Rabu, 26 Desember 2012
ALL KISAH NABI
NABI ADAM AS
Kekhawatiran Para Malaikat.
Para malaikat ketika diberitahukan oleh Allah s.w.t. akan kehendak-Nya menciptakan makhluk lain itu, mereka khuatir kalau-kalau kehendak Allah menciptakan makhluk yang lain itu,disebabkan kecuaian atau kelalaian mereka dalam ibadah dan menjalankan tugas atau karena pelanggaran yang mereka lakukan tanpa disadari. Berkata mereka kepada Allah s.w.t.: "Wahai Tuhan kami! Buat apa Tuhan menciptakan makhluk lain selain kami,padahal kami selalu bertasbih, bertahmid, melakukan ibadah dan mengagungkan nama-Mu tanpa henti-hentinya,sedang makhluk yang Tuhan akan ciptakan dan turunkan ke bumi itu,nescaya akan bertengkar satu dengan lain,akan saling bunuh-membunuh berebutan menguasai kekayaan alam yang terlihat diatasnya dan terpendam di dalamnya,sehingga akan terjadilah kerusakan dan kehancuran di atas bumi yang Tuhan ciptakan itu."
Allah berfirman, menghilangkan kekhuatiran para malaikat itu:
"Aku mengetahui apa yang kamu tidak ketahui dan Aku sendirilah yang mengetahui hikmat penguasaan Bani Adam atas bumi-Ku.Bila Aku telah menciptakannya dan meniupkan roh kepada nya,bersujudlah kamu di hadapan makhluk baru itu sebagai penghormatan dan bukan sebagai sujud ibadah,karena Allah s.w.t. melarang hamba-Nya beribadah kepada sesama makhluk-Nya."
Kemudian diciptakanlah Adam oleh Allah s.w.t.dari segumpal tanah liat,kering dan lumpur hitam yang berbentuk.Setelah disempurnakan bentuknya ditiupkanlah roh ciptaan Tuhan ke dalamnya dan berdirilah ia tegak menjadi manusia yang sempurna
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Iblis Membangkang.
Iblis membangkang dan enggan mematuhi perintah Allah seperti para malaikat yang lain,yang segera bersujud di hadapan Adam sebagai penghormatan bagi makhluk Allah yang akan diberi amanat menguasai bumi dengan segala apa yang hidup dan tumbuh di atasnya serta yang terpendam di dalamnya.Iblis merasa dirinya lebih mulia,lebih utama dan lebih agung dari Adam,karena ia diciptakan dari unsur api,sedang Adam dari tanah dan lumpur.Kebanggaannya dengan asal usulnya menjadikan ia sombong dan merasa rendah untuk bersujud menghormati Adam seperti para malaikat yang lain,walaupun diperintah oleh Allah.
Tuhan bertanya kepada Iblis:"Apakah yang mencegahmu sujud menghormati sesuatu yang telah Aku ciptakan dengan tangan-Ku?"
Iblis menjawab:"Aku adalah lebih mulia dan lebih unggul dari dia.Engkau ciptakan aku dari api dan menciptakannya dari lumpur."
Karena kesombongan,kecongkakan dan pembangkangannya melakukan sujud yang diperintahkan,maka Allah menghukum Iblis dengan mengusir dari syurga dan mengeluarkannya dari barisan malaikat dengan disertai kutukan dan laknat yang akan melekat pd.dirinya hingga hari kiamat.Di samping itu ia dinyatakan sebagai penghuni neraka.
Iblis dengan sombongnya menerima dengan baik hukuman Tuhan itu dan ia hanya mohon agar kepadanya diberi kesempatan untuk hidup kekal hingga hari kebangkitan kembali di hari kiamat.Allah meluluskan permohonannya dan ditangguhkanlah ia sampai hari kebangkitan,tidak berterima kasih dan bersyukur atas pemberian jaminan itu,bahkan sebaliknya ia mengancam akan menyesatkan Adam,sebagai sebab terusirnya dia dari syurga dan dikeluarkannya dari barisan malaikat,dan akan mendatangi anak-anak keturunannya dari segala sudut untuk memujuk mereka meninggalkan jalan yang lurus dan bersamanya menempuh jalan yang sesat,mengajak mereka melakukan maksiat dan hal-hal yang terlarang,menggoda mereka supaya melalaikan perintah-perintah agama dan mempengaruhi mereka agar tidak bersyukur dan beramal soleh.
Kemudian Allah berfirman kepada Iblis yang terkutuk itu:
"Pergilah engkau bersama pengikut-pengikutmu yang semuanya akan menjadi isi neraka Jahanam dan bahan bakar neraka.Engkau tidak akan berdaya menyesatkan hamba-hamba-Ku yang telah beriman kepada Ku dengan sepenuh hatinya dan memiliki aqidah yang mantap yang tidak akan tergoyah oleh rayuanmu walaupun engkau menggunakan segala kepandaianmu menghasut dan memfitnah."
Pengetahuan Adam Tentang Nama-Nama Benda.
Allah hendak menghilangkan anggapan rendah para malaikat terhadap Adam dan menyakinkan mereka akan kebenaran hikmat-Nya menunjuk Adam sebagai penguasa bumi,maka diajarkanlah kepada Adam nama-nama benda yang berada di alam semesta,kemudian diperagakanlah benda-benda itu di depan para malaikat seraya:"Cubalah sebutkan bagi-Ku nama benda-benda itu,jika kamu benar merasa lebih mengetahui dan lebih mengerti dari Adam."
Para malaikat tidak berdaya memenuhi tentangan Allah untuk menyebut nama-nama benda yang berada di depan mereka.Mereka mengakui ketidak-sanggupan mereka dengan berkata:"Maha Agung Engkau! Sesungguhnya kami tidak memiliki pengetahuan tentang sesuatu kecuali apa yang Tuhan ajakan kepada kami.Sesungguhnya Engkaulah Yang Maha Mengetahui dan Maha Bijaksana."
Adam lalu diperintahkan oleh Allah untuk memberitahukan nama-nama itu kepada para malaikat dan setelah diberitahukan oleh Adam,berfirmanlah Allah kepada mereka:"Bukankah Aku telah katakan padamu bahawa Aku mengetahui rahsia langit dan bumi dan mengetahui apa yang kamu lahirkan dan apa yang kamu sembunyikan."
Adam Menghuni Syurga.
Adam diberi tempat oleh Allah di syurga dan baginya diciptakanlah Hawa untuk mendampinginya dan menjadi teman hidupnya,menghilangkan rasa kesepiannya dan melengkapi keperluan fitrahnya untuk mengembangkan keturunan. Menurut cerita para ulamat Hawa diciptakan oleh Allah dari salah satu tulang rusuk Adam yang disebelah kiri diwaktu ia masih tidur sehingga ketika ia terjaga,ia melihat Hawa sudah berada di sampingnya.ia ditanya oleh malaikat:"Wahai Adam! Apa dan siapakah makhluk yang berada di sampingmu itu?"
Berkatalah Adam:"Seorang perempuan."Sesuai dengan fitrah yang telah diilhamkan oleh Allah kepadanya."Siapa namanya?"tanya malaikat lagi."Hawa",jawab Adam."Untuk apa Tuhan menciptakan makhluk ini?",tanya malaikat lagi.
Adam menjawab:"Untuk mendampingiku,memberi kebahagian bagiku dan mengisi keperluan hidupku sesuai dengan kehendak Allah."
Allah berpesan kepada Adam:"Tinggallah engkau bersama isterimu di syurga,rasakanlah kenikmatan yang berlimpah-limpah didalamnya,rasailah dan makanlah buah-buahan yang lazat yang terdapat di dalamnya sepuas hatimu dan sekehendak nasfumu.Kamu tidak akan mengalami atau merasa lapar,dahaga ataupun letih selama kamu berada di dalamnya.Akan tetapi Aku ingatkan janganlah makan buah dari pohon ini yang akan menyebabkan kamu celaka dan termasuk orang-orang yang zalim.Ketahuilah bahawa Iblis itu adalah musuhmu dan musuh isterimu,ia akan berusaha membujuk kamu dan menyeret kamu keluar dari syurga sehingga hilanglah kebahagiaan yang kamu sedang nikmat ini."
Iblis Mulai Beraksi.
Sesuai dengan ancaman yang diucapkan ketika diusir oleh allah dari Syurga akibat pembangkangannya dan terdorong pula oleh rasa iri hati dan dengki terhadap Adam yang menjadi sebab sampai ia terkutuk dan terlaknat selama-lamanya tersingkir dari singgahsana kebesarannya.Iblis mulai menunjukkan rancangan penyesatannya kepada Adam dan Hawa yang sedang hidup berdua di syurga yang tenteram, damai dan bahagia.
Ia menyatakan kepada mereka bahawa ia adalah kawan mereka dan ingin memberi nasihat dan petunjuk untuk kebaikan dan mengekalkan kebahagiaan mereka.Segala cara dan kata-kata halus digunakan oleh Iblis untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan Adam dan Hawa bahawa ia betul-betul jujur dalam nasihat dan petunjuknya kepada mereka.Ia membisikan kepada mereka bahwa.larangan Tuhan kepada mereka memakan buah-buah yang ditunjuk itu adalah karena dengan memakan buah itu mereka akan menjelma menjadi malaikat dan akan hidup kekal.Diulang-ulangilah bujukannya dengan menunjukkan akan harumnya bau pohon yang dilarang indah bentuk buahnya dan lazat rasanya.Sehingga pada akhirnya termakanlah bujukan yang halus itu oleh Adam dan Hawa dan dilanggarlah larangan Tuhan.
Allah mencela perbuatan mereka itu dan berfirman yang bermaksud: "Tidakkah Aku mencegah kamu mendekati pohon itu dan memakan dari buahnya dan tidakkah Aku telah ingatkan kamu bahawa syaitan itu adalah musuhmu yang nyata."
Adam dan Hawa mendengar firman Allah itu sedarlah ia bahawa mereka telah terlanggar perintah Allah dan bahawa mereka telah melakukan suatu kesalahan dan dosa besar.Seraya menyesal berkatalah mereka:"Wahai Tuhan kami! Kami telah menganiaya diri kami sendiri dan telah melanggar perintah-Mu karena terkena bujukan Iblis.Ampunilah dosa kami karena nescaya kami akan tergolong orang-orang yang rugi bila Engkau tidak mengampuni dan mengasihi kami."
Adam dan Hawa Diturunkan Ke Bumi.
Allah telah menerima taubat Adam dan Hawa serta mengampuni perbuatan pelanggaran yang mereka telah lakukan hal mana telah melegakan dada mereka dan menghilangkan rasa sedih akibat kelalaian peringatan Tuhan tentang Iblis sehingga terjerumus menjadi mangsa bujukan dan rayuannya yang manis namun berancun itu.
Adam dan Hawa merasa tenteram kembali setelah menerima pengampunan Allah dan selanjutnya akan menjaga jangan sampai tertipu lagi oleh Iblis dan akan berusaha agar pelanggaran yang telah dilakukan dan menimbulkan murka dan teguran Tuhan itu menjadi pengajaran bagi mereka berdua untuk lebih berhati-hati menghadapi tipu daya dan bujukan Iblis yang terlaknat itu.Harapan untuk tinggal terus di syurga yang telah pudar karena perbuatan pelanggaran perintah Allah,hidup kembali dalam hati dan fikiran Adam dan Hawa yang merasa kenikmatan dan kebahagiaan hidup mereka di syurga tidak akan terganggu oleh sesuatu dan bahawa redha Allah serta rahmatnya akan tetap melimpah di atas mereka untuk selama-lamanya.Akan tetapi Allah telah menentukan dalam takdir-Nya apa yang tidak terlintas dalam hati dan tidak terfikirkan oleh mereka. Allah s.w.t.yang telah menentukan dalam takdir-nya bahawa bumi yang penuh dengan kekayaan untuk dikelolanya,akan dikuasai kepada manusia keturunan Adam memerintahkan Adam dan Hawa turun ke bumi sebagai benih pertama dari hamba-hambanya yang bernama manusia itu.Berfirmanlah Allah kepada mereka:"Turunlah kamu ke bumi sebagian daripada kamu menjadi musuh bagi sebagian yang lain kamu dapat tinggal tetap dan hidup disan sampai waktu yang telah ditentukan."
Turunlah Adam dan Hawa ke bumi menghadapi cara hidup baru yang jauh berlainan dengan hidup di syurga yang pernah dialami dan yang tidak akan berulang kembali.Mereka harus menempuh hidup di dunia yang fana ini dengan suka dan dukanya dan akan menurunkan umat manusia yang beraneka ragam sifat dan tabiatnya berbeda-beda warna kulit dan kecerdasan otaknya.Umat manusia yang akan berkelompok-kelompok menjadi suku-suku dan bangsa-bangsa di mana yang satu menjadi musuh yang lain saling bunuh-membunuh aniaya-menganianya dan tindas-menindas sehingga dari waktu ke waktu Allah mengutus nabi-nabi-Nya dan rasul-rasul-Nya memimpin hamba-hamba-Nya ke jalan yang lurus penuh damai kasih sayang di antara sesama manusia jalan yang menuju kepada redha-Nya dan kebahagiaan manusia di dunia dan akhirat.
Kisah Adam dalam Al-Quran.
Al_Quran menceritakan kisah Adam dalam beberapa surah di antaranya surah Al_Baqarah ayat 30 sehingga ayat 38 dan surah Al_A'raaf ayat 11 sehingga 25
Pengajaran Yang Terdapat Dari Kisah Adam.
Bahawasanya hikmah yang terkandung dalam perintah-perintah dan larangan-larangan Allah dan dalam apa yang diciptakannya kadangkala tidak atau belum dapat dicapai oelh otak manusia bahkan oleh makhluk-Nya yang terdekat sebagaimana telah dialami oleh para malaikat tatkala diberitahu bahawa Allah akan menciptakan manusia - keturunan Adam untuk menjadi khalifah-Nya di bumi sehingga mereka seakan-akan berkeberatan dan bertanya-tanya mengapa dan untuk apa Allah menciptakan jenis makhluk lain daripada mereka yang sudah patuh rajin beribadat, bertasbih, bertahmid dan mengagungkan nama-Nya.
Bahawasanya manusia walaupun ia telah dikurniakan kecergasan berfikir dan kekuatan fizikal dan mental ia tetap mempunyai beberapa kelemahan pada dirinya seperti sifat lalai, lupa dan khilaf. Hal mana telah terjadi pada diri Nabi Adam yang walaupun ia telah menjadi manusia yang sempurna dan dikurniakan kedudukan yang istimewa di syurga ia tetap tidak terhindar dari sifat-sifat manusia yang lemah itu.Ia telah lupa dan melalaikan peringatan Allah kepadanya tentang pohon terlarang dan tentang Iblis yang menjadi musuhnya dan musuh seluruh keturunannya, sehingga terperangkap ke dalam tipu daya dan terjadilah pelanggaran pertama yang dilakukan oleh manusia terhadap larangan Allah.
