Greek mythology as it exists today was a culmination of oral tradition that was part of the early Greek civilization. Different regions of the Greek empire had different heroes with their own traditions and thus Greek mythology was firmly tied to it geographical location. Geography and physical places/ space helped shape Greek mythology to a large extent. Homer’s Odyssey, Iliad and Hesiod’s Theogony are examples of Greek mythology where the myth is tied with the geographical space. With the mention of places these poets also driven by a certain ‘Panhellenic’ impulse-a desire to appeal to as many city states as possible. Mentioning as many places and incidents occurring in those places made sure that these performances was meaningful to people from any part of Greece. When these epics were written there was no single common Greek identity and hence places were important to describe and identify the gods and other heroes in the different regions and bring them all under a common umbrella.
During the time of Homer and Hesiod (there is a lot of speculation and confusion about their time. Many say they were contemporaries, while some say that Homer came after Hesiod), Greece was not a unified empire but it was divided into many city states. It is also a peninsula surrounded by seas and dotted with many islands. The geography of mountains and jagged coastlines ensured that Greece was divided into many regions that remained as separate places and not as a single country. Homer’s Iliad mentions that even the smallest of Greek provinces took part in the Trojan War. He mentions all these places in an effort to unify all the Greeks and also to take pride in their culture and victory over their enemies. In this sense, the use of geographical locations and the mention of physical places play an important part in Greek mythology. The Iliad and Odyssey, like other Greek mythologies are a patchwork of stories each conflicting with the other. They have also been retold many times in different versions and the roots of the mythology can be traced back to at least two civilizations that were present before 1100 BC. One was the Mycenaean civilization which flourished on the Greek Mainland and the other was the Minoan civilization that was established on the island of Crete. The ancient beliefs held by the people of these civilizations merged with the myths of legends form other kingdoms to form a common body of stories, epics or lore that eventually became a shared Greek tradition or mythology. With the rise of city-states, these oral traditions and lore retold many times were written down. What was spoken for hundreds of centuries was finally written down by the people. Thus whatever was written by Homer and Hesiod (dating back to 700 BC) became key sources of Greek mythology. If Hesiod’s ‘Theogony’ and ‘Works and Days’ are about the creation of the world, the relationship between Gods and humans, Homer’s works, the Iliad and odyssey are about how the Gods change the destiny of the humans.
Homer’s Iliad covers an impossible stretch of land and sea- there is the mention of the cult statue of Athena, the city of troy which was s spiritual and religious centre, a description of the palace of Menelaus in Sparta which played a small role in the beginnings of the Trojan War etc. The Iliad has a number of places that is mentioned, whether the places are mentioned once in the catalogue of ships or many times as the heroes in the epic visit them to play out their dispute and ego outside of Troy. Some of the important places mentioned in Iliad include Troy, the city of high culture and the impregnable fort where Helen lives with Paris, Mysia, where Menelaus’ men first go in search of his princess and find out she is no longer there, Arisbe an ally of the Trojans. Furthermore the catalogue of Homer identifies 126 places. People from these places were on 1,186 ships ad travelled to troy as allies of the Greeks. The places that Homer mentions are Hyria, Aulis, Schoenus, Scolus, Eteonus, Thespeia, Graia, Mycalessus, Harma, Eilesium, Erythrae, Eleon, Hyle, Peteon, Ocalea, Medeon, Copae, Eutrēsis, Thisbe, Coronea, Haliartus, Plataea, Glisas, Thebes, Onchestus, Arne, Midea, Nisa, Anthedon, Aspledon, Orchomenus, Cyparissus, Pytho, Crisa, Daulis, Panopeus, Anemorea, Hyampolis, river Cephissus, Lilaea, Kynos, Opoüs, Calliatus, Bessa, Scarphe, Augeae, Tarphe, Thronium, Chalcis, Eretria, Histiaea, Cerinthus, Dium, Carystus, Styra, Cyllene, Pheneus, Orchomenus, Rhipae, Stratie, Enispe, Tegea, Mantinea, Stymphalos, Parrhasia, Pelasgic Argos, Alos, Alope, Trachis, Phthia etc (Book II). The reason why Homer gives such an extensive list is that he wants the reader or the listener to understand that it was a pan-Greek expedition. He did not want to leave out any region that was a part of it. Mentioning the names of the places will also ensure that the epic is read and accepted throughout the Greek region. Mention of these places and the physical description also gives legitimacy to Homer as a poet and as a historian who had detailed the war and the exploits of the heroes.
