The Greek Gods--Today

The gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman mythology still exist today. You just have to look closely at some of the people you meet every day or those you see in television or in the movies.

"Unleash the Kraken."

 

Zeus is the archetype of the powerful, womanizing man. There are many stories of him going after this or that woman and using deception to get them impregnated. Why are a lot of women attracted to powerful men (even if these men are already married)?

 

It is ironic that Hera, the goddess of marriage and the family, does not have a happy marriage. If Zeus is the womanizer, Hera is the domineering wife. She always opposes Zeus and insists on having things her way. She is also the suspicious woman, always thinking that her husband is up to no good. Why are women so suspicious of men?

Poseidon is the seaman. He is patron god of Greece because Greeks love the sea. A friend told me that during the summer, Greeks love to spend the vacation on one of their many islands. Why do a lot of Filipinos want to be seamen?

Looking undead never looked so good: Gomez Addams of “The Addams Family”.

Hades is the god of the dead. Perhaps he is so creepy no one would go out with him. He even had to kidnap a woman to make her his wife. Would you go out with someone who owns a funeral home? Or would pick you up with a hearse? (But then, there are stories of women getting into a relationship with the undead like vampires in “Twilight” and zombies in “Warm Bodies”.)
 

The Solvay Conference, which is a meeting of the greatest scientists in the world, including the likes of Max Planck, Niels Bohr, and Albert Einstein. Marie Curie (seated, third from left; Einstein is two seats away) is the only woman to ever attend the conference. And she is the only one with TWO Nobel Prizes!

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, sprung right out of the brain of Zeus. She is the only one worthy to wear Zeus’ helmet, the Aegis, and wield his thunderbolt. (In the Marvel Universe, there is only one other person worthy to lift Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir.) She is also the “brainy girl”. (Think Marie Curie.)

Apollo getting ready to rock 'n' roll with his electric guitar lyre.

Apollo is the goddess of the sun, the truth, and music. He represents the all-knowing “brilliant” guy. Plus he can play music too. Do you know of any “brilliant” men?

 

Artemis is the tomboy. She hates men and prefers to hunt instead. Just like the changing moon, she also has other personalities: in the sky, she is Selene or Cynthia, the goddess of the moon. On earth, she is the goddess of the hunt. Under the earth, when the moon is gone, she is Hecate, goddess of darkness. Why do you think women who are so inconstant?

Looks can kill.

Aphrodite is the archetype of the femme fatale. She is beautiful and she knows how to use it. The popular conception of the “sexy woman” is like that in the painting of Botticelli above.

 

Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is also the god of medicine. (The drugstore is named after him.) You should be familiar with his staff, which is often seen as a symbol for doctors. Back then, snakes were considered healers, hence the Caduceus has two snakes. Strangely, he is also the god of the marketplace and even more strangely, he is the god of thieves. Have you ever experienced having your wallet or phone snatched?
 

 

This guy is a coward?
(Image via MichaelCoimbo.Com)

Ares is the god of war. Is it not true that many men dream of becoming a soldier and in fighting in wars? But really Ares is a coward. Once wounded, he would run away. Do you know of any loud-mouthed but cowardly guys? Why do you think there are guys like that?

For an “ugly” god, he looks quite awesome to me. I heard him being linked to Aphrodite one time or another. (Image via Greek-Pantheon-Mythology.com)

It is said that Hephaestus was born so ugly, Hera tossed him out in disgust, making him a cripple.  He is the blacksmith of the gods, maker of weapons and armor. Today he’d probably be a computer hacker—a pimply faced teenager in the basement of his mom’s house, hacking into the most secure sites with his laptop.

Guys, I know that you fantasize about girls like Aphrodite. But believe me, Hestia is the kind of girl you want to go home to. (Image via CorbisImages.Com)

 

Finally there is Hestia. She is the goddess of the hearth or fireplace. Back then, fire is so important that when people move houses, they bring the fire from the old house to make the fire in the new house. (This is where we get the word “housewarming”.) She is the type of girl who always stays at home.