In hopes of gaining background information on Greek culture before reading Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, I was introduced to the gods related to the story. I have always been interested in Greek Mythology. I think the Greeks had an amazing view of life and I considered it to be one of the most creative civilizations in our history. The level imagination they possessed forever leaves me in awe.
Now there are a few gods that readers of this play must some sort of knowledge of. The gods related to Oedipus Rex are the following:
Now there are a few gods that readers of this play must some sort of knowledge of. The gods related to Oedipus Rex are the following:
1. Apollo
Apollo is considered the god of healing music, virginity, and the sun. He is the son of Zeus and is twin of Artemis. The Greeks praised him for helping Greece win the Trojan War by sending deathly infected arrows towards their enemies. In Oedipus Rex, the Oracle found at Delphi belonged to Apollo. It's interesting to think about what could of possibly been the reason why Sophocles chose to include specifically this god out of so many.
2. Artemis
Now, if I write about Apollo, how could I leave out his twin. I love how the Greeks went one step forward and created relationships between their gods. This makes them more believable. Artemis is the goddess of the moon, hills, and hunting. She was so influential in Greek architecture that one of the seven wonders of the world, The Temple of Artemis located in Ephesus, Turkey, belongs to her.
Now, if I write about Apollo, how could I leave out his twin. I love how the Greeks went one step forward and created relationships between their gods. This makes them more believable. Artemis is the goddess of the moon, hills, and hunting. She was so influential in Greek architecture that one of the seven wonders of the world, The Temple of Artemis located in Ephesus, Turkey, belongs to her.
3. Pan
Pan is the god of shepherds, flocks, and nature. The Greeks knew him for playing music with pipes made from reeds.
Pan is the god of shepherds, flocks, and nature. The Greeks knew him for playing music with pipes made from reeds.
4. Cadmus
Cadmus is the founder of the city of Thebes, where Oedipus rules after defeating the Sphinx. He is a demigod, like Thor is in the movie The Avengers. Of course, Thor is a Roman god but the idea is the same. A demigod is what the term for the offispring of a god and a human. He rescued his sister after she was abducted by Zeus. His most important contribution? He created the alphabet that started the domino effect for all of the others.
Cadmus is the founder of the city of Thebes, where Oedipus rules after defeating the Sphinx. He is a demigod, like Thor is in the movie The Avengers. Of course, Thor is a Roman god but the idea is the same. A demigod is what the term for the offispring of a god and a human. He rescued his sister after she was abducted by Zeus. His most important contribution? He created the alphabet that started the domino effect for all of the others.
5. Doris
Doris is the goddess of wisdon, warfare, and intelligence. She created the Dorian race and was killed by Arthus after attempting to kill Oedipus. OOOOOHHH, what could Oedipus possibly done to make a god want to kill him?
Doris is the goddess of wisdon, warfare, and intelligence. She created the Dorian race and was killed by Arthus after attempting to kill Oedipus. OOOOOHHH, what could Oedipus possibly done to make a god want to kill him?
6. Athena
Athena is probably the most recognized goddess of Greek Mythology. She is the goddess of wisdom, warfare, intelligence, architechture, and crafts. She lives on Mountain Olympus along with a lot of other gods. Whenever she appears, she is usually represented by owls, olive trees, snakes and war armor. Some people believed the snake in Eden's Garden that tricked Eve was Athena. Could Greek Mythology and the Bible be connected?
Athena is probably the most recognized goddess of Greek Mythology. She is the goddess of wisdom, warfare, intelligence, architechture, and crafts. She lives on Mountain Olympus along with a lot of other gods. Whenever she appears, she is usually represented by owls, olive trees, snakes and war armor. Some people believed the snake in Eden's Garden that tricked Eve was Athena. Could Greek Mythology and the Bible be connected?
7. Bacchus.
Bacchus was the god which all play were meant to exhalt. He is the god of theater, marriage, and joy. He joins Athena in Mountain Onlympus. His depiction is usually of the "fat drunk guy." Bacchus is represented by grapes, cheetahs and their prints, and tigers.
