The Greek Mythology and Its Influence on the Modern Societies

Introduction

Greek Mythology has indeed played significant contributions to contemporary society. The study of Greek mythology has always been understated as it has received minimal emphasis without considering the weight it has on the shape and structure of modern society. Therefore, the study of Greek mythology gives a good understanding of the History of the Greeks considering their gods and goddesses of the Greeks. It is important to note that myths have two significant functions in modern societies. Firstly, myths are meant to provide answers to awkward and strange questions that children often ask and also the second role of myths is to give justifications of the existing social systems or structures and provide an account of the old rites, cultures or customers. However, mythology refers to the collections of several myths, legends, tales, and stories that are frequently passed down from one particular generation to another through the use of various means and depicted in several ways (Graves 1990).

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Thus, this paper will explicitly discuss how Greek mythology influences us today. More specifically, the paper will outline Greek mythology's impact on culture, arts, industry, language, science, and the Christianity.

Is there an impact of Greek mythology on western culture? Greek mythology has been passed on through many ways and has brought great significance in the modern western society. The mythologies within the Greek myths have influenced many individuals of all ages. It has many ideas and stories that allow Greek mythology to gain importance in our modern world. The Greek myths and stories form part of literature, language, industry marketing and all forms of media in the cinema world.

What Impact Has Greek Mythology Had on Today's World Industries?

What is an example of the influence of Greek mythology and symbols on our culture? Different companies exist throughout the globe with the Greek mythologies with most of them being in Europe and America. Most of the companies are identified by an individual as having a connection to the Greek mythology heroes or persons.

Many industries and company names including some sayings have their origin from Greek Mythology. An example is Ajax cleaning, which is a cleaning brand. Ajax was a Greek warrior who fought in the Trojan War. Dionysus Wine and Spirits Company is another example of a company that had its name originate from Greek mythology. Many others include Medusa headphones and the Tennessee Titans football team. Nike, a very popular sports brand, is based on the goddess of victory. Pandora jewelry is also named after the first woman that was mentioned in Greek mythology. A famous computer virus known as Trojan meaning to harp is derived from the Greek culture referred to as the harpy. Another saying is that of calling someone nemesis which means a minor god (Dowden and Ken 2011).

Various companies have used the Greek mythology terms to name the different companies. For instance, the Amazon Company which is one of the most recognized companies in e-commerce services. Very few people have understood that the site is named after the warrior women race in the ancient Greeks. Moreover, the Venus Company is named after the Greek goddess of love who was called the Aphrodite. The goddess was also known for her beauty and pleasure. Therefore, the company used the brand name to portray the beauty, love, and happiness that the world is described by the Venus skin.

The modern marketing society plays an important role in our industries since it has significant influence in the flow of goods and services. The identity and brand of a particular good are considered to be very crucial in the marketing industry.

Further, in the Greek mythology, Ambrosia,' which is a Greek term for the Gods food and sometimes used to refer to their drinks, exists in the Ambrosia software. Some well-known foods that had their name originate from this Greek term include Ambrosia Salad and the Ambrosia Natural Foods.

Also, the mythological being Centaur that is part human and part horse, in our society give the centaur floor machines, Centaur riding school and the centaur therapy company the origin of their names.

Furthermore, the Greek goddess of agriculture in Greek mythology called Demeter, has audio devices and products designed and manufactured by Demeter Amplification. There also exists a center of software services called Demeter as well as a consultation agency called Demeter Matrix Alliance.

The United States air force has a transport plane that is used to carry huge weapons and war tools called Hercules. They also have a company that manufactures chemicals and their resulting products. This chemical company has been named Hercules Incorporated.

Besides, the name Hyperion has the meaning, he who goes before the sun. This theory exists in the field of business analysis software as well as a company which has a website named www.hyperion.com. Hyperion word is also used in the publishing of business books.

Trident which comes from the trident of Poseidon is used for a known gum and a Greek sea god called Poseidon is found in a traveling agency known as Poseidon travel. In the Greek mythology, the word Angus is used to refer to a giant watchman that has 100 eyes. In our society, Angus Security is a security company that deals with the protection of commercial business enterprises.

Effect of Greek Mythology on Science

Besides, in science, it is said that our solar system is heliocentric, which means that the planets run around Helios. Then, there is a theory called the Gaia theory. The word Gaia is an implication with its roots from the Greek mythology meaning Mother of Earths (Woodard and Roger 2007).

In modern science, scientists use various terminologies for natural satellites. Those names are attributed to have their roots from the Greek mythological stories. Some quotations depict some natural satellites that are named after the Greek mythological creations and the stories related to them.

