“”Empty fantasies” these myths certainly are not. On the contrary, they contain much more that is real than if they were reporting that which had once occurred”.1 This quote by Walter F. Otto in his book, Dionysus: Myth and Cult, though used for a specific example, articulately and briefly explains why we read myths at all. They tell us not only about the people of the time, but also about ourselves. Through myths we can learn about a culture's values, about why we choose to or not to devote our lives to a religion, and about what these things mean for society as a whole. Miraculously, through myths about people from a different place and time than us, we are able to better understand ourselves here and now.…
Introduction: Hypnos was known as the god of sleep to the Greeks. Some refer to him as the personification of sleep. Hypnos was known as a “lazy” god, but despite this he had many powers. Hypnos was known to be able to levitate. Also, he had complete control over the sleep of both gods and humans alike. He could control when someone sleeps, and also could induce and/or alter one’s dreams. In most myths, Hypnos lives in a cave in the underworld with his twin brother, Thanatos. They lived there mostly because that is where no light, from the sun nor the moon, could reach them. In some other myths, it is believed that Hypnos lived on the Greek island Lemnos. It is said that he lived in…
The ancient religion of Greece was polytheistic. According to Greek myths, the Gods and Goddesses lived in Northern Greece, on Mount Olympus. Ancient Greek citizens honored their gods and goddesses with temples, festivals, sacrifices, and athletic competitions.…
A hero is somwone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself- Joesph Campbell. Odysseus is an an optimal hero in both the physical and metal sense. In the physical sense he is a tremendus hero, because he was challenged to all these extreme dangourous adventures; he umexpectly walks out alive after questioning for ten years long and facing the most extraordinarily dangerous creatures and people. Why would Homer set up this whole exciting experience with all the strange comings that Odysseus has to go through, if this was not to show that this stong and intelligent man is a great hero of the Greek world? What will a strong itelligent hero of greek times look like?…
The most impressive part of the design is in its dome, where the complex corners and curves of the plan are pulled upwards like a tent. Standing at the center of the church and looking upwards, it’s beautiful shape is revealed, and the pronounced entablature makes the visitor want to flow around the space, following its shape. The dome is filled with natural light, which elevates the space into a spiritual…
'The things we cant 'see' are often more frightening then things we can see, because our own imaginations come into play'…
A critical event in anyone’s life can change people way of thinking and/or reacting, like Odysseus. In the book the Odyssey, we learned the story about the great warrior Odysseus, who was trying to go home, from a long and brutal war against Troy. He was a great fighter who demonstrated his strength and power in the Trojan War, but his prideful, hubris, and impulsive personality, made his journey back home be extremely long. Throughout most of the story of the Odyssey, there are many examples that demonstrate how Odysseus reacts to certain situation, and how his personality and the way he is, gets him in a lot of trouble. His whole voyage allowed Odysseus to see the outcomes of his reactions, which help him change from being an impulsive person, to a person that strategically plans his actions and waits for the right time to act upon them. The difficult, tedious, and long journey that Odysseus went through just to get to his home town in Ithika, changed him, for the better.…
The Greeks idea of a hero is very different from the idea of a hero today. The Greeks saw heroes as someone that was more than life, someone who battled monsters and gods, who did the impossible and went on dangerous quests. Odysseus is one of these heroes. He is a greek hero from the story the odyssey, this man was said to be half god half man, he out tricked the trojans only to find himself on a 20 year trip filled with monsters and gods. He shows leadership “‘friends have we never been in danger?’” (?) and cunning. He defeats the cyclopes and resisted the siren's song. but like every hero in the greeks mythology he has a fatal flaw. Achilles had his heel and odysseys had…
In every story there is a hero who at first seems useless and plays the role of the "victim" but he finds the way to become the "creator" and play that role really well. Odysseus plays the role of the creator very well in the odyssey. By creating instantaneous lies when encounters with people that question him or he gets in trouble. Odysseus is a creator in the Odyssey by getting his men out of rough situation and as his journey back to Ithaca become more challenging he find the courage and inner guide to get himself back home.…
In the poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, 3 strong character traits of Odysseus, the main character, are demonstrated. Homer makes all of these traits very clear, they can be qualified as good or bad traits. Homer displays these traits constantly but in different ways. In other words, his weakness hurt him but his quick thinking would help him. Odysseus’ arrogant attitude could either be considered a good trait or a bad trait. Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates weak leadership, quick thinking, and an arrogant attitude throughout his journey.…
We all know who a hero is, right? The person who saves the day and is willing to risk their life and does nothing but good in the world. The Odyssey is about a man named Odysseus who encounters many mythical creatures on his way home to Ithaca, and those creatures try to stop and kill Odysseus from getting home. He then lands on Calypso’s island where she keeps him captive for 7 years until Hermes orders Calypso to let him go. When Odysseus finally gets home, he and his son Telemachus destroy the suitors that invaded his house while he was gone on his journey, and is finally reunited with Penelope after being away from home for 20 years. Odysseus is not a hero because he isn’t selfless, does not go above and beyond in…
Semper Fidelis "always faithful," became the Marine Corps motto in 1883. It guides Marines to remain faithful to the mission at hand, to each other, to the Corps and to their country, no matter what. A lot of people including myself consider the marines to be heroes. That is why I chose to compare and contrast them to the Epic hero Odysseus. They share many similarities such as their patriotism and high Intelligence. However, while sharing many similarities they share a key difference. Odysseus is sometimes “Hot Headed”, or and lets his emotions play a part in his decisions. Which is definitely not ideal, and can get him and his men in trouble at times.…
A hero in definition according to the merriam webster dictionary is: a mythological or legnedary figure often of divine descent endowed with great stenth or ability. To most, and almost all, this would ring true about king odysseus. He was a traveler and conquerer with a great passion, an illustrious warrior. Admired greatly for his achievements and strength.…
The general populous has hailed Odysseus as the epitome of the epic hero for several centuries, but to the modern reader, he comes off as anything but. While he was extremely driven by one goal, getting back home to his family, he performed some not-so heroic deeds on his quest and once he arrived back in Ithaca. Odysseus had many affairs and was disloyal to his wife, slaughtered hundreds of people in the name of righteousness, and above all, exemplifies hubris, or arrogant pride. These traits and behaviors are not acceptable for anyone, especially a person considered to be and hailed as a hero. Odysseus is not the epitome of an epic hero.…
Majority of Christians believe that the stories of the Bible, are factual historical accounts. They hold Genesis as the true form of creation and inherent truth. These same people regard Greek mythology as fantasy or fiction. The premise that Ancient Greeks held, Greek Mythology as religion or fact is incompressible to many Christians. The Ancient Greek world seems so distant from modern society, but still the early foundations of mythology and Greek culture is rooted in today’s world, media, arts, and school of thought. It is ignorant for westerners to ignore the similarities between Ancient Greek creation and the Genesis account.…