Tell Me Why About Facts

  Q: Why did the ancient Greeks believe in oracles and sacrifice? A:     The ancient Greeks believed that there was once a muthical age called the Golden Age, when everyone was happy and everything was easy. Men lived like gods, no one worked, and spring never ended. However, men became greedy and started fighting woth each other. Then, the gods grew disgusted, and as a punishment, created the first woman, Pandora. She was responsible for unleashing evil on earth.        After the Golden Age, there was another mythical age called the Bronze Age. This was a time when great heroes performef extraordinary feats, and the gods helped man to defeat his enemies. The Greeks believed that they themselves were living in the Iron Age. They thought that the gods had abandoned them again, and could be pleased only by prayer or sacrifice. They also believed in oracles — priests ot priestesses who were thought to have direct contact woth the gods. The Greeks would co...

Greek mythology is filled with stories of gods, goddesses and heroes. Sometimes, the gods and goddesses married humans, and their children were half god and half man. These children were called demi-gods. Heracles, Achilles and Theseus were some of the famous demi-gods of Greek myths.

  Q :   Why does humanity suffer hardships according to the myths of Prometheus and Pandora? A :       Prometheus was the son of Lapetus who was one of the Titans. He tricked the gods into eating bare bones instead of good meat. He also stole the sacred fire from Zeus and the gods. A firious Zeus ordered him to be chained for eternity on Mount Caucasus. There, am eagle would eat his liver, and each day the liver would be renewed, and the bird would come and eat it again. So, the punishment was endless, until another Greek hero, Heracles (Hetcules) finally killed the bird.          It is believed that Zeus wanted to punish Prometheus further. He did this by sending Pandora, the first woman on earth to Prometheus' brother, and he gave her a jar that she was not to open under any circumstances. Now Pandora was gifted with many talents. In fact, her name Pandora means 'all-gifted'. Pandora however, had one great weakness. She was very, very ...

Q. Why is Zeus called the 'king of the gods'? A.       Zeus in Greek mythology is the king of the gpds, the ruler of Mount Olympus and god of the sky and thunder. His symbols are the thunderbolt, which he hurled at whoever displeased him, the eagle, the bull and the oak.           Zeus was the son of two titans called Kronos and Rhea. Do you know who the titans were? These were giants who had a human form. Kronos, Zeus' father, became father of the gods by murdering his own father, Uranus. The dying Uranus put a curse on Kronos that one of his own sons would dethrone him. So, Kronos swallowed all his children when they were born!           But Kronos's wife, Rhea, however, tricked him when she gave birth to a son, Zeus. She gave Kronos a stone wrappef in a baby's clothes to swallow, and hid Zeus witj a shepherd's family until he grew up.           Zeus fought a mighty battle against his father, fre...

  Q. Why was Mount Olympus known as 'the home of the gods'? A.    In early Greek mythology, it was believed that the important gods dwelt on a divine mountain called Mount Olympus. On its summit were the places of the major gods, known as the Olympians. The entrance to Olympus was through a gate of clouds, protected by the goddesses known as the Seasons.       Zeus, the king of the gods, had his throne on Olympus. The other gods who were believed to dwell there were his wife Hera, his brothers Poseidon and Hades, his sisters Demeter and Hestia, and his children, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, Hermes and Hephaestus.       All these gods, reflected some aspect of human life and nature. Zeus was the god of mind and intellect. Hera was the goddess of a woman's life and marriage. Apollo represented law and order. Aphrodite was the goddess of love. Hermes was the god of travellers, sleep, dreams and prophecy. Athens was the goddess of wi...

 Greek myths inspired the famous epics, the "Iliad" and "Odyssey", which were written by the poet Homer in the 8th centuary B.C. These poems tell the story of a great war known as the Trojan War and the adventures of the superheroes, Achilles and Odysseus. Once the war ended, they started their journey back home to Greece.