Greek and Roman mythology and legends

Author: Gustav Schwab (Germany), translated by Ye Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: It is generally believed that Greek and Roman mythological legends show us the thoughts and feelings of ancient humans. According to this view, through ancient myths, we can recall the people of ancient times who lived in harmony with nature from the civilized humans who are far removed from nature. The true charm of mythology lies in its ability to take us back to the days when humans were closely connected with the earth, trees, seas, flowers, and hills when the world was just born, a time and feeling completely different from ours. We must understand that when these stories were formed, the distinction between reality and fantasy was not yet clear, and imagination was quite rich, uncontrolled by reason. Therefore, in the forest, a person might see fairies running between the trees, or when bending over a clear pool to drink, they might see the face of a water spirit. Almost every writer who mentions classical mythology expects to return to that enchanting state, and poets are particularly so. The ancient people of that infinitely distant era witnessed the god of the sea rising from the seabed and listened to mermaids playing flower horn trumpets. Through the mythological stories in the poets' works, we glimpse for a moment that extraordinary and beautiful world. Ancient Greece and Rome are the brilliant starting points of Western civilization. After long years of refinement, these popular and vivid myths have been left behind. These myths show us the thoughts and emotions of ancient humans, allowing us to recall the people of ancient times who lived in harmony with nature and to savor the profound and mysterious world of the world when it was just "born." Mythology is indeed humanity's expectation of a perfect self.