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mj_toronto8

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I didn't know whether to put this in history or mythology and chose mythology because of the stories he told.

Who was Homer really? I honestly can't find much. He is listed as the "presumed" author of the Iliad and Odyssey, and no on knows where he is from or anything. I have heard different theories, that Homer was actually multiple people, etc. What do you guys think?
 
I didn't know whether to put this in history or mythology and chose mythology because of the stories he told.

Who was Homer really? I honestly can't find much. He is listed as the "presumed" author of the Iliad and Odyssey, and no on knows where he is from or anything. I have heard different theories, that Homer was actually multiple people, etc. What do you guys think?
Presumably Homer or the author of the ILIAD used the Aeolian and the Ionian languages. As I am not a glottologist, i do not know. If that is true, i presume that he employed poetic ballads from those two states. The extant work includes Attic redactions.
The ODYSSEY is in the Homeric epical style, though not an epic. According to a British author I read years ago, it was probably composed by a woman -- possibly by a character in the story: Nausikaa.

Presumably Homer lived in the 8th century BC. He could not have written the last chapter of the Odyssey... about Sicilians, i.e., before the Hellenic colonization. So say I.
 
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Presumably Homer or the author of the ILIAD used the Aeolian and the Ionian languages. As I am not a glottologist, i do not know. If that is true, i presume that he employed poetic ballads from those two states. The extant work includes Attic redactions.
The ODYSSEY is in the Homeric epical style, though not an epic. According to a British author I read years ago, it was probably composed by a woman -- possibly by a character in the story: Nausikaa.

Presumably Homer lived in the 8th century BC. He could not have written the last chapter of the Odyssey... about Sicilians, i.e., before the Hellenic colonization. So say I.
Fascinating - I love mysteries. I feel like the true identity of Homer is a mystery. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter! They make sense...
 

Learning About Dionysius

I have recently been studying about Dionysius. I feel like I hav been forgetting about him! Beyond the basics that he is the Greek god of wine, festivity, and ecstatic celebration, I’m eager to peel back the layers and understand his role and significance across different cultures and historical epochs.

What piqued my interest initially was how Dionysius seems to embody a dual nature – both bringing joy and chaos. This duality, along with his followers, rituals, and the influence on arts and culture, presents a fascinating study. I am particularly interested in the Dionysian festivals!

Curious to hear people's thoughts...

Accurate movies about Greek mythology?

I am looking for some "accurate" movies that have Greek mythological topics. I say "accurate" because how can we really even know? Many of the stories were handed down through the generations, and some even may have been lost. I guess I mean accurate according to what has been established from works that have survived.

I found this video - has anyone watched these?

About Theogony by Hesiod

This poem has been one of my favorites for a while. I think everyone interested in Greek Mythology should read it! I thought I'd give you a summary:

Hesiod begins by invoking the Muses to guide him in recounting the story of the origins of the gods. He describes Chaos as the initial void from which the first gods emerged. From Chaos came Gaia (Earth), Tartarus (the Underworld), and Eros (Love), setting the stage for the creation of the cosmos.

Gaia gives birth to Uranus (the Sky), who becomes her husband and the father of the Titans, Cyclopes, and Hecatoncheires (Hundred-Handed Ones). Uranus, fearing the power of his offspring, imprisons them within Gaia's womb. Gaia urges her children to rebel, and her Titan son Cronus castrates Uranus, seizing power for himself.

Cronus becomes the ruler of the cosmos but fears a prophecy that one of his children will overthrow him. To prevent this, he swallows each of his children upon their birth, except for Zeus, who is saved by his mother Rhea and hidden away. Zeus grows up and defeats Cronus, establishing himself as the king of the gods.

The poem then describes the Titanomachy, the epic battle between Zeus and the Titans, which ends with the Titans' defeat and their imprisonment in Tartarus. Zeus and his siblings, the Olympian gods, become the rulers of the cosmos.

The narrative continues with the story of the Gigantomachy, the battle between the gods and the Giants, and other myths surrounding the gods' interactions with mortals and each other.

Afterlife Beliefs in Greek Mythology?

What did Ancient Greeks believe about the afterlife? I've heard a few different stories... I'm particularly drawn to Ancient Greece's take on life after death.

Was there a uniform belief system, or did it vary significantly among different cities or periods? How did their beliefs influence their daily life and practices? I'm also curious about the role of mythological figures like Hades and the concept of Elysium.

If anyone has any expertise, recommended readings, or can point me to resources where I might be able to gather detailed insights into these spiritual aspects of Ancient Greek culture, I would greatly appreciate it.

Was the Trojan War real?

I have been wondering, was the Trojan War real? I decided to explore the topic. I still don't know. What do you guys think?

Let's start with the basics. According to ancient Greek mythology, the Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and the Trojans over Helen of Troy. Helen, the wife of King Menelaus, was said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. When she was kidnapped by Paris of Troy, her husband called upon the Greek army to help him get her back. The war lasted ten years, according to the myth, and ended with the Greeks claiming victory when they used a wooden horse to get inside the walls of Troy.

It's easy to dismiss this story as nothing more than a legend, but there is some archaeological evidence that suggests that there may be some truth to the tale. In the 1870s, a German businessman named Heinrich Schliemann claimed to have found the site of ancient Troy in modern-day Turkey. He found evidence of a walled city with multiple layers of ruins, which might have been the result of multiple attacks over time. Whether or not this was the site of the Trojan War is still up for debate, but it's clear that Schliemann believed that he had discovered the home of king Priam and the legendary Trojan horse.

That said, not everyone agrees with Schliemann's findings. In fact, some scholars argue that the city he found wasn't actually Troy at all, but another nearby city with a similar name. Others point out that the ruins he found don't quite match up with the descriptions of the city in the Iliad. Additionally, there is evidence that suggests that the Trojan War didn't happen exactly as it was told in the myth. For example, it's possible that the conflict arose over economic disputes rather than the kidnapping of Helen.

Despite the disagreements among scholars, one thing is for sure: The Trojan War has had a lasting impact on culture and has become one of the most well-known stories from Greek mythology. It has been retold in countless books, movies, and TV shows over the years, and the characters from the story continue to inspire us today. The Trojan hero Hector, for example, has become synonymous with bravery, while Odysseus's journey home has been the inspiration for many other epic tales.
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