The Ancient Wisdom: A Brief Exploration of Greek Mythology

--------------------- Why the Greek myths? In this article we will focus on the mythology of ancient Greece for two reasons; first, to provide context and acquaint the users of our Youth Wisdom Test with the characters that appear in the results. Second, because our staff admires Hellenic philosophical thought, particularly that of Socrates and Plato, which is also based on the knowledge and mythology of these people. Just like us, the ancient Romans were fascinated by Greek culture, drawing from this great civilization not only certain concepts but also the mythology. In the discussion, in addition to the characteristics of the Hellenic gods, we will also provide the corresponding Latin name. Not a boring lesson, but entertaining stories Should younger users find this examination too long, we recommend reading it a little at a time, as if it were a book whose chapters are being read every day. Our intent is to entertain and not to bore, so we will try to be concise and explanatory. Think of it as a series of short stories, not so different from the books kids are used to reading. 1. The Cosmogony (birth of the cosmos) of Hesiod There are several theories in Greek mythology about the creation of the world. Here we will examine the theogony (i.e., the birth and genealogy of the gods) of Hesiod, a Greek poet. Originally there were no stars, no Earth and no universe, only formless Chaos reigned, beyond time and space. Out of Chaos appeared Gaea, Mother Earth, primeval Deity and mother of all gods and all men. Gaea single-handedly generated Uranus, Deity of the heavens and firmament, who, by impregnating Gaea, the earth, led to the birth of the Titans, including Oceanus, Rhea, Mnemosyne, Thetis and Chronos. Gaea and Uranus were for a time the rulers of the entire universe. 1.1 The reign of Uranus Uranus, disgusted by the appearance of his sons (like that of the Hecatoncheires, who had a hundred hands, and the Cyclopes, who had only one eye) and for fear of being ousted, plunged them all into the interior of the earth. Gaea, saddened, created from her entrails a sickle and urged her children to kill their father. Only the youngest of them, Kronos, agreed to do so. When, like every night, Uranus descended to earth to embrace his wife Gaea, Kronos emasculated their father with the sickle. The blood that flowed copiously from the wound fertilized Gaea, out of whom were born the Erinyes, the nymphs Meliads and the Giants. The seed of Uranus that touched the waves of the sea generated Aphrodite, goddess of love. Uranus escaped and never came near his wife, the Earth, again. 1.2 The reign of Kronos The throne would have belonged to Oceanus, the eldest son of Uranus and Gaea, but Kronos by deception seized it and became ruler of the cosmos. Kronos freed his Titan brothers, but left the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires imprisoned, and married his sister Rhea. Rhea and Kronos had numerous children including: Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, Demeter and Hestia. Meanwhile, other Deities appeared such as Thanatos (Death), Eris (Discord), Nemesis (Retribution), Helios (Sun), Selene (Moon), and Iris (Rainbow). 1.3 The sons of Kronos Under Kronos’ command, Earth experienced a golden age, but the tranquility ended when the ruler was foretold that his reign would end at the hands of one of his children. Terrified, Kronos began to devour them as soon as they were born, holding them captive in his bowels. With the last one, Zeus, Rhea brought him a rock instead of his son, but being wrapped in swaddling clothes, Kronos swallowed him without noticing. Zeus was taken to a cave on the island of Crete, entrusted to the care of the nymphs Melissa and Adrasteia and suckled by the goat Amaltheia. When Zeus grew up, he ascended to heaven and offered Kronos a drink prepared by the goddess Metis that made him vomit his children, then declared war on his father. 1.4 The Titanomachy (the battle of the Titans) A long war began between Kronos, backed by the Titans, and his sons. Gaea suggested to Zeus that he should free the Cyclopes in order to form an alliance with them. So he did, freeing the Hecatoncheires as well. The Cyclopes, to thank Zeus for restoring their freedom, made weapons for him: thunderbolts (lightning). Zeus and his allies won the battle, Kronos was removed, and the Titans chained in Tartarus (the depths of the earth) under the custody of the Hecatoncheires. 1.5 The victory of Zeus After the fight against the Titans, Zeus divided up the world by making a lottery with his older brothers, Hades and Poseidon. Zeus was given the heavens and the air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades was given the realm of the dead. The ancient earth, Gaea, could not be granted to any, but was shared by all three according to their abilities. Thus began the reign of Zeus, who chose