Greek Mythology Discussion

[WrittenInScars]

Hello thingy-ma-bobs! So, I've been seeing loads of Greek Gods/Goddess roleplays going on... It's awesome! However, on some that I've previously joined there have been quite a few mix ups, which really irritate me. So, this damn epic discussion is where people can clarify anything or something like that. Oh and... I'm going to put up a list of the Gods/Goddesses with their titles in a few days so that people don't have to waste time clarifying anything that concerns that kind of stuff.

[dealing with it]

I liked when Artemis got spotted bathing by King Actaeon, so she turned him into a stag and hunting dogs killed him. There's absolutely no moral to this story. Greek gods are awesome in how petty they are.

[Lifecharacter]

I liked when Artemis got spotted bathing by King Actaeon, so she turned him into a stag and hunting dogs killed him. There's absolutely no moral to this story. Greek gods are awesome in how petty they are.

There's three separate reasons why she turned him into a stag depending on what story you're referring to.

1. He walked in on a naked goddess bathing in a sacred place, after which she turned him into a stag so he couldn't tell anyone about it.

2. After walking in on her, he claimed to be a better hunter than her, which is just a really stupid thing to do and he was punished for it.

3. After walking in on her, he either tries to force himself on her or ask her to marry him (those two things might be depressingly similar). Since she's one of those militant virgin goddesses, that was, again, a really stupid thing to do and he was, again, punished for it.

There are plenty of instances of the gods being petty, but that's just a really poor example of it. Why not bring up Athena and Medusa, or Hera and literally anyone Zeus has ever slept with, raped, or fathered if you're going for divine pettiness?

[VindicatedPurpose]

The Greek Gods were supposed to be realistic, or somewhat reflective of humanity. The best of the Gods was represented in Apollo, who was the most fair in terms of appearance as well as temperament. That's not to say that he didn't have his moments.

[almostinsane]

Greek mythology is a part of our culture. It is natural that we would be fascinated by it. I particularly like the books by Rick Riordan. He's rather good at retelling the myths for modern audiences.

[Zodia195]

Oh man, Greek mythology is one of my favorite things to talk about!

You could almost say my screen name was inspired by it. Huge Greek Astrology buff and the Greek Zodiac signs were based on Greek myths. In fact, here's the list-

1. Aries- Sign is the Ram. The ram comes from the myth about a king's children Phrixus and Helle, who were saved by the gods from death when a Ram spirited them away on it's back. Unfortunately, Helle fell off the ram in mid-flight and fell to her death to where what is called Hellespoint. The ram was sacrificed by Phrixus in honor of Zeus, and it's fleece would later become the target of Jason and the Argonaut's quest. Zeus placed the image of the ram in sky in honor of its bravery.

2. Taurus- Sign is the Bull. The bull is the form Zeus took when he took the Princess Europa away from her homeland across the sea to the island of Crete where they became lovers.

3. Gemini- Sign of the Twins, who are based off of twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Myth mostly says they were so close, even though one was immortal and the other wasn't. They loved each other so much as brothers that not even death could keep them apart.

4. Cancer- Sign is the Crab. Unlike the previous 3 signs, the myth behind this sign was placed in the sky by Zeus, but Hera in stead. A crab was sent by Hera to attack Heracles during his duel with the Hydra. Heracles though ended up crushing the crab and in gratitude to the crab for following her orders, Hera placed the image of the crab in the sky.

5. Leo- The lion. It's another sign that relates to Heracles. It is based off of the battle between him and the Nemean lion and after killing the beast, he used it's skin to create his armor.

6. Virgo- The maiden. This sign is based off of several myths, but the most common one is that the sign is based off of the story of Demeter and her daughter Persephone. Another one is that Virgo represents the goddess Astraea, who is considered the goddess of Justice and peace.

7. Libra- The scales. It's myth is that Libra represents the scales that Astraea holds.

8. Scorpio- The scorpion. This sign is associated with another constellation, Orion. A scorpion was sent after the hunter, Orion to kill him. This is the subject of many myths on who sent the creature. The end result is the same, the scorpion does kill Orion by stinging his heal.

9. Sagittarius- The hunter. This sign represents the centaur, Chiron.

10. Capricorn- The goat. It's is most often associated with the myth about Amalthea, the goat that nursed the baby Zeus. It is also associated with the god Pan, who turned his lower half into a fish tail in order to escape Typhoon.

11. Aquarius- The water bearer. The myth associated with this sign the most is the story of Ganymede, who was a Trojan prince. He was taken to Mount Olympus by Zeus in order to become their cupbearer, which was a very distinguished position.

12. Pisces- The two fish. The myth behind this was inspired by Aphrodite and is the only constellation in the Greek Zodiac to placed in the sky by her. When Typhoon threaten the gods, Aphrodite and Eros turned themselves into twin fish in order to escape him. Of course there are other myths about this sign, but this is the most common one.

Shrew! There!

