This paper will focus on three key points shared by both cultures which will help demonstrate the relationship between these two civilizations: religion, science, and art. Ancient Greece and Roman civilizations made a permanent mark in history, including the areas and components of: religion and its gods and goddesses, Art and sculptures, and scientific and spiritual medicine. If it were not for the Roman civilizations that emerged around and eventually overcame the Greek, we might not be quite as aware of the contribution that the Greek had to society. When Rome conquered Greece, the Romans were thoroughly impressed with a multiple concepts of their culture and society. The Romans willingly adopted many concepts from the Greek.
Hector vs. Achilles Literary heroes have been important to stories and poems throughout history. Each author develops his hero through a unique writing style, combining conscious use of detail, diction, tone and other narrative techniques to outline a hero's personality. Homer, in his epic poem The Iliad, develops two classic heroes who are distinctly different at first glance, but upon closer inspection are very similar in terms of their basic characteristics. Hector and Achilles both are courageous soldiers, relatively honorable men, and respected leaders, but they also both have human failings that eventually lead to tragedy. In Homer's lyrical verses and in his use of detail, diction, meter and imagery, he paints his own portrait of a classic hero through the brave deeds as well as the human flaws of Hector and Achilles that eventually lead to the downfall of proud and powerful Hector.
“The Father of The Greek Didactic Poetry,” (“Theogony” Britannica.com) is one of the earliest Greek poets, Hesiod. Hesiod created a poem in which he described the birth and relationships between primordial deities as well as characterized behaviors amongst the gods. Hesiod’s interpretation of the birth of the gods is established in his work, “Theogony.” There are a number of reasons as to why Hesiod wrote the piece. Hesiod’s attitude toward males differs completely from his attitude towards females. Not only does Hesiod’s sexist attitude reflect in his writing, but also his stories all have a connection to the reality and social aspects of the world.
Interpretation of the views and beliefs of The Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh is a novel about a small kingdom named Uruk. Uruk was ruled by a great king named Gilgamesh. In the story, Gilgamesh takes on special journey with a companion who is just as grand as he is. During his journey he soon finds out that his strength and choices are rigorously tested by the gods due to the previous choices he has made. The Epic of Gilgamesh provides a lot of insight into the people of Mesopotamia beliefs and religion, by showing how authority, importance of human life, and how the gods had such a significant impact on how they viewed the world and how they interpreted it.
The war that had the greatest impact on Greece since its beginning is the Peloponnesian War; lasting almost thirty years, the Peloponnesian War took a great toll on both the Athenian and the Spartan parties. Lucky for historians of the present-day, there was a historian who provided a very beneficial recollection of the war. Thucydides took a role as a general on the Athenian side and recorded many of the events of war for historians now to study (Kellogg 176). Of course, because Thucydides fought with his fellow Athens, there was an expected bias in his writings. Through a slight bias, he was still able to give an accurate telling of the war and earned himself the label of one of the best historians of all time.
Since its 19thcentury discovery, there have been archaeological finds at the ancient citadel (Layer VI) as well at the Greek City of Mycenae that heavily suggest this. Supporting these discoveries are various pieces of written evidence that imply the validity of the story about the legendary Bronze Age Trojan War detailed in The Iliad. The text itself similarly provides evidence for the Trojan War as many of its detailed descriptions prove true despite it being written several hundreds of years after the Troy of the Trojan War was supposed to have been destroyed. Numerous historians are coming to believe not only that there was a war at Troy during the late Bronze Age, but that this war was, in fact, the fabled conflict described in The Iliad. The cause or causes of that war, however, are far more ambiguous.
Chloe Hamby Hamby, 1 Morgan 9th Honor’s Literature 8 February 2012 Mythology: Athena versus Neith Mythologies are outlets created by man to clarify the meaning of life. In other words, a myth is a fictional story with a purpose. It explains the ways of the world and relationships between Gods and humans. Myths usually send important messages about social or religious meanings. Two of the most recognized mythologies are Greek and Egyptian.
It is so important in fact, that there are two distinct ways that it can be analyzed. The first captures on Wells’s interest in mythology and the other is the common use of the word “Sphinx” to represent class struggle in the late 19th century. I will refer to each as theory number one and number two respectively. The first theory says that the White Sphinx is important because of its mythological meaning. The Sphinx is most famous for its Egyptian ancestry, but the Sphinx, Wells is probably referring to is of the Greek stories, especially since he was well educated in Greek and Roman literature.
In the poems the Iliad and Beowulf heroes such as Achilles and Beowulf came from communities that were war minded. Whether these heroes succeed or fail in battle determine the height of their honor. The protagonists in both epics have similar supernatural qualities, are trusted with maintaining the fate of there country, fought for glory and fame, were aided by the gods, and faced a fate that led to death. The dynamic adventures that these stories take you through are complex, leaving the impressions that an intricate and very real tale has been told. The chief elements of an epic include: a depiction of the societies values and what is important to the people concerning the epic such as the warlike behavior shown in both the Iliad and Beowulf; heroes such as Achilles and Beowulf that are unafraid of the opposition they face and have courage in front of impossible odds; mythical creatures like Grendel and impressive beings such as Apollo that provide a challenge to the hero; settings like the heavily protected Troy and haunted Herot that capture the mind’s eye; and tales of wars and the battles that encompass them.
Love is the most common theme that virtually all books involve. It is what makes each story alluring and worthy of note. The Epic of Gilgamesh and Iliad are no exception. “Love is about progression and understanding.” This statement also holds true for both Iliad and Gilgamesh; both epics verbalize two characters that loved and lost a friend to death. However, the heroes Gilgamesh and Achilles both distribute parallel tragic flaws through life.