Mythology Essays Example

The Theogony encompasses a wide array of classical mythology concerning the beliefs of ancient Greek people. Theogony illustrates narratives of how the gods created and shaped the universe. Thogony retells the Greek mythology the same way the bible in the book of Genesis depicts the story of creation. The Hesiod asserts the narrative is the work of a poet or a king that acts in the capacity of a prophet. Hesiod in the epic poem of Theogony offers the Greek version of Genesis in the bible. Hesiod says that, in the beginning of creation, there was a lot of chaos due to many elements (Hesiod Theogony 80-103). This paper discusses the ancient beliefs of Greek mythology as retold by poets such as Hesiod, Ovid, and that live in the eighth and ninth century B.C. These poets inform the positive and negative aspects of the relationship between the gods and humans in the medieval times.
Chaos gives birth to Night and Erebus. Prometheus is in charge of making humans and he executes his work by shaping the humans as gods. Prometheus helps people when he disguises an animal offering as a human offering. Zeus torturers Prometheus due to the act of stealing and wants him to reveal the secret on the plan to overthrow him. Zeus chains Promethus onto a rock in the Caucasus, and everyday an eagle comes to tear his body parts (Hesiod Theogony 80-103). The Greek gods are divine beings, and some of their actions resemble the behavior of humans. Dionysus is the only god with a mortal parent. His father is Zeus who is an immortal while his mother is a mortal called Semele. Zeus is the creator of humanity where man complains of having no special gift at the end of the process. Zeus cites that he has given man the gift of speech to enable communication. Prometheus works on Zeus orders to make human beings. Prometheus has a good relationship with people as compared to Zeus anticipation. Prometheus cares for humanity and prevents them from suffering impending wrath from Zeus(Hesiod, Theogony 617-733).Prometheus steals fire from Zeus lightning, conceals it and brings it to man. Additionally, Prometheus steals knowledge from other gods such as Athena and brings the knowledge to man. Prometheus benefits man during the development of forms of sacrifice. Prometheus devices a way to deceive Zeus instead of using human sacrifices, he slaughters an animal and takes it to Zeus. He uses own fat to deceive Zeus. Prometheus sires a human called Deucalion who Zeus spares during the destruction of the earth using the flood (Hesiod Theogony 507-616).The poet Homer depicts gods with a higher level of existence than the humans. Homer cites the weaknesses of Gods that are similar to faults of people. For instance, Zeus is a philanderer and a womanizer who disguises himself to seduce people. Hermes the messenger is a thief and gives false messages. Gods have weaknesses that resemble people’s emotions such as Apollo who is violent when angry.
The positive side of the interaction of gods and humans in Greek mythology is that Theogony highlights the thriving of humanity since people work harmoniously with nature. The ancient Greek had beautiful lives that flourished amidst violence and diseases. The Greek myths are remarkable in their depiction of ancient civilization that advanced beyond brutality and the primitive stage. The Greek worldview places the humans at the epicenter of the universe. Some of the gods in Greek mythology possess human properties that embody the emotional aspect of humans unlike the animal deities of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians. The gods in the classical mythology closely resemble human life since the gods feel real and physical other than remote. The myths of the Greeks reflect the universe as mysterious and beautiful. This is because the Greek myths portray real images such as the supernatural Hercules who lives in Thebes. The goddess Aphrodite lives in the island of Cythera. The Greek myths have less strange and fearful magic compared to other ancients’ civilizations (Theogony. Mnemosyne 557-576). The Greek myth does not have wizards and demons who display fearful magic. This enables the elevation about the worth of humans as well as their abilities in the universe. Zeus remains a primary god who represents a human, compassionate, and a wise figure. Ovid, the Roman poet, records many myths but does not believe the stories and regards them as tales. Homer and Hesiod are among the earliest Greek poets that live in the eighth and ninth century B.C. Hesiod is a poor farmer, whose myth illustrates religious piety and the obstacles in life. The Greek heroes do not wield magic and uses light elements such as the strength of Hercules. This is because the myths display a rational view in comparison to other myths. The Greek mythology enables one to understand the history of the cultural ancestors and the myths religious beliefs.
Some of the negative aspect of the relationship of gods and humans in classical mythology is that the Greek gods were not omnipotent and omniscient. Gods in Greek mythology are not perfect to improve human morality, as does the modern religion. Gods make mistakes just like humans. Hesiod the poet suggests that Zeus who is the king of all gods has sexual encounters with different women who are mortals. Zeus portrays human weakness in the story of Io. in the story, Zeus lies to the maiden called Io and rapes her. Zeus cheats and deceives his wife due to physical attraction. Hermes is a liar and a thief who kills an innocent mortal to protect Zeus mistakes. Hermes robs Apollo temple for own benefitSome of the gods manifest bad behaviors such as philandering, obsession, envious, feasting, and drinking. For instance, Zeus who is the father figure is a philanderer who acts foolishly, and is cruel. In essence, the gods are unpredictable and fail to operate on the highest molar ground. For example, the gods authorize sacrifices when they are angry. Classical mythology gives a contrary view to the real world. In a real world, humans became heroes due to virtues such as bravery and strength other than supernatural powers. The Greek myths do not constitute the religion of the people. The myths are similar to scientific stories that elaborate only natural catastrophes and people only derive entertainment from the myths. The myths are complex in nature due to diversity of sources and lack of a single reliable standard. This is because the Greek culture has different cultures with different versions of the story.Works Cited
Stamatopoulou, Zoe. "Theogony And Works And Days - By Hesiod." Religious Studies Review 36.1 (2010): 68-69. Print.
Stoddard, Kathryn B.. "The Programmatic Message of the "Kings and Singers" Passage: Hesiod, Theogony 80-103." Transactions of the American Philological Association 133.1 (2003): 1-16. Print.
Wickkiser, Bronwen L.. "Hesiod and the Fabricated Woman: Poetry and Visual Art in the Theogony." Mnemosyne 63.4 (2010): 557-576. Print.