Introduction
Greece is recognized for several factors: alphabet, philosophy, wars, and also mythology.
Greek mythology encompasses the myths created by the ancient Greeks, narrated mainly orally, to explain reality and their religious concepts. Structures such as the temple dedicated to Zeus in Athens stand out.
The gods in these stories were worshiped as real deities. It can then be said that Greek religion was polytheistic (it had more than one deity, the main god being Zeus) and anthropomorphic (the gods resembled humans, both physically and behaviorally; however, what differentiated them from human beings was immortality and powers). From this, it follows that Greek mythology and religion are strongly intertwined.
Historical context
Ancient Greece was made up of autonomous and rival city-states. In this way, there was a fragmentation in Greek civilization; however, the culture and language, shared by all city-states, provided a sense of belonging to Greek civilization. Therefore, as part of a culture, mythology played an important role in the construction of what it meant to “be Greek”.
Greek mythology was so important that every four years, the Olympics were held, sporting competitions that took place on Mount Olympus (the highest mountain in Greece, a place considered the home of the twelve main Greek gods) with the aim of paying homage to the deities who lived there. inhabited. Even wars between city-states were temporarily halted during the Games.
Furthermore, the civilization of Ancient Greece valued human beings and recognized their uniqueness, that is, it was anthropocentric. This characteristic had repercussions on mythology, as can be evidenced by the anthropomorphic and anthropomorphic characteristics (beings whose body is made up of a human part and an animal part) present in Greek mythology.
Another impact of this anthropocentrism on Greek mythology can be observed in the way in which deities were portrayed aesthetically: human beings whose physique was perfect.
Deuses
As the Hellenic religion is polytheistic, there are several gods. The twelve main gods of the Greek pantheon (a set of deities linked to Greek mythology) are listed below:
1. Zeus: main god;
2. Hera: wife of Zeus, protector of marriage, birth, and women;
3. Poseidon: god of the seas and oceans;
Pallas Athena: goddess of wisdom;
Aphrodite: goddess of love, sexuality, and beauty;
Apollo: god of the Sun;
Artemis: goddess of hunting;
Ares: god of war;
Dionysus: god of parties, pleasures, and wine;
Hephaestus: god of fire and metallurgy;
Demeter: goddess of agriculture;
Hermes: messenger of the gods.
In addition to these, there are also:
Hades: god of the dead and the underworld;
Persephone: queen of the underworld and goddess of the seasons;
Hestia: protective goddess of the home;
Eros: god of love and eroticism.
Mythological beings
Demigods
As the gods were anthropomorphic, they possessed human characteristics, such as passion. In this way, some gods fell in love with humans and had relationships with them. These relationships sometimes produced children called demigods. In other words, a demigod is a son of a god and a mortal. An example of a demigod is Perseus, son of Zeus and Danai (a mortal).
Mermaids
Female aquatic beings whose body is part human, part fish. They are characteristic for their singing.
Nymphs
Female beings who protect the forests. Characteristics for its beauty and joy.
Gorgon
Female beings who have snakes for hair. The most famous gorgon is Medusa.
Heroes
Human beings or demigods who can perform great feats. An example of a hero is Hercules.
satyrs
Beings whose body is human with goat legs and horns.
Centaurs
Beings whose body is half human, half horse.
Minotaur
Being whose body is part human, part bull. According to myth, the Minotaur lived in a labyrinth on the island of Crete ruled by King Minos.
Legacy
In 1896, the Modern Era Olympics began. Inspired by the Greek Olympics, they still take place every four years to this day. However, currently, they are no longer held on Mount Olympus, but in a different country in each edition.