The Story of the Greek Titan Atlas

The expression to carry the weight of the world on ones shoulders comes from the Greek myth of Atlas, who was part of the second generation of the Titans, the oldest gods of Greek mythology. However, Atlas did not actually carry the weight of the world; instead, he carried the celestial sphere (the sky). The Earth and celestial sphere are both spherical in shape, which may account for the confusion. Atlas in Greek Mythology Atlas was one of four sons of the Titan Iapoetos and the Okeanid Klymene: his brothers were Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoitios. The earliest of the traditions say simply that it was Atlas responsibility to hold up the sky. Later reports say that as one of the Titans, Atlas and his brother Menoitios took part in the Titanomachy, a war between the Titans and their offspring the Olympians. Fighting against the Titans were Olympians Zeus, Prometheus, and Hades. When the Olympians won the war, they punished their enemies. Menoitios was sent to Tartarus in the underworld. Atlas, however, was condemned to stand at the western edge of the Earth and hold the sky on his shoulders. Holding Up the Sky Different sources vary in their descriptions of how Atlas held up the sky. In Hesiods Theogony, Atlas stands at the western edge of the earth near the Hesperides, supporting the sky on his head and hands. The Odyssey describes Atlas standing in the sea holding the pillars that keep the earth and sky apart—in this version, he is the father of Calypso. Herodotus was the first to suggest that the sky rested atop Mount Atlas in the western part of northern Africa, and later traditions still report that Atlas was a man who metamorphosed into the mountain. The Story of Atlas and Hercules Perhaps the most famous myth involving Atlas is his role in one of the celebrated twelve labors of Hercules, the main version of which is found in Apollodorus of Athenss Library. In this legend, Hercules was required by Eurystheus to fetch the golden apples from the fabled gardens of the Hesperides, which were sacred to  Hera  and guarded by the fearsome hundred-headed dragon Ladon. Following the advice of Prometheus, Hercules asked Atlas (in some versions the father of the Hesperides) to get him the apples while he, with the help of  Athena, took the sky onto his own shoulders for a while, giving the Titan a welcome respite. Perhaps understandably, when returning with the golden apples, Atlas was reluctant to resume the burden of carrying the sky. However, the wily Hercules tricked the god into swapping places temporarily while the hero got himself some cushions to more easily bear the tremendous weight. Of course, as soon as Atlas was back holding the heavens, Hercules and his golden booty hot-footed back to  Mycenae. Sources Hard, Robin. The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. London: Routledge, 2003. Print.Smith, William, and G.E. Marindon, eds. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: John Murray, 1904. Print.

Comparison Of Medea And Hecuba - 1614 Words

In this writing I will be comparing two Greek tragedies. The tragedies are â€Å"Medea (431 BCE)† and â€Å"Hecuba (420 BCE)† by Euripides. Although at the time of these writing women did not have the same rights as men, both writings justify acts of revenge by Medea and Hecuba. The only way Medea and Hecuba will feel satisfied is to punish those who have done them wrong. Euripides details in his writing how both women cleverly present their disparity to convince people that seeking revenge is a just mean for punishment. Medea and Hecuba’s eye for an eye reasoning is a form of retaliation for personal gratification. I will explore the similarities, differences, and significance in the ways Medea and Hecuba seek revenge. Therefore, Medea and Hecuba†¦show more content†¦She explains to Agamemnon that she has suffered enough sorrow with the deaths of her children and gains his sympathy. Also she explains how Polymestor has committed the ultimate betrayal of being a host and killing his house guest Polydorus. Hecuba states, â€Å"This is the most foul murder. This man often sat at our table, toasting us with with Priam’s best wine. He was one of our closest friends†(1040-1050) Agamemnon summons Polymestor to come visit Hecuba. Once Polymestor arrives Hecuba convinces him to enter her tent with his sons. Euripides writes, â€Å"Hecuba: There are also my jewels. I smuggled our best Heirlooms out of Troy. May I give them to you for safekeeping?† (Euripides 1370-1380). Hecuba blinds Polymestor and kills his two sons. Likewise, both women used their scheming ways to get what they wanted from Jason, Agamemnon, and Polymestor. Medea and Hecuba acted like their intentions are good to get what they wanted. Medea tells Jason good things about how their sons meeting Glauce and giving her jewels will help break the ice. Medea says, â€Å"Now, children, go into that rich house and supplicate your father’s new wife, my mistress begging her that you may not be exiled, and give her these adornments† (969-971) Medea convinces Jason to try to spare their sons from being banished from Corinth by letting Glauce met their sons. This meeting ultimately kills Glauce and King Creon. Like Medea, Hecuba convinces Polymestor to enter her tent on good intentions, howeverShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Odyssey 984 Words   |  4 Pagesimportance of cunning and intelligence. Not only did Telemachus’ journey helped him find his father, but it helped him find his own identity as well; Simil ar to Oedipus’ dark revelations. Hector is the prince of Troy, son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, brother of Paris, husband of Andromache, father of Astyanax, and chief warrior of the Trojan army. Hector was depicted positively in The Iliad as he is described as a great warrior, loving husband and father, and can be compared as the Trojan equivalent

