The-ancient-Greek-mythology

CollegeofForeignLanguagesandLiteratureCourse:Title:TheinfluenceofancientGreekmythologyonthewesternworldMajor:EnglishComposer:ZhangHong(张红)Class：OneDate:______________________________CommentsandAssessment:Signature:Date:CourseThesisContent一、Introduction.......................................................................................................................3二、TheinfluenceofancientGreekmythologyonthewesternworld....................................3(一)TheancientGreekmythologyaffectstheviewoflifeinEuropeannations.........3(二)TheancientGreekreligiousmythcultureprovidesthefertilesoilforthedevelopmentofthelaterEuropeanliteratureandart..........................................41.TheinfluenceofGreekmythologyonwesternliterature..........................52.TheinfluenceofancientGreekmythologyonwesternart.......................7三、Conclusion........................................................................................................................7TheinfluenceofancientGreekmythologyonthewesternworld一、IntroductionTheancientGreekmythologyoccurredintheprimitivetime,andspreadfromancientGreektimetotoday.Itwasthemasterworkofprimitiveclansociety,whichwascreatedbyancientGreekpeopleandwastheearliestliteratureforminthewesternworld.TheinfluenceofancientGreekmythologyonthewesternisnotonlyinthefieldsofculture,artandconstruction.Infact,itswideinfluenceisbeyondourimagination.ThroughtheancientGreekmythology,wecanfeelthepeople’sbrilliantnaturalinstinctsandremarkableimagination.Meantime,itusedmanystoriesofnationalheroeswhomaybebothhumanandgodstoexplainsomenaturalphenomenonandhuman’slifeanddeath.Thesestorieswereabouthuman,godsandobjects,whichwereallcreatedbyhumanbeings.Afteralongtime,thesestorieswerecollectivelycalled”GreekMythology”byhistorians.TheancientGreekmythmixedreallifewithfantasy,wasfullofaromanticandmysteriouscolor,besides,itvividlypaintedapictureofancientGreekpeople’ssociallife.TheancientGreekmythologyleftdeepandimportantinfluenceonthewesternevenonthewholeworld,especiallyinreligion,philosophy,thought,custom,nature,science,literatureandart.Nowadays,moreandmorescholarsareinterestedinGreekhistory,whichisanimportantsteptostudytheEuropeanhistory.So,astherepresentativeofancientGreekculture,theGreekmythologyisanessentialpartforhumantostudy.二、TheinfluenceofancientGreekmythologyonthewesternworld(一)TheancientGreekmythologyaffectstheviewoflifeinEuropeannationsMythologywasattheheartofeverydaylifeinAncientGreece.Greeksregardedmythologyasapartoftheirhistory.Theyusedmythtoexplainnaturalphenomena,culturalvariations,traditionalenmitiesandfriendships.Itwasasourceofpridetobeabletotracethedescentofone'sleadersfromamythologicalherooragod.FeweverdoubtedthattherewastruthbehindtheaccountoftheTrojanWarintheIliadandOdyssey.AccordingtoVictorDavisHanson,amilitaryhistorian,columnist,politicalessayistandformerclassicsprofessor,andJohnHeath,aclassicsprofessor,theprofoundknowledgeoftheHomericeposwasdeemedbytheGreeksthebasisoftheiracculturation.HomerwastheeducationofGreece.TheancientGreekmythologywasintimatelyassociatedwithreligion.Thebelieftoallkindsofgodsistheideologicalbasisofmythologyandlegend.AndtheGreekmythologyincludestwoparts:storiesofgodsandlegendsofheroes,whichwasthecoreofreligionandhelpedreligionenrichanddevelopfurther.TheancientGreekmythologyhasgotperfectlydeveloped,thus,itrathervividlyreflectedthereallifeandsocietyofthattimes.IntheancientGreekmythology,godswereaspureandsimpleaschildren.Theywouldcryorsmileastheywanted.Theywouldneverhidetheirfeelingsandwishes,pursuingthehappinesstheywantedwithfreedom,expressingtheirfeelingswillfully.Inthemyth,whatthegodsdidwasametaphorforhuman’sdesire,andthesedescriptionfullyembodiesthathumanadmirednaturaldesireverymuch.Whenhumanbeingsgrowfromchildrentoadults,theymaywalkfromnaïvetoadultness.Theycanformthespecialthought,personalityandtemperamentofthemselves.However,theyalsowillloseallofthescrupuloushappiness,sadnessandsorrowinchildhood.Thereismorerationalculturearoundadultworld.Effusivefeelingsareunderthecontrolofcalmandrationality,anddesiresareconstrainedbymoralityandethics.TheboringrationallifemakesGreekpeople’sspiritpoor,lonelyandvacuous.ButintheancientGreekmythology,theycreatedmanygodswhohadfreeandjazzyemotionallife,whichrecallsthehumanbeings’desireforinnerworld.TheGreekmythologyoffersthebestcompensationtothereallife’srationality.Peoplecandrainthemselvesandsatisfytheirpursuitanddesirethatcan’tgetinthereallife.BecausepeoplecansatisfytheirdesireofinnerworldfromGreekmythology,theyarewillingtoshowanddevelopGreekmythintheirdailylife.TheancientGreekmythnotonlyisinheritedbyRomanmyth,butalsoprovidesunaccountableexcellentliteraturematerialsformanygreatliteratureworksinrenaissancetime.EventhepeoplegrowineasternmodernsocietyhavelistenedandreadtheancientGreekmythologymoreorless.ThefactthatancientGreekmythologyhasgreatinfluenceonwesternworldisundoubted.ThegodsinGreekmythbravelypursuetheirdesire,whichisavitalpartoflaterwesternpeople’sideaoffreedom.Inmodernwesternsociety,freedomisstillconsideredasawaytos