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Greek Mythology

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Religion

The Resume

    Born in Greece
    Religion of the ancient Greeks
    Developed from the combination of the mythologies of the ancient Mycenaeans and the Dorians between 1100 BC and 700 BC
    Central texts include 'Theogny,' the 'Iliad,' and the 'Odyssey'
    Major figures included gods, like Zeus, Hera, Athena, Ares, and Apollo, and human heroes, like Theseus, Hercules, and Jason
    Disappeared with the rise of Christianity

Why Greek Mythology might be annoying:

    It wasn't real; their gods never existed.
    Its theology was filled with incest: out of Chaos or nothingness rose Gaea, the Earth goddess, who gave birth to her son, Uranus, who mated with his mother and gave birth to Titans; the youngest Titan, Cronus, married his sister and overthrew Uranus, and was in turn overthrown by Zeus who then married his sister, Hera.
    History shows that a significant percentage of the educated class in ancient Greek did not believe in the myths, which led to Socrates being forced to commit suicide for his disbelief.
    The religion gave little thought to day to day life including very little to common morality instead concentrating on ritual and animal sacrifices.
    The myths were treated the same as secular history by most Greeks causing considerable difficulties for historians over the centuries.
    With rare exception, Hollywood has done a crappy job of putting the myths on the big screen.
    It proposed a grim afterlife with almost everyone, no matter how they led their lives, spending eternity as vaguely ghost-like creatures in a purgatory-like underworld.

Why Greek Mythology might not be annoying:

    It inspired some of the greatest literature in history.
    It was the backbone of one of the greatest civilizations in history.
    Edith Hamilton, probably the greatest female classicist of all-time, loved studying and teaching about it.
    Some elements appearing in it (such as the existence of Troy) turned out to true.
    No one follows it any more.
    Some elements of it, most especially the gods quarreling among themselves (Athena stabbed her brother in the hand during the Trojan war causing Ares, the God of War to go squalling to their father Zeus) and having love affairs among themselves and humans (Zeus once disguised himself as a swan to seduce a young maiden) are hilarious.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 20 Votes: 55.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 30 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 21 Votes: 52.38% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 20 Votes: 55.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 191 Votes: 46.07% Annoying