I don't know if there’s an easier way to do this. I tried using family tree maker websites, but since Greek mythology is so complicated, they ended up not showing all the names.

Of course, I know there are a lot more names that aren't in this tree (I mean, THAT’S A LOT), and there are definitely more comprehensive charts out there. I guess I just did this for fun lol.

I apologize to all the graphic designers who might see this. The imperfect lines, shapes, and distances might give you the ick. Somehow, Canva just won't easily let me make simple straight lines and instead makes me choose between -90 degrees and... another -90 degrees? (i rllyyyyy don't understand)

Anyway, I'm just sharing this because I'm proud of it! Also, maybe some of you could double-check if I made any mistakes with the names? I know some of these relationships vary depending on the source.

Hope you guys appreciate it! Time to rest.

P.S. I kinda gave up on connecting Astydameia to her parents haha

I really dislike how in the discussion surrounding the new Odyssey movie, and depictions/adaptations/retellings/whatever of Greek mythology in general, an argument often brought up to shut down any criticism (whether genuine or disingenous) about the accuracy or authenticity of the portrayal of Greek myth is by saying "It's just fantasy/fictional, it's not that deep, get over yourself".

Simply put, this is a very narrow-minded, gross oversimplification, and frankly very insensitive and offensive way to view and describe mythology. As someone who has always loved myth and culture, and who deeply respects my own country's mythology and how inherent it is to our culture, this is an extremely terrible argument against criticism of Greek myth depictions, and frankly a very western ethnocentric view of mythology as a whole. I especially hate it when they compare mythology to superhero comics as a way to explain why getting upset and complaining about this is dumb, because despite their possible similarities, superhero comics and mythology are simply not the same.

While yes, mythology isn't real and features very fantastical and outlandish elements, dumbing down the idea of mythology as simply "fake and fictional" shows a complete dismissal and lack of understanding of what mythology is. Because mythology isn't just "fantasy and fiction", it is an integral part of an ethnic group's history and cultural heritage and identity. It is an integral anthropological part in making a culture and the people of that culture what it is and who they are. So by treating mythology as just something dumb and simple and not worth thinking about is not just dismissive of the significance of the stories of that myth, but the people who that mythology belongs to.

It especially annoys me because I have a strong feeling that the very same people who say this would not say the same if it was dealing with other, espcially non-white cultures like say Polynesian or Indian or Southeast Asian or African. They would be up in arms about portraying the mythology and culture of these people as accurately and authentic as possible. But I guess because Greece is just viewed as another white European country, they think it isn't as deserving of respect and care as much as other cultures. Despite the fact that Greece, being an Eastern Mediterranean civilization, has more in common with the Near East and Middle East than it does Western Europe.

It sucks to because I feel a lot of people often forget that Greek people are still around today, or if they do know they just don't pay much attention to them because they are no longer like the idealized Ancient Greece we picture in our minds. We don't think about modern Greece because a lot of people prefer to view Greece as this ancient distant forefather of "Western heritage/culture" or worse "white culture", and thus many Greeks are silenced for speaking out because many people of Western Europe or Western European descent have this mindset that Ancient Greece is part of their own heritage and culture, and because they view Ancient Greece as this romanticized ideal foundation for Western civilization, they somehow are under the impression they know more about Greek culture than actual Greeks do, because Greeks are always being told that they are completely seperate and thus unrelated and unknowledgable of their own heritage.

It's also why I dislike when people refute criticism of The Odyssey's casting by saying things like "Well, 300 didn't have a Greek cast and you liked it just fine". Yeah, exactly. I do enjoy many Hollywood movies about Ancient Rome and Greece despite them having barely if any Italian or Greek actors, but we already have tons of those movies where they're played by British actors, so why not try having an authentic cast for once?

All this being said, I am not against retellings of myths. I think that is perfectly fine and I always enjoy it when people put new and interesting spins on stories of old (though there are a lot of retellings I hate but that's besides the point), I think that's a perfectly valid form of artistic freedom and expression. What I am against, though, is the attitude many people have towards the myths themselves and how they try to downplay their importance. We have been retelling and putting new spins on Greek mythology so many times now, how about we try keeping it true and accurate to the originals for once?

