Mythology (book) | Short Essay Answer Key

Short Essay Answer Key

1. Describe the appearance and behavior of the Greek gods. What does this reflect, regarding the attitude towards mankind?

The Greeks created their gods in their own image, unlike the mythologies and religions of other peoples such as the Egyptians and Assyrians. Not only were the Greek gods human in appearance, they also acted in a very human manner. This made them more familiar to the people who worshiped and told stories about them. They had emotions, made mistakes, could be vindictive, but they were also caring and even humorous. The humanity of the Greek gods reflects the Greek attitude towards the beauty and perfection of man. The Greeks saw perfection in the ideal beauty of youth and used it to model their statues of the gods. To them, there was no better form for a god than an idealized man or woman, rather than a...
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