Greek Religion and Mythology - Chez M. Logan...Greek Religion and Mythology 1. Religion 2. The gods...
Transcript of Greek Religion and Mythology - Chez M. Logan...Greek Religion and Mythology 1. Religion 2. The gods...
Greek Religion and Mythology
1. Religion
2. The gods
3. The heroes
3. The heroes• What is “a hero”?
• For the Ancient Greeks, heroes werehumans who had a tremendous influence on events and other humans
• They were humans and not gods, but often one of their parents was a god or goddess
• As such, throughout their lives theyenjoyed special protection
• They were considered heroes because of their remarkable bravery and deeds in battle
• They approached life with great audacity
• They were considered to be above meremortals!
• The very notion of “heroes” began with poetry, in particular Homer’s The Iliad
• Achilles, Ajax, Ulysses and others are depicted during the Trojan War as prodigies of courage and ingenuity
• Over time, ideas of “heroes” have changed
• Each territory created its own heroes as symbols of national or regional pride
• Some historical figures have claimed to be descendants of mythical heroes
• For example…
• Julius Caesar claimed to be the descendant of Aeneas, and therefore alsohis mother Venus (Athena in Greek)
• Mark Antony claimed to be a descendant of Hecules (Heracles in Greek)
Achilles• King of the Myrmidons
• Hero of the Trojan War
• He killed Hector with the help of Athena
Bellerophon• Corinthian hero
• He tamed Pegasus
• He killed Chimera
Perseus• Greek hero
• Son of Zeus
• He killed Medusa
Theseus• Athenian hero
• Son of Poseidon
• He killed the Minotaur
Heracles• Famous hero, known for his strength
• Son of Zeus
• He killed his wife and children
• To atone for the deaths of his wife and children, he had to perform 12 tasks