Act of Faith free essay sample

The story ‘Act of Faith’ is one of the short stories in Irwin Shaw’s anthology of short stories titled ‘Five Decades’. There are 63 stories in the anthology which were written in a span of five decades, the time for which the title is derived. In this story, which is the thirteenth in the anthology, Irwin explores the theme of racial prejudice. Intricate in the story line is the notion that all around there is general negativity about racism and that true liberation from the perceived injustices lies in trusting other people. The story starts with â€Å"three combat-scarred veterans† Seeger, Olson, and Welch who have been given a pass and want to go Paris but have no money. The main character, Seeger, a Jew, approaches their captain to lend them money since their salary had delayed for three months. The captain obliges and lends him, 200 francs from the four hundred that he had. We will write a custom essay sample on Act of Faith or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The money is however not enough for the three of them and Olson even comments that â€Å"†¦we won’t be able to pinch a whore’s behind on the Boulevard des Capucines †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg 287). They even think of selling their combat jackets but they realize the French would give them very little for it. It is in this thought that Welsh comes up with the idea that he knows where he can get the 65 bucks. It is also at this time that he is also handed a letter from his father. The unusual letter narrates to him his fathers growing dissatisfaction with being a Jew. He describes how Jacob, Seeger’s brother’s health has deteriorated and how he suffers from â€Å"†¦fits of depression and hallucination† (249) since he was discharged from the army. In the letter, Seeger’s father tells him how he continually watches how the Jewish people are being vilified everyday everywhere. He says that everywhere â€Å"†¦restaurants, hotels, clubs, trains – you seem to hear talk about the Jew, mean, hateful, murderous talk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (251). Thee talks have led him to believe that injustice done to the Jews was a good in that it may help people to see that it is against all odds that the Jewish people triumph. He even adds that he finds himself â€Å"†¦looking for Jewish names in the casualty list and secretly being glad when [he] discovers them there.†(251). After reflecting on the content of the letter and having thought of his three friends and how they have had to lay there lives on line a number of time to save him, he decides to sell the German pistol he had taken after killing a German SS officer. Seeger’s father notices how the Jewish people are hated. He hears how even those whom he considered a friends still perceive Jews as the beneficiaries of the war, even after being killed in masses by Germans. He notices how anything done by a Jew is taken to have been done for self. This view stems from the fact that the Jewish people tended to fight on their own and acting to be strong amidst all the struggles. For instance, the two old people, â€Å"†¦a little bent old man and a small, shapeless woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (253) who stop Seeger and ask him if he is a Jew. When he answers them that he is, the old people â€Å"†¦smiled widely, like children†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (253). They become happy because their blood is also seen as able to avenge for their blood. For Seeger, the German pistol represents for him an act justice. A personal gratification for having been the instrument for performing that act of justice. He keeps the luger safely between his bed roll and had even avoided â€Å"†¦all opportunities for selling it, although he had been offered as much as a hundred dollars for it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (248). In the story his father narrates for him how he had once heard somebody comment on the death of Roosevelt that â€Å"Finally, they got the Jew out of the White House† (251). This shows the negative perception the people had for the president. All he did is not seen as an act of a person but the way of Jews. It is this perception that drives Seeger to seek his own gratification. A thing he seems to find in the Luger and what it represents for him. He only abandons the luger and agrees to sell it after having realized that his friends do not view him as a Jew, but rather as person. And that that they don’t know what Jews are, they imply that they have not been treating Seeger as a Jew but rather as a person. In conclusion, we see that the transformation that happens to Seeger happens after realizing that true fight for prejudice starts when one is able to trust his friends and receive the same trust. References Shaw, Irwin. Short Stories: Five Decades. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.

World War One. The First Great Tragedy Of Humanity. That Is Of Course

World War One. The first great tragedy of humanity. That is of course excluding love and life. Combine all three and you find one of the most masterfully written novels about life, love, and war that could only be written by Ernest Hemingway. Born July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Hemingway started his literary career when he was hired as a reporter for the Kansas City Star. During the war he joined the volunteer American Red Cross as a ambulance driver in 1918. After being seriously wounded in the line of duty he was decorated with two Italian medals and joined the Italian infantry. His experiences with journalism and war create a excellent symbiosis to exploit the writers rule, only write about what you know, which makes Farewell to Arms a remarkable novel. Personal experiences alone don't always make a good story however. Ernest Hemingway's ability to achieve a roller coaster of emotions from chapter to chapter is remarkable. The basic feeling of hope and despair take turns throughout the novel but the idea that life is a futile attempt at salvation is stressed at all times. The emotional seesaw that Hemingway puts the reader through is an invigorating experience but even more stimulating since he can maintain the overtones of depression. Hemingway's ability to pull so many tragedies together to stress the themes of depression, despair, a futility in humanity also make this novel very impressive. Just the setting of a love affair during wartime implies a dark reckoning upon the two lovers. Everything about the book drives the idea of fate and futility even when the idea and promise of hope is thrown in. Although the author drive his point home, we have to look at the psychological effects of it on the readers. Now, I have no solid evidence, but I suspect that this book may have driven some to their death. BANG! Right in the head. Realistically, the effects of this book on a persons emotional well- being isn't exactly positive. The idea of ,"you can't do anything about it, life is nothing but a four letter word", should have a tremendous effect on a person if they can connect with the message. Most of us can. Therefore, reading this novel may not be the best thing to do for an emotionally unstable person. Or any person for that matter. Thumbs up on the novel for it's message, thumbs down for the effects of the message. All in all however, Ernest Hemingway definitely has a way with words.