Introduction. Mythology and literature of antiquity

The role of mythology in the history of world literature.

Mythology refers variously to the collected myths of a group of people or to the study of such myths – their body of stories which they tell to explain nature, history, and customs. It can also refer to the study of such myths. All cultures have developed their own mythology over time. Mythology includes the legends of their history, their religions, their stories of how the world was created, and their heroes. These stories have great symbolic power, and this may be a major reason why they survive as long as they do, sometimes for thousands of years.
The main characters in myths are usually gods, demigods, or supernatural humans, while legends generally feature humans as their main characters. Many exceptions or combinations exist, as in the “Iliad”, “Odyssey”, and “Aeneid”. Myths are often endorsed by rulers and priests and closely linked to religion or spirituality. In fact, many societies group their myths, legends, and history together, considering myths to be true accounts of their remote past.
Creation myths take place in some early primordial age when the world had not reached its present form. Other myths explain how the society's customs, institutions and taboos were established and sanctified. A separate space is created for folktales, which are not considered true by the people who tell them. As stories spread to other cultures or as faiths change, however, myths can come to be considered folktales. Sometimes myths and legends get merged together. Their divine characters get recast as humans or as demi humans (such as giants, elves, and faeries). Creation myths describe the "official" belief as to how world was created. These myths differ greatly between societies, as any collection of myths clearly shows. Over the last three centuries, the power of myths over the minds of people has been challenged by the growth of science.
The basis of ancient mythology are stories about the oldest deities, godsOlympians and heroes. Legends of the oldest gods appeared among Greeks and Romans at a time when society was matriarchal. These gods were called chthonic, or beastlike. With the onset of patriarchy, the gods began more to resemble people. At this time appears the image of Zeus or Jupiter - the supreme deity who lived on Mount Olympus. It is from here that the name of the Olympian gods takes place. In the representation of the Greeks, these creatures had a rigid hierarchy that justified the same order that exists in society.
The heroes of ancient myths were unusual people, who appeared as a result of the connection between the mere mortals and the Olympian gods. For example, one of the most famous is Hercules - the son of Zeus and the common woman Alkmena. The Greeks believed that each of the heroes had a special purpose: to cleanse the Earth of the monstrosities that Gaia had spawned.

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