"Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece": a brief summary. "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece", Nikolai Kun

The basis, the source of inspiration of European poets, playwrights and artists were Greek gods and goddesses, Greek heroes, myths and legends about them. Therefore, it is important to know their summary. The legends and myths of Ancient Greece, the whole Greek culture, especially the late time, when philosophy and democracy was developed, had a strong influence on the formation of the whole of European civilization as a whole. Mythology has evolved over time. Legends and legends became known, because the trails and roads of Hellas were traveled by reciters. They carried more or less long stories about the heroic past. Some gave only a brief summary.

Legends and myths of Ancient Greece gradually became familiar and beloved, and what Homer created was accepted to know the educated person by heart and be able to quote from anywhere. Greek scientists, striving to order everything, began to work on the classification of myths, and turned scattered stories into a harmonious series.

The main Greek gods

The very first myths are devoted to the struggle of different gods among themselves. Some of them did not have human features - they were the products of the goddess Gaia-Earth and Uranus-Heaven - twelve titans and six other monstrosities that horrified his father, and he threw them into the abyss - Tartarus. But Gaia persuaded the remaining titans to overthrow her father. This made the cunning Kronos - Time. But, after marrying his sister, he was afraid of the children born and swallowed them right after birth: Hestia, Demeter, Poseidon, Hera, Hades. Having given birth to the last child - Zeus, the wife deceived Kronos, and he could not swallow the baby. Zeus was safely hidden in Crete. This is only a summary. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece are terribly describing the events taking place.

The war of Zeus for power

Zeus grew up, matured and made Kronos return the white light of his swallowed sisters and brothers. He urged them to fight the cruel father. In addition, a part of the titans, giants and cyclops took part in the struggle. For ten years the struggle continued. The fire raged, the seas boiled, nothing could be seen from the smoke. But the victory went to Zeus. The enemies were dethroned in Tartar and imprisoned.

Gods on Olympus

Zeus, to whom the Cyclops pinned lightning, became the supreme god, Poseidon was subject to all the waters on earth, Aida - the underworld of the dead. This was the third generation of the gods, from which all other gods and heroes originated, stories and stories will begin to tell about. The oldest refer to the cycle of Dionysus, the god of wine and winemaking, fertility, the patron of the night mysteries, which were held in the darkest places. Mysteries were terrible and mysterious. Thus began to be outlined the struggle of the dark gods with the light. There were no real wars, but the dark gods gradually began to give way to the light god of the sun Phoebe with its rational beginning, with its cult of reason, science and art. And the irrational, ecstatic, sensual retreated. But these are two sides of the same phenomenon. And one was impossible without the other. The goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus, patronized the family. Ares - war, Athena - wisdom, Artemis - moon and hunt, Demeter - agriculture, Hermes - trade, Aphrodite - love and beauty. Hephaestus - artisans. Their relationship with each other and with people is the story of the Hellenes. They were fully studied in pre-revolutionary gymnasiums in Russia. Only now, when people are concerned for the most part with earthly cares, they, if necessary, pay attention neither to their brief content. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece are fading into the past.

Who was protected by the gods

They are not very favors for people. They often envied or lusted after women, they were jealous, they were greedy for praise and honors. That is, they were very similar to mortals, if we take their description. Legends (short content), legends and myths of Ancient Greece (Kun) describe their gods very contradictorily. "Nothing so pleases the gods as the collapse of human hopes," Euripides believed. And Sophocles echoed him: "The gods of all are more eager to help a man when he comes to meet his doom."

Zeus obeyed all the gods, but for people he was important as a guarantor of justice. It was when the judge judged unjustly that a man turned to Zeus for help. In the affairs of war, only Mars was in charge. Wise Athene patronized Attica. Poseidon, all the sailors, going to sea, made sacrifices. In Delphi, you could ask for mercy from Phoebus and Artemis.

Myths about heroes

One of the favorite myths was about Theseus, the son of the king of Athens, Aegeus. He was born and brought up in the royal family in Troesen. When he grew up and was able to get his father's sword, he went to a meeting with him. On the way, he destroyed the robber Procrust, who did not allow people to pass through his territory. When he came to his father, he learned that Athens paid tribute to the girls and young men of Crete. Together with another slave party, under mourning sails, he went to the island to King Minos to kill the monstrous Minotaur. Princess Ariadne helped Theseus through the labyrinth in which the Minotaur was. Theseus fought the monster and destroyed it. The Greeks happily, freeing themselves from tribute forever, returned to their homeland. But they forgot to change black sails. Aegeus, who did not take his eyes off the sea, saw that his son was dead, and from an unbearable grief he threw himself into the abyss of the waters over which his palace stood. The Athenians rejoiced that they had forever freed themselves from the tribute, but they also cried when they learned of the tragic death of Aegey. The Myth of Theseus is long and colorful. This is its summary. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece (Kun) will give an exhaustive description of it.

Epic - the second part of the book by Nikolai Albertovich Kuhn

The legends of the Argonauts, the Trojan War, Odysseus' travels, Orest's revenge for his father's death and the misadventures of Oedipus in the Theban cycle are the second half of the book Kuhn wrote, Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece. A summary of the chapters is given above.

Returning from Troy to his native Ithaca, Odysseus spent many long years in dangerous wanderings. It was hard for him to go home through the stormy sea. God Poseidon could not forgive Odysseus that, saving his life and the lives of his friends, he blinded Cyclops, the son of Poseidon, and sent unheard-of storms. On the way, they perished from sirens, who carried away their unearthly voices and melodious singing. All his companions perished in travels on the seas. All destroyed by evil fate. In the confinement of the nymph Calypso Odysseus languished for many years. He begged to let him go home, but the beautiful nymph refused. Only the requests of the goddess Athena softened the heart of Zeus, he took pity on Odysseus and returned him to the family.

Legends of the Trojan cycle and the campaigns of Odysseus were created in his poems by Homer - "Iliad" and "Odyssey", the myths about the march behind the golden fleece to the shores of the Pontus of Evsinsky are described in the poem of Apollonius of Rhodes. Sophocles wrote the tragedy Oedipus the Tsar, the tragedy of Arrest is the playwright Aeschylus. They are given a brief summary of "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece" (Nikolai Kun).

Myths and legends about gods, titans, numerous heroes disturb the imagination of artists of the word, brush and cinematography of our days. Standing in a museum about a painting written on a mythological theme, or hearing the name of a beautiful Elena, it would be nice to imagine at least a little what is behind this name (a huge war) and know the details of the plot depicted on the canvas. This can help "Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece." The brief content of the book will reveal the meaning of what was seen and heard.