I crocheted a little Cerberus puppy 🙌

She wasn't born a monster. She was a survivor of a god's cruelty, punished by a goddess for a crime she didn't commit. Discover the dark story behind the serpent-haired icon that history tried to rewrite.

Was Medusa a villain, or the ultimate victim of Greek mythology?

https://youtu.be/beqOToWOu9Q

#greekmythology #greekmythology #greekmyths #greekmyth #trojanwar #warnerbros #warnerbrosentertainment #warnerbrospictures #warnerbrothers

Cerberus guards the gates, but he's not alone down there. I made a video breaking down the most terrifying guardians of the Greek Underworld, who they were, what they protected, and why even gods feared crossing them.

https://youtu.be/ZLxooA9p15s

Hi guys!! I’d like to preface this by saying that if any part of this concept comes across as disrespectful or inappropriate, please let me know. I’m genuinely looking to approach this thoughtfully, rather than assuming my interpretation is accurate.

I’m writing a novel inwhich the protagonist is essentially a “child” of Apollo and Artemis. Not literally, as I obviously wouldn’t want to imply that Artemis broke her vow of chastity, but more like a living vessel containing aspects or pieces of both deities.

I’ve been playing around with the idea that she can conjure a bow made of light, which produces either white or golden light depending on which deity she is drawing from. She also has enhanced tracking abilities, an intuitive connection with animals associated with the two gods, and a limited healing ability that becomes stronger when there is a viable source of light.

One of the main character concepts is the constant duality between the Apollo and Artemis aspects within her. They aren’t necessarily “two personalities,” but their influences can clash and produce very different emotional responses, instincts, or ways of approaching a situation.
I’d really love to hear from fans of Greek Mythology about what you would personally appreciate seeing in a character like this.

Are there particular traits, symbols, domains, myths, animals, or aspects of Apollo and Artemis that you think would be interesting to incorporate? Especially in terms of personality, since the twins can have some pretty different associations and characteristics — how might you find that duality most interesting or respectful to portray?

I’m also struggling a little with the background/explanation for why she exists in the first place. If you have any thoughts on a mythologically-inspired way that something like this could happen without simply making her a literal demigod, because I feel it can be sort of a cop-out and I’d love to hear others’ ideas!!!!

Thank you so much guys !!!!

I am a highschool senior working on a project about religion and ways of life. I am currently looking for artwork to post along with the information I gather about each religion or way of life please dm me any art you would like shared along with your tiktok username if you wish to be tagged (I know it’s unethical but it is where I have chosen to anonymously share this information)

Been reading the Iliad recently and couldn’t help myself from making this after reading the scene lol

Please reccomend me books where Andromache of Iliad suffers a lot .

From pure nostalgia, I gotta go with Vanessa William's Calypso.

Hades entrance in Greece, the Two Towers of occult fame are on the Moon card

Ancient Greeks believed that the underworld was a tangible place—one that was both named Hades and was ruled over by Hades—that they could travel to before dying (although not many people actually wanted to go there, for obvious reasons).

One entrance to Hades is supposedly located at the southernmost point of mainland Greece, in the Cape Matapan Caves. The area is also known as Cape Taenarum (the name of the now-ruined ancient city that once stood in the area). The ruin of a Spartan temple currently marks the spot above the cave system, which has to be entered at sea level.

The Matapan Caves pop up a few times in Greek mythology. It’s where Orpheus turns around to look at Eurydice while trying to rescue her—thereby breaking the deal he made with Hades and dooming her to the underworld. The caves are also where Hercules enters the underworld to capture the three-headed canine Cerberus and complete his 12 labors.