Bahawasanya seseorang yang telah terlanjur melakukan maksiat dan berbuat dosa tidaklah ia sepatutnya berputus asa dari rahmat dan ampunan Tuhan asalkan ia sedar akan kesalahannya dan bertaubat tidak akan melakukannya kembali.Rahmat allah dan maghfirah-Nya dpt mencakup segala dosa yang diperbuat oleh hamba-Nya kecuali syirik bagaimana pun besar dosa itu asalkan diikuti dengan kesedaran bertaubat dan pengakuan kesalahan.
Sifat sombong dan congkak selalu membawa akibat kerugian dan kebinasaan.Lihatlah Iblis yang turun dari singgahsananya dilucutkan kedudukannya sebagai seorang malaikat dan diusir oleh Allah dari syurga dengan disertai kutukan dan laknat yang akan melekat kepada dirinya hingga hari Kiamat karena kesombongannya dan kebanggaaannya dengan asal-usulnya sehingga ia menganggap dan memandang rendah kepada Nabi Adam dan menolak untuk sujud menghormatinya walaupun diperintahkan oleh Allah s.w.t.
NABI NUH AS
Dakwah Nabi Nuh Kepada Kaumnya
Nabi Nuh menerima wahyu kenabian dari Allah dalam masa "fatrah" masa kekosongan di antara dua rasul di mana biasanya manusia secara berangsur-angsur melupakan ajaran agama yang dibawa oleh nabi yang meninggalkan mereka dan kembali bersyirik meninggalkan amal kebajikan, melakukan kemungkaran dan kemaksiatan di bawah pimpinan Iblis.
Demikianlah maka kaum Nabi Nuh tidak luput dari proses tersebut, sehingga ketika Nabi Nuh datang di tengah-tengah mereka, mereka sedang menyembah berhala ialah patung-patung yang dibuat oleh tangan-tangan mereka sendiri disembahnya sebagai tuhan-tuhan yang dapat membawa kebaikan dan manfaat serta menolak segala kesengsaraan dan kemalangan.berhala-berhala yang dipertuhankan dan menurut kepercayaan mereka mempunyai kekuatan dan kekuasaan ghaib ke atas manusia itu diberinya nama-nama yang silih berganti menurut kehendak dan selera kebodohan mereka.Kadang-kadang mereka namakan berhala mereka " Wadd " dan " Suwa " kadangkala " Yaguts " dan bila sudah bosan digantinya dengan nama " Yatuq " dan " Nasr ".
Nabi Nuh berdakwah kepada kaumnya yang sudah jauh tersesat oleh iblis itu, mengajak mereka meninggalkan syirik dan penyembahan berhala dan kembali kepada tauhid menyembah Allah Tuhan sekalian alam melakukan ajaran-ajaran agama yang diwahyukan kepadanya serta meninggalkan kemungkaran dan kemaksiatan yang diajarkan oleh Syaitan dan Iblis.
Nabi Nuh menarik perhatian kaumnya agar melihat alam semesta yang diciptakan oleh Allah berupa langit dengan matahari, bulan dan bintang-bintang yang menghiasinya, bumi dengan kekayaan yang ada di atas dan di bawahnya, berupa tumbuh-tumbuhan dan air yang mengalir yang memberi kenikmatan hidup kepada manusia, pengantian malam menjadi siang dan sebaliknya yang kesemua itu menjadi bukti dan tanda nyata akan adanya keesaan Tuhan yang harus disembah dan bukan berhala-berhala yang mereka buat dengan tangan mereka sendiri.Di samping itu Nabi Nuh juga memberitakan kepada mereka bahwa akan ada gajaran yang akan diterima oleh manusia atas segala amalannya di dunia iaitu syurga bagi amalan kebajikan dan neraka bagi segala pelanggaran terhadap perintah agama yang berupa kemungkaran dan kemaksiatan.
Nabi Nuh yang dikurniakan Allah dengan sifat-sifat yang patut dimiliki oleh seorang nabi, fasih dan tegas dalam kata-katanya, bijaksana dan sabar dalam tindak-tanduknya melaksanakan tugas risalahnya kepada kaumnya dengan penuh kesabaran dan kebijaksanaan dengan cara yang lemah lembut mengetuk hati nurani mereka dan kadang kala dengan kata-kata yang tajam dan nada yang kasar bila menghadapi pembesar-pembesar kaumnya yang keras kepala yang enggan menerima hujjah dan dalil-dalil yang dikemukakan kepada mereka yang tidak dapat mereka membantahnya atau mematahkannya.
Akan tetapi walaupun Nabi Nuh telah berusaha sekuat tanaganya berdakwah kepda kaumnya dengan segala kebijaksanaan, kecekapan dan kesabaran dan dalam setiap kesempatan, siang mahupun malam dengan cara berbisik-bisik atau cara terang dan terbuka terbyata hanya sedikit sekali dari kaumnya yang dpt menerima dakwahnya dan mengikuti ajakannya, yang menurut sementara riwayat tidak melebihi bilangan seratus orang Mereka pun terdiri dari orang-orang yang miskin berkedudukan sosial lemah. Sedangkan orang yang kaya-raya, berkedudukan tingi dan terpandang dalam masyarakat, yang merupakan pembesar-pembesar dan penguasa-penguasa tetap membangkang, tidak mempercayai Nabi Nuh mengingkari dakwahnya dan sesekali tidak merelakan melepas agamanya dan kepercayaan mereka terhadap berhala-berhala mereka, bahkan mereka berusaha dengan mengadakan persekongkolan hendak melumpuhkan dan mengagalkan usaha dakwah Nabi nuh.
Berkata mereka kepada Nabi Nuh:"Bukankah engkau hanya seorang daripada kami dan tidak berbeda drp kami sebagai manusia biasa. Jikalau betul Allah akan mengutuskan seorang rasul yang membawa perintah-Nya, nescaya Ia akan mengutuskan seorang malaikat yang patut kami dengarkan kata-katanya dan kami ikuti ajakannya dan bukan manusia biasa seperti engkau hanya dpt diikuti orang-orang rendah kedudukan sosialnya seperti para buruh petani orang-orang yang tidak berpenghasilan yang bagi kami mereka seperti sampah masyarakat.Pengikut-pengikutmu itu adalah orang-orang yang tidak mempunyai daya fikiran dan ketajaman otak, mereka mengikutimu secara buta tuli tanpa memikirkan dan menimbangkan masak-masak benar atau tidaknya dakwah dan ajakanmu itu. Cuba agama yang engkau bawa dan ajaran -ajaran yang engkau sadurkan kepada kami itu betul-betul benar, nescaya kamilah dulu mengikutimu dan bukannya orang-orang yang mengemis pengikut-pengikutmu itu. kami sebagai pemuka-pemuka masyarakat yang pandai berfikir, memiliki kecerdasan otak dan pandangan yang luas dan yang dipandang masyarakat sebagai pemimpin-pemimpinnya, tidaklah mudak kami menerima ajakanmu dan dakwahmu.Engkau tidak mempunyai kelebihan di atas kami tentang soaL-soal kemasyarakatan dan pergaulan hidup.kami jauh lebih pandai dan lebih mengetahui drpmu tentang hal itu semua.nya.Anggapan kami terhadapmu, tidak lain dan tidak bukan, bahawa engkau adalh pendusta belaka."
Nuh berkata, menjawab ejekan dan olok-olokan kaumnya:"Adakah engkau mengira bahwa aku dpt memaksa kamu mengikuti ajaranku atau mengira bahwa aku mempunyai kekuasaan untuk menjadikan kamu orang-orang yang beriman jika kamu tetap menolak ajakan ku dan tetap membuta-tuli terhadap bukti-bukti kebenaran dakwahku dan tetap mempertahakan pendirianmu yang tersesat yang diilhamkan oleh kesombongan dan kecongkakan karena kedudukan dan harta-benda yang kamu miliki.Aku hanya seorang manusia yang mendpt amanat dan diberi tugas oleh Allah untuk menyampaikan risalah-Nya kepada kamu. Jika kamu tetap berkeras kepala dan tidak mahu kembali ke jalan yang benar dan menerima agama Allah yang diutuskan-Nya kepada ku maka terserahlah kepada Allah untuk menentukan hukuman-Nya dan gajaran-Nya keatas diri kamu. Aku hanya pesuruh dan rasul-Nya yang diperintahkan untuk menyampaikan amanat-Nya kepada hamba-hamba-Nya. Dialah yang berkuasa memberi hidayah kepadamu dan mengampuni dosamu atau menurunkan azab dan seksaan-Nya di atas kamu sekalian jika Ia kehendaki.Dialah pula yang berkuasa menurunkan seksa danazab-nya di dunia atau menangguhkannya sampai hari kemudian. Dialah Tuhan pencipta alam semesta ini, Maha Kuasa ,Maha Mengetahui, maha pengasih dan Maha Penyayang.".
Kaum Nuh mengemukakan syarat dengan berkata:"Wahai Nuh! Jika engkau menghendaki kami mengikutimu dan memberi sokongan dan semangat kepada kamu dan kepada agama yang engkau bawa, maka jauhkanlah para pengikutmu yang terdiri dari orang-orang petani, buruh dan hamaba-hamba sahaya itu. Usirlah mereka dari pengaulanmu karena kami tidak dpt bergaul dengan mereka duduk berdampingan dengan mereka mengikut cara hidup mereka dan bergabung dengan mereka dalam suatu agama dan kepercayaan. Dan bagaimana kami dpt menerima satu agama yang menyamaratakan para bangsawan dengan orang awam, penguasa dan pembesar dengan buruh-buruhnya dan orang kaya yang berkedudukan dengan orang yang miskin dan papa."
Nabi Nuh menolak pensyaratan kaumnya dan berkata:"Risalah dan agama yang aku bawa adalah untuk semua orang tiada pengecualian, yang pandai mahupun yang bodoh, yang kaya mahupun miskin, majikan ataupun buruh ,diantara peguasa dan rakyat biasa semuanya mempunyai kedudukan dan tempat yang sama trehadap agama dan hukum Allah. Andai kata aku memenuhi pensyaratan kamu dan meluluskan keinginanmu menyingkirkan para pengikutku yang setia itu, maka siapakah yang dpt ku harapkan akan meneruskan dakwahku kepada orang ramai dan bagaimana aku sampai hati menjauhkan drpku orang-orang yang telah beriman dan menerima dakwahku dengan penuh keyakinan dan keikhlasan di kala kamu menolaknya serta mengingkarinya, orang-orang yang telah membantuku dalam tugasku di kala kamu menghalangi usahaku dan merintangi dakwahku. Dan bagaimanakah aku dpt mempertanggungjawabkan tindakan pengusiranku kepada mereka terhadap Allah bila mereka mengadu bahawa aku telah membalas kesetiaan dan ketaatan mereka dengan sebaliknya semata-mata untuk memenuhi permintaanmu dan tunduk kepada pensyaratanmu yang tidak wajar dan tidak dpt diterima oleh akal dan fikiran yang sihat. Sesungguhnay kamu adalah orang-orang yang bodoh dan tidak berfikiran sihat.
Pada akhirnya, karena merasa tidak berdaya lagi mengingkari kebenaran kata-kata Nabi Nuh dan merasa kehabisan alasan dan hujjah untuk melanjutkan dialog dengan beliau, maka berkatalah mereka:
"Wahai Nabi Nuh! Kita telah banyak bermujadalah dan berdebat dan cukup berdialog serta mendengar dakwahmu yang sudah menjemukan itu. Kami tetap tidak akan mengikutimu dan tidak akan sesekali melepaskan kepercayaan dan adat-istiadat kami sehingga tidak ada gunanya lagi engkau mengulang-ulangi dakwah dan ajakanmu dan bertegang lidah dengan kami. datangkanlah apa yang engkau benar-benar orang yang menepati janji dan kata-katanya. Kami ingin melihat kebenaran kata-katamu dan ancamanmu dalam kenyataan. Karena kami masih tetap belum mempercayaimu dan tetap meragukan dakwahmu."
Nabi Nuh Berputus Asa Dari Kaumnya
Nabi Nuh berada di tengah-tengah kaumnya selama sembilan ratus lima puluh tahun berdakwah menyampaikan risalah Tuhan, mengajak mereka meninmggalkan penyembahan berhala dan kembali menyembah dan beribadah kepada Allah Yang maha Kuasa memimpin mereka keluar dari jalan yang sesat dan gelap ke jalan yang benar dan terang, mengajar mereka hukum-hukum syariat dan agama yang diwahyukan oleh Allah kepadanya, mangangkat darjat manusia yang tertindas dan lemah ke tingak yang sesuai dengan fitrah dan qudratnya dan berusaha menghilangkan sifat-sifat sombong dan bongkak yang melekat pd para pembesar kaumnya dan medidik agar mereka berkasih sayang, tolong-menolong diantara sesama manusia. Akan tetapi dalam waktu yang cukup lama itu, Nabi Nuh tidak berhasil menyedarkan an menarik kaumnya untuk mengikuti dan menerima dakwahnya beriman, bertauhid dan beribadat kepada Allah kecuali sekelompok kecil kaumnya yang tidak mencapai seramai seratus orang, walaupun ia telah melakukan tugasnya dengan segala daya-usahanya dan sekuat tenaganya dengan penuh kesabaran dan kesulitan menghadapi penghinaan, ejekan dan cercaan makian kaumnya, karena ia mengharapkan akan dtg masanya di mana kaumnya akan sedar diri dan dtg mengakui kebenarannya dan kebenaran dakwahnya. Harapan Nabi Nuh akan kesedaran kaumnya ternyata makin hari makin berkurangan dan bahawa sinar iman dan takwa tidak akan menebus ke dalam hati mereka yang telah tertutup rapat oleh ajaran dan bisikan Iblis. Hal mana Nabi Nuh berupa berfirman Allah yang bermaksud:
"Sesungguhnya tidak akan seorang drp kaumnya mengikutimu dan beriman kecuali mereka yang telah mengikutimu dan beriman lebih dahulu, maka jgnlah engkau bersedih hati karena apa yang mereka perbuatkan."
