Greek and Aztec gods and goddesses played a major role in the religion of their respected ancient societies. The Greek and Aztec people created their gods in order to explain natural occurrences and phenomenons in the world around them. In Greek culture, the gods looked and acted like humans and felt similar emotions, making them easily relatable, while the Aztec gods were viewed completely differently and were not similar to humans at all. However, Greek gods, including Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades have had a much greater impact on today’s society than the Aztec gods, such as Huitzlopochtli, Tlaloc, and Quetzalcoatl. Greek Mythology had a great influence on modern day sports and the olympics, which were held in honor of the gods in ancient Greece. The olympics were held in order to allow men to show off their physical abilities, but more importantly were, “held in honour of Zeus every single time” in order to appease him (“Greek Mythology and Western Civilization”). The Olympics stopped being held after many centuries, but started again in 1896 all around the world. They continue to be held today, but are no longer to praise the gods, but are simply for athletes to showcase their abilities and bring pride and honor to their countries. The torch of the Olympics and the awards ceremony that were in the first Olympics are …show more content…
Moreover, many words, phrases, and roots in the English language, as well as some others, come from Greek gods and myths. Numerous movies have been created based off of ancient Greek myths as well. However, Aztec gods, which were loyally worshipped by the Aztecs, played an incredibly large role in their society and daily lives, but were forgotten and left behind by the modern world as the Aztecs faded away. Because of this, Greek gods and goddesses have influenced the world immensely more than Aztec
Today’s Olympic games are the biggest multi-national pastime occurring every four years, determining who is the best athlete at a countless multitude of sports, but the original purpose for the Olympics was to celebrate the birthday of the king of Gods, Zeus. This festival was a huge celebration of the gods who watched over them, specifically Zeus, and was by far the most important festival in the ancient Greek culture. Many festivals were held in ancient Greece and all of them were important to the ancient Greek culture, but the Olympics were of much higher importance than the other festivals. The festivals of the ancient Greeks were held, for the most part, for religious purposes or as a social activity and religious aspects focused on the act of sacrificing food and wine to the gods while
There were once three goddesses. With their original names unknown, they created the Trinity of Order. There was the Goddess of Love, Goddess of Life, and Goddess of Grace. They loved doing the things they love. They lived a peaceful life, best friends until the end, working together to make each and every universe better than it was.
The games played an important part in not only honoring the Gods but also celebrating the athleticism and vigor of the youth within Greece (AvantiLogic). It was also a way to unite city states with a common thread by celebrating achievements and enjoying the entertainment brought on by the festivals. These games left an important legacy of community and passion not only in ancient Greece but in modern society. This is evidenced by the continuing Olympic sports ceremony that unites countries around the world to display the athletic prowess of their nationals. The Olympic Games, arguably the most prestigious of the four festivals was held in honor of Zeus.
"Running, long jump, shot put, javelin, discus, and equestrian competitions" are some of the many Olympic sports played many centuries ago. While these sports were made for entertainment purposes, they were also helpful for ancient civilizations. The Games had a religious and political significance and helped Greek historians and writers to keep track of time. These games were very important to history and to this very day The Olympics were held in honor of the Greek gods.
They associated each of their gods with a different aspect of life or nature. For example Zeus was the king of the gods, Athena was the goddess of wisdom, Dionysus was the god of wine, and the list goes on. The ancient Greeks erected massive temples to these gods for worship. Each god or goddess had his or her own temple for sacrifices or offerings. They Greeks believed sacrifice was necessary to appease the gods and keep everyday life fruitful and peaceful.
("Zeus." Myths and Legends of the World.) When the gods and goddesses won the war they chose to stay at Mount Olympus, that is why they are known as Olympians. Winning the war against the titans got Zeus' tittle as being a hero. The titans were greedy
The relationships between the Greek gods and mortals have always been complicated. The gods can be generous and supportive, but also harsh and destructive towards the humans. They claim to be all powerful beings with unlimited power and influence, but in truth, they are far more human than they are perceived. They meddle with human lives, not because they are wise, but because of their own selfish reasons. In Homer’s
Greek Mythology and its Influences on Modern Society By Jenna Marie A. Macalawa, Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite Campus 2014 Myths are not dissimilar to fairy tales, legends, and sagas, but its period is distinctly different from usual existential time. It is considered as an expression of childhood experiences, and it also explains the origin and meaning of the world. According to Long (1994), “The term mythology may describe a certain body of myths, for example, Greek, African, or Scandinavian, or it may refer to the study of myths” (p.694). These collections of narratives are superior when it comes to influencing different areas of knowledge. There are numerous types of mythology, but Ancient Greece is the one that has given an immense influence on modern society.
Thinking about it, Greek Mythology is one of the bases of life. It is still taught in many schools. At least schools teach about Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, or if anything, They read The Lightning Thief, which is still Greek Mythology. In The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan does a fantastic job of incorporating Greek Gods like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, and sticking to their stories.
The Resemblance and Distinctness in Hades and Hel Myths and legends served as bases for cultures of old and largely reflect the civilization they derive from. An undeniably extensive part of a culture is the gods that they prayed to and feared. Nations used gods and aspects of gods to demonstrate their way of life, terrors, ambitions, and to explain the strange occurrences in life. A great example of this reflection comes from the lore of the Nordic and Greek people. The Nordic goddess Hel and the Greek god Hades serve as prime examples of what these cultures had in resemblance and in polarity.
Greek mythology can be viewed as a mirror to the ancient Greek civilization. Ancient Greek myths and legends often reflected how the Greeks saw themselves. Myths were used by Greeks to make justifications of every existing aspect of earth as well as their own society. In myths, Greek gods & heroes often represented key aspects of the human civilization. From Greek mythology, we can learn about the favorable characteristics of humans, such as their behavior and valuable skills that were approved of by the ancient Greek society.
Though these ancient civilizations had very different religious, they did share one common thing. The role of religious/gods played a big role in their histories and culture, including the Greeks. In most religious, the existence of gods is to give an explanation of the world they lived in. There are gods that control nature, life, or even death. This idea of the god’s role is being emphasized in The Odyssey.
In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer portrays Greek gods and goddesses as possessing human qualities and faults. Through their actions and emotions, Homer emphasizes the detrimental effects of lust, envy, wrath, and greed in ancient Grecian society. He also never fails to remind readers of the importance of respect for holy figures because of their powerful abilities to create chaos and wonder". Homer wants to prove that gods and humans share a variety of traits, and the only difference is that god don’t allow these flaws negatively to impact their society. To help further his argument, we can compare Greek gods and goddesses to that of Christianity.
The Resemblance of Gods and Humans Throughout all religions, gods have always been seen as superior in every way possible. The division between humans and gods has always been prevalent and prominent. However, when the actions and motives of these gods are truly analyzed, it will become evident that the gods of Greek Mythology merely behave as humans with supernatural powers.
The Olympic game, the biggest attraction, oldest and most important national Greek athletic festival. The Olympia event is held on an official basis every four years. The event is to honor Zeus, the god of Greek mythology. As time went by it turned into the early Christian time and inspired the modern Olympic games in Athens 1896. There are many games at the Olympia, starting with the Equestrian Events.