Why Bother with... Greek mythology

I first came to love Greek mythology after I visited Ephesus on a day trip whilst on a holiday to Turkey when I was about 11 years old. Everywhere I looked, I could see temples, standing tall and proud. The craftsmanship was so detailed; it made the buildings look brand new. In truth they were built around 550 BC, around the time that the Temple of Artemis – the central masterpiece of the whole site - was erected. It was easy to see how it would have looked in ancient times. I was in a state of disbelief due to how much is still standing. It’s a shining example of that old cliché – you really do have to see it to believe it.

You are guaranteed to love the inner secrets, full of history and stories. Myths and legends have a certain amount of truth in them and Greek mythology is no exception. It acts as an insight into a large piece of global history centred on and around Ancient Greek times. There are so many debates about where the mythology originated from, as there are very few surviving factual documents from that early stage in ancient history about Greek life. And yet, even though we don’t know much, the captivating stories give us a glimpse into what life was like. People never realise how much of an impact the mythology has on the world's history. Disappointingly, the only people who bother researching it are historians specialising in the Ancient World. Even then, they are hard pushed to know accurately what the lifestyle was like back then as there is little in the way of information dating back that far.

It is very easy to learn about Greek mythology. There are so many websites and books dedicated to the subject. I first learned it by having a Greek mythology Sticker book and Activity book. I had a lot of fun learning the myths this way as I got to stick the relevant stickers to each page and completing various activities – connect the dots, colouring, and word search. It was a lot easier to understand the myths and legends surrounding Greek history using both than sitting in a classroom and trying to learn from a slideshow PowerPoint presentation. 

As I was around three or four years old when I started, my best friends/older siblings offered to read the small stories attached when they were tasked to keep an eye on me. When they did, they tended to act out the characters and show me images of their symbols as it was what they were known for. It made me laugh like hell but it became clearer each time. Even from that first encounter, I showed a preference to three gods: Poseidon, Ares and Hermes; three goddesses: Hera, Hestia and Lupa; and three heroes: Achilles, Perseus and Jason. 

With the deities, I found I shared a characteristic they prized; stubbornness and determination (Poseidon), bravery and daring (Ares), mischievousness and practicality (Hermes), temperament and later grudge holding (Hera), independency and focus (Lupa), and never giving up and quick thinking (Hestia). Ironically, when they bought the Sticker and Activity books as presents for my good-ish behaviour (if you exclude the times I hid their work equipment in the break room!), they ensured it would feature the aforementioned figures. But as always at the top of the pile was Zeus, the Sky God and King of Olympus. 

Every mythological encyclopaedia page includes a rather large paragraph on Zeus, as his story is the most well-known. Breaking generations of tradition, I am leaving Zeus alone. 

Instead, I am going to champion my favourite Greek Deity and Greek Hero.

Poseidon: the middle brother of Zeus and Hades and one of the most overlooked Olympians. You hear about him only briefly when tour guides in Athens retell one certain myth. Athena and Poseidon competed for patronage of Athens, in front of the city’s population. Poseidon caused a saltwater spring to erupt from a hole he made with his powerful trident. Sadly, however the saltwater made the Athenians ill! Poseidon’s reputation and worth were washed away quicker than the emptying spring. Depicted as a strong man holding a trident (three-pronged spear, not a long-handled fork) and being the Sea God. He is as unpredictable as the seas under his control, with his favourite slogan being: ‘The Sea doesn’t like to be restrained.’ He is underestimated by his younger brother Zeus and Zeus’ arrogant children, who believe they are better than their father's siblings because Zeus happens to be the King. He’s like a swordfish, unassuming but powerful in his own right, though some have compared him to the Great White Shark. Not much is revealed about Poseidon in the myths and when he is commented on, he is imaged as a rule-breaker and troublemaker. One legend highlighting this is the myth of the Gorgon Medusa – which incidentally involves my second favourite hero Perseus. If you don’t know who it is – watch Clash of the Titans!

Achilles is known for being a fighter but little else. An immortal and demigod. His mother dipped him in the River Styx, holding tightly to his right heel. Big mistake there momma, you should have held him by the left ankle and repeated the process! The term 'Achilles heel' refers to a person's weak point and acts as a backhanded tribute to the hero himself. Unlike Zeus and Heracles, Achilles and his heroic effort in a battle between two major enemies the Kingdoms of Greece and Troy tends to be pushed to the side when compared to Heracles and his twelve labours. 

Greek Mythology continues today depicting modern day life combined with ancient history. Novels such as 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' series by Rick Riordan enthrals modern teenagers today as they find themselves fascinated by a world that blends fantasy and history together in a seemingly effortless way.

Greek mythology is a link into the past, with the remains of a thriving community we see today. Ephesus shows the remains of a time-forgotten empire. Greek mythology may have virtually disappeared from the archives, but it will never be forgotten. What started as a spark of interest in my early years has bled into how I view ancient history as a whole.

Like many others, I have been pulled into their complex world of factual fantasy; somewhere between the two will lay the truth. But most of us will probably never find it. 

Blogger Note: This piece was inspired by a day visit to Delphi whilst on a city break holiday in the City of Athens, for Delphi is considered to be the place the Gods declared as the centre of the world after Zeus' two eagles met and dropped a stone onto Delphi's location from a great height.