greek religion and mythology - chez m. logan...greek religion and mythology 1. religion 2. the gods...
TRANSCRIPT
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