How Greek Mythology Can Still Be Considered as Relevant in Today’s Modern Society?

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beings or powers or events to provide the explanation that is unavailable otherwise. This is one of the reasons why myths were created in the first place and to the extent that some myths such as the Greeks have developed as a religious system. As a religious system, though it is ancient and unpopular to contemporary times, there are still minor groups and societies that still uphold the beliefs of these myths.

Homer was a Greek poet known for being the author of the two famous epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which scholars found them to have been written between the 8th and 9th century BC, and it is amazing how ancient Greek works such as these are still being read, studied, and referred to until today (Renshaw, 2008). These myths entertain and educate people from all layers of society. They are written to explain traditions or values or beliefs in every culture. They are written to illustrate, at least in part, the history of the people who tell them. So, the tellers get laughs and nods of familiarity from the generations in their audiences, but they also teach the young and those who are unfamiliar or only fairly familiar to the tribe or culture to the way the Greeks lived their lives in the past, how things are done and the reasons why.

Myths have served a myriad of purposes throughout history. In the past, they were the conduit through which stories were passed from generation to generation. They convey strong messages and teach lessons by using symbolism and creative license. Their format is even used in modern times to tell stories that are meant to entertain and keep the interest of the readers and the listeners. Greek myths can be perceived as indications of human creativity. The ancient Greeks abilities to produce and convey these extraordinary, timeless myths are truly praiseworthy and artistic. These myths have inspired writers, artists, musicians, scholars, and others in producing their works and arts for centuries.

The popularity of myths and the way that they are still read and studied just as much today suggests very strongly that myths are much more than just stories, and that they have an important purpose in today’s world, just as they were important in ancient civilisations. Myths can be described as sacred tales that help man understand the world and his place in it. Myths often try to respond to eternal questions, such as the origin of the existence of evil, and also, through the archetypes that they provide, seem to give guidance to every generation. Mythical stories, especially the Greek myths, are written and told for the most part because of the wisdom, lessons, and values they contain (Ferry, 2014). Let’s take a few examples: the hero’s quest, that we see echoed throughout so many myths, such as The Odyssey and the Twelve Labours of Hercules, is a kind of model for youngsters to imitate as they go through the process of growing up and accepting adult responsibilities; also in the Odyssey, the wife of Odysseus, Penelope, teaches the value of marital faithfulness; the myth of King Midas and the Gold is still considered as a classic which delivers a timeless message of the negative repercussions of greed.

These are just some of the reasons why Greek myths are still important and popular today. Myths open the window of the timeless and the essential, and this remains true regardless of whichever period of history one comes from or however strong one’s scientific sophistication is.