Then, around the time the classical Greek culture of the city-states arose, people began writing them down. The ancient beliefs merged with legends from Greek kingdoms and city-states and myths borrowed from other peoples to form a body of lore shared by most Greeks.įor hundreds of years, these myths passed from generation to generation in spoken form. The roots of this mythology reach back to two civilizations that flourished before 1100 b.c.: the Mycenaean, on the Greek mainland, and the Minoan, on the nearby island of Crete. Many have been passed down from ancient times in more than one version. Greek mythology is a patchwork of stories, some conflicting with one another. Because travel was easier by sea than by land, the Greeks became a nation of seafarers, and they traded and established colonies all over the Mediterranean and the Near East. Instead, it consisted of small kingdoms that after about 800 b.c. Ancient Greece never became a unified empire. Rugged mountains and the jagged coastline break the land into many small, separate areas. Greece is a peninsula surrounded by sea and islands. Patron special guardian, protector, or supporter Roofs and Sources The underlying moral principle, though, was that the gods rewarded honorable behavior and obedience, and people who dishonored themselves or defied the gods usually paid a high price.ĭemigod one who is part human and part god Heroes and ordinary humans in Greek myths frequently discovered that things were not what they appeared to be. They were not above using tricks and disguises to influence events, and their schemes and plots often entangled people.
The deities often left Mount Olympus to become involved in the affairs of mortals, interacting with men and women as patrons, enemies, and sometimes lovers. Their actions stemmed from recognizable passions, such as pride, jealousy, love, and the thirst for revenge. In time, Greek mythology became part of European culture, and many of its stories became known throughout the world.ĭespite their awesome powers, the Greek gods and goddesses were much like people. These figures inhabited a realm that stretched beyond the Greek landscape to the palaces of the gods on snow-capped Mount Olympus, as well as to the dismal underworld. The mythology of the ancient Greeks included a dazzling array of deities, demigods, monsters, and heroes.
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