Did the Ancient Greek Gods Exist Essay

The antediluvian patriarch Greeks regarded their religion and mythology with more than(prenominal) respect and loyalty. Although the antediluvian Greek perfections be now seen as an explanation created by man, for vivid forces and the world roughly us, there has been much evidence both for and against the upset that these Gods were standed. The Greeks believed that the Earth was created with the birth of Gaia, or all overprotect Earth, from the dark void know as Chaos. It was believed that Gods were exclusively-powerful giants and heroes, who were responsible for our earth.The Olympians were a young race of Gods led by genus genus Zeus, who at last overthrew the formidable Titans, led by Zeus tyrannical father Cronus. Once in power, the Olympians, named after their home Mount Olympus, were all(prenominal) given certain responsibilities and powers over natural forces and aspects of manner. such(prenominal) as the sky, ocean, death and contend. more adjudge de bated that the Gods hold in made their front clear, through their influencing and intervening with our hi account and punishments that they suck in cast upon us. Whereas others argue that they were clean stories told to reanimate others, hear morals and explain the unknown.The mythology of the Gods were usually passed on through stories and supported with archeologic evidence, the main literary account was by Homer and his two epic metrical compositions. Although they primarily accounted for the events surrounding the Trojan War, they include much proof on the impact and lick the Gods had on past Greek history. In Homers epic poem Illiad, Zeus is shown sending Agamemnon a treasonably dream, thus influencing his military decisions during the Trojan war in an attempt to depopulate the Earth. Although the kindity race of Agamemnon preservenot be proven, the city of Troy can be.The archaeological ruins of the city can be found in what is now known as Turkey and shows s igns of being destruct and rebuilt several measures, most likely ascribable to an earthquake and even a war, from which there was evidence of much slaughter. The past Greeks adore the Gods, believing they had power over everything around them and perceived them as churchman deities. The Gods were believed to claim normally taken on human form, exhibiting the same emotions and traits. They were also known for regularly intervening in human history. legion(predicate) people guide argued that like some(prenominal) antediluvian Chinese deities, many Gods were in situation based on real figures of history and that over time, like the Chinese gods, their true identities were alone forgotten and they were continually perceived as almighty gods. Such as Guan Yu, a Chinese general who was deified as the Taoist God of War, during the Sui Dynasty (581-618) for his contributions to the urbane war. He continues to be adore by the Chinese and is a figure of Chinese folk religion. Like the Greek Gods, Guan Yu is worshipped with alters, ceremonies, sacrifices and festivals. moreover after many centuries of being seen as a God, many atomic number 18 unaware that he did in fact exist. The Historical Theory, continues to support the idea that all people mentioned in mythology were once real people, only their story is passed on and changed over time. Comparisons have also been drawn with the similarities between the understructure of Ancient Greek mythology and its actual history. The Greeks believed that there were three generations of Gods Uranus and other creation gods, the Titans and the Olympians.Many believe that this is merely a reflection of the three major Ancient Greek civilisations Minoan, Mycenaean and Hellenic. Even with the Gods, they introduce heavy social struggles between moody communities. Professor Martin P. Nilsson concluded that the Gods were a mere reflection and dramatization of Ancient Greek civilisation. Although the Gods were worshi pped for their allegiance, they were also known for their offense and harsh punishments such as the Minotaur, a ferocious monster with a aridness for blood and the result of a Gods punishment.It all began as a sentence cast by the God, Poseidon, onto the queer of Crete, Minos for not sacrificing a prized white dogshit. To punish him, fellow goddess Aphrodite made Minos wife Pasiphae pivot in love with a manipulate hence resulting in the birth of the Minotaur, the paranormal offspring of man and bull. The Minotaur was infamous for its human body and bull head. Uncovered mimetic arts such as vases, alters and ruins have proven the high amount of bull worship in Crete and even separate of Spain, possibly due to the existence of the Minotaur.However many argue that it was from the bull virtuoso that came the origins and inspiration for the tale of the Minotaur. The creature last grew for a horrific taste for blood, forcing Minos to throw away it in a twisting labyrinth under h is palace, Knossos. Several years ago, Oxford university geographer Nicholas Howarth bring out an underground cave complex consisting of a dark, twisting network of tunnels on the island of Crete, plainly miles away from the ruins of Knossos.Locally, it is even known as Labyrinthos Caves. The Minotaur was eventually slain by Theseus, a demi-god, further supporting the argument that the Ancient Greek Gods existed. As mentioned, over time people have come to accept the Ancient Greek gods as something the Greeks created to see the world around them. The Physical system reinforces this argument, claiming that all mythology and religion is formed from the basis of the natural elements air, fire and water.Similarities can be seen with that of the Ancient Greek gods, such as Poseidon who was God of the Sea and was believed to have public over the ocean. Many argued that the Gods were mere emblematic personifications of the uncontrollable nature around us, from which the Ancient Greek s found hope and security. Sigmund Freuds symbolic communication and dream interpretation suggested that with the correct psyche and desperation, the Greeks could have used the Gods as a verification of control.Many have continued to attempt to interpret the mythology of contrary ancient civilisations. One of the most fortunate would be Herodotus, who uncovered the relationships and connections between Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythologies. He believed that the Ancient Greek Gods were directly inspired by Egyptian mythology. Gods such as Zeus were paired with the Egyptian god Amun. with historical linguistics, it was believed that these gods actually derived from common archetypes of the Proto-Indo-European religion. then concluding that Gods were a mere replica of other cultural religions and myths. Despite the skepticism that many feel towards the argument, the evidence is overwhelming and reinforces the debate that the Gods did exist, whether they were ever-living O lympians or exactly heroic human beings. As immortal wrathful giants, the gods were able to influence undefiled battles and punish those they believed evil, whereas if they were only human beings, their story would be able to inspire and teach others heroism and bravery.Although the argument involving the Physical surmise and Herodotus is viable, the natural elements are the foundation of life and therefore can be twisted to fit any argument and have similarities found anywhere if one simply looked hard enough. Although we may never specify the truth, the existence of the Ancient Greek gods are more realistic due to the possibilities go about with the idea that they could have been either almighty gods or average human beings.