Do you think any of the stories from Greek mythology are real?

Question

Were any of the people from the stories real people? And if not, where did all the characters come from? Just made up?

Answer 1

No, not real.  But if people believe it strongly enough then it is as important to them as if it was real.

Answer 2

Of course! The Trojan war (a war between Achaeans and Trojans which ended with the catastrophe of Troy) did happened. Its cause was not the kidnapped by Paris Helen but economical reasons. The return of Hercules' descendants to southern Greece did happened with the Dorian invasion, which caused the Greek Dark Ages (1100 BC-800BC).  Also the adventures of Odysseus and of Jason show the love of all Greeks for travels and for adventure in order to discover new people, civilizations and wealth sources. The Cyclops were uncivilized people (had one eye, not two like the civilized ones, who were open-minded). Also many myths have symbolic character.  For example, Gaia (=earth) and Uranus (=sky) had children. When it rains the earth "gives birth" to various plants. Or Ares (=war) and Aphodite(=love,beauty) gave birth to Harmonia (=harmony, balance). Also Apollo (=sun, light) left Greece for several months (to describe winter) and Persephone(daugher of Demeter, Earth-Mother) went to Hades (=underworld) during winter and in spring came back to Earth (=blooming).

Answer 3

hmm.. i guess that would sort of be asking if gods real too. No one really knows for sure (of course some people think they do) it all depends what YOU believe. But a lot of myths are made up the same way gossip in high school is made up.. going in one ear & out the mouth to the next person and so on.. changing things from this to that.

Answer 4

Yes just the fantastical ones like Cyclops. He has got to be real. lol.

Answer 5

mmmm... id have to say that they were created from the minds of mortals :)

Answer 6

I think years ago most people listened to "story tellers" who just narrated the stories of YORE..or their history..some was based on actual events and embellished over the years.

This was before people put these down in written form.

Answer 7

I think that they were highly exaggerated truths. When stories get passed from mouth to mouth, the story usually gets more fantastical than before. A good example of this is in the movie Braveheart. Before his tale is over, the story tellers had him shooting fire from his eyes.

Answer 8

there's a possiblity some of the myths had a basis in reality.  For instance the city of Troy from the Iliad (which was just a written version of a story that had been around for a long time before) is now believed to be indeed on the coast of Turkey and that it did have the number of gates, etc. that Homer described and that one of its levels at the appropriate time did fall to war.  Whether it was actually protected by a man named Hector who fought a man called Achilles is debateable.  Like most myths, there may be a logical and factual basis for some of Greek mythology - speculation that the 'golden fleece' was a ram's fleece that picked up flecks of gold that were flowing down a stream where it had been laid to soak - and the fantasy elements were added later - dragons, oxen of iron, etc.  Theseus could have been an actual man who freed his people from servitude but over the years his legend grew until it was a bullheaded monster instead of perhaps just a group of people that worshipped bulls.  A grain of sand in an oyster's shell is what makes a pearl as it forms protective coatings around it.

Answer 9

Most stories start with a small amount of truth

Answer 10

No more than other religious tales. That is why they call it mythology.

Answer 11

Not really.. i think they are stories that are exagerated to make them exciting!!!