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I'm always fascinated by the stories different cultures make up to help
them make sense of their world. Humans have a need for order and purpose
which leads to legends, myths, religions and superstitions. These beliefs
give comfort during times of trial and loss and make life more interesting,
though they also create unfounded fears, expensive or time-consuming rituals,
and keep people from using their own logic.
The Greeks had the complex idea of multiple gods, with very human attributes,
who controlled all aspects of their lives. Modern humans look on this
ancient system of belief as childish and can't comprehend how a culture
that created so many advanced sciences and philosophies could cling to
such ideas. But comparing our societies today with those of The Golden
Age of Athens, with the many religions and belief systems we ascribe to,
we really are no different. Many believe in a diety who is involved in
all facets of our lives and scores still find comfort in the hope of life
after death.
Another proof that we are not much different from the Ancient Greeks
is that their myths are just the kind of stories we watch on TV today--soap
operas and talk shows that expose every kind of relationship and deviant
behavior imaginable, complete with disfunctional families, Freudian complexes,
greed, lust and jealousy. Sure, we have computers and people travel into
space, but basic human behavior has changed very little over the centuries.
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Delphi
was the center of Greek mythological life. It was said that Zeus
set two eagles free to fly around the world in opposite directions, and
where they landed would be the center of the world. They came to
roost in Delphi. The canyons of Delphi are known to have many eagles
nests. Another legend says that the God Apollo came to Delphi from
his temple in one of the Islands, swimming the ocean in the form of a
dolphin. Delphi comes from the ancient Greek word for Dolphin.
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