Dengan penegasan firman Allah itu, lenyaplah sisa harapan Nabi Nuh dari kaumnya dan habislah kesabarannya. Ia memohon kepada Allah agar menurunkan Azab-Nya di atas kaumnya yang berkepala batu seraya berseru:"Ya Allah! Jgnlah Engkau biarkan seorang pun drp orang-orang kafir itu hidup dan tinggal di atas bumi ini. Mareka akan berusaha menyesatkan hamba-hamba-Mu, jika Engkau biarkan mereka tinggal dan mereka tidak akan melahirkan dan menurunkan selain anak-anak yang berbuat maksiat dan anak-anak yang kafir spt.mereka."
Doa Nabi Nuh dikalbulkan oleh Allah dan permohonannya diluluskan dan tidak perlu lagi menghiraukan dan mempersoalkan kaumnya, karena mereka itu akan menerima hukuman Allah dengan mati tenggelam.
Nabi Nuh Membuat Kapal
Setelah menerima perintah Allah untuk membuat sebuah kapal, segeralah Nabi Nuh mengumpulkan para pengikutnya dan mulai mereka mengumpulkan bhn yang diperlukan untuk maksud tersebut, kemudian dengan mengambil tempat di luar dan agak jauh dari kota dan keramaiannya mereka dengan rajin dan tekun bekerja siang dan malam menyelesaikan pembinaan kapal yang diperintahkan itu.
Walaupun Nabi Nuh telah menjauhi kota dan masyarakatnya, agar dpt bekerja dengan tenang tanpa gangguan bagi menyelesaikan pembinaan kapalnya namun ia tidak luput dari ejekan dan cemuhan kaumnya yang kebetulan atau sengaja melalui tempat kerja membina kapal itu. Mereka mengejek dan mengolok-olk dengan mengatakan:"Wahai Nuh! Sejak bila engkau telah menjadi tukang kayu dan pembuat kapal?Bukankah engkau seorang nabi dan rasul menurut pengakuanmu, kenapa sekarang menjadi seorang tukang kayu dan pembuat kapal.Dan kapal yang engkau buat itu di tempat yang jauh dari air ini adalah maksudmu untuk ditarik oleh kerbau ataukah mengharapkan angin yang ankan menarik kapalmu ke laut?"Dan lain-lain kata ejekan yang diterima oleh Nabi Nuh dengan sikap dingin dan tersenyum seraya menjawab:"Baiklah tunggu saja saatnya nanti, jika kamu sekrg mengejek dan mengolok-olok kami maka akan tibalah masanya kelak bg kami untuk mengejek kamu dan akan kamu ketahui kelak untuk apa kapal yang kami siapkan ini.Tunggulah saatnya azab dan hukuman Allah menimpa atas diri kamu."
Setelah selesai pekerjaan pembuatan kapal yang merupakan alat pengangkutan laut pertama di dunia, Nabi Nuh menerima wahyu dari Allah:"Siap-siaplah engkau dengan kapalmu, bila tiba perintah-Ku dan terlihat tanda-tanda drp-Ku maka segeralah angkut bersamamu di dalam kapalmu dan kerabatmu dan bawalah dua pasang dari setiap jenis makhluk yang ada di atas bumi dan belayarlah dengan izin-Ku."
Kemudian tercurahlah dari langit dan memancur dari bumi air yang deras dan dahsyat yang dalam sekelip mata telah menjadi banjir besar melanda seluruh kota dan desa menggenangi daratan yang rendah mahupun yang tinggi sampai mencapai puncak bukit-bukit sehingga tiada tempat berlindung dari air bah yang dahsyat itu kecuali kapal Nabi Nuh yang telah terisi penuh dengan para orang mukmin dan pasangan makhluk yang diselamatkan oleh Nabi Nuh atas perintah Allah.
Dengan iringan"Bismillah majraha wa mursaha"belayarlah kapal Nabi Nuh dengan lajunya menyusuri lautan air, menentang angin yang kadang kala lemah lembut dan kadang kala ganas dan ribut. Di kanan kiri kapal terlihatlah orang-orang kafir bergelut melawan gelombang air yang menggunung berusaha menyelamat diri dari cengkaman maut yang sudah sedia menerkam mereka di dalam lipatan gelombang-gelombang itu.
Tatkala Nabi Nuh berada di atas geladak kapal memperhatikan cuaca dan melihat-lihat orang-orang kafir dari kaumnya sedang bergelimpangan di atas permukaan air, tiba-tiba terlihatlah olehnya tubuh putera sulungnya yang bernama "Kan'aan" timbul tenggelam dipermainkan oleh gelombang yang tidak menaruh belas kasihan kepada orang-orang yang sedang menerima hukuman Allah itu. Pada saat itu, tanpa disadari, timbullah rasa cinta dan kasih sayang seorang ayah terhadap putera kandungnya yang berada dalam keadaan cemas menghadapi maut ditelan gelombang.
Nabi Nuh secara spontan, terdorong oleh suara hati kecilnya berteriak dengan sekuat suaranya memanggil puteranya:Wahai anakku! Datanglah kemari dan gabungkan dirimu bersama keluargamu. Bertaubatlah engkau dan berimanlah kepada Allah agar engkau selamat dan terhindar dari bahaya maut yang engkau menjalani hukuman Allah." Kan'aan, putera Nabi Nuh, yang tersesat dan telah terkena racun rayuan syaitan dan hasutan kaumnya yang sombong dan keras kepala itu menolak dengan keras ajakan dan panggilan ayahnya yang menyayanginya dengan kata-kata yang menentang:"Biarkanlah aku dan pergilah, jauhilah aku, aku tidak sudi berlindung di atas geladak kapalmu aku akan dapat menyelamatkan diriku sendiri dengan berlindung di atas bukit yang tidak akan dijangkau oleh air bah ini."
Nuh menjawab:"Percayalah bahawa tempat satu-satunya yang dapat menyelamatkan engkau ialah bergabung dengan kami di atas kapal ini. Masa tidak akan ada yang dapat melepaskan diri dari hukuman Allah yang telah ditimpakan ini kecuali orang-orang yang memperolehi rahmat dan keampunan-Nya."
Setelah Nabi Nuh mengucapkan kata-katanya tenggelamlah Kan'aan disambar gelombang yang ganas dan lenyaplah ia dari pandangan mata ayahnya, tergelincirlah ke bawah lautan air mengikut kawan-kawannya dan pembesar-pembesar kaumnya yang durhaka itu.
Nabi Nuh bersedih hati dan berdukacita atas kematian puteranya dalam keadaan kafir tidak beriman dan belum mengenal Allah. Beliau berkeluh-kesah dan berseru kepada Allah:"Ya Tuhanku, sesungguhnya puteraku itu adalah darah dagingku dan adalah bahagian dari keluargaku dan sesungguhnya janji-Mu adalha janji benar dan Engkaulah Maha Hakim yang Maha Berkuasa."Kepadanya Allah berfirman:"Wahai Nuh! Sesungguhnya dia puteramu itu tidaklah termasuk keluargamu, karena ia telah menyimpang dari ajaranmu, melanggar perintahmu menolak dakwahmu dan mengikuti jejak orang-orang yang kafir drp kaummu.Coretlah namanya dari daftar keluargamu.Hanya mereka yang telah menerima dakwahmu mengikuti jalanmu dan beriman kepada-Ku dpt engkau masukkan dan golongkan ke dalam barisan keluargamu yang telah Aku janjikan perlindungannya danterjamin keselamatan jiwanya.Adapun orang-orang yang mengingkari risalah mu, mendustakan dakwahmu dan telah mengikuti hawa nafsunya dan tuntutan Iblis, pastilah mereka akan binasa menjalani hukuman yang telah Aku tentukan walau mereka berada dipuncak gunung. Maka janganlah engkau sesekali menanyakan tentang sesuatu yang engkau belum ketahui. Aku ingatkan janganlah engkau sampai tergolong ke dalam golongan orang-orang yang bodoh."
Nabi Nuh sedar segera setelah menerima teguran dari Allah bahwa cinta kasih sayangnya kepada anaknya telah menjadikan ia lupa akan janji dan ancaman Allah terhadap orang-orang kafir termasuk puteranya sendiri. Ia sedar bahawa ia tersesat pd saat ia memanggil puteranya untuk menyelamatkannya dari bencana banjir yang didorong oleh perasaan naluri darah yang menghubungkannya dengan puteranya padahal sepatutnya cinta dan taat kepada Allah harus mendahului cinta kepada keluarga dan harta-benda. Ia sangat sesalkan kelalaian dan kealpaannya itu dan menghadap kepada Allah memohon ampun dan maghfirahnya dengan berseru:"Ya Tuhanku aku berlindung kepada-Mu dari godaan syaitan yang terlaknat, ampunilah kelalaian dan kealpaanku sehingga aku menanyakan sesuatu yang aku tidak mengetahuinya. Ya Tuhanku bila Engkau tidak memberi ampun dan maghfirah serta menurunkan rahmat bagiku, nescaya aku menjadi orang yang rugi."
Setelah air bah itu mencapai puncak keganasannya dan habis binasalah kaum Nuh yang kafir dan zalim sesuai dengan kehendak dan hukum Allah, surutlah lautan air diserap bumi kemudian bertambatlah kapal Nuh di atas bukit " Judie " dengan iringan perintah Allah kepada Nabi Nuh:"Turunlah wahai Nuh ke darat engkau dan para mukmin yang menyertaimu dengan selamat dilimpahi barakah dan inayah dari sisi-Ku bagimu dan bagi umat yang menyertaimu."
Kisah Nabi Nuh Dalam Al-Quran
Al-Quran menceritakan kisah Nabi Nuh dalam 43 ayat dari 28 surah di antaranya surah Nuh dari ayat 1 sehinga 28, juga dalam surah "Hud" ayat 27 sehingga 48 yang mengisahkan dialog Nabi Nuh dengan kaumnya dan perintah pembuatan kapal serta keadaan banjir yang menimpa di atas mereka.
Pelajaran Dari Kisah Nabi Nuh A.S.
Bahwasanya hubungan antara manusia yang terjalin karena ikatan persamaan kepercayaan atau penamaan aqidah dan pendirian adalah lebih erat dan lebih berkesan drp hubungan yang terjalin karena ikatan darah atau kelahiran. Kan'aan yang walaupun ia adalah anak kandung Nabi Nuh, oleh Allah s.w.t. dikeluarkan dari bilangan keluarga ayahnya karena ia menganut kepercayaan dan agama berlainan dengan apa yang dianut dan didakwahkan oleh ayahnya sendiri, bahkan ia berada di pihak yang memusuhi dan menentangnya.
Maka dalam pengertian inilah dapat difahami firman Allah dalam Al-Quran yang bermaksud:"Sesungguhnya para mukmin itu adalah bersaudara." Demikian pula hadis Rasulullah s.a.w.yang bermaksud:"Tidaklah sempurna iman seseorang kecuali jika ia menyintai saudaranya yang beriman sebagaimana ia menyintai dirinya sendiri."Juga peribahasa yang berbunyi:"Adakalanya engkau memperolehi seorang saudara yang tidak dilahirkan oleh ibumu."
Senin, 19 November 2012
THE LEGEND GODS AND GODDESS YUNANI
THE GOD ZEUS
Before the abolition of monarchies, Zeus was protector of the king and his family. Once the age of Greek kings faded into democracy he became chief judge and peacemaker, but most importantly civic god. He brought peace in place of violence and Hesiod (circa 700 BCE) describes Zeus as "the lord of justice". Zeus was also known as "Kosmetas" (orderer), "Soter" (savior), "Polieos" (overseer of the polis, city) and "Eleutherios" (guarantor of political freedoms). His duties in this role were to maintain the laws, protect suppliants, to summon festivals and to give prophecies (his oldest and most famous oracle was at Dodona, in Epirus, northwestern Greece). As the supreme deity Zeus oversaw the conduct of civilized life. But the "father of gods and men" as Homer calls him, has many mythological tales.
His most famous was told by Hesiod in his Theogony, of how Zeus usurped the kingdom of the immortals from his father. This mythological tale of Zeus' struggle against the Titans (Titanomachy) had been caused by Cronus, after he had been warned that one of his children would depose him. Cronus knowing the consequences, as he had overthrown his father Uranus. To prevent this from happening Cronus swallowed his newborn children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, but his wife Rhea (who was also his sister) and Gaia her mother, wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes in place of the infant Zeus. Cronus thinking it was the newborn baby swallowed the stone. Meanwhile Rhea had her baby taken to Crete, and there, in a cave on Mount Dicte, the divine goat Amaltheia suckled and raised the infant Zeus.
When Zeus had grown into a young man he returned to his fathers domain, and with the help of Gaia, compelled Cronus to regurgitate the five children he had previously swallowed (in some versions Zeus received help from Metis who gave Cronus an emetic potion, which made him vomit up Zeus' brothers and sisters). However, Zeus led the revolt against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated and then banished them. Once Zeus had control, he and his brothers divided the universe between them: Zeus gaining the heavens, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld. Zeus had to defend his heavenly kingdom. The three separate assaults were from the offspring of Gaia: they were the Gigantes, Typhon (Zeus fought them with his thunder-bolt and aegis) and the twin brothers who were called the Aloadae. The latter tried to gain access to the heavens by stacking Mount Ossa on top of Mount Olympus, and Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa, but the twins still failed in their attempt to overthrow Zeus. As he did with the Titans, Zeus banished them all to "Tartarus", which is the lowest region on earth, lower than the underworld.
According to legend, Metis, the goddess of prudence, was the first love of Zeus. At first she tried in vain to escape his advances, but in the end succumbed to his endeavor, and from their union Athena was conceived. Gaia warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. On hearing this Zeus swallowed Metis, the reason for this was to continue to carry the child through to the birth himself. Hera (his wife and sister) was outraged and very jealous of her husband's affair, also of his ability to give birth without female participation. To spite Zeus she gave birth to Hephaestus parthenogenetically (without being fertilized) and it was Hephaestus who, when the time came, split open the head of Zeus, from which Athena emerged fully armed.
Zeus had many offspring; his wife Hera bore him Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe and Eileithyia, but Zeus had numerous liaisons with both goddesses and mortals. He either raped them, or used devious means to seduce the unsuspecting maidens. His union with Leto (meaning the hidden one) brought forth the twins Apollo and Artemis. Once again Hera showed her jealousy by forcing Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth, as Hera had stopped her from gaining shelter on terra-firma or at sea. The only place she could go was to the isle of Delos in the middle of the Aegean, the reason being that Delos was, as legend states, a floating island.
In art, Zeus was usually portrayed as bearded, middle aged but with a youthful figure. He would look very regal and imposing. Artists always tried to reproduce the power of Zeus in their work, usually by giving him a pose as he is about to throw his bolt of lightening. There are many statues of Zeus, but without doubt the Artemisium Zeus is the most magnificent. It was previously thought to be Poseidon, and can be seen in the Athens National Archaeological Museum.
