Mythology

Definition

by Joshua J. Mark
published on 02 September 2009

Mythology (from the Greek 'mythos' for story-of-the-people, and 'logos' for word or speech, the spoken story of a
people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as 'myths' or the collection
of such stories which usually deal with the human condition, good and evil, human origins, life and death, the
afterlife, and the gods. Myths express the beliefs and values about these subjects held by a certain culture.

Myths tell the stories of ancestors and the origin of humans and the world, the gods, supernatural beings (satyrs,
nymphs, mermaids) and heroes with super-human, usually god-given, powers (as in the case of Heracles
or Perseus of the Greeks). Myths also describe origins or nuances of long-held customs or explain natural events
such as the sunrise and sunset, the full moon or thunder and lightning storms.

One of the most famous myths of ancient Greece is of Demeter, goddess of the grain, and her daughter
Persephone. Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and brought down to the underworld. Demeter searched
desperately everywhere for the maiden but could not find her. During this time of Demeters sorrow the crops failed
and people starved and the gods were not given their due. Zeus, king of the gods, ordered Hades to restore
Persephone to her mother and Hades obliged but, because Persephone had eaten a certain number of pomegranate
seeds while in the underworld, she had to spend half the year below the earth and could enjoy the other half with
her mother. This story explained the change of the seasons in Greece. When it is warm and the fields are bountiful,
Persephone is with her mother and Demeter is happy and causes the world to bloom; in the cold and rainy season,
when Persephone is below the earth with Hades, Demeter mourns and the land lies barren.

TO THE ANCIENTS THE MEANING OF THE STORY WAS MOST IMPORTANT, NOT THE LITERAL TRUTH OF
THE DETAILS OF A CERTAIN VERSION OF A TALE.

Every culture has some type of mythology. The classical mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans is the most
familiar to people. The same types of stories, and often the very same story, can be found in myths from different
parts of the world. The creation story as related in the Biblical Book of Genesis, for example, where a great god
speaks existence into creation is quite similar to creation stories from ancient Sumeria, Egypt, Phoenicia and
even China. The story of the Great Flood can be found in the mythology of virtually every culture on earth. The
figure of the Dying and Reviving God (a deity who dies for the good of, or to redeem the sins of, his people, goes
down into the earth, and rises again to life) can be traced back to ancient Sumeria in the Epic of Gilgamesh, to

the Egyptian myth of Osiris, the Greek stories of Dionysus, of Adonis, and of Persephone, the Phoenician Baal, and
the Hindu Krishna (among many others) down to the most famous of these figures, Jesus Christ.

Mythology tries to answer the most difficult and the most basic questions of human existence. To the ancients the
meaning of the story was most important, not the literal truth of the details of a certain version of a tale. There are
many variations on the birth and life of the goddess Hathor of Egypt, for example, and no ancient Egyptian would
have rejected one of these as 'false' and chosen another as 'true'. It was understood in the ancient world that the
purpose of a myth was to provide the hearer with a truth which the audience then interpreted for themselves.
Apprehension of reality was left up to the interpretation of the individual encountering the values expressed in the
myths instead of having that reality interpreted for them by an authority figure. The ancient myths still resonate
with a modern audience precisely because the ancient writers crafted them toward individual interpretation, leaving
each person who heard the story to recognize the meaning in the tale for themselves.
PHILIPPINE MYTHS
With the Philippine Myths, as with every other countries and cultures, they want to provide explanation to the
strange natural occurrences and the origin of beings.

