Download There are hundreds of Greek and Roman gods

There are hundreds of Greek and Roman gods, and minor gods, and heroes, and villains.
Each god had a family tree. Each hero had a family tree, and everyone on that family tree
had a family tree that probably consisted of another hero. So for the sake of your, the
reader’s, sanity, I’m going to stick to the most famous of the Olympian gods.
Zeus is the Greek name of the king of the gods. In literature, it is often used in his Roman
form, Jupiter. If you were to read books on Greek and Roman myths, most would refer to
him as both names. Take for example The Myths of Greece and Rome, by H.A. Guerber.
In the chapter on Zeus, he is introduced as, “Jupiter, Jove, or Zeus, king of the gods,
supreme ruler of the universe, the special deity of mankind…” (1) and so on and so
forth. Just from reading the beginning of the sentence, it is apparent to me that while
throughout the rest of the chapter the Roman name Jupiter is used, it is to be understood
that Jupiter also refers to Zeus. There is no difference.
In many books that are centered on Greek and Roman mythology, it is very common to
look up a god and be directed to another. In others, they just state it outright that the two
gods are the same. “Jupiter was the Roman sky god, the Equivalent of Zeus”. (2) “The
Romans identified Zeus with their Jupiter, and all-powerful sky god”. (3) It is very clear
that distinctions between Greek and Roman gods were little to none.
These comparisons were not just so with Zeus. While researching, any god I looked up
had similar details, which directed me to their equivalent Greek and Roman form, which
then directed me back. But that’s just with gods. It is now become my responsibility to
not only further my research with the gods and their, how should I put it, alter egos, but
also figure out if the same goes for heroes and the myths in general.
I hope you continue with me as I discover the answers to these questions.
Works Cited
(2) Cotterell, Arthur, Rachel Storm, Arthur Cotterell, and Rachel Storm. The Ultimate
Encyclopedia of Mythology: an A - Z Guide to the Myths and Legends of the Ancient
World. London: Hermes House, 2009. 58. Print.
(3) Cotterell, Arthur, Rachel Storm, Arthur Cotterell, and Rachel Storm. The Ultimate
Encyclopedia of Mythology: an A - Z Guide to the Myths and Legends of the Ancient
World. London: Hermes House, 2009. 91. Print.
(1) Guerber, H. A. "2." The Myths of Greece and Rome. New York: Dover Publications,
2007. 27. Print.
Image
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zeus_Talleyrand01_pushkin.jpg