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Greek Mythology

#1
Ostronomos Offline
According to Wikipedia, Western civilization, its art and literature for example, are heavily influenced by ancient Greek culture. Not to mention there was indirect influence by Islamic culture with the Muslim conquest of Constantinople. 

Many of the heroes of ancient Greek Mythology, which is a branch of Classical mythology and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, are foretold by the epic poems of the epic cycle and the tragedians and comedians of 5th century B.C. 

The oral tradition originally began in the 18th century with Minoan and Myceaenean singers and eventually was passed through generations by Homer's epic poems the Illiad and the Odyssey. A lot of the geometric designs on pottery of the 18th century helped preserve ancient Greek mythology. Also, origins of genesis of the world are told by Homer's near contemporary Hesiod in Theogony and another poem that escapes me at the moment. 

Comments and feedback appreciated.
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#2
Yazata Offline
I think that's all accurate.

I'm inclined to think that there was a sort of bardic tradition of "inspired" reciters/performers of traditional stories in verse form, that probably dates back to the Mycenean age if not long before. (I can imagine similar stories being told around prehistoric campfires.) The Greek dramatic tradition arose out of this.

I think that the Bible's old testament was based on similar oral traditions and similar ideas of divine inspiration, btw.

Since it was based on oral traditions passed down from generation to generation, each locality in ancient Greece had its own version of the myths. Zeus for example was recognized pretty much all over Greece, but different places told different stories about Zeus and had different traditions regarding him.

Hesiod's other major poem was Works and Days about the supposed five ages of Man.
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