Greek mythology in popular culture

The nineteenth-century statue of Athena in front of the Austrian Parliament Building illustrates "myth fill[ing] in where history failed" to provide an appropriate local personification of the political rise of the Parliament over the power of Emperor Franz Joseph (r. 1848–1916).[1]
Pegasus has frequently appeared on airmail stamps, such as this early example from Italy, 1930.
The champion Thoroughbred horse Poseidon had 11 wins as a three-year-old racer. In Greek mythology, the god Poseidon was credited with the creation of horses.[2]

Elements of Greek mythology appear many times in culture, including pop culture.[3][need quotation to verify] The Greek myths spread beyond the Hellenistic world when adopted into the culture of ancient Rome, and Western cultural movements have frequently incorporated them ever since,[4] particularly since the Renaissance.[5] Mythological elements feature in Renaissance art and in English poems,[6] as well as in film and in other literature,[7] and in songs and commercials.[8] Along with the Bible and the classics-saturated works of Shakespeare, the myths of Greece and Rome have been the major "touchstone" in Western culture for the past 500 years.[9][need quotation to verify]

Elements appropriated or incorporated include the gods of varying stature, humans, demigods, titans, giants, monsters, nymphs, and famed locations. Their use can range from a brief allusion to the use of an actual Greek character as a character in a work. Many types of creatures—such as centaurs and nymphs—are used as a generic type rather than individuated characters out of myth.

  1. ^ Schwartz, Vanessa R.; Przyblyski, Jeannene M. (2004). The Nineteenth-century Visual Culture Reader. Psychology Press. pp. 176–. ISBN 9780415308663. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  2. ^ Alexander, Heather; Hamilton, Meredith (2011-05-04). A Child's Introduction to Greek Mythology: The Stories of the Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Monsters, and Other Mythical Creatures. Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 9781579128678. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  3. ^ Roger D. Woodard, ed. (2007-11-12). The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521845205. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  4. ^ Burn, Lucilla (1990). Greek Myths. University of Texas Press. pp. 75–. ISBN 9780292727489. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  5. ^ Fong, Timothy P. (2008-04-30). Ethnic Studies Research: Approaches and Perspectives. Rowman Altamira. pp. 281–. ISBN 9780759111424. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  6. ^ Batchelor, Stephen (2011-02-15). The Ancient Greeks For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781119998143. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  7. ^ Garland, Robert (2008-12-30). Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. ABC-CLIO. pp. 306–. ISBN 9780313358159. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  8. ^ Clark, Matthew (2012-03-02). Exploring Greek Myth. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 148–. ISBN 9781444362138. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  9. ^ Osborn, Kevin; Burgess, Dana (1998). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Mythology. Penguin. p. 270. ISBN 9780028623856. Retrieved 19 December 2012.