Greek Mythology is filled with many colorful characters, from heroes, villains, and morally-grey figures that will make you wonder about their true intent. These stories are often about fantastical adventures, though they never shy away from weaving tales about love and something much darker. In fact, there are many myths that speak of how wrathful the gods can be when it comes to dealing with disobedient mortals. While terrifying, they do serve a greater purpose: teaching important moral lessons.
With that in mind, we have to give credit to the ancient Greeks for devising such a clever way of keeping people in line. Curious about these stories? Here are our recommendations.
1.The Story of the Goddess Athena and Arachne
Arachne was a beautiful maiden who had also been blessed with a great talent for weaving. However, she lacked humility and often boasted that her skills are far better than that of the goddess Athena’s. As some of you might know, Athena is the patroness of the arts so someone besting her in the craft she personally gifted mankind is certainly quite the insult.
To test each other’s degree of talent, Athena and Arachne competed in a weaving contest. The goddess created a piece featuring her fight against Poseidon. Meanwhile, the ever-mischievous Arachne created a piece that depicted Zeus’ many misadventures. Angered by her hubris, Athena ultimately showed her true power and transformed the maiden into a spider.
2.The Apple of Discord
Remember the apple from the Garden of Eden? Well, it has a twin in Greek mythology. This is the very apple that served as the catalyst for the great Trojan War. It all began with the wedding Thetis and Peleus, for which Eris did not receive an invitation for. Offended, she walked into the wedding and threw a golden apple to the flooring as everyone feasted, remarking that it was for “the fairest”. Quickly, the goddesses Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena lay claim on it only to find themselves in a three-way dispute.
They asked Zeus to decide for them, but the King of the Gods passed that tasked on to the Prince of Troy, Paris, who was not even aware of his nobility at the time. Following Zeus’ advice, the goddesses went to him and asked the prince to choose. All the while, tempting him with worldly gifts. Anything from glory, wisdom, and even investments in the form of gold! In the end, it was Aphrodite’s offer of love and the most beautiful woman in the world that won the prince over. Who is this woman, you might ask? Well, it was none other than Helen, the wife of the Spartan King. Her kidnap triggered one of the fiercest battles that both mortals and immortals participated in.
All of that over an apple.
3.Pandora’s Box
In Greek mythology, it is often the most mundane of objects that can cause catastrophic events when placed in the wrong hands. Such is the case with Pandora’s Box. If you’ve ever wondered where all the bad in the world comes from; things you will need some form of insurance for, such as war, famine, hatred, and all sorts of disasters, well you can blame Pandora for that. At least, this is what the ancient Greeks believed. See, Zeus was vengeful following Prometheus’ act of giving fire to the humans. As such, he had tasked the god Hephaestus to craft the first woman out of water and soil.
To this woman, he gave various gifts and named her Pandora. Zeus has also left a box in her care and instructed her to never open it. After, she was sent to Prometheus’ brother, who eagerly accepted the gift of companionship. Despite Zeus’ orders, however, Pandora simply could not resist her degree of curiosity over the contents of the box. Lo and behold, it did not contain any form of riches. Instead, by opening it, she unleased all manner of evil upon mankind.
From love stories to ones that are downright terrifying, Greek mythology never ceases to thrill. It is no surprise that many are still enamored by its tales and are, in fact, studied up to this day. There are countless things to learn from these myths, after all!