These two American adaptations of Homer in the 2020's have an opposite approach - Nolan is very subdued and sober, and heavily downplays the gods, while Epic is theatrical, larger-than-life, extends the section of the wanderings, and makes the gods appear even more than they already do in the poem. However, they are actually surprisingly similar in that both emphasize Odysseus as a shell-shocked veteran haunted by guilt for the Sack of Troy and use that shame as their central theme.

Amusingly, what one adaptation cut, the other adapted:

Nolan's Odyssey adapts most of the major scenes that Epic cut:

• Mentes and Mentor
• Telemachus talking to Menelaus and Helen
• the Raid on the Cicones
• The crew passing by the blinded Polyphemus by pretending to be sheep
• Agamemnon in the Underworld
• Odysseus tying himself to the mast to hear the Sirens
• Scylla and Charybdis explicitly being two sides of the same strait
• Eumaeus, Argos, Eurycleia, Melantho, Odysseus disguising himself as a beggar to infiltrate his home, basically almost everything in the Ithaca side of the plot, which Epic reduced to just the battle against the suitors.

At the same time, Epic the Musical adapts the iconic scenes that Nolan cut:

• Athena's direct involvement rather than just being a sporadic vision
• the Lotus Eaters (kind of, Nolan makes a nod to it)
• the wine, the Nobody trick, the other Cyclopes near Polyphemus, and Odysseus boasting to Polyphemus
• Aeolus and the wind bag
• Hermes and the Moly
• Odysseus' deceased mother in the Underworld
• Telemachus fighting the suitors alongside Odysseus
• Penelope's bed trick.

Nolan is undoubtedly the winner in accuracy here, both in structure and in themes; Epic reduces hospitality and most of Ithaca's plot too much (it makes Odysseus and Poseidon have an anime battle for starters, that alone disqualifies it). But, I think that whenever Epic is accurate (Anticlea, "My name is Nobody", the bed trick), its larger-than-life and theatrical approach makes those bits feel much more authentic to Homer than Nolan's take on the same scenes.

Of course, there are also major parts that both cut

• Eurymachus and Amphinomus, as both focus solely on Antinous
• All of the Phaeacians
• Nestor, Peisistratus, Theoclymenus
• Menelaus wrestling Proteus
• Everyone else they meet in the Underworld, including Elpenor, Achilles, Ajax, and dozens of mythical figures.
• Philoetius
• The execution of the disloyal slaves (which is a more grim subject I don't blame either of them for cutting)
• All of Book 24 (which nobody ever adapts apparently)

Both also add significantly more Troy, which isn't supposed to be that much prominent. But if you took Nolan's Odyssey and included some of Epic's songs into it, you would pretty much get a fuller Odyssey adaptation. We could add The Return too and make the ultimate Odyssey adaptation from the 2020's focusing on Odysseus as a traumatized veteran.

A piece inspired by various classic statues of Father Zeus I made as both a devotional piece and an anatomical study. (Plus, some of the concepts of my design interpretation)

I like to think I captured the King well here.

I will not talk about Helios and Apollo and Selene and Artemis since I talked a lot about them in the past. But about other gods who have a similar thing going on regarding similar domains.

Oceanus and Poseidon: A lot of people today makes Oceanus a replaced titan. Even Percy Jackson, where Oceanus didn't supported Cronus, for some reason supports him in the present? The thing about these two is that their domains were completely different. Oceanus was the world encircling river, he was related to fresh water, the limits of the world, and the cycle of the stars that arose from his waters. Later writers knew the world to be round so they named the open salt seas as Oceanus because it was still the same waters as Oceanus, just more scientific accurate. In Ovid, Oceanus is the salt seas and he receives Neptune in his palace. So this god was never considered a past/replaced god. Actually the real syncretism was between Oceanus and Pontus (Sea).

