Greek Myths And Its Impact On American Culture - 1155 Words

Greek myths are stories that explain the meaning of life and teach moral lessons through the values of heroes, gods and mortals. In Ancient Greece, myths were an important part of the culture, first being told orally and in poems, then seen in architecture and theatre. Homer, the Greek poet, wrote epic poems such as the Iliad and the Odyssey, which are still revered and read extensively today. Greek myths have carried over to contemporary American culture, appearing in movies, children’s toys, clothing and books and the values of Greek myths are entrenched in today’s society. Notably, heroism is a prominent value that plays a major role in Greek mythology and continues to influence American culture today, as heroes inspire society with their nobility, bravery and patriotism. Heroism is an important value in Greek mythology and is seen in Greek heroes, including Hercules, Achilles, Odysseus and many more. Heroism is defined as the attributes of a hero, consisting of brav ery, compassion, cunning and strength. In Greek mythology, there are countless battles in which these qualities are prevalent. Hercules uses his strength to strangle the Nemean Lion, Jason shows his bravery while retrieving the Golden Fleece from the distant land of Colchis, and Theseus uses cunning when making his way through the labyrinth and killing the Minotaur. In the story of Perseus, King Polydectes sends Perseus on a dangerous mission to bring him the head of Medusa. Athena guides Perseus to theShow MoreRelatedHercules in Popular Culture1719 Words   |  7 PagesI chose to explore and analyze instances of the great Greek/Roman hero, Heracles (Hercules), appearing in popular culture and the effect his myths had on early civilizations. Considered by most to be the greatest of the Greek folk heroes, Hercules was the embodiment of masculinity and physical power. The word â€Å"herculean† literally translates into â€Å"having enormous strength, courage, or size† ( dictionary.com.) Since their inception, the myths and legends of Hercules have been immensely popular andRead MoreThe Deception of Exile Essay example1516 Words   |  7 Pagesbasis of many myths and stories revolve around the Hero, who through his actions determines the outcome and reception of the myth, therefore playing a very important role. Not as clearly recognized, exile plays a significant part in the shaping of a hero, which in turn affects the myth entirely. In various myths different patterns of exile can be discovered which affect the character positively or negatively. Exile is used as a tactic to change the way an audience perceives the myth. Exile can beRead MoreMyth And The Old West1019 Words   |  5 PagesMyths have existed in the world for thousands of years. They’ve become an important part of history and have strongly influenced society, especially in the United States. Myths have impacted history in both positive and negative ways. One particular exam ple of the myth in American culture is the Old West. This myth of the West became extremely popular, not only in the United States, but also throughout the world. People typically think of Greek mythology and characters like Hermes and PoseidonRead MoreEssay Language is Power—Sexist Patriarchal Power1741 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation†- Angela Carter Language affects every aspect of our life, but we rarely question it; if we examine the words we use and the way we use them, we find a sexist patriarchal myth passed down from the ancient Greeks. Their leaders used the art of language to create a dichotomy between men and women, in order to retain power (Lecture Notes 2 Dec. 2011). For example, the two words we use to describe genderRead MoreCultural Context Of The Temple Of Athena1745 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss the influence of culture to a classic building Liujingya 2016-4-21 6714415 â€Æ' Contents ï  ¬ Introduction ï  ¬ Main body 1. Establishment of the temple 2. Related politics and art 3. Culture development ï  ¬ Conclusion Cultural influence of the temple of Hera It is very clear that ancient buildings can be a part of the evidence to show what happed in the history. As a part of ancient culture, architectural languages have the significant vale in both culture and construction. The templeRead MoreWhat Ways Does Cultural Racism Manifest Itself?1651 Words   |  7 Pageshistory books; such as Roman Empire, Greek Empire etc. This form of racism manifest itself in several ways. Certain cultures self-proclaimed superior to orders and they use that self-given authority to rule over smaller, weaker cultural identity. Certain views expressed of the Muslin culture in recent years can be viewed as a similar form of cultural racism. 31-35) In what ways does institutional racism affect the status and standing of minorities in American society? Be specific. R - InstitutionalRead MoreI Have Been Dancing For 11 Years877 Words   |  4 Pagesthe history of dance we must look at what it means to us in our everyday lives and how it has impacted us. All it takes is one idea to start something amazing. The idea of dance when it first became noticed was with the Greeks. Think of dance now. Now think of a bunch of Choro Greeks from theater, dancing in a circle for the Gods. Can you believe dance was so simple during 600 BC? Dance today involves a lot of technique, flexibility, and skill. The technique part of dance is pointing toes, straightRead MoreHow Cahokia Is The Most Influential Cities1028 Words   |  5 PagesCahokia is arguably one of the most influential cities in its time. Although there is little known about Cahokia, aspects of their culture (like games, artifacts, and religious aspects) can be found throughout the Americas. If so much of the area had not been bulldozed before being excavated, we may have known more about the area. Cahokia had such an impact during its time, traces of Cahokia can be found in other communities such as the Osage, Pawnee, and many more. 1. Cahokia made its huge markRead MoreAltered-States-of-Consciouness (ASC): The Causes and the Impact on Society2155 Words   |  9 PagesReligion is fraught with stories and myths of otherworldly journeys. There are a variety of reasons; however, the two main ones one may notice are humans’ innate pattern recognition, and our necessity to define and understand the world in which we live. These otherworldly excursions, out-of-body-experiences OBEs, near-death-experiences NDEs, and altered-states-of-consciousness ASCs are side effects of trauma rather than real experiences. In this paper ASC will be the basic reference unless otherwiseRead MoreMythology : Mythology Of The Fierce Amazons2071 Words   |  9 Pagesthat exist in most cultures. Tails of women war goddesses, heroes, and mythological figures flourish on university databases. However, even though these resources exist in mass quantity does not mean that they contain quality. In more precise terms, they seem to lack s ubstance. Anyone can write an essay about the mythological women of a culture and how that projection lead to the creation of certain archetypes within that culture. But how did that mythology impact the culture? How did it influence