The Early Poetic Tradition of Greece

The Birth of Greek Mythology

  1. Greek Religion:
    1. Indo-European Roots - Father Sky vs. Mother Earth

    2. Near-Eastern Roots:

      1. Polytheism

      2. Anthropomorphism

      3. War in Heaven

    3. Piety: The Commerce between Gods and Humans -

      1. Sacrifical - Animals and Agricultural Products

      2. Reciprocal - Feeding the Gods

      3. Social:

        1. Communal Meals

        2. Local Patronage

        3. Corporate Guilt

      4. Divination (Oracles and Prophecy)

  2. The Two Great Poets:
    1. Homer on the Gods (c. 750 BCE)

      1. The Iliad

      2. The Odyssey

    2. Hesiod on the Gods (c. 700 BCE)

      1. Theogeny

      2. Works and Days

  3. The Main Deities:
    1. The First Generation -

      1. Gaia (Earth)

      2. Uranus (Sky)

    2. The Second Generation (Titans) -

      1. Cronus (Time)

      2. Rhea ("burdonless"?)

    3. The Third Generation - The Twelve Olympians

      1. Zeus (King of the gods, thunder, lightning)

      2. Hera (Wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage and maternity)

      3. Poseidon (God of sea and horses)

      4. Demeter (Goddess of agriculture)

    4. The Fourth Generation -

      1. Athena (Goddess of war)

      2. Ares (God of war)

      3. Aphrodite (Goddess of love and beauty)

      4. Hephaistos (God of fire and metallurgy)

      5. Dionysos (God of wine)

      6. Apollo (God of youth, music, and light)

      7. Artemis (Goddess of the hunt, protector of children)

      8. Hermes (Messenger of the gods, god of fertility)


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