Remember the Titans

Anonymous Ever since Mrs. Wilson's senior year English class in which we practically memorized Edith Hamilton's Mythology, I have been fascinated by the stories of the Greek gods and goddesses. For our final project after completing the book, everyone in our class had to create a poster depicting a family tree of sorts for the gods: when you map it all out, it's clear to see that Zeus got around! It was also very interesting to learn which animals or symbols were associated with each god or goddess or the stories behind the births of the gods.

Now, being in Greece, it is amazing to see so many representations of the gods the ancient Greeks. Obviously we are in Athens, named after the goddess Athena. As a female figure, Athena is not just a passive woman; rather, she is a strong and wise goddess. There are also numerous depictions of other gods everywhere you turn, both in the museums and the souvenir shops. While Greeks may no longer believe in the power of these gods and goddesses, it is clear that they are still an important part of their culture.

I thought it was fascinating

when reading the third sibylline oracle today to find that Jewish literature incorporated these ideas of Greek mythology. At first this surprised me: wouldn't referring to the gods of the Greeks undermine the beliefs of the Jews? However, after reading the literature itself, it made sense to me. Instead of just maintaining their own beliefs steadfastly, they took on parts of Greek culture in order to affirm their superiority. I thought this was really interesting, like the Jews were trying to beat the Greeks at their own game. It also seemed like a great example of how to survive in a foreign land: maintain your own religious identity, but explain it to those of the dominant culture in words they can understand.