Mythology of Greece

Greek mythology is the approaches and the body of all stories, legends and myths that were brought into existence fromo ancient Greece. The teachings of the myth concern their gods, heroes, nature of the earth, their origins and the significance of their ritual practices as well as their cult. The mythology was also significant part of their religion and had fictional stories about popular figures whom they considered their gods. This paper analyses the Greeks mythology about Pandora and Prometheus as part of the Greek popular figures and the associated social phenomenon with them.
The ancient Greeks believed in different gods and goddesses led by Zeus whom they adored and worshiped. According to Greeks, there god had enormous powers and ruled over the world in unison. Each god had a particular role to play and they formed major parts of the days on human life. One of the most popular Greek myths is the narration of how trouble came into the world. According to Greeks, there was a time when the mortal man lived a happy life and joy reigned on earth from all directions. Men did not have to work for survival, they lived on mountain full of all sorts of goods they needed, rivers flowed with nectar and milk and so everything was in abundance. In addition, there was no any form of weapon since man had no reason to fight, men were not ill and they never grew old.During this period two brothers, Epimetheus and Prometheus who were from the great giant titans race lived with men after stealing fire from the thunder god Zeus. Prometheus had stolen the fire to better the life of man after his brain-scattered brother had failed to design man with any with any skill that would necessitate his survival on earth. The myth holds that Zeus became furious on learning what Prometheus had done. He punished Prometheus by nailing him to a rock, which was located far away from their home, Mount Caucasus (Davidson and Neil 64). Zeus went ahead to prolong Prometheus’ agony by sending an eagle to gnaw on his liver. The kind Prometheus suffered for his generosity towards humans. For Zeus, the punishment he had imposed on Prometheus was not enough; he was determined to punish the mortal men too. He ordered Hephaestus the smith to create Pandora using the same ingredients that had been used to create man (Davidson and Neil 78).Pandora is said to have been the most beautiful woman to have ever existed. She was too beautiful to bring blessings, yet was also evil enough to bring punishment to the mortal men. Her name Pandora meant all gifts because all the gods in Olympus Mountain had actually contributed to her beauty (Davidson and Neil 91). She was accorded the qualities of desire and love. Again, to ensure that the woman would bring upon sorrows to man, she was given deceitful and inquisitive qualities. The Lord of High Thunder then gave Pandora a sealed jar as a gift and she finally descended down on earth.Although Prometheus had warned his brain-scattered brother, Epimetheus not to accept any gift from Zeus since it could prove an evil source, Epimetheus could not accept the fact that anyone as appealing and as beautiful as Pandora could bring anything other than delight. He immediately accepted and married her (Nardo 74). Zeus had placed into Pandora’s mind an irresistible curiosity trait and on giving her the sealed jar, He warned her never to open it knowing clearly that Pandora could not keep her promise.Soon after settling down with Epimetheus, Pandora’s curiosity about the content of the sealed jar rose. She broke the seal and opened the sealed jar, the content in the jar flew and scattered everywhere into the air (Nardo 92). Zeus had filled the jar with evils for man, countless sickness and sorrows hovered and attacked day and night. They brought into the world hate, greed, sickness, envy, and sorrows that had never existed before. People began to grew older and man had to work to survive. Pandora however managed to put the lid back when the only helpful spirit inside the jar could fly away. Hope became the only help that humans depended on (Davidson and Neil 104). The Lord of the high thunder, Olympian Zeus had completed his revenge against Prometheus and the mortal man and it served as a warning to both the gods and mortals who would dare challenge him. This is how trouble came into existence but it is also important to note that hope came with it.Concisely, although different societies, in different civilization stages and different eras have developed and explained the workings and existence various natural phenomena, recount the deeds of their heroes and gods, or seek to justify political or social institutions. The Greeks myths remain unrivaled in the west as source of appealing and imaginative ideas.Top of FormWorks Cited.Bottom of FormTop of FormTop of FormBottom of FormBremmer, Jan N. Greek Religion and Culture, the Bible, and the Ancient Near East. Leiden: Brill, 2008. Internet resource.Davidson, James N, and Neil MacGregor. Origins of the Gods: The Origins of the World ; the Olympians ; Persephone ; Prometheus and Pandora. London & Manchester: The Guardian, 2008. Print.Nardo, Don. The Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology. Mankato, MN: Compass Point Books, 2012. Print.Bottom of Form