Title: 3 Ancient Greek Myths That Remain Relevant in Today's World​​​​​​​ - Sacred Earth Journeys
Headings: 3 Ancient Greek Myths That Remain Relevant in Today’s World​​​​​​​
3 Ancient Greek Myths That Remain Relevant in Today’s World​​​​​​​
1. The Amazons
2. The Olympic Games
3. The Oracle at Delphi
Mythology and Modern Greece
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Content: The Olympic Games
According to Greek mythology, one of Hercules’ 12 Labours was to clean the stables owned by King Augeas of Elis. As the story goes, the two men had agreed that upon the completion of the task, Augeas would pay Hercules a sum worth one tenth of his cattle. But despite the fact that Hercules got the job done, Augeas didn’t hold up to his end of the bargain, refusing to pay him. Enraged, Hercules decided to wage war against the city of Elis, and after winning, instituted a festival in the nearby city of Olympia to celebrate his victory and to pay homage to his father, the almighty Zeus. This is the founding myth of the Olympic games, which were held every four years in the city of Olympia during most of antiquity. The games were the greatest national holiday in Ancient Greece, and every time they were held somewhere between 50,000 and 200,000 people flocked to Olympia from nearly 100 city-states around the Greek peninsula to partake in the celebrations. The games were so important that whenever they occurred, warring nations would implement a mandatory truce that would last throughout the duration of the games and the month leading up to them. What’s fascinating is that the festival was not only centred around sports, it was also a religious and cultural affair that celebrated Zeus and paid homage to the concept of arête, a state of excellence in mind, body and spirit. While today winning seems to have overcome the pursuit of excellence in most modern sports, the Olympic games continue to be one of the few events that uphold these values. Although the modern Games look and feel very differently to what they did in the past, their another example of the enduring legacy of ancient Greek mythology.