Greek Mythology 101

[Cantus Rock]

Yay, Myths! Byron, enlighten us with your disturbing knowledge of the gods!! Also, do you know the Norse mythology? I think that's pretty rockin', being its so out there. I really would have loved to be in these vikings heads when they thought these things up...but then again I don't speak any Norse language, so I'd just get shuffled in with the mentions of Val Hallah and the serpent that marks the end of the world. Wooo!

Well Byron, I think that if you're going to be our leader of Mythology, its only right you put on a toga. Come on ladies, lets here it for By in draps!

-Matt

 

[Billy's Girl]

I went to Greece last year and because I have a huge interest in mythlogy it was so cool seeing all the statues and monuments to the Greek Gods.

I also learnt that Zeus had affairs with both guys and girls. There's some dirt for you. Not such a ladies man/god after all!!

 

[grail]

for a really interesting take on Mythology, you might try reading Neil Gaiman's book "American Gods"...i had to read it with at least three other books and the comp nearby to look stuff up. and i thought i knew my stuff pretty well.

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Zeus's untold sex life

Originally posted by Amy
I also learnt that Zeus had affairs with both guys and girls. There's some dirt for you. Not such a ladies man/god after all!!

Lol, well, he did "dabble in males" a bit, but he's not really considered bisexual or anything. From the "Aphrodite" entry of "Women of Classical Mythology":

"...while Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, and Dionysus might have played around with a boy or two, they were heterosexuals, and Ares was not connected with a single homosexual liaison."

Zeus had his way with a TONNNNNNNNNNNNNN of goddesses and women (but woe to 'em if his wife Hera found out! ) , and he seduced a few boys, too. The most famous myth of this kind is "Zeus and Ganymede".

Ganymede was a prince---a "youth of great beauty"---and Zeus was so taken by him that he had his eagle abduct him and bring him to Mount Olympus to be his lover, and cup-bearer to the gods.

Then Zeus sent Hermes to the boy's father to tell him of this "honor" (lol), and as a recompense, he offered the king a pair of immortal mares, and a golden vine crafted by Hephaestus.

Because of Zeus's love for Ganymede, he set him in the sky as a constellation, Aquarius, the water-bearer, with the eagle beside him.

I guess they don't consider Zeus bisexual since he only had a few male encounters among a lot lot LOT of females, and ya gotta remember the ancient Greek way of thinkin'---men were considered "way above" women, and to engage in "relations" with other men was looked upon as normal in some of the Greek community.

Well, that's some dish on Zeus for now...lol. I remember readin' about another encounter with male mortal or two, but can't find where I've found 'em right now...




And then of course, he tried to force himself on his mother, had children with 2 of his sisters and a few aunts, and lusted after one of his daughters. Just your average kinda god. LOL! (But the immortals had to "breed" with one another so as to produce full-fledged other immortals...)

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Originally posted by Amy
I went to Greece last year and because I have a huge interest in mythlogy it was so cool seeing all the statues and monuments to the Greek Gods.

Man, I would SOOOOOOOOOOO to do that!!

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Apollo's unsuccessful loves

So Matt, you were under the impression that Apollo was the "hottest" god, huh? Well, perhaps you're right in the Greeks' visual sense (Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were sometimes referred to as "the most beautiful of the Olympians", and Apollo was often kinda "Adonis-ized" in their view [looks-wise]).

But take a look at the love life of the most "all that" god:

Let's start with Cassandra, shall we? A figure in the Trojan War (a daughter of King Priam of Troy), Apollo wooed her, and he even bribed her for her affections by givin' her the gift of prophecy. Yet she rejected his advances, and therefore Apollo cursed her by decreein' that, though she would always know the future, no one would ever believe her (insert ghostly shiver here).

When he pursued the nymph Daphne (literally---he, like, chased her), she cried out to her father, a river god, and he turned her into a laurel tree to escape Apollo's embrace. (Saddened, he then made a crown of laurel leaves from the tree, as a way to remember her, and this became the symbol associated with the Olympics and stuff).

Apollo offered the Sibyl of Cumae as many years of life as she had grains of sand in her hands, but she still refused him after he gave her this. Hence, he condemned her to live a thousand years, but get older and older.

A woman Marpessa was once sought after by both Apollo and the mortal Idas. Marpessa chose Idas, afraid that the god would be unfaithful to her (and with good reason---don't trust no Greek gods, now, y'all!).

The nymph Sinope was rather clever---she asked Apollo a favor before she would accept his overtures. He immediately granted her wish, only to hear her say that she wished to remain a virgin until her death.

And then there were his bisexual tendencies---"Goddesses in Classical Mythology" actually calls Apollo bisexual, but anyway, he did seem to have more male encounters than the other male gods:

He was in love with a young man named Hyacinthus, but Zephyrus, the West Wind, also loved the youth. Zephyrus grew jealous of Apollo and Hyacinthus, and one day when they were together and Apollo threw a discus, Zephyrus blew it so that it struck the boy in the head and killed him. Apollo caused the hyacinth flower to grow from his blood on the ground.

Another beloved man of Apollo's, Cyparissus, accidentally killed a tame stag. The boy could not be consoled, so Apollo turned him into the cypress tree to give him peace.

Now, Apollo did have some successful loves, but these are the fun "loser" ones, lol (well, at least the female ones---the males ones just ended sadly lol).

 

[Cantus Rock]

Heh, well thank you for that lesson Byron. Like I said earlier, now instead of impressing me, he just kinda scares me...He's like a creepy stalker god...eeewww....

-Matt

 

[grail]

Originally posted by Cantus Rock
Heh, well thank you for that lesson Byron. Like I said earlier, now instead of impressing me, he just kinda scares me...He's like a creepy stalker god...eeewww....

hey you're right! hmm...now he really DOES remind me of you!

heh heh...i kid

no really...

heh...

(geez, i sound like Byron...really...i do!)

 

[Cantus Rock]

LoL, why I oughtta....sit down and shut up before more of my secrets are revieled. (hehehe)

I want you to know though, I haven't been in contact with any of the ladies of the board in a good while...dunno where they went. Ms. Sunshine emailed me, but hasn't been around...eck, whatever..


STOP SOUNDING LIKE BYRON!! Really...you should!...

-Matt

 

[grail]

Originally posted by Cantus Rock
I want you to know though, I haven't been in contact with any of the ladies of the board in a good while...dunno where they went. Ms. Sunshine emailed me, but hasn't been around...eck, whatever..

now you see...you went and scared off all the girls*. way to go...heh...seriously, i wonder what happened...it's like all the zaniness has died down around here recently. i know things in other threads have been kinda serious, but that doesn't mean we can't have any fun.

(* - you have no idea how hard it was for me not to make a "we just can't have nice things" joke...but it's only funny if you listen to the Bob and Tom radio show, and know about "keeping a woman in a pit"...so i decided against it)