Ancient Greek Myths

The Origins and Purpose of Greek Mythology
The Greeks used myths to explain natural occurrences, unanswered questions, and the world’s phenomenon. The ancient civilization had numerous myths and legends; each one had its own purpose. Many myths were created by people to explain why certain things happened the way they did. During primitive times the Greeks wrote simple fables to explain the vast world around them. Their earliest mythology began around the year 2,200 BC; this time period consisted of crude myths adopted from the Minoans, a group of invaders from the north. From 1,600 to 1,200 BC, myths were based on heroes and were greatly exaggerated.
The next time period of Greek mythology was the Dark Ages; during that time the culture collapsed and new stories such as the Iliad and Odyssey began to surface. After the Dark Ages, the Archaic period began. From 700 BC to 500 BC their literature, art, science, and commerce were greatly elevated. During the Archaic Period their religion was based on ancient legends and myths. Proceeding the Archaic period was the
They believed that in the beginning there was nothing and from that nothingness formed Gaia and Eros, the personification of the earth and of love. Then Gaia, earth, conceived Uranus, the embodiment of the heavens, and Okeanos, who represents the oceans. Later, the gods mated in order to produce a plethora of deities, each with his or her own power and role. The Greeks created these myths to answer questions about their origin and the origin of the universe. Myths were also used to explain various phenomena and natural disasters. The ancient people believed that the gods were the reason for different disasters. For instance, they believed that earthquakes were created when Poseidon, the god of the sea, slammed his trident against the ground. Another example is Zeus, god of thunder, who caused storms and lightning throughout the world.