In computer science, which field illustrates the influence of Greek mythology and symbolism, Trojan horse is used to refer to a computer virus that pretends to exist without harm but in the real sense, it causes damage to the computer. The virus name is derived from Greek mythology. Homer gives the description about the story of the Trojan horse from which this meaning was derived.

Greek Mythology Influence on English Language

Before the Renaissance, specialists and scholars could not borrow the Greek terms; they were rather used by ordinary individuals. Afterward, these terms became part of the English language in many indirect ways.

It's hard to count how many languages did Greek mythology influence, but it has great effects on the modern English language in different ways. Examples include; the herculean. A task that refers to the twelve labors of Hercules, at the time he was attempting to do an impossible mission.

Morpheus is a Greek name that refers to the Greek god of sleep. Morphine means the drug both of which comes from this Greek name Morpheus.

Panic is a Greek word that means chaos or pandemonium. It is also used by the Greeks to refer to the woods or fields. The word panic arose when chasing a young maiden into the woods.

Achilles' story came from Greek mythology. The only place in his body that was susceptible to attack was his heel. And now the word Achilles heel had its origin from this story. When Achilles was a baby, it was said that an arrow in his foot would lead to his death. The only way that his death would be prevented was that his mother would take him to river Styx which would offer him the powers of invincibility. His mother would do this by dippingAchilles body into the water while holding him by the heels. His heels were not supposed to be washed by the water from this magical river (Dowden and Ken 2011).

As an example of Greek mythology's influence on modern society, many modern expressions have illusions from famous people and events from Greek mythology. The expressions are too many to count but still, they can be found in our society. Such an expression includes being caught between a rock and a hard place,' between the devil and deep blue sea.' Both phrases come from the tales about sailors caught between the monsters of Scylla and Charybdis of Greek mythology.

The Odysseus journey also refers to his attempt to pass Scylla which is a symbol of his influence on culture for many years. These expressions are often used in English conversations as well as literary expressions.

Past writers like Shakespeare and Dante often refer to Greek mythologies. For example, the Greek drama, narratives, and songs are specific subjects of study and scrutiny by many theorists and philosophers.

In coming up with the terms Electra complex and Oedipus complex, Sigmund Freud borrowed these from Greek mythology in developing his theories related to human development. All these show how easy it is to see that Greek mythology is the root of different aspects in our modern language and expressions (Waterfield 2012).

Besides, Greek mythology's influence on language and culture does not have a concern on single terms. There are numerous terms, expressions, songs, proverbs and words that are related to old Greek mythology.

So many names are derived from the Greek gods. Such names include the volcano. Volcano originates from a Roman god Vulcan who was a god of the forge. The famous book of maps, the Atlas, comes from a Greek Titan that carries the heavens on his shoulders. The word cereals come from a Greek goddess word of agriculture. Medicines came from this too.

Greek Mythology’s Influence on Modern Literature and Art

The most important form of literature that has an influence on modern society is the works that are made for young readers. The format of these works varies and has different impacts on young people. Each topic differs on the topics of the Greek mythological world. The childrens books vary in formats, methods, and composition. They include picture books, novels, coloring books, dictionaries and comic books. Some comic books are published in series and the Greek heroes give an important literary work that can permit young readers to notice the way authors interpret the Greek mythological texts (Waterfield 2012).

Apart from the language and industry, Greek mythology has also influenced the modern day arts. The modern day arts have always incorporated Greek mythology in its different features. In the music industry, for instance, the all-female rock band called The Bangles featured in the top hits in 1980 with its single which was called Venus. Also, many movies have been developed by mythical characters. Famous movies that have used the mythical characters include Percy Jackson and the lightning thief, Hercules and Troy have clearly demonstrated the Greek myth in the modern audience. Moreover, Inception, a movie which is directed and produced by Leonardo Dicaprio was hugely motivated by the Greeks myths as it has shown the myth of labyrinth. It is likely that the mythical prince Ariadne was well acquainted with the secrets of ways of manipulating the maze.

Besides, many poets and writers for instance William Shakespeare, Dante, Milton, and T.S Eliot were highly inspired and motivated by the Greek mythology that enabled them to use the mythology in the majority of their works. For instance, the poets, and writers majorly used direct allusions to portray their feelings and the general objectives in their works. They, therefore, make references to Greek mythology to enhance more understanding and knowledge of the Greek myths(Graf 1996).

Furthermore, one of the most recognized arts and literature shows the Greek mythology influence today. For instance, The Birth of Venus by Botticelli is considered one of the most famous paintings or artworks that are still relevant in today's modern world.

Moreover, the Olympic games which is one of the most celebrated and recognized games and competitions in the world currently attracts many athletes and competitors all...