Personification in Greek Myth

[Harry Nevis]

Hey all, it's been a while but I'm studying philosophy and mythology again so I figured it would be a good time to come back.

So I'm reading up on Greek mythology and what I'm having a hard time comprehending is what exactly  ancient Greeks were picturing when they imagined their many different gods, particularly those gods that are personifications of the aspects of the natural world? Take Helios, the sun god, for instance. Helios is described as this dude with a flaming chariot drawn by four flying horses. But obviously if you look at the sun you won't see this. You'll just see a glowing orb. So did they think that Helios and his chariot was invisible, with only the flames being visable?

Or take Gaia, aka Mother Earth. She's described as having a humanoid form and does things that humans do like speak, procreate, etc. But at this same time she's supposed to be the actual earth that we all inhabit. How were these two seemingly incompatible things compatable in the minds of the Greeks?

Was it meant literally? Or was it all just metaphorical language? Or did these beings actually exist in humanoid form in some other plane of existence with the natural world being some very imperfect representation of them? What were Greeks thinking?

From a biblical perspective I tend to filter Greek gods through the lens of the bible. And in the bible there was a time described in Genesis that would allow greek and nornordic or even egyptian mythology to kinda unfold. That was the time of wickedness just before the flood. Where the ill titled 'gods' were the fallen angels, and the demi gods the "titans" the bible mentions.

Demons are often time described as being specialized in certain elements or powers. If you can get you mind around Christianity being true and the ark and so fourth, it is very possible that a version of those 'gods' did indeed once live.

---

welcome back!

Of course you do.  How many angels on the pin again?

[Mr Greene]

So how would Egyptian/Greek/Nordic mythologies have survived the flood if the Ark contained the only survivors?

[Minimalist]

The Dokos shipwreck was Greek, we're talking about Egyptian seafaring capabilities...

Egypt did not exist in a vacuum, dummy.  Why don't you put down your bible and your conspiracy horseshit and read some real literature on the subject of Bronze Age commerce - of which Egypt was a major factor.  Try Eric Cline's 1177 BC for starters.

Don't be frightened by the big words.

[Huggy Bear]

The Dokos shipwreck was Greek, we're talking about Egyptian seafaring capabilities...

Egypt did not exist in a vacuum, dummy.  Why don't you put down your bible and your conspiracy horseshit and read some real literature on the subject of Bronze Age commerce - of which Egypt was a major factor.  Try Eric Cline's 1177 BC for starters.

Don't be frightened by the big words.

You do realize that book was published in 2014 right? that's well after your article from 2009, which stated:


https://phys.org/news/2009-03-maritime-a...urney.html

“This project has demonstrated the extraordinary capability of the Egyptians at sea,” Ward said. “Many people, including my fellow archaeologists, think of the Egyptians as tied to the Nile River and lacking in the ability to go to sea. For 25 years, my research has been dedicated to showing the scope of their ability and now, to proving their independently invented approach to ship construction worked magnificently at sea.”

The project grew out of the 2006 discovery of the oldest remains of seafaring ships in the world in manmade caves at Wadi Gawasis, on the edge of the Egyptian desert.

Why would someone dedicate their time to prove something that, as you say wasn't ever in dispute?

I like how you attempt to obfuscate the issue by bringing up "conspiracies". Please show me where one conspiracy was mentioned?

Either Poe's claims are true or false, and according to your own article they appear to be true. If were going to dismiss everything someone says because they hold some questionable beliefs unrelated to the subject, why stop at Poe?

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/col...p?id=77636

George Ellory Hale was the driving force behind building the world’s largest observatory till then -- the 200-inch glass giant of Palomar. He also revolutionized our understanding of the sun, inventing the spectroheliograph, with which he made his discoveries of the solar vortices and magnetic fields of sun spots. And who was Hale’s primary science advisor? An elf. Beginning at age 42, Hale says a “little elf” appeared in his window sill and told him to get the Palomar project started. Hale says his “little elf” also advised him on other scientific work.Hales relationship with his “little elf” is documented in Helen Wright’s 1966 book, “Explorer of the Universe.”

[Katia81]

maybe you d benefit from reading presocratics. it's many philosophers. start with democritus but you could more like plato. I don't know.

[Minimalist]

Huggy, you slipped in an impertinent reply that I missed.

Yawn.  In 1992 Donald Redford published "Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in ancient times" and in it he describes the robust trade involving Egypt and the Levant/Cyprus.  Thor Heyerdahl got himself all worked up about reed boats and nearly died trying to cross the Atlantic in one.  Now there were some scholars who clung to the idea that Egypt was simply river based just as there are some morons who think the bible is fucking real.  I'm sure you know the type.  Nonetheless, and no matter how much you try to cling to outmoded theories, archaeologists have been steadily uncovering evidence of Egyptian sea-faring in both the Med and the Red Sea/Indian Ocean regions.

These are facts, Hugs.  I know you are a little weak on the concept of "facts."