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Philosophical myths

Q: Which Greek writer wrote many myths about stories that had probably just been told wrong?

Paleaphatus, with his book On Incredible Things .

17 important questions on Philosophical myths

Why did Xenophanes criticize the myths written by Homer and Hesiod?

Because they attributed many negative, human qualities to the gods with which Xenophanes did not agree (he thought it was heretic).

What did Poryphyry have to say about Homer?

He defended Homer by explaining that while his stories about the gods may seem unseemly, as the gods cheat and deceive and fight, they are in reality allegories relating to the battles between the elements and certain human characteristics. According to Poryhypry, Homer himself made this actually clear by sometimes referring to the gods as these attributes.

Myths can be said to be two types of allegories. Which are these two types?

- Physical allegories, actually explaining the relation between certain elements by depicting them as gods.
- Moral psychological allegories, meaning that the gods only serve the role of the personifications of certain human characteristics (speech, wisdom, anger, etc.)

What did Socrates have to say about the origin of myths?

That they were caused by some sort of historical misunderstanding. For example, in the tale where Boreas carries off Oreithyia, Oreithyia actually got blown off a cliff by the northern wind and died. Boreas is even the name of the northern wind!

Which Greek writer wrote many myths about stories that had probably just been told wrong?

Paleaphatus, with his book On Incredible Things.

What did Plato have to say about myths?

That they were just stories, told to young children by their caretakers and to older children by the poets, and that they offered a false representation of the gods and heroes, and that they had a bad influence on the youth. Instead, Plato suggested that better, more correct myths should be written instead. By that, he meant that allegory shouldn't be used, because youth can't distinguish allegory from reality. However, he did believe that old myths from the unknown past could be rewritten in such a way that they did have value.

How did Plato use myths?

In his tales, he made other philosophers talk about them (like in Gorgias). He explains that while they may seem mere stories (mythos), they are actually a form of exposition (logos) and they are true in the sense that the soul is real and that the troubles the soul has to go through are true as well.

What did the philosophers think of allegoreses?

The Stoics agreed with them and strongly defended them, whereas the Platonics did not accept them.

What do etymology and allegory have to do with each other?

Allegorical myths often came into existence to explain the origin of a certain word. Sometimes these explanations were (mostly) true, other times they were made up.

What did Cicero mention about the god Saturn and his Greek origins?

Originally, Saturn was called Kronos in Greek, which actually means "a space of time". Saturns name, on the other hand, referred to the fact that he was "satiated with years". By this, it was meant that by devouring his sons, Time actually gorges himself insatiably on the ages and the years that are past. He was bound to the stars (and therefore to passing time) by Jove as to not do so too fast.

Which three ways of interpreting allegories ere used in the Middle Ages/Renaissance?

- Physical allegory.
- Moral allegory.
- Euhemeristic tale.

What did Fulgentius say in his Mythologiae?

He actually translated it from Greek into faulty Latin so it's easy to misread, but it was very influential and explained that myths could be:
- Etymologic (almost always).
- Physical allegories (often).
- Moral allegories.
- Phalephaetus-like explanations (that stories had just been mistold).

What is the Ovidé Moralise about?

This was a French poem from the 14th century that retold the story of Ovid in Christian terms. For example, in Apollo and Daphne: Apollo is Christ, Daphne is the Virgin, and when Apollo decks himself with Daphne's laurel, it refers to Christ in Mary's belly.

What is the Ovidius moralizatus?

Written by Jean Bersuire, a Latin work of prose that explained Ovid in Christian terms. However: in his version of Apollo and Daphne, Apollo is Christ, Daphne sinful humanity, humanity is saved by the laurel/cross.

What did Boccaccio write relating to myth?

The Genealogy of the Pagan Gods, in which he claims that all pagan gods are descendends of a demon called a demogorgon who lived in a cave. However, he based this on a misspelling of a Greek word (demiurgon). It was still an influential book, even though it was wrong.

What are the three great 16-century handbooks concerning myth?

- Lilio Gregorio Giraldi, De deis gentium “The Gods of the Pagans” (1548)
- Vincenzo Cartari, Le imagini … degli dei degli antichi “The Images of the Gods of the Ancients” (1556, with illustrations 1571)
- Natale Conti (Natales Comes), Mythologiae … libri decem“Ten books of Mythology”, usually called the Mythologiae, “Mythologies” (1561, expanded edition 1581)

All three very often reprinted in various forms, as well as translated.

Which interpretation of myth was often stressed during the Renaissance?

The moral allegory.

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Ancient Mythology

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Philosophical myths

17 important questions on Philosophical myths

Why did Xenophanes criticize the myths written by Homer and Hesiod?

What did Poryphyry have to say about Homer?

Myths can be said to be two types of allegories. Which are these two types?

What did Socrates have to say about the origin of myths?

Which Greek writer wrote many myths about stories that had probably just been told wrong?

What did Plato have to say about myths?

How did Plato use myths?

What did the philosophers think of allegoreses?

What do etymology and allegory have to do with each other?

What did Cicero mention about the god Saturn and his Greek origins?

Which three ways of interpreting allegories ere used in the Middle Ages/Renaissance?

What did Fulgentius say in his Mythologiae?

What is the Ovidé Moralise about?

What is the Ovidius moralizatus?

What did Boccaccio write relating to myth?

What are the three great 16-century handbooks concerning myth?

Which interpretation of myth was often stressed during the Renaissance?

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