The Darker Side of Greek Myths

When I tour school children through our museum's classical galleries, I tread carefully around some of the uglier aspects of Greek mythology. I might say something like, "Zeus fell in love with Europa and took her to Crete." Or, "Zeus loved Leda and came to her as a swan, etc., etc."

In other words, I tiptoe around the fact that the head god of the ancient Greeks was actually a serial rapist. After all, whenever, Zeus "fell in love" with a beautiful young woman (or young man), he "took" her (or him) without asking. Because he could.

Of course, it's not my place to shatter the illusion that the Greek myths are anything other than outrageously fascinating and fun stories from worlds long gone. (There's college for that!)

Yet by telling these stories without pointing out their inherent violence against (mostly) women, I wonder if I'm somehow contributing to a culture that continues to blame the victims of violence, rather than the perpetrators.

Imagine, for example, Europa in a court of law trying to gain justice.

Zeus' defense lawyer: "You were out alone, were you not?"

Europa: "No, I was with my ladies."

Defense: "But not under the protection of your father or brothers."

Europa: "No, but I'm allowed to go outside and pick flowers aren't I?"

Defense: "And you were wearing a tunic, right?"

Europa: "Excuse me, but tunics were all there was to wear. We didn't have any other clothing options."

Defense: "Oh, so clothing was optional?"

Europa: "No! That's not what I said. I was wearing a tunic -- "

Defense: "And it was quite short wasn't it?"

Europa: "No! But even if it was, what would that have to do with anything?"

Defense: "And when Zeus turned himself into a bull, it was you who came over to admire him."

Europa: "I came over to investigate, not admire it."

Defense: "So, what you are telling us is that you wore your silkiest, shortest tunic, sashayed up to a bull you did not know and began flirting with it. What did you think was going to happen?"

Poor Europa. And Leda. And Ganymede, and Io and Danae, and all the others.

Once a kid asked me how Medusa came to be a monster. "Medusa started out as a beautiful young woman," I began, wondering how I was going to tap-dance around this one. "She served the goddess Athena as a priestess."

"Then one day, the god Poseidon... attacked her while she was in Athena's temple. Athena got so mad over the sacrilege, she turned Medusa into hideous monster so ugly that she could turn you into stone with one look."

The kid knotted his brow. "Wait. Why did Athena punish Medusa? Shouldn't she have punished Poseidon?"

"One would think so," I said.

"Except that Poseidon was stronger than Athena," another kid said. "She didn't dare make him angry. So she punished Medusa instead. Cause she couldn't do anything else."

Exactly, I thought.

"Well, THAT'S not fair," a third kid added.

"No, it is not," I agreed.

Perhaps, I remember thinking, I shouldn't underestimate kids' abilities to grapple with the darker side of the Greek gods. Or of human nature.

 

 

 

Follow Vicky Alvear Shecter on Twitter: www.twitter.com/valvearshecter

Comments

[Anne Hatzakis]

10:02 PM on 05/06/2012

I would say that you DO NOT "understand" the Greek Myths even as well as CHILDREN being raised as Hellenic Polytheists do. My daughter understands that these are STORIES about the Gods that are told by Humans -- and that Humans cannot see the Gods fully.

Ares slew the person who actually raped his daughter. Your characterization of the story of Europa and the bull or Leda and the swan makes the assumption that Zeus did not seduce but took by violence.

As for Medusa, there is a strain of thought in Hellenic Polytheism that she was not punished by Athena by being made a Gorgon (temple guardian) but was instead given the strength to never worry about rape again.....

Please contact people who actually WORSHIP the Greek Gods before treating our religious stories as being less "moral" than the Bible -- which also includes rape as something ORDERED by the God of Abraham in some cases.

[StealGeorgia]

04:49 PM on 05/06/2012

Aside from over-simplifying it to render it trivial, you missed the whole point and conveyed another one completely. And you teach this subject. I pity your students, and I think you should be fired for being incompetent.

But what do I know, I am man - Pagan man who worships gods such as these in a very real way while you trivialize - but still an evil, forlorn man.

You are sad and small in the grand arch of these stories. Thankfully you will pass, and they will forge on.

[gleamchaser]

03:58 PM on 05/06/2012

I have to admit that it's often troubling to see academics condemn ancient mythos as brutal or barbaric in language they wouldn't use to describe Abrahamic mythos. I don't think Europa being seduced by Zeus is terrible, but I do think the story of Job is cruel.

