Odyssey/Greece/Homepage

Welcome to Greece! When you look at the night sky you see constellations named for heroes and heroines of ancient Greek mythology - Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Orion, and Perseus.

You may live near a city that takes its name from ancient Greece, like Athens in Texas, Georgia, or New York. Nashville, Tennessee calls itself the "Athens of the South" and is home to an exact replica of the Parthenon, the 5th-century BC Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Their NFL team is even called the Tennessee Titans, named for the first of the ancient Greek gods.

One of our most significant human accomplishments - manned flight to the moon - was named for the Greek god Apollo. The center of American government and well-known American national monuments look back to the buildings of ancient Greece. Why are we fascinated with ancient Greece?

Greek culture - its myths, theater, architecture, and sports - has influenced and inspired people for centuries, even millennia! We see the evidence of ancient Greece around us every day - in the constellations we identify in the heavens or the Olympic games held every four years; in the stories we tell and in the movies we see; in the architecture of our houses, churches, and public buildings and in our democratic system of government.

In this section of Odyssey Online, we'll look at ancient Greek objects to learn more about the people who made and used them, the rich culture of these people, and their legacy in our lives today. First, where is Greece? Take a look at a map. Odyssey/Greece/Homepage

Acropolis at sunset

Acropolis at sunset. A magnificent view. What do you think? Your comments are welcomed!

Planning a Greek Getaway

For all of you who are interested in visiting Greece then Fodor's Travel Wire Planning a Greek Getaway this article may prove to be a helping hand.

Welcome to the world of the Greek gods and goddesses

The other day I was watching a documentary on the ERT National TV channel about the modern-days soap operas. It was then when I realized that Greek Mythology is not far from modern-day soaps.

Welcome to the world of the Greek gods and goddesses!

It had as much scheming and fighting as a modern-day soap opera. Children fought with their parents. Wives tricked their husbands. Brothers and sisters argued. And in between, some even found time to battle monsters.

Greek Mythology begins with Chaos, who gave birth to Gaea, the goddess of earth. Gaea married Uranus, the god of heaven, and later gave birth to Cronus. Then trouble began. Cronus killed his father.

When Cronus and his wife had children, he worried history would repeat itself. He feared one of his 12 kids would kill him. So he swallowed them one by one. His wife saved one child by tricking her husband into swallowing a stone dressed in baby clothes.

The child who escaped was Zeus. He later did what his father feared. He killed Cronus and saved his siblings who were still alive in their father's belly. Zeus became the king of the gods. He ruled Mount Olympus with his mighty thunderbolt until the Romans conquered the Greeks and renamed all their gods.

Here's a look at some of Zeus' siblings:

Zeus (the Roman Jupiter): The king of the gods became the father of many gods and goddesses including Ares, the god of war, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

Hera (the Roman Juno): Zeus' wife, the goddess of marriage and birth, was very jealous. She was especially hard on heroes, such as Hercules, that Zeus fathered with mortal women.

Poseidon (the Roman Neptune): The god of the sea and older brother of Zeus. Just as Zeus was known for his thunderbolt, Poseidon was known for his three-pronged spear, called a trident.

Hades (the Roman Pluto): When Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades split up the areas they would rule, Hades ended up with the underworld, which is also sometimes called Hades.

Demeter (the Roman Ceres): The goddess of corn and grain was the mother of Persephone. Hades fell in love with Persephone and kidnapped her, bringing her to the underworld. During her stay, she ate some pomegranate seeds. Because she ate the seeds, she had to spend time in the underworld. When Persephone was gone, Demeter was sad and made it winter. When Persephone returned, her mother became happy and made it spring.

Hestia (the Roman Vesta): The goddess who protected the hearth and home, Hestia was one of the few Greek deities who wasn't known for making trouble. Many prayers were addressed to her.

At my GRHomeboy's Pages about Greece http://grhomeboy.googlepages.com/ "A Travelling Companion > Into the Greek Life" a special page about Greek Mythology exists, which is a short introduction to Ancient Greeks, the Gods of Olympus and other stories. Log in there to read more.

A Travelling Companion

Greece, you will discover, is a marvelous mixture of mythology and modernity, a country of countless contrasts and contradictions. Its bustling seaports and expanding cities inspire movies and market research. Its taverna tunes head the international "hit parade". Local cooking has impressed enough visiting housewives so that moussaka is no longer a novelty in Miami.

Publicity in recent years, especially during The Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games, has advised world travelers that Greece is a real bargain. It still is! There are real values to be found, from hotels to many kinds of shopping.

Read more at http://grhomeboy.googlepages.com/