Bacchus was the god which all play were meant to exhalt. He is the god of theater, marriage, and joy. He joins Athena in Mountain Onlympus. His depiction is usually of the "fat drunk guy." Bacchus is represented by grapes, cheetahs and their prints, and tigers.
8. Sphinx
Now the Sphinx reminds me a lot of the Griffin in Eurasian Mythology just by the fact both have the body of a lion. In Greek Mythology, the Sphinx is an evil monster that has the head and breast of a woman and the body of a lion. In Oedipus Rex, she stopped all trading with the city of Thebes. Anyone who would encounter the Sphinx would be given a riddle to solve but all who tried to solve it would fail and would be killed. This terrorized everyone until Oedipus solved her riddle and killed her. Now we all know about the Sphinx in front of the Three Great Pyramids of Giza. In Egyptician Mythology, the Sphinx has a good reputation and is a guardian of the pyramids. These are two very distinct views of the same creature.
Now the Sphinx reminds me a lot of the Griffin in Eurasian Mythology just by the fact both have the body of a lion. In Greek Mythology, the Sphinx is an evil monster that has the head and breast of a woman and the body of a lion. In Oedipus Rex, she stopped all trading with the city of Thebes. Anyone who would encounter the Sphinx would be given a riddle to solve but all who tried to solve it would fail and would be killed. This terrorized everyone until Oedipus solved her riddle and killed her. Now we all know about the Sphinx in front of the Three Great Pyramids of Giza. In Egyptician Mythology, the Sphinx has a good reputation and is a guardian of the pyramids. These are two very distinct views of the same creature.
9. Sibyl
Sybil is a divine prophetess of the Oracle of Apollo. It's believe that Sibyls give prophecies in the form of riddles and are interpreted by Apollo.
Sybil is a divine prophetess of the Oracle of Apollo. It's believe that Sibyls give prophecies in the form of riddles and are interpreted by Apollo.
10. Zeus
Zeus. How could I begin? Let's see, Zeus is the highest and most powerful god in Greek Mythology. He is the father of most gods actually. Some of his siblings are Olympian gods like his brothers; Poseidon, the king of the Sea, and Hades, the god of the Underworld. Zeus is famous for his thunderbolt and affairs. He is such an ironic god because he is suppose to be the god of justice and mercy. What's fair about having affairs? Yea, I can't find the answer either.
That concludes all of the gods relating to Oedipus. I know it's a lot information to take in but somehow you can't be intrigued by these gods. Could you imagine what it must of been like to live in Greece where people were die hard believers of multiple gods? I think it would be an interesting environment. Having all those gods, means you would have a lot of pleasing to do. On the other side of my deep thoughts, I found myself also thinking if I were a god what would I be the god of? I would like to be Cretavimos, the god of creativity.
P.S What would you be the god of?
Check out this link for some of the epithets for Greek gods and godesses:
Zeus. How could I begin? Let's see, Zeus is the highest and most powerful god in Greek Mythology. He is the father of most gods actually. Some of his siblings are Olympian gods like his brothers; Poseidon, the king of the Sea, and Hades, the god of the Underworld. Zeus is famous for his thunderbolt and affairs. He is such an ironic god because he is suppose to be the god of justice and mercy. What's fair about having affairs? Yea, I can't find the answer either.
That concludes all of the gods relating to Oedipus. I know it's a lot information to take in but somehow you can't be intrigued by these gods. Could you imagine what it must of been like to live in Greece where people were die hard believers of multiple gods? I think it would be an interesting environment. Having all those gods, means you would have a lot of pleasing to do. On the other side of my deep thoughts, I found myself also thinking if I were a god what would I be the god of? I would like to be Cretavimos, the god of creativity.
P.S What would you be the god of?
Check out this link for some of the epithets for Greek gods and godesses:
Jose.
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