THE GOD POSEIDON
Poseidon Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for a safe voyage on the sea. Many men drowned horses in sacrifice of his honor. He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral and gems, and drove a chariot pulled by horses. However, Poseidon was a very moody divinity, and his temperament could sometimes result in violence. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands in the water and a calm sea. In contrast, when he was in a bad mood, Poseidon would strike the ground with a trident and cause unruly springs and earthquakes, ship wrecks, and drownings.
Poseidon was similar to his brother Zeus in exerting his power on women and in objectifying masculinity. He had many love affairs and fathered numerous children. Poseidon once married a Nereid, Amphitrite, and produced Triton who was half-human and half-fish. He also impregnated the Gorgon Medusa to conceive Chrysaor and Pegasus, the flying horse. The rape of Aethra by Poseidon resulted in the birth of Theseus; and he turned Caeneus into a man, at her request, after raping her. Another rape involved Amymone when she tried to escape from a satyr and Poseidon saved her. Other offspring of Poseidon include: Eumolpus, the Giant Sinis, Polyphemus, Orion, King Amycus, Proteus, Agenor and Belus from Europa, Pelias, and the King of Egypt, Busiris.
One of the most notorious love affairs of Poseidon involves his sister, Demeter. Poseidon pursued Demeter and to avoid him she turned herself into a mare. In his lust for her, Poseidon transformed himself into a stallion and captured her. Their procreation resulted in a horse, Arion. Poseidon is Greek for "Husband" (possibly of wheat), and therefore it is thought that he and Demeter (goddess of wheat) are a good match because they reign as the god and goddess of fertility.
Poseidon Another infamous story of Poseidon involves the competition between him and the goddess of war, Athena, for the city of Athens. To win the people of the city over, Poseidon threw a spear at the ground and produced the Spring at the Acropolis. However, Athena won as the result of giving the people of Athens the olive tree. In his anger over the decision, Poseidon flooded the Attic Plain. Eventually, Athena and Poseidon worked together by combining their powers. Even though Poseidon was the god of horses, Athena built the first chariot. Athena also built the first ship to sail on the sea over which Poseidon ruled.
THE GOD HADES
Hades is the lord of the dead and ruler of the nether world, which is referred to as the domain of Hades or, by transference, as Hades alone. He is the son of Cronus and Rhea. When the three sons of Cronus divided the world among each other, Hades was given the underworld, while his brothers Zeus and Poseidon took the upperworld and the sea respectively. For a while Hades ruled the underworld together with Persephone, whom he had abducted from the upperworld, but Zeus ordered him to release Persephone back into the care of her mother Demeter. However, before she left he gave her a pomegranate and when she ate of it, it bound her to the underworld forever.
Hades
Hades sits on a throne made of ebony, and carries a scepter. He also has a helmet, given to him by the Cyclopes, which can make him invisible. Hades rules the dead, assisted by various (demonic) helpers, such as Thanatos and Hypnos, the ferryman Charon, and the hound Cerberus. Many heroes from Greek mythology have descended into the underworld, either to question the shades or trying to free them. Although Hades does not allow his subjects to leave his domain, on several occasions he has granted permission, such as when Orpheus requested the return of his beloved Eurydice.
Hades possesses the riches of the earth, and is thus referred to as 'the Rich One'. Possibly also because -- as Sophocles writes -- 'the gloomy Hades enriches himself with our sighs and our tears'. Of all the gods, Hades is the one who is liked the least and even the gods themselves have an aversion of him. People avoided speaking his name lest they attracted his unwanted attention. With their faces averted they sacrificed black sheep, whose blood they let drip into pits, and when they prayed to him, they would bang their hands on the ground. The narcissus and the cypress are sacred to him.
Other names include Clymenus ('notorious'), Eubuleus ('well-guessing') and Polydegmon
THE GODESS HESTIA
Hestia is the Greek goddess of the hearth fire, hence presiding over domestic life. She is the eldest sister of Zeus and the oldest daughter of Rhea and Cronus.
She was a virgin-goddess, and when wooed by Poseidon and Apollo, swore by the head of Zeus to remain a virgin. She had no throne, but tended the sacred fire in the hall on the Olympus and every hearth on Earth was her altar. She is the gentlest of all the Olympians.
Hestia also symbolized the alliance of the Metropolis ("mother-city") with the smaller settlements which were founded in the colonies. The colonists took fire from the hearth in the prytaneion and kept it burning in their new towns. The Romans called her Vesta, and build a temple for her in the Forum.
THE GODESS HERA
Queen of the Olympian gods. She is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and wife and sister of Zeus. He was raised by the Titans Ocean and Tethys. Shea is the supreme goddess,. Hera mainly worshiped as a goddess of marriage and birth. It is said that each year Hera's virginity with a shower in Canathus well. The children of Hera and Zeus are the smith-god Hephaestus, the goddess of youth Hebe, and the god of war Ares. According
to some sources, however, her children were conceived without the help
of man, either by slapping her hand on the ground or by eating lettuce:
thus they were born, not out of love but out of lust and hatred.when Zeus was overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join the rebellion. His role in the uprising against drugs is Zeus, and in this he succeeded. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus sofa taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over the next step. Briareus hear arguments. Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and can quickly release a lot of knots. Zeus jumped up from his couch and grapped thuderbolt. The gods kneel and beg for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with gold chains. She cried in pain all night but, no one else dared to interfere. Zeus continued crying and the next morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. He had little choice but, to agree. While she never again rebeled, he is often attracted to the plan of Zeus and he is often able to outwit him.Hera as constantly jealous of the various love affairs of Zeus. He was sentenced to rivals and their children, among both goddesses and men, with angry rivals. She
placed two serpents in the cradle of Heracles, he Io guarded by a
hundred-eyed giant, she drove the foster-parents of Dionysus mad, and
tried to prevent the birth of Apollo and Artemis. Even Zeus usually could not stand him. Sometimes when he gets angry, he chained himself to Mount Olympus by fastening the ground up. However, most of the time Zeus forced tactic: he hid his illegitimate children, or he changed them into animals.The main protection is Hera in Argos in Peloponnesus, where he was worshiped as the goddess of the city. Also, in this city Heraia, public celebration, celebrated. Other temples stood in Olympia, Mycene, Sparta, Paestum, Corinth, Tiryns, Perachora, and on the island of Samos and Delos.
Peacock (symbol of pride, his cart pulled by peacocks) and the cow (she was also known as Bopis, which means "cow-eyed", which was later translated as "with big eyes") are her sacred animals. Crow and the pomegranate (symbol of marriage) are also dedicated to her. Other attributes include diadem and a veil. Hera is portrayed as a woman, magnificently solemn.Marriage Hera was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccesfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her chest to keep her warm. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame.Most stories concerning Hera have to do with a jealous revenge for Zeus affair. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock. His favorite city is Argos.
The Greek god of war and battle and the instigator of violence, a son of Zeus and Hera. Because of his cruel and war-like nature he was despised by all the gods, even his own father disliked him. Ares could be bloody, merciless, fearful and cowardly and possessed no moral attributes. He was, however, unable to withstand the loveliness of Aphrodite, who subsequently became his consort.
Ares was of giant stature and had a loud voice, and surpassed the other gods in speed. He usually fought on foot, but could sometimes be found riding a chariot. On the battlefield Ares was accompanied by Phobos ("Fear") and Deimos ("Terror"), two lesser divinities who are sometimes given as his sons. He was furthermore attended by the goddesses Eris ("Strife") and Enyo ("Horror"). Ares is also the father of Harmonia, the goddess of harmony, and of the Amazonian queens Penthesileia and Hippolyte.
During the Trojan War, Ares favored the Trojans although he had little regard for the justice of the cause of the conflict he was backing. Ares often helped non-Greek peoples, such as the Trojans and the Amazons.
Ares' cult was never fully popular in Hellas and there were only a few temples dedicated to him. His cult was probably introduced from Thrace, the region where he was held in high regard and which was traditionally the land of the Amazons. Ares was the object of a special cult in Thebes where he had a spring and which was guarded by his son, the Aeionian Dracon. It was killed by Cadmus who then had to serve the war-god for eight years, after which the gods allowed him to marry Ares' daughter Harmonia.
Etymologically his name may mean "destroyer" or "avenger."
The Romans equated them with Mars and their war-god was of much more significance than Ares.
Iconography:
On early Greek vases he is depicted as a bearded and elder warrior wearing a helmet and carrying a spear, usually in the company of other deities, such as on an amphora from Attica (ca. 540 BCE; Vatican Museum) and on the François Vase (ca. 570 BCE at Florance). Later artists portrayed Ares as a much younger and less war-like god. An example is the Ares Ludovisi (fourth century BCE) by Lysippus or Leochares where Ares is shown sitting on a rock, hands folded around a raised knee. Another famous statue is the Ares Borghese in the Louvre.
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head. Her mother was Metis, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would bear a son mightier than himself. Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open and from it emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.
Athena
Athena and her uncle Poseidon were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one that could give the finest gift should have it. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. Athena named her city Athens.
Athena's companion was the goddess of victory, Nike, and her usual attribute is the owl. Athena possessed the Aegis.
The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was the god of music (principally the lyre, and he directed the choir of the Muses) and also of prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry and the carer of herds and flocks. He was also a god of light, known as "Phoebus" (radiant or beaming, and he was sometimes identified with Helios the sun god). He was also the god of plague and was worshiped as Smintheus (from sminthos, rat) and as Parnopius (from parnops, grasshopper) and was known as the destroyer of rats and locust, and according to Homer's Iliad, Apollo shot arrows of plague into the Greek camp. Apollo being the god of religious healing would give those guilty of murder and other immoral deeds a ritual purification. Sacred to Apollo are the swan (one legend says that Apollo flew on the back of a swan to the land of the Hyperboreans, he would spend the winter months among them), the wolf and the dolphin. His attributes are the bow and arrows, on his head a laurel crown, and the cithara (or lyre) and plectrum. But his most famous attribute is the tripod, the symbol of his prophetic powers.
When the goddesss Hera, the wife of Zeus (it was he who had coupled with Leto) found out about Leto's pregnancy, she was outraged with jealousy. Seeking revenge Hera forced Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth. Sicne Hera had forbidden Leto to stay anywhere on earth, either on terra-ferma or an island at sea, the only place to seek shelter was Delos, being in the center of the Aegean, and also difficult to reach, as there were strong under-currents, because it was said to be a floating island. Because it was a floating island, it was not considered either of Hera's prohibitions, and so Leto was able to give birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis (before Leto gave birth to Apollo, the island was encircled by a flock of swans, this is why the swan was sacred to him). As a gesture of thanks Delos was secured to the sea-bed by four columns to give it stability, and from then on it became one of the most important sanctuaries to Apollo. (A variation of Apollo's birth was that the jealous Hera had incarcerated Ilithyia, the goddess of childbirth, but the other gods intervened forcing Hera to release Ilithyia, which allowed Leto to give birth ).
Apollo's first achievement was to rid Pytho (Delphi) of the serpent (or dragon) Python. This monstrous beast protected the sanctuary of Pytho from its lair beside the Castalian Spring. There it stood guard while the "Sibyl" gave out her prophecies as she inhaled the trance inducing vapors from an open chasm. Apollo killed Python with his bow and arrows (Homer wrote "he killed the fearsome dragon Python, piercing it with his darts"). Apollo not only took charge of the oracle but rid the neighboring countryside of widespread destruction, as Python had destroyed crops, sacked villages and polluted streams and springs. However, to make amends for killing Python, as the fearsome beast was the son of Gaia, Apollo had to serve king Admetus for nine years (in some versions eight) as a cowherd. This he did, and when he returned to Pytho he came in the guise of a dolphin bringing with him priests from Crete (Apollo's cult title "Delphinios" meaning dolphin or porpoise, is probably how Delphi was so named). After killing Python and taking possession of the oracle, the god of light (Phobus) became known as "Pythian Apollo". He dedicated a bronze tripod to the sanctuary and bestowed divine powers on one of the priestesses, and she became known as the "Pythia". It was she who inhaled the hallucinating vapors from the fissure in the temple floor, while she sat on a tripod chewing laurel leaves. After she mumbled her answer, a male priest would translate it for the supplicant. Delphi became the most important oracle center of Apollo, there were several including Clarus and Branchidae.
Apollo, as with Zeus his father, had many love affairs with goddesses and mortals. Apollo's infatuation for the nymph Daphne, which had been invoked by the young god of love Eros, because Apollo had mocked him, saying his archery skills were pathetic, and Apollo's singing had also irritated him. Daphne was the beautiful daughter of the river god Ladon, and she was constantly pursued by Apollo. To escape from Apollo's insistent behavior, she fled to the mountains, but the persistent Apollo followed her. Annoyed by this, she asked the river god Peneus for help, which he did. As soon as Apollo approached Daphne, he tried to embrace her, but when he stretched out his arms she transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, distraught by what had happened, made the laurel his sacred tree. Apollo also loved Cyrene, she was another nymph, and she bore Apollo a son: Aristaeus, a demi-god, who became a protector of cattle and fruit trees, and a deity of hunting, husbandry and bee-keeping. He taught men dairy skills and the use of nets and traps in hunting.
The most famous mortal loves of Apollo was Hecuba, she was the wife of Priam, the king of Troy. She bore him Troilius. Foretold by an oracle, as long as Troilius reached the age of twenty, Troy could not be defeated. But the hero Achilles ambushed and killed him, when the young prince and his sister Polyxena secretly visited a spring. Apollo also fell in love with Cassandra, the sister of Troilius, and daughter of Hecuba and Priam. He seduced Cassandra on the promise that he would teach her the art of prophecy, but having learnt the prophetic art she rejected him. Apollo, being angry of her rejection punished her, by declaring her prophecies never to be accepted or believed.
Asclepius, the god of healing, was also Apollo's offspring, after his union with Coronis, who was daughter of Phlegyas, king of the Lapiths. While she was pregnant by Apollo, Coronis fell in love with Ischys, son of Elatus, but a crow informed Apollo of the affair. Apollo sent his twin sister Artemis to kill Coronis, and Artemis carried out he brothers wishes. While her body was burning on the funeral pyre, Apollo removed the unborn child, and took him to Chiron, who raised the child Asclepius.
