Myths of Ancient Greece

Greek myths are legends about gods and heroes. They feature beings such as Titans, sirens (half bird, half woman), centaurs (half horse, half man) and Cyclopes (giants with one eye on the forehead). “Myth” means “legend” in Greek. Myths tell of the creation of the world, the appearance of humans, the courage of heroes and sea voyages, and help us understand the Greeks’ worldview; they are counted as a historical source, though truth and invention are mixed. According to myth, first appeared Gaia, goddess of Earth, and Uranus, god of Sky; their children the Titans ruled until the gods of Mount Olympus overthrew them. The Titan Atlas held up the vault of the sky on his shoulders. Heracles earned a place among the gods through his twelve labours. Three gods ruled the world: Zeus — sky and supreme god, Poseidon — the sea, Hades — the realm of the dead. Other gods: Athena (wisdom), Apollo (light, music, poetry), Artemis (hunting), Ares (war), Demeter (farming), Hephaestus (smithing), Dionysus (winemaking), Themis (justice). The Greek gods were imagined as like people — jealous, quarrelsome and vengeful; many temples were built in their honour.