A main part of both ancient Greek and Roman civilizations was mythology. Mythology was used by these societies to explain world origins, life occurrences, and many wonders of the world. Greek and Roman Mythology are very similar due to the fact that the Romans adopted most of the Greek's ideas. Greek mythology was created around 2000 BC, hundreds of years before Roman mythology, which was estimated to be established during the 12th century BC (Delgado). Although the origin of Greek mythology is unknown, the god Timaus and goddess Critias are linked with many stories that involve the beginning of Greek mythology (Delgado). On the contrary, there is a Roman myths that tells of the creation of Rome. The more widely known myth is "Romulus and Remus" (Grant 98). Two twin brothers sent down a river in a basket and rescued by a she-wolf. The two boys grew up and decided to build a city and rule it as kings. They had a contest to decide who would be king, but when it seemed clear Remus would win, Romulus killed him and assumed the role as the first king of Rome. This was an important story to the Romans "since their city was started by the son of a god it had to be more powerful than any other city" (Garcia).
The picture above is of the infamous statue of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. A similar Greek myth is the one regarding the creation of Athens. The city, according to Greek Mythology, was in contest between Athena and Poseidon about who would become the protector of the city. The myth details that Poseidon gave a spring with sea water, while Athena offered an olive tree. The people chose Athena hence the city having the name Athena. This myth is symbolic to the Greeks because the two gods symbolize the strength of Athens not only as a city of wisdom, but also as a sea power (
Athens History).
The picture above is of Athena and the olive tree she gave to the city of Athens that supplied its people with food, oil, and wood. My product was to compare Roman Mythology and Greek Mythology and their founding stories. I used a prezi format for my product because I believe it shows the clear connections between Roman mythology and Greek mythology.
Prezi
Works Cited
"Athens History." History of Athens Greece a Brief Reference to Athens History. Ancient Greek
Guide, n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.
Delgado, Jose. "Roman Mythology vs. Greek Mythology." Kean.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.
Donn, Linn. "Athena & Poseidon." Athena (Minerva). N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2014.
Garcia, Brittany. "Romulus and Remus." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 4 Oct. 2013. Web.
21 Dec. 2014.
Grant, Michael. Roman Myths. New York: Scribner, 1972. Print.
Graves, Robert. The Greek Myths. Baltimore: Penguin, 1955. Print.
K, Sai. "Myths and Legends." Greek Mythology vs. Roman Mythology. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.
Roman and Greek mythology were both similar in the way that they were used to explain certain things. This is similar to modern day where people of certain religions use God as the creator of everything because scientifically the beginning of mankind and life is to difficult to understand to some.
ReplyDeleteVery good comparison between both the roman and Greek gods. I always thought the only difference between the Roman and Greek gods were the names. It seems that Romans value war and strength a lot more.
ReplyDeleteThis is super interesting. I was the same as Harrison in believing that the only difference was the names. You said that Roman's adapted the Greek ideas. Was there a reason for this? Why was this the "religion" and ideas that the Romans chose to adopt?
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting the Roman's embraced the story of Romulus and Remus, even when one brother killed the other for power. They were not ashamed of the betrayal portrayed in the story, but instead were proud that a son of a god founded their city. Perhaps this myth helped to further the powerful mindset the Roman people adopted.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Romans adopted the Greeks ideas it is interesting to see the differences between the two cultures and how their beliefs directly correlated to their everyday life and culture. The stories also takes you in depth of what the cultures beliefs were.
ReplyDeleteJen- the Romans liked the religious system the Greeks used so the Romans adopted all the ideas that they liked. The Romans greatly admired the Greeks and found their belief system very appealing.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how both of the founding stories for the Romans and Greeks involved a contest. I think this is a theme that can be seen in many founding stories of the present and past. Many countries and companies have been formed out of contests or disputes and I find it interesting that this pattern can be seen throughout history.
ReplyDeleteVery cool information on Athens, I did not know that. It's interesting to see how the myths they created can still relate to reality, such as Athens being a sea power because Poseidon wanted to be their favorite too. Also, I think the information on the Roman mythos was great, and I like the picture you put in for Romulus and Remus. Very nice post!
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