Olympian deities looked like men and women (though they could change themselves into animals and other things) and were - as many myths recounted - vulnerable to human foibles and passions. ![]() From their lofty perch, they ruled every aspect of human life. Many high school, college and professional sports teams (Titans, Spartans and Trojans, for instance) also get their names from mythological sources.Īt the center of Greek mythology is the pantheon of gods and goddesses who were said to live on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Nike sneakers are the namesake of the goddess of victory, for example, and the website is named after the race of mythical female warriors. Writers such as the 2nd-century BC Greek mythographer Apollodorus of Athens and the 1st-century BC Roman historian Gaius Julius Hyginus compiled the ancient myths and legends for contemporary audiences.ĭid you know? Many consumer products get their names from Greek mythology. For instance, mythological figures and events appear in the 5th-century plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides and the lyric poems of Pindar. Later Greek writers and artists used and elaborated upon these sources in their own work. The Theogony tells the story of the universe’s journey from nothingness (Chaos, a primeval void) into being, and details an elaborate family tree of elements, gods and goddesses who evolved from Chaos and descended from Gaia (Earth), Ouranos (Sky), Pontos (Sea) and Tartaros (the Underworld). Space exploration related to planet Jupiter which NASA has sent Juno spacecraft as a space probe orbiting the planet Jupiter are named after the Roman goddess of marriage (Juno) and interestingly she is the wife of Jupiter! Beautiful star patterns on our sky which created the constellation also mostly named after the Greek mythology.Ģ.Around 700 BC, the poet Hesiod’s Theogony offered the first written cosmogony, or origin story, of Greek mythology. The tradition of naming sky objects after ancient mythology also involving other mythology as you can see the name of most moons in our Solar System such as Calisto, Ganymede (moons of Jupiter) and Phobos, Deimos (moons of Mars) are taken from Greek mythology. Perhaps the planet received this name because it’s so far from the Sun that it is in perpetual darkness. Pluto is the Roman Lord of the Underworld (counterpart of the Greek god Hades). In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune is the brother of Jupiter and Pluto the brothers preside over the realms of Heaven, the earthly world, and the Underworld. He is the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon. Neptune is the god of freshwater and the sea in Roman religion. This intriguing painting shows Saturn resting quietly with a wheat cutter in hand, as well as the astrological sign symbolizing patience and self-discipline.įormer Roman God of the Sky, retired. The planet’s sluggish movements probably reminded ancient sky-watchers of the slow gait of plowing oxen or grazing cattle. The most distant planet that visible to naked eye, Saturn was named for the Roman god of agriculture. Jupiter was the King of the Gods in Roman mythology (counterpart of the Greek god Zeus), making the name a good choice for what is by far the biggest planet in our solar system. Ancient philosophers believed this planet to be the cause of dissension, strife, quarrels and battles. Planet Mars has a brilliant red color that symbolizes fire and blood which also why it is called as The Red Planet. ![]() The planet was named Venus since it makes a beautiful sight in the sky symbolizing the beauty of the goddess itself, with only the Sun and the Moon being brighter. Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly around the Sun and relatively across the sky. Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery in Roman mythology. When telescopes were invented, the other planets in our solar system were discovered, and still the tradition of naming the planets after Roman gods and goddesses were used. The planets that the ancient Romans could see in the sky without using a telescope which are Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury, were given their names thousands of years ago. ![]() Read Time:2 Minute, 42 Second Nurul Syuhada Aris (UM Internship Student 2020)Īll of the planets including Pluto (dwarf planet) in our Solar System, except for Earth, were named after Roman gods and goddesses.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |