Image Of Woman In Mythology Of Ancient Greece

 

female image in the mythology of Ancient Greece

The female image in the mythology of Ancient Greece – a bright immortal character

It is supposed that “goddess” is a compliment for the fascinating woman. However, don’t rush to say this word to the girl, you like, as this concept is quite deep. These female deities had negative features alongside the positive characteristics. The Olympus of Ancient Greece is an intriguing and captivating world. Its secrets are stored in the myths, describing vivid images and unexpected twists. The women constitute the gorgeous part of Olympus. Therefore, our enthusiastic team of the talented authors decided to write an essay about these cult characters.

The myths are the valuable source of the information. They illustrate the foundation of the Ancient Greek society and reflect the main features of this epoch. Thousands of years ago, people had poor knowledge concerning the surrounding world. Therefore, these stories were used to explain the power of nature. The meaning of the myths was to make a man and a cosmos closer.  Ancient people also tried to solve the contradictions of their society by describing relationships. Feeling helpless, they imagined the magic powers of the fantastic creatures. The myths are full of diversified feelings: unconsciousness, love, dread, admiration. For Greeks, it was an attempt to explore the mysteries of the world and to find their place in the universe.

Colorful female characters of the Ancient Greek women have become known all over the world. The capital of the country Athens got its name due to the goddess of the wisdom. Look at the famous brands and trademarks surrounding us in the modern world. A lot of companies are named after the heroes of the Greece mythology:  Nike, Pandora, Amazon, Hermes, Olympus, and others. The female images of this epoch continue their lives in masterpieces. Ancient pictures, sculptures, literature have managed to maintain their heritage. However, the civilization of those times is reflected in the modern films, cartoons, and even computer games too. It is the evidence of the immortality of this culture. 

Reading the myths, we can feel their atmosphere of the strong energetic. They have a psychological meaning. Long ago, they gave explanations for the failures and, thus, calmed people down in the desperate situations. Nowadays they also encourage and inspire us to the heroic deeds.

There was a special place for the goddesses in the Ancient Greek mythology. If you ever need to write an essay on this topic, don’t forget about our helpful writing service, guaranteeing the quality of the papers. In comparison with the world of the European Middle Age or Islam, the woman was more respected and revered in this culture. The Greeks were one of the nations who first came to the monogamy. The females at those times even had an opportunity to get an education. The woman’s status and her position in the society defines the development level of the civilization. Taking into account the female images of Ancient Greece, we can claim that this culture was quite progressive for its time. These people appreciated their destiny. They had a vivid life full of deep feelings and emotions. They successfully ruled their country and fought enemies. Nowadays one can notice the main features of the ancient heroes in the modern Greeks.

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This great civilization had a significant cult of the female deity. She was associated with the beginning of the life, as she gave the birth to everything on the Earth. The main contemporary belief systems https://livecustomwriting.com/blog/belief-systems-essay-what-do-you-believe-in   were preceded by this concept.  The Greek myths help understand the woman’s psychology. They describe the essence of the femininity nature. Reading the myths modern girls can notice the reflection of their thoughts, deeds, and excitements.  These stories reveal the initial natural roles of the females. They are useful to read both for women and for men. The myths are used by the psychologists too. Thus, they improve the relationships between women and men. Comprehending the basic female identity, the young girl can avoid contradictions in her life and prevent desperations in the life.

Eternal values reflected in the female images of Ancient Greek myths  

It’s interesting to realize that the universal human values, described in the myths of Ancient Greece, are still inherent in our modern world. The team of our site that writes an essay for you carried out research concerning this issue.  We can conclude that the female characters were given the following features.

  1. Loyalty. The destiny of Penelope is the brightest example of this concept. Homer called her the greatest goddess among all the women on Olympus. The charm and the intelligence were harmoniously combined in her image. Being a faithful and a patient wife, Penelope sacrificed her beauty and youth to the love.  She spent nearly 20 years without her husband Odyssey. She said no to all potential fiancés and never betrayed her spouse.
  2. Strong marriage. The most desperate woman, who fought for her marriage until the end, was, definitely, Hera. She was the most powerful goddess of Olympus. The family and the marriage were the most important things for her. Hera was obsessed with her husband Zeus. Her rivals were cruelly punished. For instance, Io was turned into a cow and Semela tragically died.  
  3. Self-sacrifice. Our team, providing research and writing services, wants to remind that Greek people enjoyed their lives. They tried to get everything they could from it. They felt the taste of the life. Therefore, the self-sacrifice was a real feat for them. Thus, Alcestis willingly came to the Aid’s house of death instead of her husband Admetus. She made it not only for her spouse but for her children too. According to the myth, he could take care of their kids better than she could. The family wasn’t the only reason for the self-sacrifice. The patriotic feelings also guided the women. For instance, a young girl Gidna died in the name of her country during the Greco-Persian war. She managed to cut the ropes of the Persian ships, holding the vessels far from the cliffs while the storm. This navy dropped anchors near the Greece seashore to wait out the bad weather. Gidna fearlessly dived in huge waves having only her knife. As a result, the fleet crashed on the rocks. Unfortunately, this girl sank too.
  4. Love. The alluring symbol of love in the myths of Ancient Greece was, certainly, Aphrodite. You are sure to remember this beauty born from the sea foam. She embodied youth, spring, and flourish. According to the research of our cheap online assignments company, neither gods nor people could withstand her magic charms. Her image was the most popular in the art. She is depicted in numerous pictures, frescoes, and sculptures. It’s an interesting fact that Aphrodite wasn’t happy in her marriage despite her beauty. The gods imposed her a husband Hephaestus, whom she never loved. Apparently, Greeks didn’t associate love and beauty with a happy marriage or a lucky destiny.   

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brightest images of the women in the mythology of Ancient Greece

The brightest images of the women in the mythology of Ancient Greece and the modern archetypes based on them

The myths of Ancient Greece are full of memorable female images. The woman was presented in different ways in these stories. Apparently, these characters define the contemporary personalities. Thus, combining these historical female features and the archetypes of Carl Jung, Jean Shinoda Bolen wrote a book revealing goddesses in the modern women. Our team investigated this book and defined the following archetypes, based on the mythology of Ancient Greece. This classification was based on the male perception of the women.

  • Woman-mother.

Demetra was an embodiment of the motherhood and fertility. These two concepts were united because the main issue of the parents was to feed their children. She had a compassion for surrounding people. Her main tasks were to support them in their difficulties, to feed, and to bring them up. Her image reflects a biological instinct – a desire to have a baby. And it’s not only about native kids but about love to all children. The generosity of this goddess knew no borders. She made everything to help her kids: gave food, spiritual support, and understanding. It’s interesting that the character of Demetra was detached from the love and marriage. The children were in the first place for her. Later this image was widely described in the literature. For instance, a character of Ultima https://livecustomwriting.com/blog/bless-me-ultima-essay-the-story-of-unusual-woman also contained the features of this archetype.

The contemporary image of the “woman-mother”. The females who have a bright Demetra type realize themselves as teachers, medical workers or just devote their lives to the families. It’s a warm and cozy image of the caring mother. The women, who overprotect their children, are confined to this archetype only. As for the celebrities, this title rightly belongs to the devoted mother of six children - Angelina Jolie. However, this image is only a part of her multidimensional personality.

  • Woman – friend.

The hetaeras were the main representatives of this image. Their main purpose was to inspire and support men. These characters were well-educated and intelligent. They were good at Literature, History, and Philosophy. The hetaeras gave advice on politics, played musical instruments, danced. They were rightful members of the society. The most well-known hetaera was Aspasia. Being the wife of Pericles she played a great role in the Athens history. The heyday of the Greek capital is connected with her person. Being ingenious and exquisite, she was a perfect counselor for her husband. The wish of men to have a sophisticated and interesting friend nearby underlies this image. If you want to know more about this character, you can order a custom college essay writing service online.   

The contemporary image of the “woman- friend”. Nowadays this type of the person is, probably, the most popular. The modern girls are interesting, multi-faceted, strong, self-sufficient persons. Therefore, the men see reliable friends in them. This image dominates in the character of the perfectionists. For instance, one can recognize this archetype in the school or university prom queens. This feature is inherent to a lot of gorgeous celebrities: Meryl Streep, Madonna, Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Tailor.

  • Beautiful and kind woman.

Apparently, the most beautiful goddess on Olympus was Aphrodite. Her earthly embodiment was Psyche. This girl was a symbol of youth, charm, and esthetic. In comparison with the deity, she had the beauty of her soul too. She was depicted as a girl with wings or as a butterfly. The image of Psyche is associated with “kalokagathia”. It’s a specific Greek term, implying beauty and kindness. This girl combined both these qualities in her personality. Unfortunately, this fact was a reason for Aphrodite’s envy. The goddess of the beauty sent four tests for Psyche. The young girl successfully coped with all of them. It was the evidence of her strong character. Despite her empyrean beauty, Psyche was lonely for a long time. Finally, the Greek gods sent her a monstrous husband. Unluckily, her appearance and a kind heart didn’t make her happy.

The contemporary image of the “beautiful and kind woman”. Nowadays it’s hard to combine an angelic character and a charming appearance at the same time. These qualities make a woman vulnerable. Nevertheless, this type of the person exists in our contemporary world. If we are to believe the mass media, the nicest celebrities, belonging to this archetype are Drew Barrymore, Gina Rodriguez, Kira Nightly, Karlie Kloss, and others.

