Popularity of Greek and Roman myths today
Many of the Greek and Roman myths are as popular today as they were hundreds, even thousands of years ago, because they reflect human feelings and emotions such as guilt, joy, love and greed. It is the main reason why they have remained so well liked and well known.
The Greeks and Romans regarded myths as a way of explaining the world around them. For example, they believed fire was a divine gift from Olympus itself, even though Prometheus gave it to mankind following a theft from heaven. Fire was regarded as important by the ancient Greeks and modern day historians alike because it allowed civilisation to progress.
The idea of fate was taken for granted in the minds of the ancient Greeks. Every person had a particular fate or destiny. The path to that fate was not set and only the final destination was certain. Luck, either good or bad, played a part in deciding whether the journey to that final destination was pleasant or unbearable. The idea of luck or freewill was attributed to the goddess Fortuna in Roman society or the goddess Tyche in Greek society.
Fortuna, the goddess of luck, was more important in Roman culture than her counterpart, Tyche, in Greek culture. The worship of Fortuna in Roman society was very popular and included all classes, from public officials to sailors. The idea of luck being good or bad is almost identical today as it was during the time of the Roman Empire. Modern popular phrases such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Lady Luck" are attributed to the goddess.
The myth of Acontius and Cydippe is one of two young people who attend a religious festival and fall in love with one another. A modern day interpretation would be almost the same except the religious festival would be replaced with perhaps a music festival. It is easy to understand why the story of Acontius and Cydippe was so popular because such stories are retold in modern times in films and plays such as "Romeo and Juliet".
Hades, the god of the Underworld, was feared amongst ancient Greeks because they abhorred the idea of death. The Underworld kingdom of Hades was where souls were judged and sentenced according to the life they had led by three judges. Evildoers, such as Tantulus, were sent to Tartarus where they were punished. The concept of Tartarus is easy to understand because of the comparison with Hell. The Elysium Fields was where the good and pious souls, such as Cassandra, were sent and a modern day interpretation would be Heaven. The interpretation of such regions in the Greek and Roman minds would have been the same as it is today.
Greek and Roman myths have remained popular through the generations because the perception of the ordinary person is the same as for example the love between two young people in the story of Acontius and Cydippe. The understanding of these myths would have been thought of in a slightly different context, as for example, the goddess Fortuna would have been important in protecting the grain supplies of Rome, which was the main source of food. However a modern interpretation of "Lady Luck" would be used by the contestants of a television show, such as American Idol. The popularity of Greek and Roman myths will continue for many years to come.
For more information on Greek, Roman and Celtic myths, please visit
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