How Greek Destruction Myths Emphasize Positiveness Human Nature

Greek Myths and Human Nature

Ancient Greek myths represent the view of a previous culture that has influenced current beliefs. Greek culture was one based on the stories and moral lessons told and learned from older generations to more recent generations. The destruction of human kind and the honorable lessons learned from those myths define what human nature is all about; these destruction myths highlighted the positiveness of human nature. Although it may seem counterintuitive and difficult to think of destruction as a positive notion, the idea of cleanliness, rebirth, and immortality allow for this exact interpretation to be made. In Greek destruction myths, it is not about the destroying involved in the myth itself, but it is instead about the aftermath that this destruction may bring to its people, community, and society.

As is well documented in many Greek myths, there is one God that overpowers all others: Zeus. He was a supernatural being that was the most powerful God of all Gods; his word was final. In many occasions, Zeus made the decision to cleanse society by flooding it (Lefkowitz 2005). Floods are known to be representative of a rebirthing process. Although this is a destruction myth provided to us by various different Greek myths, it is one often associated as being a negative and evil one. A Greek destruction myth dealing with floods in the end is to create a positive ambiance for a world that had up to that point been destroyed morally and ethically -- values and attributes that were of great importance. The positive highlight in this destruction process comes from the application to human nature. As was stated previously, floods and destruction associated with them, come into notion when one thinks of the rebirth and restart of an entire society (Dewey 2005). While the killing of hundreds of thousands or even millions of individuals seems like it is a negative aspect, the redesigning of a new world, and the cleansing of all that is made out to be bad, is the ultimate goal in these destruction myths. The idea that no matter how much is destroyed, there is always the opportunity to start all over -- to get a fresh start into a world that may have seemed impossible to live in.

Greek destruction myths are also representative of the supernatural. This along with many religious and cultural structures allow for individuals to feel comfort in knowing that not everything is in the control of the individuals going through the specific situation (Lefkowitz 2005). In other words, there are notions that are out of one's hands, and these destruction myths allow for people to think of someone as watching over them and protecting them. These destruction myths set a moral and ethical guide for all to follow. From the beginning, all consequences for immoral or unethical acts are to be known in order for people to stop and think before they actually go through with something (Dewey 2005). As aforementioned, this notion reinforces the idea of cleanliness -- something that many people strive to attain. Being clean is not just about the physical aspect of being without dirt, but also an emotional and philosophical idea. It is being without sin and being pure. Destruction myths restore those feelings of being without fault. When an entire world is destroyed in Greek myths, it is only to restart the birth of the new one. This provides those chosen as being worthy enough to survive a catastrophic event, the opportunity to start all over and to get a second chance to live the life that they were meant to live. This in the end reinforces the idea that even though destruction seems to be a negative aspect of Greek culture, in the end, these destruction myths were established to emphasize and reinforce the notion that a chance at redemption does indeed exist.

Due to human nature, second chances are innately desired. As stated previously, it is the idea that mistakes can be redeemed, that make destruction myths ultimately about forgiveness and rebirth. However, destruction myths also outline the positive aspect of immortality. Those who are lucky enough to survive catastrophic events will in the end feel the benefits of seeming immortal. Destructive natural events such as floods, fire, and earthquakes are emphasis of the notion of immortality as an alternative to being saved (Lefkowitz 2005). When a catastrophic event is survived, it becomes apparent that the idea that those who did make it through was due to their inability to have an immortal soul (Dewey 2005), providing the readers and listeners to the notion of eternity. Myths that outline destruction, for example Pandora's Box, is to in the end emphasize that there is hope to strive for (Lefkowitz 2005). Regardless of all the evil in the world, and contained in the box, there was hope to look forward to. The idea of redemption once again comes into action with the story of Hercules who destroys as ordered by a ruler, in order to purify himself of acts that were committed by his previous self (Lefkowitz 2005). These stories not only outline popular Greek destruction myths, but they also emphasize the extent of problems that human nature can endure.