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Created: 11:38am on 03-24-2005
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Entry #399989, added on 01-17-06 @ 5:27 pm EST.
[Entry Access Restriction] None.
Title:
Do Greek Myths Influence Modern Soap Operas?
A couple of days ago I wrote an entry about the nine muses. I had great fun researching them on the Internet, and was able to list their names and relevant responsibilities.
But that’s not all I’ve uncovered about these ladies!
The great thing about Greek myths and legends is the fallibility of their characters. The Greek gods and goddesses all exhibited some very human traits – indeed they could be as jealous, petty, covetous and vengeful as many human beings. In fact when one considers the things they got up to soap operas like Dallas, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210 and even Desperate Housewives seem tame in comparison. Ready for a history lesson? If so, read on:
Zeus, the king of the Greek gods was, by all accounts, extremely lustful and many women fell victim to his rather voracious appetites. Zeus’ wife was Hera, and she took great exception to his frequent philandering ways – only natural, I guess. I think most humans – male or female – would find a spouse’s continual excursions outside the marital bed tiresome… to say the least. However when one considers the action taken by Hera against her husband’s “indiscretions” the saying hell hath no fury like a woman scorned takes on a whole new meaning!
One of Zeus’ liaisons resulted in the birth of Dionysus. On receiving this unwelcome news Hera immediately sent the Titans to lure the baby with toys… before ripping him to pieces. Zeus threw some thunderbolts at the Titans, who fled. Unfortunately they’d eaten most of Dionysus, apart from his little heart. Naturally Zeus was very distressed at what had befallen the fruit of his loins, and he used the heart to recreate Dionysus. One story claims Zeus gave a maiden called Simele the heart to eat, another says it was planted in her womb… whatever happened Simele was soon pregnant. Hera found out, and enticed Simele to look upon Zeus in his godlike form. Mortals were not allowed to look at gods in their glory – the penalty was, of course, death.
Zeus rescued the fetus, and sewed him into his leg. Hera dared not go up against her husband, so a few months later Dionysus was born. Obviously he heard the stories about Hera and his mother/s, so when he grew up Dionysus rescued his mother from the underworld. She became a goddess called Thyone on Mount Olympus. Imagine how bitter Hera felt – talk about having your face rubbed in it! Dionysus is the Greek god of wine… perhaps that is the reason he was able to deal with his childhood (and fetal!) trauma! He is credited with discovering wine, and is said to have travelled through Asia and to India teaching people the art of the vine. But Hera obviously really hated poor Dionysus – after he discovered wine she drove him mad, and he wandered around aimlessly – probably drunk! - until his rescue by the goddess Rhea, who saved him by teaching him her religious rites.
I’m sorry – I just love these stories! I hope this overdose of Greek culture is annoying you too much. See what happens when your car won’t start, and you’re forced to stay at home all day because your husband and anyone that could help is in Bulgaria??? Or living 50 kilometres away!!!
I promised VeryLiz ![View lethomson's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]](http://imgs.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/costumicons/ps-icon-regular-10.gif "View lethomson's Portfolio. [Offline / Private]") yesterday that I’d give her a bit of scandal about some of The Muses. So I dug around and found some interesting fact:
Calliope
A liaison with the god Apollo led to the birth of Linus (he was sent to Hades by Hercules during his 12 labours) and Orpheus. She also fell for Achilles, but they did have any offspring. She taught him how to sing.
Clio
For teasing the goddess Aphrodite about the latter’s love for Adonis, she was punished. The goddess made her fall for the king of Macedonia’s son, resulting in the birth of a girl called Hyacinth.
Erato
No scandal about this lady!
Eurtepe
Another good girl! No flies on this one!
Melpomene
As the muse of Tragedy, this lady’s seen it all. Another well behaved lady!.
Polyhymnia
This lady is too busy to misbehave.
Terpsichor
The muse of Dancing, she is apparently the mother of the Sirens, thanks to a romantic fling with the river god Achelos. Her daughter weren’t so good – they used their beautiful singing voices to lure sailors to their deaths. Wonder what their mom taught them that made them do this?
Thalia
She had a yen for Apollo, like the muse Calliope, and gave birth to the Corbantye, priests who castrated  themselves for their goddess Rhea… yes, the lady who saved Dionysus from his madness! Wonder what happened to these guys during their childhood that led them to mutilate themselves in this horrible way!
Urania
Another well behaved muse.
So only three, possibly four, of these ladies were naughty all those centuries ago. And it just show that time has changed little – people today still get up to all sorts of mischief, although not on the scale of the Greek characters! Infanticide, adultery, mutilation, castration, seduction and murder… modern soap operas have nothing on the old Greek legends!
The great stories of Greek mythology fired me more than anything - the siege of Troy, the wanderings of Odysseus, Jason and the Golden Fleece, the Minotaur - all of it.
Penelope Lively, English author
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