Apollo also, as did his father Zeus, fall in love with one of his own gender, Hyacinthus, a Spartan prince. He was very handsome and athletic, which inflamed the passions of Apollo. One day while Apollo and Hyacinthus were practicing throwing the discus, Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, who was also attracted to the young prince, and jealous of Apollo's amorous affection towards the boy, made the discus veer off course by blowing an ill wind. The discus, which Apollo had thrown, hit Hyacinthus, smashing his skull. Apollo rushed to him, but he was dead. The god was overcome with grief, but to immortalize the love he had for the beautiful youth, he had a flower grow were his blood had stained the earth. Apollo also loved the young boy Cyparissus, a descendant of Heracles. The impassioned Apollo gave Cyparissus a sacred deer, as a love token. The young deer became tame, and was the constant companion of the boy, until a tragic accident occurred. As the young deer lay sleeping in the shade of the undergrowth, Cyparissus threw his javelin, which by chance hit, and killed the deer. Grief-stricken by what had happened, Cyparissus wanted to die. He asked Apollo to let his tears fall for all eternity. With apprehension Apollo transformed the boy into a tree, the cypress, which became the symbol of sorrow, as the sap on its trunk forms droplets, like tears.
Apollo could also be ruthless when he was angered. The mortal Niobe, boasted to Apollo's mother Leto, that she had fourteen children (in some versions six or seven), which must make her more superior than Leto, who had only bore two. Apollo greatly angered by this slew her sons, and Artemis killed Niobe's daughters. Niobe wept so much that she turned into a pillar of stone. Apollo was infuriated when the satyr Marsyas challenged Apollo to music contest. After winning the competition, Apollo had Marsyas flayed alive, for being so presumptuous, as to challenge a god.
Apollo was worshiped throughout the Greek world, at Delphi every four years they held the Pythian Games in his honor. He had many epithets, including "Pythian Apollo" (his name at Delphi), "Apollo Apotropaeus" (Apollo who averts evil), and "Apollo Nymphegetes" (Apollo who looks after the Nymphs). As the god of shepherds he also had the cult titles "Lukeios" (from lykos; wolf), protecting the flocks from wolfs, and "Nomius" (of pastures, belonging to shepherds). Being the god of colonists, Apollo influenced his priests at Delphi to give divine guidance, as to where the expedition should proceed. This was during the height of the colonizing era circa 750-550 BCE. Apollo's title was "Archigetes" (leader of colonists). According to one legend, it was Apollo who helped either Cretan or Arcadian colonists found the city of Troy.
In art Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the central figure from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia, showing Apollo declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths in their struggle against the Centaurs.A song sung in honor of Apollo is called a paean.
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture. According to Hesiod, she was born when Uranus (the father of the gods) were castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn and foam about them. From aphros ("sea foam") appears Aphrodite, and the sea took her to either Cyprus or Cythera. Therefore, he is often referred to as Kypris and Cytherea. Homer calls her a daughter of Zeus and Dione.
After her birth, Zeus was afraid that the gods would fight over Aphrodite hand in marriage so he married her off to the smith god Hephaestus, the steadiest of the gods. He almost could not believe the luck and used all his skills to make the most lavish jewels for her. He made fine wrought gold bodice and knit magic into the filigree work. It was not very wise of him, for when she wore her magic girdle no one could resist her, and she was all too irresistible already. She loves the ease and luxury and not at all pleased at being the wife of sooty, hard-working Hepha
Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods and humans. Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis. Some sons are Eros, anteros, Hymenaios and Aeneas (the Trojan lover Anchises). He was accompanied by the Graces.
Her festival is the Aphrodisiac which was celebrated in various centers of Greece and especially in Athens and Corinth. Reverend its not prostitutes, but women who represented the goddess and sexual intercourse with them is considered only one of the methods of worship. Aphrodite was the goddess of the old first-Asia, similar to the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Syro-Palestinian goddess Ashtart. Her attributes a.o. dolphins, doves, swans, pomegranates and lime trees.
In Roman mythology Venus is the goddess of love and beauty and Cupid is the messenger of love.
Hermes, the herald of the Olympian gods, is the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, daughter of Atlas and one of the Pleiades. Hermes
was the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weights and measures,
speech, literature, athletics and thieves, and known cunning and
shrewdness. Most importantly, he is the messenger of the gods. He was also a small protective poetry. He was worshiped throughout Greece - especially in Arcadia - and festivals in his honor called Hermoea.
According to legend, Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Zeus had impregnated Maia at the middle of the night while all other gods slept. As usual dawn he was born. Maia wrapped swaddling bands, then resting herself, fell fast asleep. Hermes, however, squirmed free and ran to Thessaly. This is where Apollo, his brother, grazed his cattle. Hermes stole a herd and drive them back to Greece. He hid in a small cave near the town of Pylos and covered their tracks. Before returning to the cave he caught a tortoise, killed and removed the contents of his stomach. Using the intestines from a cow stolen from Apollo and the hollow tortoise shell, he made the first lyre. When he reached the cave he wrapped himself back into the band bedungnya. When Apollo realized he had been robbed he protested to Maia that it had been Hermes who had taken their livestock. Maia looked Hermes and said it could not, because he was still wrapped in a band bedungnya. Zeus all powerful intervention says he has seen and Hermes should return the cattle to Apollo. As the argument progresses, Hermes began to play his lyre. Sweet music enchanted Apollo, and he offered Hermes to keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. Apollo later became the grand master of the instrument, and it also became one of his symbols. Later while Hermes watched a herd he found a pipe known as a syrinx (pan-pipes), which he made from reeds. Hermes was also credited with inventing the flute. Apollo, also desired this instrument, so Hermes bartered with Apollo and received his golden wand which Hermes later used as his heralds staff. (In other versions Zeus gave Hermes heralds staff).
Being a herald (messenger of the gods), it is his duty to guide the souls of the dead to the bottom, known as a psychopomp. He was also closely connected with bringing dreams to mortals. Hermes is usually depicted with a wide-brimmed hat or a winged cap, winged sandals and the heralds staff (kerykeion in Greek, or Caduceus in Latin). It is often shown as a shaft with two white ribbons, although later they were represented by serpents intertwined in a figure of eight, and the shaft often had wings attached. The clothes she wears are usually that of a traveler, or that of a worker or a pastor. Another symbol of Hermes is chicken, tortoise and purse or pouch.
Originally Hermes was the god of phallic, attached to fertility and good fortune, as well as the protection and boundaries. Its name comes from Herma, plural being hermaiherm a square or rectangular pillar in either stone or bronze, with the head of Hermes (usually with a beard), which adorned the top of the pillar, and male genitals near to the base of the pillar. These are used for road and boundary markers. Also in Athens they stood outside houses to help fend off evil. In Athens of 415 BC, shortly before the sailing fleet of Athens against Syracuse (during the Peloponnesian War), all Herms entire Athenian vandalized. This is due to the people who oppose the war. Their intention to throw a bad sign in the expedition, by seeking to offend the god of travel. (It has never been proven as the true reason for the mutilation of the Herms.)
Heredity is believed Hermes Pan, Abderus and Hermaphroditus. Hermes like the other gods have affairs with many goddesses, fairies and humans. In some legends even sheep and goats. Pan, half goat half man, believed to be the son of Hermes and Dryope, Dryops daughter of the king. Pan afraid of his mother when he was born, so much so that he fled in horror at the sight of a newborn child. TAKE Hermes Pan to Mount Olympus were the gods reveled in their laughter and appearance and be protective fields, woods, shepherds and cattle. Abderus, friend of the hero Heracles, is also regarded as a son of Hermes, he was eaten by the Mares of Diomedes, after Heracles had left him in charge of the wild animals. Hermaphroditus (also known as Aphroditus) was conceived after the union of Hermes and Aphrodite. He was born in Mount Ida, but she was raised by the Naiads (nymphs of freshwater). He was a god (having characteristics of both sexes) in pairs, depicted as a handsome young man but with female breasts, or as Aphrodite with male genitals.
It was a liberating Hermes Io, a lover of Zeus, from the hundred-eyed giant Argus, who had been ordered by Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, to watch over her. Hermes charmed the giant with his flute, and while Argos slept Hermes cut off his head and released Io. Hera, as a token of gratitude to his loyal servant, scattered the hundred eyes of Argos peacock's tail (sacred bird Heras'). Hermes also use ingenuity and abilities to persuade the nymph Calypso to release Odysseus, wandering hero, from her charms. He kept Odysseus captive, after he was stranded on her island Ogygia, promising him immortality if he married her, but Zeus sent Hermes to release Odysseus. Legend says that Calypso died of grief when Odysseus sailed. Hermes also saved Odysseus and his men turned into pigs by the goddess and witch Circe. He gave them a potion which refused spell. Hermes also guided Eurydice back to hell after he was allowed to stay for one day on earth with her husband Orpheus.
Known for his speed and athleticism, Hermes is given credit for inventing foot-racing and boxing. At Olympia a statue of him stands at the entrance to the stadium and his statues where in every gymnasium throughout Greece. Besides Herms, Hermes is a popular subject for artists. Both painted pottery and statues showed him in various forms, but the most fashionable depicted as a handsome young man, with an athletic body, and winged sandals and his heralds staff. Roman colleagues Mercury inherited his attributes, and there are many Roman copies of Greek artistic creations of Hermes.
To get revenge for his rejection by Hera, Hephaestus fashioned a magic throne, which was presented to him on Mount Olympus. When Hera sat on the throne, he was trapped, making prisoners. The gods on Mount Olympus begged Hephaestus to return to their heavenly domain, to release Hera, but he refused. Dionysus gave the smith god wine, and when Hephaestus intoxicated, Dionysus took him back to Mount Olympus slumped over the back of a donkey. This scene is a favorite in Greek art. Hephaestus released Hera after being given the beautiful Aphrodite as his wife. Dionysus was rewarded with a way to make one of the Olympian Pantheon.
Hephaestus is known as the son of Hera and Zeus, although Zeus had nothing to do with conception. Hephaestus is parthenogenesis, meaning it was conceived without male fertilization. Hera was jealous of Zeus after he had an affair with Metis, from which the goddess of prudence was pregnant with Athena. However, Gaia had warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. To prevent this, Zeus swallowing Metis, so he could take the child through the birth itself, although Zeus could not give birth naturally. For retribution Hera produced (parthenogeny) Hephaestus, and legend says, that Hephaestus split the head of Zeus with an ax, from which Athena appeared fully armed.
One particular legend says that Hephaestus wished to marry Athena, who is also patron blacksmith, but he refused because he found it ugly. Another legend says that Athena disappeared from their bridal bed but Hephaestus did not see it disappear, and spilled his seed on the floor. In the version of the same cement falling from the thigh of Athens and it was produced Erechtheus, who became king of Athens. (This relates to Erechtheus being friendly Gaia, the Earth.)
Aphrodite, in some versions, is the wife of Hephaestus, and he suspected that Aphrodite had been committing adultery. To catch unfaithful to her that she fashioned wire netting incredible, so smooth and strong nothing can escape from it. Then one day he surprised Aphrodite and the war god Ares as they lay together in bed. He threw his magic net over them and dragging them before the Olympian gods and exhibited them as they were, naked and wrapped in each others arms. Hephaestus asked the assembled gods for just retribution, but they did the total opposite. The gods laughed out loud at the sight of the naked lovers, after which they were allowed to go free pair. According to Homer's Iliad Hephaestus Aglaea called his wife, who is one of the Charites (Graces).Being a great craftsman Hephaestus manufactured wonderful articles from various materials, especially metals. With the help of the Cyclopes, the workers and assistants, he fashioned lightning for Zeus and his staff. He made weapons and armor for gods and heroes. For Athena, he made a shield or protection, and to the god of love, Eros, he made arrows. The beautiful train ride Helios the sun god in the sky was made by Hephaestus and in some versions it was a golden cup or goblet. He also fashioned invincible armor of Achilles. Hephaestus helped to create the first woman, with the help of other gods, after Zeus had ordered that there is a new kind of human. Zeus plotted against Prometheus because he and his men race covers only one sex, the male, and so Hephaestus formed the first woman from clay. Her name was Pandora (all gifts) and from the bottle supernatural, he released the evils of the world to mankind.
Hephaestus is usually shown as an animated cripple bent over his anvil. He wears a beard and is usually depicted as ugly, and in some art forms he walks with a cane. Homer describes Hephaestus as lame and walking with a cane. Hepheastus worshiped mainly in Athens, where the Temple of Hephaestus and Athena (the Hephaesteum, also known as Theseum) still stands. This is the most complete example of a temple "Doric" (one of the three orders in Greek architecture). Built in 449 BC and stood on a hill close to the Agora at the foot of the Acropolis. Hephaestus and Athena Ergane (protectress of craftsman and artisans) was honored with the festival "Chalceia" on the 30th day of the month Pyanopsion. The Romans adopted Hephaestus as one of their own gods attaching the myth and cult to their god of fire and calling him Vulcan (Volcanus).
In the Eleusinian mysteries, Demeter and Persephone were especially honored. When she was looking for her daughter, in the form of an old woman named Doso, he was greeted by Celeus, king of Eleusis (in Attica). He asks her to nurse her son Demophon and Triptolemus'. To appreciate his hospitality she intended to make a lasting Demophon child by placing him each night in the fireplace, to burn away his mortal nature. Spell was broken one night because Metanira, Celeus wife, walked in on while he was doing this ritual. Demeter taught the other son, Triptolemus, the principles of agriculture, which, in turn, teach others the art. In honor of Demeter as the goddess of marriage, women in Athens, and other centers in Greece, celebrated the feast Thesmophoria (Thesmophoros of his nicknames, "she of the regular customs"). All time classic members of all social strata came from all over the Mediterranean world will begin celebrating its Mysteries and Eleusis.
In ancient art, Demeter is often portrayed (sitting) as a solemn woman, often wearing a wreath of braided ears of corn. Famous statue made by Knidos (mid forth century BCE). The usual symbolic attributes are the fruits of the earth and the torch, the latter may refer to his search for Persephone. Sacred animal is the snake (an earth-creature) and the pig (another symbol of fertility). Some of the nicknames he includes Auxesia, Deo, Chloe, and Sito. The Romans equated her with the goddess Ceres.
roken-hearted, Demeter wandered the earth, looking for her daughter until Helios revealed what it has happened. Demeter was so angry that she drew herself in loneliness, and the earth ceased to be fertile. Knowing this could not continue much longer, Zeus sent Hermes to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate (or the seeds of a pomegranate, according to some sources). When she later ate of it, tied down forever and she had to stay there one-third this year. Other months she stayed with her mother. When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. In the Eleusinian mysteries, this happening was celebrated in honor of Demeter and Persephone, known in this cult as Kore.
The Romans called it Proserpine.
