Greek Mythology

by Neil Matt Hamilton

  21. Who was the most important god in the Greek pantheon?

  There is a strong regional component to much of the worship of the Gods in the Greek world. So Athena was important in certain places and Artemis was important in others. But major gods and goddesses would see their worship widespread in the Greek world. For example, because most Greeks lived near the sea (including many people who lived on islands), Poseidon was worshipped practically everywhere. This was also true of gods like Dionysus and Hermes. But arguably the two most important gods were Zeus and Apollo.

  Although Apollo embodied masculinity, we would have to say that Zeus, as king of the gods, was most important. His temple at Olympia, where the Olympic Games were held, was one of the largest on the Greek world. It had a large statue of gold and ivory, which depicted Zeus sitting on a throne. Indeed, the Olympic Games were staged in order to honor Zeus. Although there were other multi-city games held around the Greek world, like the Isthmic Games held at Isthmia near Corinth, the Olympian Games were the most important.

  But back to Zeus... Zeus was the king of the gods and he was also associated with the sky. He had a role in weather, too, as the Greeks believed that thunderbolts were hurled to the earth by Zeus. Zeus was not only the king of the gods, but he was also the father of many of them. Zeus is featured in many myths of the Ancient Greeks, even if he is on the sidelines interfering in one way or the other. The role that Zeus plays echoes the role of a father-king in patriarchal societies, as Greece and Rome both were. In Rome, Zeus was known as Jupiter.

  As powerful as Zeus was, he was not alone in heading his tribe of Olympians. He had to share his role with Hera, his wife. Hera, therefore, plays a more important role than the goddess wives in other mythologies, like Norse myth, for example. The role of Hera is something that Greek writers never allowed their readers to forget. Zeus presided over the Olympian gods side-by-side with Hera. In fact, Zeus often had to fix the problems that Hera created. Of course, most of these “problems” originate with Zeus’s wandering eye, which served as a constant trigger for the ire of his wife, Hera.

  22. Who were the Amazons?

  The Amazons were famous female warriors who were said to live at the world’s edge, which to some meant Asia Minor, while others placed them in Africa. The Amazons were under the special protection of Artemis, a goddess who regarded the hunt and all wild things as sacred. As the Amazons were somewhat wild, at least in the uncivilized fashion in which they lived, it seems sensible that they would be under her protection. The Amazons were said to kidnap men and use them as studs to sire strong children. They only selected the best men for this task. Naturally, patriarchal Greek society viewed this practice (and the women who engaged in it) with horror. It has been argued by some that the Amazon myth may have originated with warlike Scythian warriors who lived on the Russian steppes. They may have had warrior women in their ranks, providing ample imaginative fodder to Ancient Greek audiences who seemed inclined to believe everything.

  There were many legends about the Amazons. Some writers asserted that the warrior women cut off one of their breasts to allow better use of their bow arm. Though this tale is commonly told, it has been portrayed in ancient art.

  23. Who were the demigods?

  Demigod was a catch-all term for the children of the gods who were not gods. Children of nymphs or other semi-divine creatures might also be considered demigods. Demigods were usually sired by a father who was a divinity and a mother who was a mortal, nymph, or other non-divine characters. Demigods were given a special name because they often had divine attributes associated with them, such as a fair and pleasing appearance, long life, better than normal strength, or some other skill that set them apart from the other run of the mill human beings that were encountered in Greek myth and legend.

  Greek myth is unique in setting these particular characters apart as special. In many other mythologies, the children of gods by mortals are usually just human beings, though in some cases they might be adopted among the gods. As the gods were practically a race apart from human beings it seems strange that they would take such a fancy to mortals as to reproduce with them. There were enough gods around that Zeus, Apollo, and others could have had their pick. Stranger still that the gods seemed not only inclined to procreate with mortals but that the offspring of these unions seemed to be special targets of their attention.

  24. What were the names of the Argonauts?

  The Argonauts were the warriors who ventured to the land of Colchis to find the Golden Fleece, the golden skin of a sheep. They sailed in the ship Argo and were led by Jason. According to scholar Robert Graves, the following is the list of men and women who went on the voyage.