Their mythology is very diverse because of the various ethnic groups that live on the many islands.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards and the introduction of Catholicism in the 1500's, all the different groups had
their own myths, sharing just some beliefs, like there was a heaven, a hell and a human soul.
An example of the different myths is that for the Tagalogs, their Supreme God was Bathala, while for the Bikolanos,
Gueurang was their Supreme God. Another facts, is that like the other old cultures, all these myths were shared in
an oral way.
As Catholicism and other religions such like Muslim started to spread and be more popular on the Philippines, the
Filipinos started to believe in just one God. But still on these days, some of them believed that some spirits from
the myths like Kapre, Duwende and the Manananggal, pervade the islands.
On the islands, the Tagalogs believed that there was a life after death, some rituals were practiced by them, such
as bury a dead person with its belongings, because they might need them on their journey to the afterlife.
Some Philippine myths says that the souls of good people go to Maca, which is the equivalent of the Christian
paradise. In there they have eternal peace. But like any other religion, there is also a place for the evil.
The Kasanaan, or hell, was the place the ones who deserved punishment were brought. Sitan was the one in
charge of this place with the help of other deities, such as Mangangauay, Manisilat, Mankukulam and Huldoban.
One important thing to say about the Filipinos, is that they are very passionate about their myths, and value them,
this is their way to give importance and values for what their ancestors had done for their country.

Roman Mythology

Definition

by Donald L. Wasson
published on 10 December 2014

For many people, the word myth may immediately bring to mind rich images of the ancient Greeks and their
heroic tales of Zeus and the other Olympian gods. One may envision the stories of Midas, Heracles, Pandora,
and Perseus. The Greeks, however, were not the only people to produce myths. The Romans, among others, also
had a rich mythology of their own and, while much of it was derived from their neighbors, the Greeks, it still
defined the rich history of the Roman people as they eventually grew into an empire.

THE CONCEPT OF MYTHS

Before one can delve into a study of mythology, one must understand the concept behind a myth. In his
book The Greek and Roman Myths: A Guide to the Classical Stories, Philip Matyszak describes a myth simply as
the ancients view of the world. These myths -- although often appearing as simple stories filled with valiant
heroes, maidens in distress, and a host of all-powerful gods -- are much more. The gods of the Greeks and Romans
were anthropomorphic, exhibiting many human qualities such as love, hate, and jealousy, and because of this, the
people of Rome and Greece were able to see themselves in these tales and understand their relationship to the
rest of the world as well their connection to the gods. The lesson often to be learned was that one must meet one's
destiny with strength, determination, and nobility. These myths enabled an individual to stand against the ills and
hardships of an unforgiving universe. Matyszak states that, in spite of their constant disagreements and battles,
the gods and humankind had to stand together against the monsters and giants of the world, or more simply, the
forces of disorder and wanton destruction.

Myths, whether Greek, Roman, any other culture's, at the end of the day were concerned with the relationship
between the gods and humans, differing in this regard from fairytales and folktales. For all people, in many ways,
myths made life bearable by providing security. They should not be easily dismissed as simple stories for, in both
Greece and Rome, they dealt with important issues: the creation of the world, the nature of good and evil, and
even the afterlife. And, for this reason, these tales have stood the test of time and become part of our present day
culture. One only needs look at the names of our planets to see this: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Neptune, Uranus and even poor little Pluto are all named for Roman gods.

GREEK MYTHS

In Greece, myths were derived from a rich old oral

tradition: Homers Iliad and Odyssey and Hesiod'sTheogony. These were tales that had been passed down
through the generations, first through the spoken word, and finally written down c. 8th century BCE. When Rome
was founded in the 8th century BCE, many of the Greekcity-states were already well-established. Greece even had
founded colonies on the Italian peninsula and Sicily. Centuries later, after the four Macedonian Wars, these
colonies would become a part of the early Roman Republic. This contact with Greece, and more specifically
with Greek religion and mythology, had a lasting effect on Rome and its people. Rome was able to adopt much
that defined Greece: art, philosophy, literature, and drama. Mythology, however, had to be adapted to reflect a
Roman set of values.

The influnece of Greek myths was seen everywhere in Rome; in the architecture, subject matter, and adornments
of sculptures, temples, and mosaics. This adoption of all that was Greek can be seen in the citys relationship to
theTrojan War, a war that ultimately led to the most basic of Roman mythology: the birth of Romulus and
Remusand the founding of a city. Whereas much of Greek mythology was transmitted through their poetry and
drama, the Roman myths were written in prose, providing a sense of history and a foundation of all that was
Roman: their rituals and institutions. In Roman mythology the difference between history and myth was almost
indistinguishable:Rome was a city of destiny and the myths told that story.

