Facts about Greek mythology

I’ve always been really invested in the history and mythology of Egypt, Greek, Roman etc. I’ve done tons of research about Greek mythology for my book, and with so many more cultures/countries/ancient history. But today’s post is purely about the Greek mythology and its facts. So, shall we begin?

1. Hercules

The saying ‘Taking the bull by its horns’ comes from Greek mythology. It was one of the 12 labors of Hercules that he had to do to repent for murdering his own wife and children in a fit of madness caused by Hera. He saved the city of Crete from a raging bull by grabbing its horns.

2. Athena and Poseidon

Athena and Poseidon both wanted to become the guardian of a particular city, so they decided to each give a gift to please the city’s residents. Poseidon gave them water in the form of a well, but the water was salty and useless. Athena gave them an olive tree that was much more useful because it gave food, oil and wood, and so she won. Ever since, the city has been known as Athens.

3. Hera

Hera was Zeus’ sister, who later became his wife because she was deeply in love with him. She received a love charm from Aphrodite to make Zeus fall in love with him. But the most interesting thing about her is that, every year, she restored her virginity by bathing in a sacred spring called Kanathos.

4. Apollo

Delphinius was the dolphin form of Apollo worshiped in Delphi. This is strange because Delphi is in the mountains away from the sea, but apparently Apollo in his dolphin form jumped on the deck of a ship and carried it to the coast at Delphi. According to Greek mythology, the sailors became the first priests there.

5. Athena

Athena is said to have a thousand eyes shaped like the leaves of the olive tree. She gave the olive tree to the city of Athens and became its patron goddess. The leaves of the olive tree are gray on the back and when the wind blows and lifts the leaves, it seems as if a thousand eyes are watching over the city.

6. Pandora

Pandora was created by Zeus and was the first mortal woman according to Greek mythology. She received a gift from each of the gods to make her perfect. Zeus gave her to Epimetheus who had been warned by his brother Prometheus not to accept gifts from Zeus, but he became enchanted by Pandora’s beauty and accepted it. He handed her a box and told her never to open it. But she couldn’t resist and opened it, which brought all the evil and mistrust in the world.

7. Atlas

Atlas was a Titan who fought and led a Titans battle against Zeus, but was defeated and punished by Zeus for keeping the heavens on his shoulders for all eternity. For a while he got Hercules to hold it up for him, but later he resumed his duties when Hercules tricked him into holding the weight of heaven again. He’s falsely depicted as he holds up the earth.

8. Prometheus

Prometheus was another interesting Titan in Greek mythology. He was the wisest of the Titans and apparently could see the future. He knew Zeus would win and fought for his part when he fought Cronus. He’s notorious for thinking he was smarter than the gods and kept stealing from them. When he stole fire from the gods and gave it to the mortals, he was caught and punished by Zeus.

9. Hades

Hades was just as powerful as any of the other twelve Olympians, which technically made him the thirteenth Olympian, but since he lived in the underworld and not Mount Olympus, he wasn’t known as an Olympian. Hades was also the one who helped Zeus defeat their father Cronus and help them become gods.

10. Zeus

Zeus was Almighty God, the king of the gods, the ruler of rain and thunder, the father of many children and the conqueror of the Titans. But he couldn’t have done it alone. Greek mythology tells us that Hades was the one who surprised Cronus by wearing his invisibility helmet and that Poseidon was the one who immobilised his body. Zeus seized this opportunity and killed his father by hitting him with a bolt of lightning and became the king of the gods.

Love, Deem/Skye Lewis ❤

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