She was a virgin-goddess, and when wooed by Poseidon and Apollo, swore by the head of Zeus to remain a virgin. She had no throne, but tended the sacred fire in the hall on the Olympus and every hearth on Earth was her altar. She is the gentlest of all the Olympians.
Hestia also symbolized the alliance of the Metropolis ("mother-city") with the smaller settlements which were founded in the colonies. The colonists took fire from the hearth in the prytaneion and kept it burning in their new towns. The Romans called her Vesta, and build a temple for her in the Forum.
THE GODESS HERA
Peacock (symbol of pride, his cart pulled by peacocks) and the cow (she was also known as Bopis, which means "cow-eyed", which was later translated as "with big eyes") are her sacred animals. Crow and the pomegranate (symbol of marriage) are also dedicated to her. Other attributes include diadem and a veil. Hera is portrayed as a woman, magnificently solemn.Marriage Hera was founded in strife with Zeus and continued in strife. Zeus courted her unsuccesfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into disheveled cuckoo. Hera feeling sorry for the bird held it to her chest to keep her warm. Zues then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame.Most stories concerning Hera have to do with a jealous revenge for Zeus affair. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock. His favorite city is Argos.
THE GOD ARES
Ares was of giant stature and had a loud voice, and surpassed the other gods in speed. He usually fought on foot, but could sometimes be found riding a chariot. On the battlefield Ares was accompanied by Phobos ("Fear") and Deimos ("Terror"), two lesser divinities who are sometimes given as his sons. He was furthermore attended by the goddesses Eris ("Strife") and Enyo ("Horror"). Ares is also the father of Harmonia, the goddess of harmony, and of the Amazonian queens Penthesileia and Hippolyte.
During the Trojan War, Ares favored the Trojans although he had little regard for the justice of the cause of the conflict he was backing. Ares often helped non-Greek peoples, such as the Trojans and the Amazons.
Ares' cult was never fully popular in Hellas and there were only a few temples dedicated to him. His cult was probably introduced from Thrace, the region where he was held in high regard and which was traditionally the land of the Amazons. Ares was the object of a special cult in Thebes where he had a spring and which was guarded by his son, the Aeionian Dracon. It was killed by Cadmus who then had to serve the war-god for eight years, after which the gods allowed him to marry Ares' daughter Harmonia.
Etymologically his name may mean "destroyer" or "avenger."
The Romans equated them with Mars and their war-god was of much more significance than Ares.
Iconography:
On early Greek vases he is depicted as a bearded and elder warrior wearing a helmet and carrying a spear, usually in the company of other deities, such as on an amphora from Attica (ca. 540 BCE; Vatican Museum) and on the François Vase (ca. 570 BCE at Florance). Later artists portrayed Ares as a much younger and less war-like god. An example is the Ares Ludovisi (fourth century BCE) by Lysippus or Leochares where Ares is shown sitting on a rock, hands folded around a raised knee. Another famous statue is the Ares Borghese in the Louvre.
THE GODESS ATHENA
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head. Her mother was Metis, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would bear a son mightier than himself. Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open and from it emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.
Athena
Athena and her uncle Poseidon were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one that could give the finest gift should have it. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. Athena named her city Athens.
Athena's companion was the goddess of victory, Nike, and her usual attribute is the owl. Athena possessed the Aegis.
THE GOD APOLLO
The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was the god of music (principally the lyre, and he directed the choir of the Muses) and also of prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry and the carer of herds and flocks. He was also a god of light, known as "Phoebus" (radiant or beaming, and he was sometimes identified with Helios the sun god). He was also the god of plague and was worshiped as Smintheus (from sminthos, rat) and as Parnopius (from parnops, grasshopper) and was known as the destroyer of rats and locust, and according to Homer's Iliad, Apollo shot arrows of plague into the Greek camp. Apollo being the god of religious healing would give those guilty of murder and other immoral deeds a ritual purification. Sacred to Apollo are the swan (one legend says that Apollo flew on the back of a swan to the land of the Hyperboreans, he would spend the winter months among them), the wolf and the dolphin. His attributes are the bow and arrows, on his head a laurel crown, and the cithara (or lyre) and plectrum. But his most famous attribute is the tripod, the symbol of his prophetic powers.
When the goddesss Hera, the wife of Zeus (it was he who had coupled with Leto) found out about Leto's pregnancy, she was outraged with jealousy. Seeking revenge Hera forced Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth. Sicne Hera had forbidden Leto to stay anywhere on earth, either on terra-ferma or an island at sea, the only place to seek shelter was Delos, being in the center of the Aegean, and also difficult to reach, as there were strong under-currents, because it was said to be a floating island. Because it was a floating island, it was not considered either of Hera's prohibitions, and so Leto was able to give birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis (before Leto gave birth to Apollo, the island was encircled by a flock of swans, this is why the swan was sacred to him). As a gesture of thanks Delos was secured to the sea-bed by four columns to give it stability, and from then on it became one of the most important sanctuaries to Apollo. (A variation of Apollo's birth was that the jealous Hera had incarcerated Ilithyia, the goddess of childbirth, but the other gods intervened forcing Hera to release Ilithyia, which allowed Leto to give birth ).
poseidon,apollo,artemis
Apollo's first achievement was to rid Pytho (Delphi) of the serpent (or dragon) Python. This monstrous beast protected the sanctuary of Pytho from its lair beside the Castalian Spring. There it stood guard while the "Sibyl" gave out her prophecies as she inhaled the trance inducing vapors from an open chasm. Apollo killed Python with his bow and arrows (Homer wrote "he killed the fearsome dragon Python, piercing it with his darts"). Apollo not only took charge of the oracle but rid the neighboring countryside of widespread destruction, as Python had destroyed crops, sacked villages and polluted streams and springs. However, to make amends for killing Python, as the fearsome beast was the son of Gaia, Apollo had to serve king Admetus for nine years (in some versions eight) as a cowherd. This he did, and when he returned to Pytho he came in the guise of a dolphin bringing with him priests from Crete (Apollo's cult title "Delphinios" meaning dolphin or porpoise, is probably how Delphi was so named). After killing Python and taking possession of the oracle, the god of light (Phobus) became known as "Pythian Apollo". He dedicated a bronze tripod to the sanctuary and bestowed divine powers on one of the priestesses, and she became known as the "Pythia". It was she who inhaled the hallucinating vapors from the fissure in the temple floor, while she sat on a tripod chewing laurel leaves. After she mumbled her answer, a male priest would translate it for the supplicant. Delphi became the most important oracle center of Apollo, there were several including Clarus and Branchidae.
Apollo, as with Zeus his father, had many love affairs with goddesses and mortals. Apollo's infatuation for the nymph Daphne, which had been invoked by the young god of love Eros, because Apollo had mocked him, saying his archery skills were pathetic, and Apollo's singing had also irritated him. Daphne was the beautiful daughter of the river god Ladon, and she was constantly pursued by Apollo. To escape from Apollo's insistent behavior, she fled to the mountains, but the persistent Apollo followed her. Annoyed by this, she asked the river god Peneus for help, which he did. As soon as Apollo approached Daphne, he tried to embrace her, but when he stretched out his arms she transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, distraught by what had happened, made the laurel his sacred tree. Apollo also loved Cyrene, she was another nymph, and she bore Apollo a son: Aristaeus, a demi-god, who became a protector of cattle and fruit trees, and a deity of hunting, husbandry and bee-keeping. He taught men dairy skills and the use of nets and traps in hunting.
The most famous mortal loves of Apollo was Hecuba, she was the wife of Priam, the king of Troy. She bore him Troilius. Foretold by an oracle, as long as Troilius reached the age of twenty, Troy could not be defeated. But the hero Achilles ambushed and killed him, when the young prince and his sister Polyxena secretly visited a spring. Apollo also fell in love with Cassandra, the sister of Troilius, and daughter of Hecuba and Priam. He seduced Cassandra on the promise that he would teach her the art of prophecy, but having learnt the prophetic art she rejected him. Apollo, being angry of her rejection punished her, by declaring her prophecies never to be accepted or believed.
Asclepius, the god of healing, was also Apollo's offspring, after his union with Coronis, who was daughter of Phlegyas, king of the Lapiths. While she was pregnant by Apollo, Coronis fell in love with Ischys, son of Elatus, but a crow informed Apollo of the affair. Apollo sent his twin sister Artemis to kill Coronis, and Artemis carried out he brothers wishes. While her body was burning on the funeral pyre, Apollo removed the unborn child, and took him to Chiron, who raised the child Asclepius.
Apollo also, as did his father Zeus, fall in love with one of his own gender, Hyacinthus, a Spartan prince. He was very handsome and athletic, which inflamed the passions of Apollo. One day while Apollo and Hyacinthus were practicing throwing the discus, Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, who was also attracted to the young prince, and jealous of Apollo's amorous affection towards the boy, made the discus veer off course by blowing an ill wind. The discus, which Apollo had thrown, hit Hyacinthus, smashing his skull. Apollo rushed to him, but he was dead. The god was overcome with grief, but to immortalize the love he had for the beautiful youth, he had a flower grow were his blood had stained the earth. Apollo also loved the young boy Cyparissus, a descendant of Heracles. The impassioned Apollo gave Cyparissus a sacred deer, as a love token. The young deer became tame, and was the constant companion of the boy, until a tragic accident occurred. As the young deer lay sleeping in the shade of the undergrowth, Cyparissus threw his javelin, which by chance hit, and killed the deer. Grief-stricken by what had happened, Cyparissus wanted to die. He asked Apollo to let his tears fall for all eternity. With apprehension Apollo transformed the boy into a tree, the cypress, which became the symbol of sorrow, as the sap on its trunk forms droplets, like tears.
Apollo could also be ruthless when he was angered. The mortal Niobe, boasted to Apollo's mother Leto, that she had fourteen children (in some versions six or seven), which must make her more superior than Leto, who had only bore two. Apollo greatly angered by this slew her sons, and Artemis killed Niobe's daughters. Niobe wept so much that she turned into a pillar of stone. Apollo was infuriated when the satyr Marsyas challenged Apollo to music contest. After winning the competition, Apollo had Marsyas flayed alive, for being so presumptuous, as to challenge a god.
Apollo was worshiped throughout the Greek world, at Delphi every four years they held the Pythian Games in his honor. He had many epithets, including "Pythian Apollo" (his name at Delphi), "Apollo Apotropaeus" (Apollo who averts evil), and "Apollo Nymphegetes" (Apollo who looks after the Nymphs). As the god of shepherds he also had the cult titles "Lukeios" (from lykos; wolf), protecting the flocks from wolfs, and "Nomius" (of pastures, belonging to shepherds). Being the god of colonists, Apollo influenced his priests at Delphi to give divine guidance, as to where the expedition should proceed. This was during the height of the colonizing era circa 750-550 BCE. Apollo's title was "Archigetes" (leader of colonists). According to one legend, it was Apollo who helped either Cretan or Arcadian colonists found the city of Troy.
In art Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the central figure from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia, showing Apollo declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths in their struggle against the Centaurs.A song sung in honor of Apollo is called a paean.
THE GODDESS
APRHODITE
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty and sexual rapture. According to Hesiod, she was born when Uranus (the father of the gods) were castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw the severed genitals into the ocean which began to churn and foam about them. From aphros ("sea foam") appears Aphrodite, and the sea took her to either Cyprus or Cythera. Therefore, he is often referred to as Kypris and Cytherea. Homer calls her a daughter of Zeus and Dione.
After her birth, Zeus was afraid that the gods would fight over Aphrodite hand in marriage so he married her off to the smith god Hephaestus, the steadiest of the gods. He almost could not believe the luck and used all his skills to make the most lavish jewels for her. He made fine wrought gold bodice and knit magic into the filigree work. It was not very wise of him, for when she wore her magic girdle no one could resist her, and she was all too irresistible already. She loves the ease and luxury and not at all pleased at being the wife of sooty, hard-working Hepha
Aphrodite loved and was loved by many gods and humans. Among her mortal lovers, the most famous was perhaps Adonis. Some sons are Eros, anteros, Hymenaios and Aeneas (the Trojan lover Anchises). He was accompanied by the Graces.
Her festival is the Aphrodisiac which was celebrated in various centers of Greece and especially in Athens and Corinth. Reverend its not prostitutes, but women who represented the goddess and sexual intercourse with them is considered only one of the methods of worship. Aphrodite was the goddess of the old first-Asia, similar to the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Syro-Palestinian goddess Ashtart. Her attributes a.o. dolphins, doves, swans, pomegranates and lime trees.
In Roman mythology Venus is the goddess of love and beauty and Cupid is the messenger of love.
THE GOD
HERMES
According to legend, Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Zeus had impregnated Maia at the middle of the night while all other gods slept. As usual dawn he was born. Maia wrapped swaddling bands, then resting herself, fell fast asleep. Hermes, however, squirmed free and ran to Thessaly. This is where Apollo, his brother, grazed his cattle. Hermes stole a herd and drive them back to Greece. He hid in a small cave near the town of Pylos and covered their tracks. Before returning to the cave he caught a tortoise, killed and removed the contents of his stomach. Using the intestines from a cow stolen from Apollo and the hollow tortoise shell, he made the first lyre. When he reached the cave he wrapped himself back into the band bedungnya. When Apollo realized he had been robbed he protested to Maia that it had been Hermes who had taken their livestock. Maia looked Hermes and said it could not, because he was still wrapped in a band bedungnya. Zeus all powerful intervention says he has seen and Hermes should return the cattle to Apollo. As the argument progresses, Hermes began to play his lyre. Sweet music enchanted Apollo, and he offered Hermes to keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. Apollo later became the grand master of the instrument, and it also became one of his symbols. Later while Hermes watched a herd he found a pipe known as a syrinx (pan-pipes), which he made from reeds. Hermes was also credited with inventing the flute. Apollo, also desired this instrument, so Hermes bartered with Apollo and received his golden wand which Hermes later used as his heralds staff. (In other versions Zeus gave Hermes heralds staff).
Being a herald (messenger of the gods), it is his duty to guide the souls of the dead to the bottom, known as a psychopomp. He was also closely connected with bringing dreams to mortals. Hermes is usually depicted with a wide-brimmed hat or a winged cap, winged sandals and the heralds staff (kerykeion in Greek, or Caduceus in Latin). It is often shown as a shaft with two white ribbons, although later they were represented by serpents intertwined in a figure of eight, and the shaft often had wings attached. The clothes she wears are usually that of a traveler, or that of a worker or a pastor. Another symbol of Hermes is chicken, tortoise and purse or pouch.
