Grace Clifford

English 9H/ Period 6

5-24-17

Greek Cultural Myth Essay

In Ancient Greece, the stories of gods and goddesses floated around like leaves on the

winds back. These stories, so prevalent in their time, were retold to generations and generations

of children so as to carry the myths into modern times. The main mythology of the Greek

surround the whole aspect of Mount Olympus, which is the house of the most powerful and

praised gods and goddesses. Many gods and goddesses were prayed to by their loyal followers so

that they many be gifted with good fortune and many happy returns. In the Greek culture, there

were good and bad gods and goddess, who, from whichever point of view you took, had a

positive effect on your everyday life. Gods and goddess such as Zeus, Hades and Athena made

the Greek culture persevere through any setback as well as bring evil to light and overcome

obstacles.

In Greek mythology, there is but one mighty god who rules Mount Olympus, and he goes

by the name Zeus. Throughout Greek mythology, Zeus is portrayed as the strongest, most

powerful god who controls lightening. Many Grecian people would pray to Zeus when they

needed power or a will to move forward. For example, Zeuss commanding and powerful role in

the house of gods is recognized in this article when the author states, Zeus, the great presiding

deity of the universe, the ruler of heaven and earth, was regarded by the Greeks, as the father of

gods and men (Sakoulas, web article). This quote directly relays back to the fact that Zeus is

seen as unbeatable, which is what anyone wanted to be in ancient Greece, his unbeatable persona

made people believe that they could accomplish any setback that came to them. Zeus, as well as

his followers, believe that perseverance is hard fought for and yet it will get you through any
setback. The Greek viewed the myth of Zeus as something to believe in when the going got

tough. Zeus, being only a myth, made Greek people countrywide believe that they had the ability

to persevere through any setbacks with power.

Gods and goddesses almost always had good intentions, but for some, they believed that

darkness was there only path. The Greek god Hades believed that he had been scorned by his

brother seeing as he was sent to be ruler of the Underworld. It wasnt until he entered the

Underworld that he realized that being evil, was glorious. Even though Hades is regarded as bad

and sinister, many Greek people prayed to him when they needed inspiration, or even a reason to

not be a contempt person. For example, Hades path of destruction and anger is brought to light

when the author states, Hades was both the name of the ancient Greek god of the underworld,

and the name of the shadowy place below the earth which was considered the final destination

for the souls of the dead (Cartwright, Web article). Throughout all of history, Hades has been

seen as a conniving devil whose only joy in life was the demise of others. As bad as it may seem,

many people in Greece still prayed to Hades. Ancient Greece was not a perfect place, meaning

that many people prayed to him so as to learn his destructive ways. Furthermore, Gods such as

Hades inspired people to be just like him, different and corrupted and yet still viewed as nothing

more than a Greek myth.

Goddesses, known for beauty and perfection were almost always seen as helpers in the

world of chaos who had their own wondrous way of solving problems. Goddesses such as

Athena had unyielding wisdom for all as well as a fist for any who deserved it. Athena alsohad

her setbacks for she was regarded as the goddesses of war. She was one of the most widely

praised goddesses due to her beauty and strength on the battlefield. Throughout Greek history,

Athena has been seen as a quick thinker and one to always take action, which inspired many
people to conquer the fears they may have. If Athena can take quick action to help herself, why

not I, was a common thought while praying to her. For example, Athenas persuasion to help

people conquer their fears is acknowledged when the author states, Her power and wisdom

appear in her being the protectress and preserver of the state and of social institutions.

Everything, therefore, which gives to the state strength and prosperity (Atsma, web article).

This quote is a direct depiction from the Greek themselves. They viewed Athena as being a

strong protector of not only herself, but of others. Athena was a problem solver which inspired

many Greeks to follow in her footsteps and take matters into their own hands. All in all, Athena,

when summoned by the people of Greece, bestowed upon them the knowledge to overcome any

problem or obstacle that they may face.

In conclusion, Greek mythology consists of wondrous and villainous people who both

make life a better place as well as cast a little darkness. Grecian people to this day pray to the

gods and goddesses for whatever they may need, whether it be strength, happiness, or

destruction. The list does not stop with Zeus, Hades and Athena. But continues on to embody

every desirable trait into several more immortal beings. Zeus, the Father god, will help any soul

in need of help by giving them the courage to keep pushing forward. Hades, god of the

Underworld, had and always will be the first one to instill trouble in a household. Lastly, Athena

is the one true god that will fight for what she believes in all the while protecting her followers

and helping everyone overcome their difficulties. In the end, Greek mythology lives on in

todays society as more of a story, but for some, the gods and goddesses are the ones they look to

for guidance and advice to make it out of this world unscathed.

 Works Cited

First Source: Zeus

Sakoulas, Thomas. "Zeus (Jupiter)." Zeus. Maynard, Merril and Co, n.d. Web. 10 May 2017.

Second Source: Hades

Cartwright, Mark. "Hades." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia,

19 Jul 2012. Web. 11 May 2017.

Third Source: Athena

"ATHENA - Greek Goddess of Wisdom, War & Crafts." Theoi Greek Mythology. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 May 2017.