and Pholus. This demonstrates his civilization and different than the other centaurs because of his human- well, in this case god- lineage that he is deciphered from.

The most famous ‘painting’ (it is a mythical creature after all) was the ‘Education of Achilles.’ It is a wall painting that is one of the most common Roman depictions of Chiron. It portrays Chiron as he teaches Achilles, the ‘immortal’ mortal how to play the lyre. It is contrast to the Greek representations because he is seen with horses’ legs completely, but in the Greek edition it is seen with human legs in the front; he has a lower body of that completely of a horse. Also, Chiron is seen with ears of a satyr, rather than a human, that was recognized in the Greek viewpoint of the creature. Roman artists painted based on the word centaur itself, not on the actual available traditional visual representations that could have been collected to base their artwork off of. The artist is believed to suggest nobility through retaining a consistent traditional view through gaining a laurel wreath and keeping an article of clothing. 

Greek Animals in the Twelve Labors (W1, W2)

Throughout Greek mythology, there are many mythical animals. These are mostly seen in the twelve labors performed by Hercules in order to pay back his debt for killing his family after going insane due to Hera’s jealousy and her response to that jealousy. Some of these animals seen in the twelve labors are the Nemean Lion, Lernaean Hydra, Ceryneian Hind, Erymanthian Boar, Stymphalian Birds, Cretan Bull, Mares of Diomedes, Cattle of Geryon, and Cereberus.

                The Nemean Lion was a vicious monster that lived in Nemea. Its skin is impenetrable and is not affected by mortal weapons. Its claws were sharper that mortals’ swords and could cut through any armor. It was defeated by being strangled.

                The Lernaean Hydra was a serpent-like sea monster. It had five heads, and whenever as head was cut off in some way, it would regrow two more than it originally had. The Hydra was the guardian of the entrance to the underworld that was underwater. Its home was at the lake of Lerna. It was extremely poisonious.

                The Ceryneian Hind was a giant deer. It was the sacred animal to Artemis, animals, and unmarried women. It had golden antlers and it had hooves of either bronze or brass. It was believed to be very quick; it could outrun any arrow. It was also called the Cerynitis or the Golden Hind. It lived throughout Greece.

                The next animal Hercules faced was the Erymanthian Boar. The Erymanthian Boar was a giant boar that was loyal to the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. Whenever she would get angry, at a town for example, she would set it free and have it destroy the fields that the town had for their food supply. The Erymanthian Boar, along with many of these animals is seen in the Percy Jackson series. It showcases Greek mythology in a mystery novel, which is not often seen.

                The Stymphalian Birds were flesh-eating birds whose beaks were made of bronze. Their feathers were very sharp and were used as weapons against their enemies. These birds were pets of the god of war, Ares, and they dramatically affected mankind. They eventually migrated into a lake in Arcadia to escape a dangerous pack of wolves that were affecting their living climate. They soon bred and destroyed a lot of property, such as local crops, the countryside, fruit trees, and even the townspeople were affected by these birds.

                The Cretan Bull was the next animal seen in Hercules’ twelve labors. The Cretan Bull is seen in two situations. In some cases, it was believed to be the bull that carried Europa away. In the other situation, which is seen more commonly, it is the bull Pasiphae fell in love with. This was caused by Poseidon.  Poseidon told the king, Pasiphae’s husband, that every year he was to sacrifice his best bull. One year, instead of sacrificing his best one, he sacrificed one of lesser beauty and this angered the sea god. In anger and revenge, Poseidon caused Pasiphae to fall in love with the bull that the king did not sacrifice. This resulted in the birth of the Minotaur, which is half-bull and half-mortal. This monster lives in the labyrinth that Daedalus built for the king. It is very destructive.

                The Mares of Diomedes were man-eating horses that belonged to Diomedes, a giant. Alexander the Great’s horse was seen as a descendent of these mares. At the end of this labor of Hercules, Hercules ended up feeding Diomedes to the horses before leaving to receive his next labor, which is to get the belt of Hippolyta, but Hera didn’t want that to happen.  

Psyche (V1 and V2)

Psyche was a mortal that was seen in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of a king and queen, and had a total of two sisters. Her sisters were Orual and Thessela. She was a very beautiful woman, more beautiful than both of her sisters. People even dared to compare her to the goddess of love, Aphrodite, which was a rarity for the Greeks. To be compared to a goddess is seen as the most flattering thing to a mortal, but it could result in angering a god or goddess- which it did. All of the gods and mortal men who thought Aphrodite was the most beautiful goddess, turned towards Psyche, and this didn’t end well. Aphrodite was full of rage and jealousy, and she was determined to get her revenge on the mortal woman.

She tried to get rid of this mortal woman and distinguish her role as the most beautiful goddess. To do this, Aphrodite had her son, Eros, make Psyche fall in love with the ugliest man that inhabited the earth. Eros is seen as Cupid, and shoots golden arrows to make people (gods, goddesses, and mortals) fall in love. He accidentally scratched himself with the arrow, and this made him fall in love with Psyche herself.

This resulted in Psyche and Eros getting married. There were married and had one son, Hedone. They could only get married if she went through a challenge given by Aphrodite herself. Psyche wasn’t to look at her husband when they were married. Psyche obviously obliged, so when she was married, she wasn't able to look at her husband. They lived in a dark area to prevent any temptations from ruining their marriage.

Psyche’s two sisters were insanely jealous of their sister, and told her either that her husband was cheating on her or that he was a Greek monster. Because of this, Psyche was tempted to see her husband and lit a candle in their home. When she lit the candle she discovered that it was Aphrodite’s son, Eros, and it resulted in Eros having to leave. This was because “love cannot remain without trust,” and Psyche didn’t trust her husband enough to continue to live in the dark with him happily. This is what Aphrodite wanted to happen to the pair, but did not admit it publicly.

This is when Psyche confronts Aphrodite for the first time. Aphrodite told her that she could get her husband back if she completed four tasks given to her by the love goddess herself. The last task was to retrieve some beauty from the goddess of the underworld, Persephone. Persephone was originally put into the underworld because Aphrodite was jealous of her beauty and angry at her decision to remain a virgin goddess. Because of this, Aphrodite made Hades fall in love with the girl, and this resulted in her capture. It is ironic that Aphrodite makes Psyche retrieve beauty from the girl she exiled into the underworld with the god of the underworld, the most hated god, Hades.

She retrieved the box of beauty from the underworld, but was distracted by her own curiosity. She opened the box of beauty and found sleep instead. This was probably for Persephone to get her revenge on the Aphrodite, seeing that Psyche was getting the beauty for the goddess of love instead of herself. When Psyche opened the box, she was granted with a deep sleep.

Her husband, Eros found her in a deep sleep. He asked Zeus to wake her up and grant her immortality. Zeus woke her and gave her immortality. This resulted in her no longer be a competitor with Aphrodite for morals’ attention.