  Acastus

  Actor, of Phocis

  Admetus, of Pherae

  Amphiaraus, of Argos

  Ancaeus, of Samos

  Argus, shipbuilder

  Ascalphus, demigod, son of Ares

  Asterius, of Pelopia

  Atalanta, a huntress

  Augeias, a native of Elis

  Butes, a native of Athens

  Caeneus, a Lapith

  Calais, son of Boreas, the North Wind

  Canthus, of Euboea

  Castor, along with Pollux or Polydeuces, one of the Dioscuri

  Cepheus, son of Aleus of Arcadia

  Corionis, another Lapith

  Echion, demigod, son of Hermes

  Erginus, a native of Miletus

  Euphemus

  Euryalus

  Heracles, demigod, son of Zeus

  Hylas, friend, and companion to Heracles

  Idas, of Messene

  Idmon, demigod, son of Apollo and native of Argos

  Iphicles

  Iphitus, of Mycenae

  Laertes, of Argos

  Lynceus, a brother to Idas

  Melampus, demigod, son of Poseidon

  Meleager, a native of Calydon

  Mopsus, yet another Lapith

  Naupilus, demigod, son of Poseidon and native of Argos

  Oileus, brother to Ajax, a well-known hero

  Orpheus, a poet

  Palaemon, demigod, son of Hephaestus

  Peleus, a member of the race of Myrmidons

  Peneleos, a native of Boetia

  Periclymenus, demigod, son of Poseidon

  Phalerus, a native of Athens

  Phanus, demigod, a native of Crete and son to Dionysus

  Poeas, a native of Magnesia

  Polydeuces (or Pollux), brother to Castor and one of the Dioscuri

  Polyphemus, a native of Arcadia

  Staphylus, a native of Crete and brother to Phanus

  Typhus, the ship’s helmsman on the Argo

  Zetes, another son of Boreas

  25. Who were the love interests of Zeus?

  Zeus, as king of the gods, had many love interests. These included his two wives, in addition to others. The love interests of Zeus included the following: Metis, first wife and mother of Athena; Hera, mother of Hephaestus, Ares, and Hebe; Electra; Eurynome; Io; Leda; Leto; Maia; Mnemosyne; Themis; Antiope; Danae; Niobe; Semele. There was also Demeter and Lamia, whose children were slain by Hera.

  26. Who were the children of Zeus?

  Zeus was the father of Athena, Hera, Hephaestus, and Hebe. By a certain Electra, Zeus was the father of Harmonia. Zeus fathered the Three Graces by Eurynome. Leto was the mother of Apollo and Artemis. Hermes was the son of Zeus by Maia. Mnemosyne was the mother of the Muses, all daughters. Themis, the embodiment of the law, gave birth to several children including the Horae, Eunomia, Dike, the Fates, and Eirene, whose name means peace. Children of Zeus by mortal women include Amphion, Zethus, Perseus, Epaphus, Castor, Pollux (or Polydeuces), Argos (who founded the city of Argos), and Dionysius, who was the son of Semele.

  27. What were the Twelve Labors of Heracles (Hercules)?

  First Labor: The Nemean Lion

  Second Labor: The Hydra of Lernea

  Third Labor: The Wild Boar of Erymanthus


  Fourth Labor: The Hind of Ceryneia

  Fifth Labor: The Stymphalian Birds

  Sixth Labor: The Augean Stables

  Seventh Labor: The Cretan Bull

  Eighth Labor: The Horses of Diomedes

  Ninth Labor: The Girdle of the Amazon

  Tenth Labor: Geryon’s Cattle

  Eleventh Labor: The Theft of Cerberus

  Twelfth Labor: The Golden Apples of Hesperides

  Conclusion

  Greek myth and legend will continue to fascinate adults and children around the world for many years to come. It may seem strange to us but to the Ancient Greeks these tales of gods and heroes, of monsters and nymphs, of angry deities exacting revenge on proud mortals: these were not fantasying but events in real religion. The Ancient Greeks told and heard these stories as part of a ritual that taught them how to live. Greek myths taught the men and women of Ancient Greek how to interact with the gods and what to expect from life.

  The Ancient Greek religion has been left to us today in nearly complete form. That is, we know a great deal more about the Ancient Greek religion than we do about say the religion of the Ancient Egyptians or the Etruscans. Indeed, the Ancient Greek religion and the enduring fascination with it is just one way in which people who lived more than two thousand years ago continue to influence us today. We see all around us Greek influence in art and architecture, but we also see Greek influence in our traditions of philosophy and drama. Though these may seem to be distinct realms that the Greeks have left to us, they truly represent different sides of the same coin.

  You were introduced to the Greeks by first learning about the world in which they lived. The Greek world exists in a similar form today as it did thousands of years ago. The Greek peninsula is a rocky and mostly inhospitable land hugged by the sea. It consists of many islands whose coasts abound in fish and all the other products of the sea. The Greek people of the past were just as industrious then as they were today. They were also warlike, warring amongst each other so animatedly that they would fall easy prey to the rising power of Rome.

  At the center of Ancient Greek myth and legend were the gods themselves. The chief gods of Ancient Greece were the Olympians, but there were many others, among whom we may count the spirits of the rivers, trees, and seas, who were known respectively as nymphs, dryads, and nereids. There were also the gods of the four winds, the Fates, the Muses, and many others. The primary gods were Zeus, Apollo, and Athena, but Hera, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and others were both worshipped and feared all across the Greek world.

  Just as in other mythologies, the gods fathered many children. And they did not discriminate, being just as fond of mortal women as they were of goddesses and nymphs. Many Greek myths center around the children of the gods, and some of the most famous heroes of Greek mythology were such children. So no exploration of Greek mythology would be complete without detailing the lives of Heracles, Perseus, and Helen, all of whom were children of Zeus, the king of the gods.

  These heroes were another important segment in Greek myth, right alongside the gods. Indeed, one might even argue that when it came to the essential symbolism of Greek myth and the purpose it served in the society the heroes were more important than the gods, even if they were dubious heroes like Oedipus. These characters instructed the Greeks of the time on what life was and how to deal with it. Greek civilization may have been very different if their imagination had not created such startling characters.

  In the end, Greek mythology comes across as an elaborate drama, but it is more than that. The story of the Twelve Labors of Heracles was really a series of lessons on how to deal with the travails of life. The Trojan War was another lesson on the fundamental aspects of mankind. Men went to war over women. Men bickered with one another over various and sundry silly things. And men always had to answer for unjust deeds, just as Agamemnon had to answer for the sacrifice of Iphigenia.