The Lost Gods: The Romans (Planet Knowledge)

OVID

Many early Roman authors wrote on the myths of Rome. Ovid, before his exile by Emperor Augustus, wrote at a
critical time in Roman history, politically and culturally. The emperor was hoping to reestablish a connection to the
Republics old religion and a reverence for the gods. Ovid penned several works centering on both Roman myth
and religion -- Metamorphoses and Fasti are two of his best-known works. His stories, while mostly Greek,
contained Roman names. In Fasti he portrayed the festivals of the first six months of the old Roman calendar, the
legends of the gods, and the origin of many of their rituals. While early Roman mythology maintained a deep
connection with the city and its rich history, it centered on one specific legend: the birth of its supposed founders:
Romulus and Remus.

THE AENEID & AENEAS

While the true origin of Rome varies from source to source, historical as well as fictional, one of the earliest to
relate the story (reminiscent of Homers Odyssey) was Virgil (Vergil) in his Aeneid, a tale that related the travels of
its hero, the Trojan warrior Aeneas. The Aeneid has been said to exhibit the most complete expression of Roman
mythology. In the story, our hero, with the assistance of his mother, the goddess Venus (his father was a mortal
named Anchises), escaped Troy with his father and a number of his fellow soldiers before the city completely
succumbed to the Greeks. This story and its connection to the Trojan War gave the Romans a link to the
ancient Trojan culture. It should be noted that the story of the Trojan horse comes from Virgil, though mentioned
in Homer's Odyssey. With Venuss assistance, the defeated Trojans leave the fallen city and set sail for Italy,
where it has been foretold that Aeneas would found a city. They traveled first to Greece and then, as in Homers
tale, are blown off course. Jupiters wife Juno constantly interferes with Aeneas throughout the story. They land at
the African city of Carthage where our hero meets the beautiful Queen Dido, and of course, love follows, and he
soon forgets his true purpose.

The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas

Ultimately, the god Mercury intervenes and reminds Aeneas of his destiny, causing him and his men to reluctantly
leave Africa and sail away; tragically, Queen Dido commits suicide over the loss of her beloved by throwing herself
on a burning pyre. Upon landing at Cumae, Aeneas consults Sibyl, an oracle, who leads him into Hades where he
not only encounters his fallen enemies and Queen Dido but also meets his recently deceased father who tells him

of the great city his descendants would establish. Later, after reaching the mouth of the Tiber, the wayward Trojans
enter into a war with King Turnus of the Rutuli (more of Junos handiwork). Venus appeals to Vulcan (the Roman
version of the Greek Hephaestus) to make Aeneas new armor and weapons as he had done for Achilles. Turnus
was finally defeated and killed in a duel. A peace is ultimately reached with Aeneas marrying the kings daughter;
supposedly Jupiter had convinced Juno to end her war with Aeneas.

ROMULUS & REMUS

Aeneass descendants became the founders of the city of his destiny: Rome. According to the legend, Romulus and
Remus were the sons of the war god Mars and Rhea Silvia, daughter of the true king of Alba Longa, Numitor. In a
coup, Amulius overthrew his brother and, to safeguard his claim to the throne, forced Rhea to join the Vestal
Virgins. One day, Mars spied the young Rhea in the sacred woods and raped her. She bore two sons who, by order
of King Amulius, were thrown in the Tiber. A recent flood caused them to drift ashore at Ficus Ruminalis. They were
rescued by a she-wolf, the sacred animal of Mars (the wolf was supposedly aided by a woodpecker, another sacred
animal of Mars). Later, the boys were adopted by a local herdsman named Faustulus and his wife Acca Larentia.