Originally Hermes was the god of phallic, attached to fertility and good fortune, as well as the protection and boundaries. Its name comes from Herma, plural being hermaiherm a square or rectangular pillar in either stone or bronze, with the head of Hermes (usually with a beard), which adorned the top of the pillar, and male genitals near to the base of the pillar. These are used for road and boundary markers. Also in Athens they stood outside houses to help fend off evil. In Athens of 415 BC, shortly before the sailing fleet of Athens against Syracuse (during the Peloponnesian War), all Herms entire Athenian vandalized. This is due to the people who oppose the war. Their intention to throw a bad sign in the expedition, by seeking to offend the god of travel. (It has never been proven as the true reason for the mutilation of the Herms.)
Heredity is believed Hermes Pan, Abderus and Hermaphroditus. Hermes like the other gods have affairs with many goddesses, fairies and humans. In some legends even sheep and goats. Pan, half goat half man, believed to be the son of Hermes and Dryope, Dryops daughter of the king. Pan afraid of his mother when he was born, so much so that he fled in horror at the sight of a newborn child. TAKE Hermes Pan to Mount Olympus were the gods reveled in their laughter and appearance and be protective fields, woods, shepherds and cattle. Abderus, friend of the hero Heracles, is also regarded as a son of Hermes, he was eaten by the Mares of Diomedes, after Heracles had left him in charge of the wild animals. Hermaphroditus (also known as Aphroditus) was conceived after the union of Hermes and Aphrodite. He was born in Mount Ida, but she was raised by the Naiads (nymphs of freshwater). He was a god (having characteristics of both sexes) in pairs, depicted as a handsome young man but with female breasts, or as Aphrodite with male genitals.
It was a liberating Hermes Io, a lover of Zeus, from the hundred-eyed giant Argus, who had been ordered by Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, to watch over her. Hermes charmed the giant with his flute, and while Argos slept Hermes cut off his head and released Io. Hera, as a token of gratitude to his loyal servant, scattered the hundred eyes of Argos peacock's tail (sacred bird Heras'). Hermes also use ingenuity and abilities to persuade the nymph Calypso to release Odysseus, wandering hero, from her charms. He kept Odysseus captive, after he was stranded on her island Ogygia, promising him immortality if he married her, but Zeus sent Hermes to release Odysseus. Legend says that Calypso died of grief when Odysseus sailed. Hermes also saved Odysseus and his men turned into pigs by the goddess and witch Circe. He gave them a potion which refused spell. Hermes also guided Eurydice back to hell after he was allowed to stay for one day on earth with her husband Orpheus.
Known for his speed and athleticism, Hermes is given credit for inventing foot-racing and boxing. At Olympia a statue of him stands at the entrance to the stadium and his statues where in every gymnasium throughout Greece. Besides Herms, Hermes is a popular subject for artists. Both painted pottery and statues showed him in various forms, but the most fashionable depicted as a handsome young man, with an athletic body, and winged sandals and his heralds staff. Roman colleagues Mercury inherited his attributes, and there are many Roman copies of Greek artistic creations of Hermes.
THE GODDESS
ARTEMIS
Daughter of Leto and Zeus, and the twin of Apollo. Artemis
is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and
fertility (she became a goddess of fertility and childbirth mainly in
cities). He
is often depicted with the crescent of the moon above her forehead and
sometimes identified with Selene (goddess of the moon). Artemis one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess. The
main call is to roam mountain forests and uncultivated land with her
fairies in attendance hunting for lions, panthers, deer and stags. Contrary to the later, she helped in protecting and seeing to the welfare of their safety, their well and reproduction. He is armed with a bow and arrow made by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes.
In one legend, Artemis was born one day before her brother Apollo. His mother gave birth on the island of Ortygia, then, shortly after her birth, she helped her mother to cross the straits to Delos, where she then delivered Apollo. This was the beginning of her role as the guardian of young children and patron of women in childbirth. Being a goddess of contradictions, she is the patroness of women in labor, but it is said that the arrows of Artemis brought them sudden death while giving birth. As her brother, Apollo, Artemis is a divinity of healing, but also brought and spread diseases such as leprosy, rabies and even gout.
Being associated with chastity, Artemis at an early age (in one legend she was three years old) asked his father, the great god Zeus, to give eternal virginity. Also, all of his friends are virgins. Artemis was very protective of his holiness, and provide severe penalties for any person who tries to insult him in any way. Actaeon, while hunting, accidentally came Artemis and her nymphs, who bathing naked in a secluded pool. Seeing them all their naked beauty, stunned Actaeon stopped and looked at them, but when Artemis saw him ogling them, he transformed himself into a deer. Then, furious with disgust, she set up her own dog. They chased and killed what they thought was another deer, but it was their master. As with Orion, a giant and a great hunter, there are several legends that tell of his death, involving Artemis. It is said that he tried to rape a virgin goddess, so killed him with a bow and arrow. Others say he conjured up a scorpion which killed Orion and his dog. Orion became a constellation in the night sky, and his dog became Sirius, the dog star. Yet another version says it was the scorpion that stung him and turned into the constellation Orion, Scorpio later became. Artemis angry when one of the fairies, Callisto, allowed Zeus to seduce her, but the great god approached her in one of his guises, it comes in the form of Artemis. Young nymph was unwittingly tricked, and she gave birth to Arcas, the ancestor of Arcadians, but Artemis showed no mercy and changed her into a bear. He then shot and killed him. As Orion, she was sent into the sky, and a constellation of the Great Bear (also known as the Plough).
In one legend, Artemis was born one day before her brother Apollo. His mother gave birth on the island of Ortygia, then, shortly after her birth, she helped her mother to cross the straits to Delos, where she then delivered Apollo. This was the beginning of her role as the guardian of young children and patron of women in childbirth. Being a goddess of contradictions, she is the patroness of women in labor, but it is said that the arrows of Artemis brought them sudden death while giving birth. As her brother, Apollo, Artemis is a divinity of healing, but also brought and spread diseases such as leprosy, rabies and even gout.
Being associated with chastity, Artemis at an early age (in one legend she was three years old) asked his father, the great god Zeus, to give eternal virginity. Also, all of his friends are virgins. Artemis was very protective of his holiness, and provide severe penalties for any person who tries to insult him in any way. Actaeon, while hunting, accidentally came Artemis and her nymphs, who bathing naked in a secluded pool. Seeing them all their naked beauty, stunned Actaeon stopped and looked at them, but when Artemis saw him ogling them, he transformed himself into a deer. Then, furious with disgust, she set up her own dog. They chased and killed what they thought was another deer, but it was their master. As with Orion, a giant and a great hunter, there are several legends that tell of his death, involving Artemis. It is said that he tried to rape a virgin goddess, so killed him with a bow and arrow. Others say he conjured up a scorpion which killed Orion and his dog. Orion became a constellation in the night sky, and his dog became Sirius, the dog star. Yet another version says it was the scorpion that stung him and turned into the constellation Orion, Scorpio later became. Artemis angry when one of the fairies, Callisto, allowed Zeus to seduce her, but the great god approached her in one of his guises, it comes in the form of Artemis. Young nymph was unwittingly tricked, and she gave birth to Arcas, the ancestor of Arcadians, but Artemis showed no mercy and changed her into a bear. He then shot and killed him. As Orion, she was sent into the sky, and a constellation of the Great Bear (also known as the Plough).
Artemis was very possessive. He will show his anger at anyone who does not comply with his wishes, especially against her sacred animals. Even the great hero Agamemnon came upon the wrath of Artemis, when he killed a deer in a sacred forest. The punishment came when his ships were stopped, as he walked to the siege of Troy. With
no wind to sail the ship, she was told by the seer Calchas that the
only way Artemis would bring back the wind for him to sacrifice his
daughter Iphigenia. Some
versions say he did sacrifice Iphigenia, others that Artemis exchanged a
deer in her place, and took Iphigenia to the ground Tauri (the Crimea)
as a priest, to prepare strangers for sacrifice to Artemis.
Artemis with her twin brother, Apollo, turn off the children of Niobe. The reason being that Niobe, a mere mortal, had boasted Leto, mother of the divine twins, that she has given birth to more children, which should make it superior to Leto. Apollo was angry at such an insult to his mother, informed Artemis. The twin gods hunted them down and shot them with their bows and arrows, Apollo killing the young boys and girls Artemis.
Artemis was worshiped in the cities of the Greek gods but only as secondary. However, for the Greeks in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) she was a prominent deity. In Ephesus, a principal city in Asia Minor, a great temple was built in his honor, which became one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". But at Ephesus she was worshiped mainly as a fertility goddess, and identified with Cybele the mother goddess of eastern lands. Cult statue of Artemis of Ephesus are very different from those of mainland Greece, while the woman he described as a hunter with a bow and arrow. They were found at Ephesus show her in the eastern style, standing upright with many nodes in the chest. There are many theories as to what they represent. Some say they are breasts, others that they are bulls testes which were sacrificed to him. Which is the correct interpretation remains uncertain, but each represent fertility.
There is a festival in honor of Artemis, such Brauronia, held in Brauron, and the festival of Artemis Orthia, held at Sparta, when boys young Spartans will try to steal cheeses from the altar. When they tried they would be whipped, meaning of Orthia and the nature of the ritual whipping has been lost and there is no logical explanation or translation. Among the epithets given to Artemis are: potnia Theron (mistress of wild animals) this title was mentioned by the great poet Homer, Kourotrophos (younger nurses), Locheia (helper in childbirth), Agrotera (huntress), and Cynthia (taken from the born in Mount Cynthus on Delos). When young girls reached puberty they were initiated into the cult, but when they decide to marry, which Artemis was not against, they were asked to lie down in front of the altar all amenities their virginity, toys, dolls, and a lock of their hair, they then left the domain virgin goddess.
Artemis with her twin brother, Apollo, turn off the children of Niobe. The reason being that Niobe, a mere mortal, had boasted Leto, mother of the divine twins, that she has given birth to more children, which should make it superior to Leto. Apollo was angry at such an insult to his mother, informed Artemis. The twin gods hunted them down and shot them with their bows and arrows, Apollo killing the young boys and girls Artemis.
Artemis was worshiped in the cities of the Greek gods but only as secondary. However, for the Greeks in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) she was a prominent deity. In Ephesus, a principal city in Asia Minor, a great temple was built in his honor, which became one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". But at Ephesus she was worshiped mainly as a fertility goddess, and identified with Cybele the mother goddess of eastern lands. Cult statue of Artemis of Ephesus are very different from those of mainland Greece, while the woman he described as a hunter with a bow and arrow. They were found at Ephesus show her in the eastern style, standing upright with many nodes in the chest. There are many theories as to what they represent. Some say they are breasts, others that they are bulls testes which were sacrificed to him. Which is the correct interpretation remains uncertain, but each represent fertility.
There is a festival in honor of Artemis, such Brauronia, held in Brauron, and the festival of Artemis Orthia, held at Sparta, when boys young Spartans will try to steal cheeses from the altar. When they tried they would be whipped, meaning of Orthia and the nature of the ritual whipping has been lost and there is no logical explanation or translation. Among the epithets given to Artemis are: potnia Theron (mistress of wild animals) this title was mentioned by the great poet Homer, Kourotrophos (younger nurses), Locheia (helper in childbirth), Agrotera (huntress), and Cynthia (taken from the born in Mount Cynthus on Delos). When young girls reached puberty they were initiated into the cult, but when they decide to marry, which Artemis was not against, they were asked to lie down in front of the altar all amenities their virginity, toys, dolls, and a lock of their hair, they then left the domain virgin goddess.
THE GODS
HEPHAESTUS
Hephaestus,
god of fire, especially the blacksmith's fire, was the protector of all
craftsmen, principally those working with metals. He was worshiped mainly in Athens, but also in other manufacturing centers. He is the god of the volcano. Later, the fire within them represented the smith furnace. Hephaestus was associated with Mount Etna, located on the island of Sicily. Known as the lame god, Hephaestus was born weak and crippled. Delighted
by the sight of her son, Hera threw Hephaestus from Mount Olympus, and
he fell for an entire day before landing at sea. Nymphs rescued him and took him to Lemnos, where the people of the island cared for him. But other versions say Zeus threw from Mount Olympus after Hephaestus had sided with his mother in a quarrel. This legend says that Hephaestus fell for nine days and nine nights, and he landed on the island of Lemnos. It was on Lemnos where he built his palace and forges under a volcano.To get revenge for his rejection by Hera, Hephaestus fashioned a magic throne, which was presented to him on Mount Olympus. When Hera sat on the throne, he was trapped, making prisoners. The gods on Mount Olympus begged Hephaestus to return to their heavenly domain, to release Hera, but he refused. Dionysus gave the smith god wine, and when Hephaestus intoxicated, Dionysus took him back to Mount Olympus slumped over the back of a donkey. This scene is a favorite in Greek art. Hephaestus released Hera after being given the beautiful Aphrodite as his wife. Dionysus was rewarded with a way to make one of the Olympian Pantheon.
Hephaestus is known as the son of Hera and Zeus, although Zeus had nothing to do with conception. Hephaestus is parthenogenesis, meaning it was conceived without male fertilization. Hera was jealous of Zeus after he had an affair with Metis, from which the goddess of prudence was pregnant with Athena. However, Gaia had warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. To prevent this, Zeus swallowing Metis, so he could take the child through the birth itself, although Zeus could not give birth naturally. For retribution Hera produced (parthenogeny) Hephaestus, and legend says, that Hephaestus split the head of Zeus with an ax, from which Athena appeared fully armed.
One particular legend says that Hephaestus wished to marry Athena, who is also patron blacksmith, but he refused because he found it ugly. Another legend says that Athena disappeared from their bridal bed but Hephaestus did not see it disappear, and spilled his seed on the floor. In the version of the same cement falling from the thigh of Athens and it was produced Erechtheus, who became king of Athens. (This relates to Erechtheus being friendly Gaia, the Earth.)
Aphrodite, in some versions, is the wife of Hephaestus, and he suspected that Aphrodite had been committing adultery. To catch unfaithful to her that she fashioned wire netting incredible, so smooth and strong nothing can escape from it. Then one day he surprised Aphrodite and the war god Ares as they lay together in bed. He threw his magic net over them and dragging them before the Olympian gods and exhibited them as they were, naked and wrapped in each others arms. Hephaestus asked the assembled gods for just retribution, but they did the total opposite. The gods laughed out loud at the sight of the naked lovers, after which they were allowed to go free pair. According to Homer's Iliad Hephaestus Aglaea called his wife, who is one of the Charites (Graces).Being a great craftsman Hephaestus manufactured wonderful articles from various materials, especially metals. With the help of the Cyclopes, the workers and assistants, he fashioned lightning for Zeus and his staff. He made weapons and armor for gods and heroes. For Athena, he made a shield or protection, and to the god of love, Eros, he made arrows. The beautiful train ride Helios the sun god in the sky was made by Hephaestus and in some versions it was a golden cup or goblet. He also fashioned invincible armor of Achilles. Hephaestus helped to create the first woman, with the help of other gods, after Zeus had ordered that there is a new kind of human. Zeus plotted against Prometheus because he and his men race covers only one sex, the male, and so Hephaestus formed the first woman from clay. Her name was Pandora (all gifts) and from the bottle supernatural, he released the evils of the world to mankind.
