Greek Mythology Greek mythology concerns the

Greek Mythology
    Good morning, everyone. Today’s topic is Greek mythology. Greek mythology is the body of myths (神话) and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origin and significance of their own cults and ritual practices.
    Greek myth attempts to explain the origin of the world, and details the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and mythological creatures.
    The oldest known Greek literary sources, the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, focus on events surrounding the Trojan War (特洛伊战争) Two poems by Homer’s near contemporary Hesiod, the Theogony and the Works and Days, contain accounts of the genesis (起源，开始) of the world, the succession (接替，继承) of divine rulers, the succession of human ages, the origin of human woes, and the origin of sacrificial practices (献祭习俗). Myths also are preserved in the Homeric Hymns, in fragments of epic poems of the Epic Cycle, in lyric poems, in the works of the tragedians of the fifth century BC, in writings of scholars and poets of the Hellenistic Age, and in texts from the time of the Roman Empire by writers such as Plutarch and Pausanias. Archaeological (考古学的) findings provide a principal source of details about Greek mythology, with gods and heroes featured prominently (显著地) in the decoration of many artifacts.
    Greek mythology has exerted an extensive influence on the culture, the arts and the literature of Western civilization, and remains part of Western heritage and language. Poets and artists from ancient times to the present have derived inspiration from Greek mythology, and have discovered contemporary significance and relevance in these mythological themes. With the rediscovery of classical antiquity in the Renaissance, the poetry of Ovid became a major influence on the imagination of poets and artists, and remained a fundamental influence on the diffusion (扩散，传播) and perception of Greek mythology through subsequent centuries. From the early years of the Renaissance, artists portrayed subjects from Greek mythology alongside more conventional Christian themes.
    In northern Europe, Greek mythology never took the same hold of the visual arts, but its effect was very obvious on literature. Both Latin and Greek classical texts were translated so that stories of mythology became available.
    The 18th century saw the philosophical revolution of the Enlightenment spread throughout Europe and accompanied by a certain reaction against Greek myth; there was a tendency to insist on the scientific and philosophical achievements of Greece and Rome. By the end of the century, romanticism initiated a surge of enthusiasm for all Greek things, including Greek mythology. In Britain, it was a great period for new translations of Greek tragedies and Homer, and these in turn inspired contemporary poets, such as Keats, Byron and Shelley. American authors of the 19th century, such as Thomas Bulfinch and Nathaniel Hawthorne, believed that myths should provide pleasure, and held that the study of the classical myths was essential to the understanding of English and American literature.
    Greek mythology has a great impact on every aspect in the western countries, and it is still influencing the everyday life of the people.
    Thanks for your attention.