Romulus & Remus

Years pass and the two future founders of the city become leaders in their community, with Remus
ultimately landing in the kings dungeon. Romulus rescued his brother, and with the assistance of Numitor, deposed
Amulius. Of course, by this time the boys had learned of their true identity. Together they founded a city; however,
in a dispute over the naming rights to the city, Remus is killed in a fit of jealousy, and the city becomes Rome. In
one version of the dispute, the boys agreed to watch for omens in a flight of birds. Romulus won the naming rights
and Remus was killed (Romulus was supposedly favored by the gods). Romulus would rule Rome for forty years.
ROMAN GODS & GODDESSES
Roman mythology, like that of the Greeks, contained a number of gods and goddesses, and because of the
early influence of Greece on the Italian peninsula and the ever-present contact with Greek culture, the Romans
adopted not only their stories but also many of their gods, renaming a number of them. One exception to this
practice is the god Apollo, the only god whose name is common to both cultures. Originally, before their
association with the Greeks, many of the Roman gods were more closely associated with cults rather than myths
(as was the case with the Greek hero Heracles who became the Roman champion Hercules). Much of this change
came, however, when the Romans turned from farming to war.

Early in the development of Roman mythology, there was Saturn, equivalent to the Greek god Cronus.
His templeat the foot of Capitoline Hill included the public treasury and decrees of the Roman Senate. The triad of
early Roman cult deities were recreated as Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva; the latter was the patron saint of craftsmen
and goddess of school children (later associated with Athena). Jupiter, the sky-god, became more akin to the
Greek Zeus. Jupiter influenced every aspect of a Romans life; his temple on Capitoline Hill was the final destination
of many victorious military commanders who would leave a portion of their booty as an offering to Jupiter. His wife
(and sister) Juno became reminiscent of Hera, presiding over every facet of Roman womens life, and in the case
of Aeneas, vindictive against those she disliked.

Similarly, the love-goddess Aphrodite became Venus, born from the foams of the sea, while the brothers of Zeus,
Hades and Poseidon, became Pluto and Neptune respectively. The Greek Artemis was renamed Diana, the
goddess of the hunt, while Ares, the war god, was now Mars who originally had been an agricultural god
associated with spring, a time of regeneration (March is named for him). Roman commanders would always make a
sacrifice to him before a battle. And lastly, one must not forget Hermes, the messenger, who turned into Mercury,
a minor deity who had at one time been the god of trading and profit and, as mentioned, Hercules, the Roman
version of Heracles.

Hercules

As in Greece, Roman cities often adopted their own patron deity and built temples and performed rituals to honor
that god. And, while the influence of the Greeks is vast, the Romans had a number of original gods of their own
such as Janus, the two-faced god of doorways and gates (the city gates were open during the time of war and
closed during the time of peace). Similar to the Etruscan god Culsans, Janus could see both the future and the

past. Valued for his wisdom, he presided over the beginnings of all events. There was also Vesta, daughter of
Saturn and the goddess of the hearth and family life, whose followers were called the Vestal Virgins. Though linked
to the goddess Hestia of the Greeks, she took on her own distinct personality in Roman mythology. Numa, the
second king of Rome, founded a cult dedicated to Vesta. Lastly, there was Faunus, the god of nature; he was
worshipped as the protector of crops with a festival in December.

There were also a number of water gods, vitally important to the farmers, as every river and spring had its own
deity (Juturna was the goddess of springs and water). Farmers had to appease these gods through a series of
offerings. Tiberius was the god of the Tiber, and every May 27th straw dummies were thrown into the Tiber to
pacify him. This is reminiscent of the ancient Roman belief in spirits --- supernatural forces that inhabited
everything around them including people. Every May (9, 11, and 13) the festival of Lemuria was celebrated where
the spirits of the dead were exorcized. Many Romans believed they were constantly watched over by the spirits of
their ancestors.

While many people only think of the Greeks when the topic of mythology is considered, the Romans had a rich and
vibrant mythology of their own. We all have heard, in some form, the story of the she-wolf and her saving the
brothers Romulus and Remus and, in this same way, many other Roman myths have become a part of our culture
in the present day. To the Greeks and the Romans, myths explained who they were as a people and gave them a
sense of national pride, an understanding of valor and honor, and insight into their destiny.