In Book 5 of the Iliad, Homer mentions mount Olympia. This is when the Gods join the war ad help the Trojans gain an upper hand for a while. Although mount Olympia exists and can be found in present day Greece, here Olympia is shown as the abode of the Gods. It is not only Homer who makes a mention of mount Olympia but also Hesiod in his Theogony who talks about mount Olympus during the creation of Gods. Perhaps Homer and Hesiod bring in their divine beliefs into their historical accounts so it would be accepted not only by the victors but also the losers in the war. The only way to accept history would be to include the Gods in the battles that humans fight. The mention of Olympia as a place that is inhabited by Gods is important as both Homer and Hesiod show that the Gods are like humans in every way except the fact that they are immortal. They are bound by the same feelings of love, anger, jealousy and pride as the humans and fight among themselves. Perhaps it is a reason why Homer and Hesiod mention mount Olympus like any other place in their epics. Places in mythologies are relevant as cities tend to base their foundation based on the myths or the nostoi of assorted heroes mentioned in the myths ad epics. Homer’s mention of these places, either as allies of the Greeks or the Trojans play into this politics-of knowing who the founders of the cities were. In Hesiod’s Theogony there isn’t a mention of many places as it is a tale about the creation of the earth and the Gods and the relationship between the Gods and the mortals. In Theogony, the earth, sky and the tartarus are the fundamental division. He also makes it clear that the realms are separate and distinct from each other. The sea presents a bit of a problem in Theogony due to its long, mixed and confusing genealogy. Okeanus, the titan has offsprings with his sister Tethys whose offspring become the rivers and the Okeanids. Pontus’ name also means sea. There is also the prescience of Poseidon, the sea god.
In Hesiod’s Theogony the geographical location is symbolic. There is interplay of symbolic places versus real places. While we know where Hesiod lived through his description of the land, he also gives each of his characters a geographical realm. Thus Olympus gets the sky, Poseidon the sea, Gaia the earth and the underworld. Action when it happens in Theogony is when a divine agent comes from one of these realms and does something in the other. Zeus is born in the earth after Ouranous wants him dead because of jealousy and Zeus eventually beats Ouranus to take over mount Olympus. There is also the instance of Prometheus stealing fire from the gods and giving it to the mortals and the Gods having their vengeance and revenge at him for doing so. Some of the places mentioned in Theogony include Helicon, “Muses of Helicon, let us begin our song with them, who hold the great and holy mountain of Helicon,” (1-2). There is also a mention of Helicon in the Homeric hymn to Poseidon, where in a brief invocation; the sea god is hailed as the lord of helicon. Helicon is the dwelling places of the muses. Olympus, “You, let us begin from the Muses who in hymning their father Zeus, delight his mighty mind within Olympus (36-37).” Olympus is the dwelling place of the 12 Olympians or the gods who inhabited the place after beating the titans. “He is king in Ouranos, holding the thunder and gleaming lightning bolt and after conquering his father Kronos by power. (70-72). Here Ouranos is the heaven or the sky which Zeus takes over. Other places that are mentioned in Theogony include Kythra and Kypros, “In it, a maiden was nurtured. First, she drew near holy Kythera, and from there she arrived at Kypros surrounded by water. (191-93). Cronus, the son of Gaia and ouranus castrates his father when he sleeps. His blood is used by Gaia to create Giants and Nymphs. Form ouranus’ genitalia which is thrown into the sea, foams develop, starting in the island of Kythera and slowly make their way to the island of Paphos (in Cyprus). Here the foams are transformed in to the goddess of beauty and love Aphrodite. Krete and Lyktos are also places that are mentioned in Theogony(477-478). Zeus was born in this place after his mother had to hide out from divine Gaia, on densely wooded Mount Aigiaon.(484). Gods and mortal men making a settlement in Mekone (536); Mekone is where Prometheus tricks Zeus into handing over fire for mankind’s benefit and incurs his wrath forever.