In fact, the female features are so diversified, that they can’t be inherent only in one person. Obviously, Greeks had to invent several women images to describe all of them. An essay on this issue is a popular task at the college or university, as it helps to check the knowledge of Ancient History. If you need help with it, turn to our skilled paper editors. They will correct all your mistakes. 

The women in mythology are endowed with the supernatural abilities. If you could choose a superpower of the Greek goddesses, which one would you pick?

  • Make a person fall in love with somebody like Aphrodite.
  • Turn people into monsters like Hera did to Lamia.
  • Do magic, filling the barns with the corn (Demetra’s experience).
  • Know all arts and crafts like Athena did.
  • Make the soils fertile following the example of Persephone.
  • Transform yourself into a bear like Arthemida.

What power will you choose? Beauty, love, art, magic? Tell your answer to our team, providing professional academic coaching services.  Make a contribution to our research project on this issue.

The myths describe disparate women’s deeds and feelings. Their characters are so different, but what unites them all is a strong character. Probably, these qualities helped the Greek nation to 0survive.

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Impact of the female mythological images on the modern world

More than two thousand years have already passed since the times of Ancient Greece. That was a period of the patriarchal society. Therefore, the women tried to adapt to this state of affairs in different ways.  They had to choose varied strategies: fought with men, ignored them, or made alliances.

The echoes of Ancient Greece are still felt in our modern world. Probably, the images of the gods will also exist in future https://livecustomwriting.com/blog/image-of-future-according-to-popular-writers. It’s obvious that a contemporary woman is a multidimensional person. Still, a certain archetype can dominate in her personality. It determines the woman’s instincts, feelings, and the internal motivation. In turn, the external deeds are influenced by the modern cultural stereotypes.

The female images, described in the myths, can help define the women’s priorities. They give answers to the crucial questions. They are helpful for comprehending the reasons for the certain states. Very often, the women can’t understand their internal conflicts. The contradictions between the initial female archetypes and the fashion trends can cause personal desperations. For instance, it’s not natural for a girl with a stereotype “Hera” or “Aphrodite” to have a supper alone. The contemporary Athena won’t be happy, devoting her life to the family only.

Our team, providing professional cheap term papers investigated the experience of the Ancient Greek people.  As a result, we revealed four main types of the women behavior in the modern world.

  1. The first type is focused on a family, a monogamy marriage, and children. It is considered a traditional gender role of the woman (Hera, Demetra, Aspasia).
  2. The opposite type is an independent woman with a rough character and significant intellectual skills (Athena, Arthemis).
  3. One more type is a woman who relies mostly on her feelings, emotions, and intuition (Aphrodite).
  4. Spiritual development is the main feature of the fourth type (Hecate).

Comprehending the initial women images one can build a harmonious rapport. The archetypes define the female role in the following patterns of relationships: “father and daughter”, “brother and sister”, “mother and son”, “sweethearts”.

Understanding her type, the girl can develop her personality or supplement it with other archetypes. Our team, providing skillful term paper services, interviewed different groups of students about their favorite female images of the Greece mythology. Most of them prefer a combination of Aphrodite’s and Athena’s characteristics.

It’s obvious, that the girl’s personality can change in the course of time. During the life, different images can dominate in the personality of the modern woman. The traditional evolution of the female archetypes can be the following.    

  1. Cheerful Aphrodite
  2. Wise Athena
  3. Caring Demetra
  4. Family-focused Hera

The modern world makes the women stronger. Therefore, the archetypes of Arthemis and Athena compulsory exist in the contemporary female characters. The striking example of the strong woman is Alice Walker https://livecustomwriting.com/blog/an-unusual-woman-alice-walker-essay, fighting for the civil rights. Apparently, nowadays the girls successfully combine several archetypes. However, sometimes there is no space for more than two goddesses in one personality. This fact can be the reason for the internal fight between completely different priorities of the woman.

“Goddess” sounds proud. Nevertheless, the connotation of this word depends on the type of the deity you mean. The gods controlled everything in the world of the Ancient Greeks. As for the goddesses, they embodied all the diversity of the women features. 

In the past, the myths and their images explained the behavior of the people and women, in particular. Today we don’t have ancient gods to justify our mistakes. We take all the responsibility for our deeds. However, the ancient deities played a great role in the evolution of the people’s consciousness. Describing striking characters, the myths gave us the wise lessons of life. As a result, we can conclude that the archetypes based on the images of the ancient goddesses form a female personality. As a rule, today several goddesses coexist in one woman. Summing up, our well-experienced academic writers wanted to give helpful advice to the girls. Don’t try to cover the features of all the Greek deities. Focus on one or two archetypes. They should harmoniously exist in your personality. Don’t let the goddesses steal your individuality.

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