[Daphne Lykeion]

03:30 PM on 05/06/2012

The apparent brutality of the myths serves an allegorical purpose though, however the spiritual and religious purpose contained within the myths is not one that can be easily conveyed, especially to a young child. However, in my experience, with my own daughter, she grasped what is going on in the myth at a young age and we had long discussions about it. In fact she adores Hera, who is often unflatteringly depicted in Greek myth. But this not surprising, because if you step outside of looking at the myths literally, it makes sense how the myths contrast sharply with the worship of the gods in ancient times...and therefore an unflattering image of Hera takes nothing away from the love and devotion paid to her. But as this treated in my family as our religion, and not just stories from another time, we tend to look at the myths of our religion in that sense. I can understand how it can cause some discomfort to teach about the myths, but I think that is largely because of the way the myths are viewed and treated. Quite honestly, there are stories of all religions that are quite brutal in the way that they are shaped that speaks of the spirituality of the people.

[Daphne Lykeion]

03:50 PM on 05/06/2012

*that speaks TO the spirituality of the people. (the message contained within the layers of the myth does speak of the spirituality)

[ClassicalJG]

04:32 PM on 04/05/2012

I always find this aspect of Greek myth difficult, especially since, as a child, I preferred Arthurian legend anyway (which was equally sanitised in the versions I read, I think). History can be just as bad as well - I remember a young boy at my church trying to avoid doing what I told him once because 'in ancient Greece, you would have had to do what I told you because you're a girl' (he was about 8 at the time, I was 22!). I bit back the urge to tell him exactly what I thought of that!

[zabdul]

04:29 PM on 04/05/2012

Excellent post - it does make one wonder what our children should hear and what they can handle. Are we really doing them any favors by glossing over the uglier side of humanity? Or are we jealous of their innocence and wish to protect it for them as long as possible?

[Vicky Alvear Shecter]

09:28 AM on 04/18/2012

Thanks for commenting zabdul. Protecting children is our duty, but so is preparing them for a world that is not so innocent and pretty. Walking that fine line between the two is a constant challenge!

[Antidiot]

02:29 PM on 04/02/2012

Wow when I was little we just read the stories and figured that was how it went. We read the old testament too (they were considered by the schools to be the same type of literature - ancient religious stories) We started reading them in second grade, but my kids never really read them in school. I figured it was because of the religious nature.

[Eugene Dubnov]

12:58 PM on 04/01/2012

"Perhaps, I remember thinking, I shouldn't underestimate kids' abilities to grapple with the darker side of the Greek gods. Or of human nature." - The knowledge of Greek Myths is needed only for Literary Studies. Otherwise they're colourful but primitive and totally immoral, as most pre-monotheistic creativity is. I'd briefly touch upon them when doing The Odyssey and The Iliad - both of which are a must for reasons that have very little to do with the Greek Mythology - and leave the rest to Literature Departments.

[gleamchaser]

04:21 PM on 05/06/2012

The Greeks invented morality. Most of the myths are about morality. How is Zeus seducing Europa immoral, and the story of Job moral? I think you're ignorant of polytheistic culture and religion.

[Eugene Dubnov]

06:36 AM on 05/07/2012

The Greeks invented aesthetics, the Hebrews, ethics, as every little educated child knows. Please read up on your history. "Most of the myths are about morality." - A joke, right? As an agnostic, I've no dog in the race, and actually agree with you about Job and many other thing in the Old Testament, but I see the Biblical prophets and personages grapple with morality and theodicy in the way the Hellenic Myth and the whole Greek culture (cf. Oedipus Rex and Aristotle on Greek Tragedy) never does.

[David Reinke]

06:00 PM on 03/30/2012

Excellent point Vicky -- we should not underestimate the young mind to see thel point quite clearly.

This is one of the reasons I was disappointed that director Wolfgang Petersen left Cassandra out of his film Troy. She was given the gift of foresight by Apollo, but she would not give in to his amorous advances. Thus jilted, Apollo turned his gift to her into a curse.

Indeed, the gods are made in the image of man.

Once again, excellent post.

[Vicky Alvear Shecter]

11:21 AM on 03/31/2012

David, good point about Cassandra not being included. Hadn't thought about that--or about her punishment for being an unwilling "victim." Thanks for commenting.

[Vicky Alvear Shecter]

09:29 AM on 04/18/2012

There were a lot of problems with "Troy" in general, but I hadn't thought about the fact that he left Cassandra out. Hhmmmm, I feel another post coming...;-)