Greek Myths: Stories of Adventure and Intrigue

After giving this definition, the writer goes on to explain the meaning of each one of the elements of the definition:

• First of all, a myth is a "story", meaning that it is a narrative, a structured sequence of events.
• Second, the stories are "traditional", meaning that they were told from generation to generation and from teller to teller. As is the case with the myths of ancient Greece, scholars agree that it is not possible to trace the origins of the stories, in other words it is not an easy task to pinpoint exactly in time when they were first created. The first written evidence of the stories was found in the works of the two most prominent greek storytellers, Homer and Hesiod,dating as far back as the 7th or 8th century B.C.
• Thirdly, the myths are "socially powerful": What this means is that they deal with issues which have profound association with the cultural and religious beliefs, as well as the everyday social life of the individuals belonging in a specific society.

As you will discover by reading these stories, the ancient Greeks used them for multiple purposes: To express their admiration for their heroes and satisfy their need for role models, to try to explain their surrounding world and the natural phenomena and to try to understand the mysteries of life and death.

Apart from being valuable sources of information about the ancient greek civilization, these myths are exciting and engaging stories which stimulate our imagination and creativity.

Below I have set up a list of links, each taking you to a mythical story taken out of Greek Mythology. These stories are my personal favorites and would like to share them with you.

The material covered in each of these stories is a culmination of my endless hours of reading of relevant literature written on the subject. In case you want to deepen your knowledge about Greek Mythology, please click here for a detailed reference of educational material, which I personally suggest.

My intention is to keep this list of links dynamic, progressively adding content for you to enjoy.

The twelve labors of Hercules

The myth of Demeter and Persephone

The Trojan War

Jason, the Argonauts and the quest of the Golden Fleece

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