Hephaestus is usually shown as an animated cripple bent over his anvil. He wears a beard and is usually depicted as ugly, and in some art forms he walks with a cane. Homer describes Hephaestus as lame and walking with a cane. Hepheastus worshiped mainly in Athens, where the Temple of Hephaestus and Athena (the Hephaesteum, also known as Theseum) still stands. This is the most complete example of a temple "Doric" (one of the three orders in Greek architecture). Built in 449 BC and stood on a hill close to the Agora at the foot of the Acropolis. Hephaestus and Athena Ergane (protectress of craftsman and artisans) was honored with the festival "Chalceia" on the 30th day of the month Pyanopsion. The Romans adopted Hephaestus as one of their own gods attaching the myth and cult to their god of fire and calling him Vulcan (Volcanus).
THE GODDESS
DEMETER
Greek earth goddess par excellence, who cultivate the fruit of the earth, particularly the various grains. He teaches men the art of sowing and plowing so they could end their nomadic existence. As such, Demeter was also the goddess of planned society. He was very popular with the rural population. As a fertility goddess she is sometimes identified with Rhea and Gaia.
Demeter in systematic theology, Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus by whom she became the mother of Persephone. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, ruler of the underworld, Demeter walks the earth to find his lost son. During this time the earth brought forth no grain. Finally Zeus sent Hermes to the underworld, ordering Hades to return Persephone to her mother. However, before she left, Hades gave her a pomegranate (a symbol of fertility general). When he ate from it, he is bound to spend three years with her husband in the underworld. Only when her daughter is with her, Demeter lets things grow (summer). The dying and blossoming of nature is thus connected with Demeter.
Demeter in systematic theology, Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus by whom she became the mother of Persephone. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, ruler of the underworld, Demeter walks the earth to find his lost son. During this time the earth brought forth no grain. Finally Zeus sent Hermes to the underworld, ordering Hades to return Persephone to her mother. However, before she left, Hades gave her a pomegranate (a symbol of fertility general). When he ate from it, he is bound to spend three years with her husband in the underworld. Only when her daughter is with her, Demeter lets things grow (summer). The dying and blossoming of nature is thus connected with Demeter.
In ancient art, Demeter is often portrayed (sitting) as a solemn woman, often wearing a wreath of braided ears of corn. Famous statue made by Knidos (mid forth century BCE). The usual symbolic attributes are the fruits of the earth and the torch, the latter may refer to his search for Persephone. Sacred animal is the snake (an earth-creature) and the pig (another symbol of fertility). Some of the nicknames he includes Auxesia, Deo, Chloe, and Sito. The Romans equated her with the goddess Ceres.
THE GODDES
PERSEPHONE
Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful young woman that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. One day, when she was collecting flowers on the plains of Enna, the earth suddenly opened and Hades rose from the gap and abducted her. None but Zeus, and the all-guiding sun, Helios, had noticed it.
Persephone
Persephone
roken-hearted, Demeter wandered the earth, looking for her daughter until Helios revealed what it has happened. Demeter was so angry that she drew herself in loneliness, and the earth ceased to be fertile. Knowing this could not continue much longer, Zeus sent Hermes to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate (or the seeds of a pomegranate, according to some sources). When she later ate of it, tied down forever and she had to stay there one-third this year. Other months she stayed with her mother. When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. In the Eleusinian mysteries, this happening was celebrated in honor of Demeter and Persephone, known in this cult as Kore.
The Romans called it Proserpine.
THE GODS
DIONYSUS
Dionysus, also known by the Roman name Bacchus, appears to be a god who has two distinct origins. On the one hand, Dionysus was the god of wine, agriculture, fertility, and nature, which is also the patron god of the Greek stage. On the other hand, Dionysus is also a prominent feature of the mystery religions, such as those practiced at Eleusis: ecstasy, personal delivery from the daily world through physical or spiritual intoxication, and initiation rituals secret. Experts have long suspected that the god known as Dionysus is actually a combination of local Greek nature god, and another more potent god imported rather late in Greek pre-history from Phrygia (the central area of modern Turkey) or Thrace.
Dionysus
According to one myth, Dionysus is the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman, Semele (daughter of Cadmus of Thebes). Semele was killed by a lightning bolt of Zeus' while Dionysus is still in her womb. Dionysus rescued and having a second birth from Zeus after developing in his thigh. Zeus then gave the baby to some nymphs to be raised. In
another version, the one with more explicit religious smelling,
Dionysus, also referred to as Zagreus in this account, is the son of
Zeus and Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Hera
get the Titans to lure the infant with toys, and then they rip him to
shreds eating everything but Zagreus heart ', who saved well by Athena,
Rhea, or Demeter. Zeus remakes his son from the heart and implants him in Semele imposed new Dionysus Zagreus. Therefore, as in the earlier account, Dionysus is called "twice born." The second account formed part of the mythology of supernatural religions.
It seems clear that Dionysus, at least the Phrygian Dionysus, was a late arrival at the Greek and in Greek mythology. He barely mentioned at all in the Homeric epics, and when he is with some hostility. Numerous stories stories about how Dionysus moved into a city, who declined, and then destroy those who oppose it. Account of the most famous is that of Euripides in his play The Bacchae. He wrote this play while in the court of King Archelaus of Macedon, and where we see Dionysus more destructive and his worship more dangerous than in this drama. Experts have speculated that makes no sense in Macedon Euripides discovered a more extreme form of the religion of Dionysus being practiced than, form a civil quieter in Athens.
Briefly, Dionysus returned to Thebes, alleged birthplace, where his cousin Pentheus is king. He has returned to punish the women of Thebes for denying that he was a god and born of a god. Pentheus is very angry with the worship of Dionysus and forbids it, but he could not stop the women, including his mother Agave, or even the elder statesmen of the kingdom from swarming to the wilds to join the Maenads (a term given to women under the spell of delight Dionysus) in worship . Dionysus lures Pentheus to the wilds where he is killed by the Maenads and then mutilated by Agave.
A song sung in honor of Dionysus called dithyramb.
It seems clear that Dionysus, at least the Phrygian Dionysus, was a late arrival at the Greek and in Greek mythology. He barely mentioned at all in the Homeric epics, and when he is with some hostility. Numerous stories stories about how Dionysus moved into a city, who declined, and then destroy those who oppose it. Account of the most famous is that of Euripides in his play The Bacchae. He wrote this play while in the court of King Archelaus of Macedon, and where we see Dionysus more destructive and his worship more dangerous than in this drama. Experts have speculated that makes no sense in Macedon Euripides discovered a more extreme form of the religion of Dionysus being practiced than, form a civil quieter in Athens.
Briefly, Dionysus returned to Thebes, alleged birthplace, where his cousin Pentheus is king. He has returned to punish the women of Thebes for denying that he was a god and born of a god. Pentheus is very angry with the worship of Dionysus and forbids it, but he could not stop the women, including his mother Agave, or even the elder statesmen of the kingdom from swarming to the wilds to join the Maenads (a term given to women under the spell of delight Dionysus) in worship . Dionysus lures Pentheus to the wilds where he is killed by the Maenads and then mutilated by Agave.
A song sung in honor of Dionysus called dithyramb.
THE GODDESS HEBE
Hebes is the goddess of youth and daughter of Zeus and Hera. He poured the nectar of the gods on Olympus until Ganymede replaced her. Hebe also prepared Ares bath ', and helped Hera to her train. After Heracles became a god, he married her. The Romans called her Juventas ("youth").
He is depicted as a young woman, wearing a sleeveless dress. On various vases she is shown as cup bearer of the gods, or as bride of Heracles. Famous is - a statue of Hebe, made of ivory and gold, by Naucydes (Polycletus brother) in the 5th century BC - now gone. This statue is also displayed on the newer coins from Argos.
THE GODS MUSES
Greek goddess who led the arts and sciences. They are believed to inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers, and musicians. The Muses were daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory. The number of Muses varies over time, initially there is only one, and then there was mention three: Melete, Mneme, and Aoede (Elder Muses). They were nymphs in Pieria, western Thrace, and their cult was brought to Helicon in Boeotia by the Aloadae. Usually there is mention of the nine muses: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia and Urania, Young Muses.
brood
The Muses revered throughout Greece, but more in areas with many wells and springs. Territory of Boeotia, near Helicon, remained a favorite of the Muses, and there they are more respected than anywhere else. This is also the place of two wells that are sacred to them, Aganippe and Hippocrene. Also Delphi and Parnassus is their favorite place, and it was here that Apollo became their leader (musagetes).
The Muses sat near the throne of Zeus, king of the gods, and sang the greatness and the origins of the world and its inhabitants and the glorious deeds of the great heroes. From their name words such as music, museum, mosaic originates.
brood
The Muses revered throughout Greece, but more in areas with many wells and springs. Territory of Boeotia, near Helicon, remained a favorite of the Muses, and there they are more respected than anywhere else. This is also the place of two wells that are sacred to them, Aganippe and Hippocrene. Also Delphi and Parnassus is their favorite place, and it was here that Apollo became their leader (musagetes).
The Muses sat near the throne of Zeus, king of the gods, and sang the greatness and the origins of the world and its inhabitants and the glorious deeds of the great heroes. From their name words such as music, museum, mosaic originates.
THE GODS MINOS
Legendary king of Crete, son of Zeus and the Phoenician princess Europa. Minos and his brothers, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon, was raised in the royal palace of Cnossus. Minos married Pasiphae, daughter of the sun god Helios. Some of their children are Phaedra, Ariadne, and Andregeos.
In mythology, the sovereignty dispute led Crete Minos asked Poseidon for help. He asked god to send gifts as a sign of a true kingdom. The sea god send shimmering pure white bull, which emerged miraculously from the waves. This was confirmed to all parties that Minos was their true king. However, soon after King Minos see majestic beast he refused to sacrifice to Poseidon, and replace it with another. Poseidon in retaliation sent Pasiphae into uncontrollable lust for large animals. So much so that he has the desire to mate with the huge animal. To do this he asked for the help of Daedalus, a craftsman and inventor, who built a hollow wooden cow. Pasiphae hid inside, tenderly mounted bull cow Pasiphae wood and as a result the child was conceived, or rather the creature that was half man and half bull, which became known as the Minotaur (Minotauros, "bull of Minos").
King Minos ordered Daedalus to build a palace to hide the Minotaur, and Daedalus built Labyrinth. Because of his intervention Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tower. They escaped by making wings of wax and feathers, but Icarus died when he flew to close to the sun.
When Androgeos, son of King Minos, attending games in Athens he won all the events, but he was killed because of jealousy by the other contestants. Minos then attack to avenge the death Androgeos Athens, and, after gaining control of the city of Athens he granted peace, but with one condition: that every nine years Athens had to send seven of their best young men and young girls to Crete, as a sacrifice to the Minotaur . When the hero Theseus heard of this practice, he volunteered to be one of the victims, killing the Minotaur, and liberate Athens from grizzly task.
Another legend is part of King Minos, is that King Nisus of Megara, which protects the city should keep the lock of red hair hidden in his white hair itself. King Minos besieged Megara but Nisus knew that all would be well, as long lock of red hair still in place. However, Scylla daughter of Nisus fell in love with Minos, and to prove his love he cut the lock of red hair from the head of his father, who killed Nisus and Magara fall. When Minos discovered that Scylla has been responsible for the death of his father he killed. He was reincarnated as sea birds, which will be pursued by her father Nisus, which has turned into an albatross.
Sir Arthur Evans a British archaeologist gave the name "Minoan" to the civilization of Crete, of the name of King Minos', (AD 1900). Even the name of Minos, the king could not have been the original name (and not Greek in origin) and could be the title of the hereditary rulers Minoan.
In mythology, the sovereignty dispute led Crete Minos asked Poseidon for help. He asked god to send gifts as a sign of a true kingdom. The sea god send shimmering pure white bull, which emerged miraculously from the waves. This was confirmed to all parties that Minos was their true king. However, soon after King Minos see majestic beast he refused to sacrifice to Poseidon, and replace it with another. Poseidon in retaliation sent Pasiphae into uncontrollable lust for large animals. So much so that he has the desire to mate with the huge animal. To do this he asked for the help of Daedalus, a craftsman and inventor, who built a hollow wooden cow. Pasiphae hid inside, tenderly mounted bull cow Pasiphae wood and as a result the child was conceived, or rather the creature that was half man and half bull, which became known as the Minotaur (Minotauros, "bull of Minos").
King Minos ordered Daedalus to build a palace to hide the Minotaur, and Daedalus built Labyrinth. Because of his intervention Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in a tower. They escaped by making wings of wax and feathers, but Icarus died when he flew to close to the sun.
When Androgeos, son of King Minos, attending games in Athens he won all the events, but he was killed because of jealousy by the other contestants. Minos then attack to avenge the death Androgeos Athens, and, after gaining control of the city of Athens he granted peace, but with one condition: that every nine years Athens had to send seven of their best young men and young girls to Crete, as a sacrifice to the Minotaur . When the hero Theseus heard of this practice, he volunteered to be one of the victims, killing the Minotaur, and liberate Athens from grizzly task.
Another legend is part of King Minos, is that King Nisus of Megara, which protects the city should keep the lock of red hair hidden in his white hair itself. King Minos besieged Megara but Nisus knew that all would be well, as long lock of red hair still in place. However, Scylla daughter of Nisus fell in love with Minos, and to prove his love he cut the lock of red hair from the head of his father, who killed Nisus and Magara fall. When Minos discovered that Scylla has been responsible for the death of his father he killed. He was reincarnated as sea birds, which will be pursued by her father Nisus, which has turned into an albatross.
Sir Arthur Evans a British archaeologist gave the name "Minoan" to the civilization of Crete, of the name of King Minos', (AD 1900). Even the name of Minos, the king could not have been the original name (and not Greek in origin) and could be the title of the hereditary rulers Minoan.
THE GODS EPHAPHUS
Son of Zeus and Io, who bore him after he arrived on the banks of the Nile after wonderings and recovered in human form again. Epaphus be king of Egypt and founded the city of Memphis.
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