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GreekMythology•Greekmythologyhasseveraldistinguishingcharacteristics,inadditiontoitsmultipleversions.TheGreekgodsresembledhumanbeingsintheirformandintheiremotions,andtheylivedinasocietythatresembledhumansocietyinitslevelsofauthorityandpower.However,acrucialdifferenceexistedbetweengodsandhumanbeings:Humansdied,andgodswereimmortal.HeroesalsoplayedanimportantroleinGreekmythology,andstoriesaboutthemconveyedseriousthemes.TheGreeksconsideredhumanheroesfromthepastclosertothemselvesthanweretheimmortalgods.•Giventhemultiplicity多样性ofmythsthatcirculatedinGreece,itisdifficulttopresentasingleversionofthegenealogy家谱(familyhistory)ofthegods.However,twoaccountstogetherprovideagenealogythatmostancientGreekswouldhaverecognized.OneistheaccountgivenbyGreekpoetHesiodinhisTheogony(GenealogyoftheGods),writteninthe8thcenturyBC.Theotheraccount,TheLibrary,isattributedtoamythographer(compilerofmyths)namedApollodorus,wholivedduringthe2ndcenturyBC.•TheCreationoftheGods•AccordingtoGreekmythsaboutcreation,thegodChaos(Greekfor“GapingVoid”)wasthefoundationofallthings.FromChaoscameGaea(“Earth”);thebottomlessdepthoftheunderworld阴间,knownasTartarus;andEros(“Love”).Eros,thegodoflove,wasneededtodrawdivinitiestogethersotheymightproduceoffspring.ChaosproducedNight,whileGaeafirstboreUranus,thegodoftheheavens,andafterhimproducedthemountains,sea,andgodsknownasTitans.TheTitanswerestrongandlarge,andtheycommittedarrogantdeeds.TheyoungestandmostimportantTitanwasCronus.UranusandGaea,whocametopersonifyHeavenandEarth,alsogavebirthtotheCyclopes,one-eyedgiantswhomadethunderbolts.TheBeginning…CronusandRheaweretwooftheoriginalTitans…agroupofmightybeingswhorulestheworld.Cronusfearedthatoneofhischildrenwouldoverthrowhim.So,heatethemall.Rheadidn’tlikethat.•UranustriedtoblockanysuccessorsfromtakingoverhissupremepositionbyforcingbackintoGaeathechildrenshebore.Buttheyoungestchild,Cronus,thwartedhisfather,cuttingoffhisgenitals生殖器andtossingthemintothesea.FromthebloodyfoamintheseaAphrodite,goddessofsexuallove,wasborn.•Afterwoundinghisfatherandtakingawayhispower,Cronusbecameruleroftheuniverse.ButCronus,inturn,fearedthathisownsonwouldsupplant取代him.WhenhissisterandwifeRheagavebirthtooffspring—Hestia,Demeter,Hera,Hades,andPoseidon—Cronusswallowedthem.Onlytheyoungest,Zeus,escapedthisfate,becauseRheatrickedCronus.Shegavehimastonewrappedinswaddlingclothestoswallowinplaceofthebaby.•TraditionalGreekreligionwaspagan异教徒polytheism,meaningthatitincludedmanygodsandothersupernaturalbeings.GreeksinheritedmanyoftheirideasaboutthegodsfromtheMiddleEast.Theirbasicbeliefremainedconstant:Peoplemusthonorthegodstothankthemforblessingsreceivedandtoreceiveblessingsinreturn.•Greeksconsideredthegodshuman-likeinformandemotions.Thegodsdidnotloveallhumanbeings;rather,theyprotectedandbenefitedpeopleandstateswhopaidthemhonorandavoidedoffendingthem.Peoplepleasedthegodsbysacrificinganimalsandotherfoods,decoratingtheirsanctuarieswithart,offeringprayers,andholdingfestivals.Thegodsbecameangrywhenpeopleperformedsacrificesimproperly,violatedthesanctityofatemple,orbroketheirswornword.Greeksbelievedthatangrygodsinflictedpunishmentssuchasfamine,earthquake,epidemics,ordefeatinwar.•Greeksalsobelievedthatthevastdifferenceinpowerbetweenpeopleandgodsmadethedivinities’naturesandpurposeshardtounderstand,buttraditionalstoriesaboutthegodsprovidedhints.Somepeopledidnotbelieveallthemythologicaltalesofmonstersanddivineloveaffairswithmortals,buteveryonerespectedthemythsaslessonsaboutthegods’awesomemight,theirinscrutability,andtheprecariousnessofhumanlife.Formoredirectinformationpeoplecouldgotooracles,templeswherethegodswerebelievedtoanswerquestionsordelivercuresbyvariousmeans.Thepriestsatanoraclerelayedagod’smessage,orthevisitorcouldgaincluesinadreamastowhatthegodswanted.Seersatoraclestoldpropheciesaboutthefuture.PilgrimsfrombeyondtheGreekcity-statesflockedtomajororacles,suchasatDelphi,toaskfordivineadviceaboutmarriage,children,moneymatters,andevenforeignpolicy.Theresponseswerealwaysriddles,becausegodsweretoocomplextoreplyclearlytomerehumanbeings.•AsGreekreligionevolved,12godsemergedasthemostimportant.ThesegodswerebelievedtoassembleforbanquetsatopMountOlympus,Greece’shighestpeak.TheirleaderwasZeus,godofthesky.TheothergodswereHera,Zeus’swifeandthegoddessofmarriage;Aphrodite,goddessoflove;Apollo,godofthesun;Ares,godofwar;Artemis,goddessofnature;Athena,goddessofwisdomandwar;Demeter,goddessofgrainandtheharvest;Dionysus,godofwineandvegetation;Hephaestus,godoffire;Hermes,messengerofthegods;andPoseidon,godofthesea.ZeusZeuswasoneofCronusandRhea’schildren.RheapretendedtogiveCronusachildtoeat,butitwasreallyastone.ShetookZeusawayandraisedhimsecretly.ZeusConquersCronusZeusgrewtobeamatureTitan巨人.HechallengedCronus,won,andfreedhisbrothersandsistersfromCronus’belly.ThiswasthestartoftheGreekpantheon众神ofgodsandgoddessesthatweknowtoday.TheGreekPantheon众神ZEUSThekingofthegods.Hissymbolisalightningbolt闪电.HisRomannameisJupiter.Poseidon•Oneoftheoriginalsiblings兄弟ofZeus•Godoftheoceans•Hissymbolisatrident三叉戟•HisRomannameisNeptuneHades•OneofZeus’orig