Greek Mythology Essays (2897 words) - Greek Underworld,

Greek Mythology No matter what you think the ancient Greeks were not on drugs. The people of ancient Greece had an extremely intelligent society. They had sophisticated architecture and a very high level of mathematics in their culture. These areas of life dealt with real things that could be controlled. When it came to natural phenomena the Greeks had certain explanations that might look eccentric now, but were reasonable 3000 years ago. In Greece's history there are several themes that contributed to Greek mythology and reasons it developed. Once Greek mythology was established in the culture an interesting set of gods and beliefs evolved and continued to evolve for hundreds of years. Two of these gods that you are most likely to be familiar with are Zeus and Apollo. If you understand how and why Greek mythology came about, the idea of Greek mythology won't seem so weird. The location of Greece itself lends itself to many different cultures. It is centrally located between Europe, Asia and Africa. With all three having extremely distinct and varied cultures. Travelers would share their ideas and thoughts with the locals as they went through Greece. Some ideas were adopted into the Greek culture or they were modified to their specific needs. Greece became a melting pot or crossroad for many different cultures. These factors must be taken into consideration when you are trying to understand Greek culture. Another way Greece was influenced by other cultures was by force. Between the years 2000-1400 B.C. Greece was ruled by several different cultures. These outside forces influenced their culture and religion. One thing that remained a constant was their language. The Greeks maintained to keep their native language and this established great internal uniformity. This became a factor in later years helping them rise to such a sophisticated civilization. The origins of Greek mythology as we know it today are impossible to trace because there was no structured church or written codes, but the main influence is thought to come from the Aegean civilization. The Aegeans lived on the island of Crete and are thought to be one of the first modern civilizations about 3000 B.C. Aegeans believed that all natural objects had spirits. Over time these beliefs developed into a set of legends involving natural objects, animals, and gods with human form. Some of these legends survived as part of classic Greek mythology. The Greek mythographer, Euhemerus, who lived around 300 B.C. had a contributing theory. He thought myths were distortions of history and the gods were actually heroes that were glorified over time. A Greek philosopher named Prodicus of Ceos who taught during the 400's B.C. taught his students that the gods were personifications of natural phenomena. Yet another theory of Greek mythology origins came from a Greek historian named Herod otus. He lived in the 400's B.C. and he believed that Greek rituals were inherited from the Egyptians. Probably all of these theories have some truth in them so they aren't wrong, but no one reason can explain or trace Greek mythology. No matter where they originated these myths became a part of Greek culture. Spreading these myths became the job of poets and writers of ancient Greece. Two prominent poets that became instrumental in Greek culture were Homer and Hesiod. One thousand years before Christ Homers Iliad became the first written record of ancient Greece. The Iliad marks the beginning of Greek mythology and is the oldest Greek literature. Later Greek mythology was defined by Hesiod. Sometimes his gods had slightly different powers and stories than Homers account of deities. Gods sometimes overlap and share responsibilities. The gods themselves also took on different personalities in Hesiod poems. Early deity stories often portrayed the gods in a not so flattering way. They were often saw as deceitful or mean. Later in Hesiod poems gods took on different morals. They were more of a model of right and wrong with the emphasis on the right way to live. Greater Greek morals and ethics contributed to the gods ch anging morals. The main purpose of these myths early on was to explain natural phenomena. Some myths were just for entertainment, but for the most part mythology was the earliest form of science.

Tackling Childhood and Adult Obesity essays

Tackling Childhood and Adult Obesity essays Drive down your citys main street and observe how many fast food restaurants are located just in that area. This is a typical reason why about one-third of U.S. citizens are overweight or even worse obese. Americans have had an ongoing struggle with nutrition and living a healthy life style, and sadly right now its at its peek. The United States of America is in the worst shape since its independence. I am determined that Americans can change using simple, but effective methods. Im a firm believer because I, myself, am an excellent example of how someone can be overweight and become healthy through dieting and exercise. A solid support group is key to weight loss. Our Nations schools need to have dieting and exercise programs to motivate the students and the people around them. I am not the only one who says nutrition is crucial, but I am one of the few who cares enough to change the direction this country is heading in. Nutrition is a widely discussed topic in America. Whether its about the population and its obesity rate over time or nutritional facts and hints to a healthy lifestyle, nutrition is considered a broad, popular, and important topic of discussion. Lately American citizens have been having issues with weight and are malnourished (Lemley, Balanced Living). Which is weird to hear because America is the most overfed country in the world. How can a country have too much food and still be unhealthy? Although there is plentiful food in America, most of the food consumed nowadays is classified as junk food. On top of that, ones include: fried foods, sweets, soda pop, etc. All this is what causes malnutrition. Malnutrition is the lack of proper nutritio...