Greek Mythology Overview

Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks.
Greek mythology concerns the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Greeks' own cult and ritual practices.
Myths are also preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians and comedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age, and in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch and Pausanias.
The Greek myths were initially propagated in an oral-poetic tradition most likely by Minoan and Mycenaean singers starting in the 18th century BC; eventually the myths of the heroes of the Trojan War and its aftermath became part of the oral tradition of Homer's epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Two poems by Homer's near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis of the world, the succession of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices.
Myths are also preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians and comedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age, and in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch and Pausanias.
Despite their traditional name, the Homeric Hymns have no direct connection with Homer.
The oldest are choral hymns from the earlier part of the so-called Lyric age.
Greek myths were originally oral stories, but were later written down.
The first written sources for Greek myths are the poems of Homer.
Later, writers such as Pindar, Bacchylides, and Simonides wrote poems about individual myths.
Greek lyric poets, including Pindar, Bacchylides, and Simonides, and bucolic poets such as Theocritus and Bion, often relate individual mythological incidents.
Myth was central to classical Athenian drama.
The tragic playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides took most of their plots from myths of the age of heroes and the Trojan War.
Many of the great tragic stories (e.g. Agamemnon and his children, Oedipus, Jason, Medea, etc.) took on their classic form in these tragedies.
The comic playwright Aristophanes also used myths, in The Birds and The Frogs.
Herodotus, Apuleius, Petronius, Lollianus, and Heliodorus supplied numerous local myths and legends.
Visual representations of myths are important for two reasons. Firstly, many Greek myths are attested on vases earlier than in literary sources. Secondly, visual sources sometimes represent myths in a way that is different from literary sources.
Greek mythology is the collection of stories about the origins of the world and the gods.
Greek mythology evolved over time to reflect the changes in Greek culture.
The Archaic period (c. 750 – c. 500 BC) is the earliest period of Greek mythology.
During the Classical period (c. 480–323 BC), myths about relationships between male gods and male heroes became more common.
The Hellenistic period (323–146 BC) is a period of increased popularity for myths about relationships between male gods and male heroes.
After the middle of the Archaic period, myths about pederasty (παιδικὸς ἔρως, eros paidikos) between adolescent boys and important gods became more frequent.
At the end of the fifth-century BC, poets had assigned at least one eromenos to every important god.
In the early Roman Empire, myths about the origins of the world and the gods were adapted by poets.
The age of gods is of more interest to contemporary students of myth, while the age of heroes is more popular in the classical and Hellenistic periods.
The beginning of the universe is described in human language as creation myths.
The most widely accepted version is reported by Hesiod and begins with Chaos, a yawning nothingness, and out of the void emerged Gaia (the Earth) and some other primary divine beings: Eros (Love), the Abyss (the Tartarus), and the Erebus.
Without male assistance, Gaia gave birth to Uranus (the Sky) and then fertilized him. From that union were born first the Titans—six males: Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Oceanus; and six females: Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Rhea, Theia, Themis, and Tethys.
Cronus was convinced by Gaia to castrate his father. He did this and became the ruler of the Titans with his sister-wife, Rhea, as his consort, and the other Titans became his court.
After they ceased to become religious beliefs, few would have known the rites and rituals. Allusions often existed, however, to aspects that were quite public.
The beginning of the universe is described in human language as creation myths. The most widely accepted version is reported by Hesiod and begins with Chaos, a yawning nothingness, and out of the void emerged Gaia (the Earth) and some other primary divine beings: Eros (Love), the Abyss (the Tartarus), and the Erebus. Without male assistance, Gaia gave birth to Uranus (the Sky) and then fertilized him. From that union were born first the Titans—six males: Coeus, Crius, Cronus, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Oceanus; and six females: Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Rhea, Theia, Themis, and Tethys. Cronus was convinced by Gaia to castrate his father. He did this and became the ruler of the Titans with his sister-wife, Rhea, as his consort, and the other Titans became his court. After they ceased to become religious beliefs, few would have known the rites and rituals. Allusions often existed, however, to aspects that were quite public.