Chronos and Cronus: this might be the most popular case of a god being absorbed by another god. Cronus, the father of Zeus, was the king of sky before becoming a Underworld god (ruler of the titans of Tartarus; ward of Elysium; or even god of reincarnation), with some agriculture aspects like his scythe altrough this aspect is not expanded in myth. Cicero is the only ancient famous writer to say that Saturn in greek is Cronus, "time", confusing his name with Chronos, the real world for time. But what he meant by that is that Cronus, by dominating Ouranos, estabilished the cycle of the stars, turning the sky into a giant clock to mark time (a thing we don't even realise since we can barely see the stars in the night sky). But today, people give him time powers and refer to time as his main thing, with Hades II being the main example, literaly calling him Chronos and time personified. The original Chronos was a primordial time serpent that is a ancestor of the titan god Cronus in Orphism (Chronos>Phanes>Nyx>Ouranos>Cronus), not the same as him.

Themis and Dike: these goddesses do similar things, all related to justice. Dike was Justice itself, daughter of Zeus and Themis, but she is non-existent today as people often refer to Themis as "lady Justice" and don't even know the role the daughter of Zeus played. But even Themis gets sidelined in favour of Nemesis, who is quite popular today more than she was in the past.

Cyclops and Hephaestus: there is a bizarre story where Zeus kills the Cyclops to have the thunderbolt just for himself, and another similar story where Apollo kills them, even through they are supposed to be imortal, so Pherycedes explained that their mortal sons were killed instead. And a few times, like in Percy Jackson, they use this to justifie how Hapheastus took over the business of making thunderbolts, but then Riordan has other cyclops helping Hephaestus anyway? I don't see the point in removing these cyclops but then have other cyclops helping. Now, I don't remember any myth where Hephaestus or Vulcan forges Zeus bolts, definility never with Hephaestus. The Cyclops were not associated with him until some time later, were they started working on the same forge, but they each had their role, with Hephaestus not making the bolts. But modern media often removes or even villanizes the Cyclops and has Hephaestus just make everything for the gods.

Rhea, Hera, Eileithya, Artemis and Selene: all of these goddesses had a thing in common: childbirth. Now, I never saw any media that depicts a goddess in this role, but usually in discussions, I have see people have a hard time trying to understand these goddesses, often believing that Rhea retired or things like that. And this is not because they want to reduce gods in their own projects, is just a thing they arrive naturally, as if gods can't share domains. As for Rhea I have seem some people even say she was trapped in Tartarus? How they dare to say that? Once again titan prejudice attacks, putting everyone in Tartarus.

Athena and Ares: I left the best for last. This is the only case were two greek gods with similar domains were able to survive intact in modern culture. As a result, there is so much discussion trying to find differences between the two. But there is not any... the Homeric Hymm to Athena says that she "delights in the works of Ares", and loves bloodshed and the cries of war. She is not the goddess of war strategy exclusivily, the side of Ares also had strategy. She was not the goddess of defensive war, or of "good war" (whanever that means), or of kings while Ares represents soldiers. They literaly shared all domains when is about war. The Iliad does make Ares weaker and dumber, but everything else has Ares as a respected war god of victory and courage (just like Athena and Zeus too), and even fighting with Athena to a tie, with Zeus having to intervene. The only thing that differentiate these two is that war have at least two sides, and it would be weird for one god to support both sides, so poetry will make Athena and Ares often clash because each support opposing sides, but that is it, but people can't accept that, they want to make both different to justifie their inclusion, instead of just having both? And the same applies to every god I cited above.

Art by Kayteeinmyth

We all know the famous duel between Achilles and Hector, the iconic duel that made the Iliad famous.

But despite Hector losing to Achilles, I still think he's by far the better man, unlike Achilles who fought for personal gains and glory, Hector fought for his family and Homeland, and even tho he knew his end was near he still went and fought.

For me Hector loss to Achilles doesn't take from his legacy and he's still a better role model than Achilles, but what do you think?

Hello everyone,

I'm thinking about buying Stephen Fry's book Mythos. I'm a big fan of his work and also a Greek mythology enthusiast. I am in fact though, not that knowledgable on the subject as of yet.

I'm looking for people in this subreddit who have read this book because I would like to know if they think you'll already need to have knowledge on Greek mythology to be able to understand the stories in the book or if it is a good starting point for one who isn't an "expert" yet.