, ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁human ▁wo es , ▁and ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁sacrific ial ▁practices . ▁M yth s ▁are ▁also ▁preserved ▁in ▁the ▁H omer ic ▁H ym ns , ▁in ▁fragments ▁of ▁ep ic ▁po ems ▁of ▁the ▁Ep ic ▁Cy cle , ▁in ▁ly ric ▁po ems , ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁tra ged ians ▁and ▁com ed ians ▁of ▁the ▁fifth ▁century   BC , ▁in ▁writ ings ▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁and ▁po ets ▁of ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁Age , ▁and ▁in ▁texts ▁from ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁by ▁writers ▁such ▁as ▁Pl ut arch ▁and ▁P aus an ias . ▁ ▁As ide ▁from ▁this ▁narr ative ▁depos it ▁in ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁literature , ▁p ict orial ▁representations ▁of ▁gods , ▁hero es , ▁and ▁myth ic ▁episodes ▁featured ▁prom in ently ▁in ▁ancient ▁v ase ▁paint ings ▁and ▁the ▁decor ation ▁of ▁vot ive ▁g ifts ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁artifact s . ▁Ge ometric ▁designs ▁on ▁pot tery ▁of ▁the ▁e ighth ▁century   BC ▁dep ict ▁scenes ▁from ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁cycle ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁advent ures ▁of ▁Her acles . ▁In ▁the ▁succeed ing ▁Arch a ic , ▁Class ical , ▁and ▁H ellen istic ▁periods , ▁H omer ic ▁and ▁various ▁other ▁myth ological ▁scenes ▁appear , ▁supp lement ing ▁the ▁existing ▁literary ▁evidence . ▁ ▁Greek ▁myth ology ▁has ▁had ▁an ▁extensive ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁culture , ▁arts , ▁and ▁literature ▁of ▁Western ▁civil ization ▁and ▁remains