Heroes, Gods and Mortals  - Engaging Myth

 

According to Greek myth, there was a time when the gods, the ancient Greek gods from Mount Olympus, would appear among us humans. They interfered in our lives as if we were their children: tweaking the outcome of events, rescuing favorites, punishing transgressions and initiating dangerous, often existential, challenges and contests.

 

Why did it grow light after the long black night? It was Helios and Apollo pulling the sun across the sky in their chariot. Myth not only explained the human psyche but also how the physical world worked. If there was a storm at sea, it might be because Poseidon was angry, or perhaps it was Zeus. Our offerings at the temple might have been inadequate.

 

To understand the life of the ancient Greek world today, we might read the old stories or examine decorated pottery, figurines, jewelry and tile work, but most of all we look at the ruins where everything seems to be adorned with images of heroes, monsters, centaurs and the gods of mythology. Famous battle scenes wrap temples as well as urns.

 

The myths still reach us through art, allusion and memory. Visiting Greece, we sense their mystery in a rustling olive grove, swimming in the sea or walking below the Acropolis on a summer evening. At home, our courthouses and banks display their authority by mimicking the white colonnade porches of ancient Greek temples. The gods may still have a few lessons to offer. The appeal of myth seems eternal. Chaos is always with us.

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