[PaperCoversRockB*tch]

I always liked Prometheus personally. Willing to face the wraith of Zeus himself, Prometheus brought fire to man. To sacrifice oneself to bring about change is quite admirable, and examples of it can be found throughout history.

[VindicatedPurpose]

I'm a classicist I suppose. Trojan War all the way. I mean the heroes and the feats in battle and the Gods intervening it was just so...the right word would be epic.

[Amun]

I my self like the labors of Heracles

The Labors

When he had come of age and already proved himself an unerring marksman with a bow and arrow, a champion wrestler and the possessor of superhuman strength, Heracles was driven mad by Hera. In a frenzy, he killed his own children. To atone for this crime, he was sentenced to perform a series of tasks, or "Labors", for his cousin Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae. By rights, Hercules should have been king himself, but Hera had tricked her husband Zeus into crowning Eurystheus instead.

One: Kill the Nemean Lion

This monster of a lion had a hide was so tough that no arrow could pierce it. Hercules stunned the beast with his olive-wood club and then strangled it with his bare hands. It is said that he skinned the lion, using the lion's sharp claws, and ever after wore its hide.

Two: Kill the Lernean Hydra

The evil, snakelike Hydra had nine heads. If one got hurt, two would grow in its place. But Hercules quickly sliced off the heads, while his charioteer, Iolaus, sealed the wounds with a torch. Hercules made his arrows poisonous by dipping them in the Hydra's blood.

Three: Capture the Cerynian Hind

The goddess Artemis loved and protected this stubborn little deer, which had gold horns. Hercules found it a challenge to capture the delicate hind without hurting it (and making Artemis angry). After following the hind for an entire year, he safely carried it away.

Four: Capture the Erymanthian Boar

The people of Mount Erymanthus lived in fear of this deadly animal. Hercules chased the wild boar up the mountain and into a snowdrift. He then took it in a net and brought it to King Eurystheus, who was so frightened of the beast that he hid in a huge bronze jar.

Five: Clean the Augean Stables

Thousands of cows lived in these stables belonging to King Augeas. They had not been cleaned in 30 years, but Hercules was told to clean them completely in a single day. To do so he made two rivers bend so that they flowed into the stables, sweeping out the filth.

Six: Kill the Stymphalian Birds

These murderous birds lived around Lake Stymphalos. Their claws and beaks were sharp as metal and their feathers flew like darts. Hercules scared them out of their nests with a rattle and then killed them with the poison arrows he had made from the Hydra's blood.

Seven: Capture the Cretan Bull

This savage bull, kept by King Minos of Crete, was said to be insane and breathe fire. Hercules wrestled the mad beast to the ground and brought it back to King Eurystheus. Unfortunately, the king set it free, and it roamed Greece, causing terror wherever it went.

Eight: Capture the Horses of Diomedes

King Diomedes, leader of the Bistones, fed his bloodthirsty horses on human flesh. Hercules and his men fought and killed King Diomedes and fed the king to his horses. This made the horses tame, so that Hercules was able to lead them to King Eurystheus.

Nine: Take the Girdle of the Amazon Queen Hippolyte

Hercules went to the land of the Amazons, where the queen welcomed him and agreed to give him her girdle for Eurystheus's daughter. But Hera spread the rumor that Hercules came as an enemy. In the end he had to conquer the Amazons and steal the golden belt.

Ten: Capture the Cattle of Geryon

Geryon, a winged monster with three human bodies, had a herd of beautiful red cattle. He guarded his prized herd with the help of a giant and a vicious two-headed dog. Hercules killed Geryon, the giant, and the dog and brought the cattle to King Eurystheus.

Eleven: Take the Golden Apples of the Hesperides

The Hesperides were nymphs. In their garden grew golden apples protected by Ladon, a dragon with a hundred heads. Hercules struck a bargain with Atlas, who held up the earth. Hercules shouldered the earth while Atlas, the nymphs' father, fetched the apples.

Twelve: Capture Cerberus

Hercules was ordered to capture Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the underworld, without using weapons. Hercules wrestled down the dog's wild heads, and it agreed to go with him to King Eurystheus. Cerberus was soon returned unharmed to the underworld.

[RichterGotz]

I've always had a special place in my heart for Diomedes. You know, that one guy who never does anything important in the story, then defeats two gods in hand-to-hand combat in a single battle(Aphrodite, and motherf**cking Ares himself), and then never does anything special again.

[ian989]

How about Daedalus
He is known as a famous inventor. One of the "smartest" characters in Greek mythology.
He built a labyrinth in Crete for the son of Minos, Minotaur. Later, his son got killed by one of those who was meant to be a sacrifice for Minotaur, and Daedalus helped him. Because of that, he was sent to the labyrinth on his own, along with his son Icarus.

[Zodia195]

Man I really feel bad for Daedalus too.

I know I already post here before several years ago (EGAD! Lol), but I do have to say my favorite Greek Myth is Eros and Psyche. It's actually one of my favorite love stories of all time too. I go gaga over it every time I hear it.