Greek S. Roman

The Greek and Roman pantheons of gods and goddesses are a mirror reflection of one another, with a cross cultural effect on Roman culture. One can look at the gods and goddesses worshipped in a society and determine many of the cultural rules of that society as well as a variety of other customs which have important sociological implications. Societies which prize fighting will have gods of war, and will emphasize the values of fighting. Just as Americans emphasize the value of patriotism. Roman and Greek mythology have been a hallmark of the educated lady or gentleman for decades. Originally Latin and the study of Roman and Greek mythology were part of a classical education. Today the educational system has changed, however the importance of recognizing metaphors from Greek and Roman mythology has not changed. There are references in psychology from Freud to the Oedipus complex based upon Greek mythology and Oedipus Rex. There are turns of phrase in literature, such as "by Jove" which refers to the Roman God Jupiter who equates to Zeus. There are discussions in sociology when comparing Dionysian societies versus Apollonian societies, those that are more permissive versus those that are less permissive. To fail to have a basic understanding of Roman and Greek mythology is to fail to understand two of the mightiest influences on Western culture, to include government, literature, poetry, architecture, religion, law, ethics, morals, and nearly every aspect of many modern societies. This article will present the basic information about the Greek and Roman pantheons focusing on the most important gods and goddesses although this too is subject to debate. In addition it will look at how these gods differed from the gods of other cultures, and how they were more human in many aspects and thus more easily dealt with in the minds of the people in Greek and Roman society.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects about the Greek and the Roman pantheons is their... [continues]

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