Both Hesiod and Homer invoke the muses of Helicon in their works. Hesiod’s Theogony starts with an invocation to the muses of Helicon while Homer calls for them in his Iliad and Odyssey. Hesiod’s mention of mount Helicon is what gives away his origins or at least clues about the place he is from. Although Homer uses mount helicon in his work, there is no autobiographical element or personal information about him in his works.
The mention of places and their description also serves to differentiate between the abode of Gods and the humans in the works of both Homer and Hesiod. This is another reason why places are significant in Greek mythologies. Gods and humans in Greek mythology constantly interact with the Gods taking part in the wars ad battles of the humans. In order to distinguish between the Gods and the humans and perhaps in an effort to separate fact from fiction, these poets specifically mention places and distinguish them. In homer’s Odysseus there is a clear distinction when it comes to the abode of Gods and the humans. The land appropriate for mortals or humans is characterized by generation and cyclic renewal and has the necessity of precipitation ad hard physical labor. Homer uses descriptions of land and places to describe the homecoming of Odysseus. He uses echoes and cross referencing throughout the epic to bring this about. There is a physical description of his rejection of places, such as the Elysium which can be found in Book 4, Alcinous and the Goat Island in 7 and 9 respectively. This description of geographical places helps further the narration and describe Odysseus journey in detail. These detailed descriptions also act as a testament to the knowledge of these poets about the places that they mention. Homer also uses the description of places in his work to bring out the vested interest of Odysseus in ensuring the continuation of generations in his household and also to ensure his fame at least is immortal even if he is a mere mortal. Through his mention of the physical space, the gardens, Homer also brings out the ethos of toil and self sufficiency that Odysseus possesses as opposed to Menelaus. This comes out in book 24 when Menelaus and Odysseus reunite for the final time in the gardens. Landscape description and places are also used by Homer to build on the plot of the previous day. For Odysseus, the setting and the rising of the sun in the only constant and the actions of the men and the women he meets are the variant. Homer’s description of the places and the sunrise scenes of both Odysseus and Telemachus, his son act as an inversion of the normal relations of time and space . This can be seen after Odysseus’ arrival home in Book 13. Each day is a different learning experience for Odysseus; he learns a new lesson from the actions in his past or the previous day. Each port that he lands is also filled with different people in different settings thus affording him new lessons on life and human nature. Description of the land also helps Odysseus to make sense of a completely unpredictable world.
Odysseus after participating in the Trojan War visits a lot of places on his return home. There is the mention of Troy as Odysseus and his crew leaves the city after its destruction and the end of the war. Their first stop after they leave Troy is Ismara , a coastal place of Thrace which they ruin and sack. Here they fight a small battle with the ciconians and lose six men from each ship. After this they land on the island of the lotus-eaters. Cyclopes where they reach after landing on the island of the lotus eaters is a scary place for Odysseus and his men as it is here that they meet Cyclops who eats two of Odysseus’ men until the day they make their escape. After escaping from Cyclops, Odysseus lands on Aeolus, where he is presented with a bag of winds from the king. He is asked not to open the bag until he reaches Ithaca. But the bag is opened and they are redirected to Aeolus just as they are in sighting distance of Ithaca. The bag contains all the winds except the wind that would take them to Ithaca. Although Odysseus and his crew return to the same place, they are not welcomes with the same hospitality they were shown on their first stop. The next stop is quite disastrous for Odysseus as he reaches the city of Telepylos and loses all of his men and his ships except the one that he is travelling on. The next place that Odysseus stops is Aeaea which the home of Circe. Odusseus lives there for a year but before leaving Circe extracts a promise from Odysseus that he would visit Hades and talk to the prophet Tiresias before going to Ithaca. From here on they travel to the underworld, and see the river Acheron. When Odysseus finally meets Tiresias he cautions him about the cattle of Helios and about Scylla and Charybdis. They return again to Aeaea to bury his shipmate. Cicera also warns Odysseus about Scylla ad Carybdis. Mention is also made of the sirens and how Odysseus and his crew manage to sail past it without sustaining any damage.
Odysseus is not only about the travels of Odysseus but also about the travels of Telemachus his son. Worried over the suitors taking over his kingdom in the absence of his father, Telemachus sets sail to look for his father. Just as Odysseus lands on a lot of places, telemachus too lands on many places in his journey. Telemachus visits Nestor, the king of Pylos where he is received as an honored guest on account of his father. There he is joined by Peisistratus, his son who travels further with him. From Pylos, Telemachus and Peisistratus go on to Sparta where they meet Menelaus and Helen. Here they hear about the Odysseus’ exploits in the war and the fact that he has left for Ithaca. Finally Telemachus and Odysseus meet in Ithaca.
Similar to the Homeric poems and epics, Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days defend geographical locations. Hesiod talks about the surrounding ocean and the connection between the oceans and the edge of the world, and the rivers that were birthed by the gods (Works and Days, 167-171). He also mentions Europe and Asia in Theogony as the descendants of Ocean (Theogony, 357-359).
There are certain features of geographical locations that are empathized in the works of Homer and Hesiod. To begin with there is a clear distinction between where the Gods live and where the humans live. The Gods usually live in the mountains and these places are described as where Muses live. The places where the humans live are strife with wars and battles. It is especially in Odysseus where the places are described accurately. Although Troy is mentioned in Both Iliad and Odysseus, there is an accurate description of Troy in Iliad than in Odysseus. This is perhaps because Odysseus starts where Iliad ends. Homer and Hesiod can be called as prototypes of Greek mythology. They both lived around the same time and wrote in similar styles. The mention of places in these mythologies is perhaps to being about authenticity to their works and also let people know about their knowledge in places that surround their place of origin.
A geographical setting is also important as it helps put the narrative in context. The poet or the author writes predominantly about what he sees and what he has heard. The first thing he would see is the place he lives in and he writes about it. He writes about what he knows and Homer and Hesiod did just that. A mythology is also a collection of various stories told in different contexts. To bring them all under one book and for it to be accepted the authors had to accommodate as many places as possible in their works. This way a God or a hero accepted by one region would be accepted by other regions.
The places are describes in terms of how they test the bravery of the Gods or the humans in mythology. This holds true for both Homer’s and Hesiod’s works. In Odysseus especially each place is described in terms of a test for Odysseus and his resilience and bravery. In Iliad Troy is described as this great city that was better than the Greeks in many things. Hesiod however focuses on the dwelling of the Gods and the humans and is not as descriptive as Homer when it comes to places. The relation between Myth and places is one that of convenience and acceptability. It is convenient for the authors to write about places that they know of and it is also acceptable for the people to read about and believe in something that they know about. When writing about supernatural elements and heroes who were humans on the same lines, it is important to locate the myth in a certain place for plausibility. Places in myths also ensure that it survives the test of time. There is a very close relationship between myth and places as each authenticates the other. Naming places in mythologies help it tread the thin line between fact and fiction. Although Mythologies are regarded as a work of fiction because of the description of supernatural powers of the protagonist be it god or humans, there is a certain element of truth to it given the description of physical spaces. It is this semblance of truth that makes the mythologies endure for a long time.
Works Cited
Homer. Iliad. Trans. Alexander Pope. 1899. gutenberg.org. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Homer, Odysseus. stt.org. Trans. Robert Fagles. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Hesiod, Theogony. msu.edu. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Hesiod, Works and Days. Trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White . 1914. people.sc.fsu.edu. web. 30 Nov. 2014.
