The Myth is a story mainly used by past civilizations to answer existential human questions (origin of man, creation of the world, etc.), to justify natural phenomena (storms, earthquakes, floods, etc.) and to legitimize religious beliefs, ritual practices and cults (prayer activities, sacrifices, offerings, etc.). Myth stories generally concern particular deeds performed by deities, semi-divine beings, heroes and monsters in a supernatural context, i.e. beyond the everyday life of the common man. These myths are passed down in oral form before being written down, from generation to generation, becoming an integral part of the cultural heritage of a people. Mythology is the discipline that studies and collects the myths of every civilization and tradition.
Greek-Roman mythology, therefore, collects and studies the myths belonging to the religious culture of the ancient Greeks, which was later absorbed and enriched by the stories of the Romans. These myths have come down to us thanks to written Greek and Roman texts, the most famous of which were: the Homeric epic poems (by writer Homer), the Iliad and the Odyssey, which recount the events of the Trojan War (with the most famous heroes Achilles, Agamemnon, Ajax, Priam, Hector) and Odysseus’ long journey home (and his numerous encounters with e.g. the Sirens, the sorceress Circe, the Cyclops); the poems and tragedies of the Greek lyricists and tragedians of the 5th century BCE (e.g. Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides) who scripted for the theatre the many stories of heroes, heroines and demi-gods (among the most famous Medea, Helen, Oedipus Rex); the Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil, which tells of Aeneas’ journey and the mythical foundation of Rome.
Knowledge of these stories and their many characters have also come down to us through the many finds of decorated ceramics, vases, plates, etc., reliefs, sculptural groups, and wall paintings depicting scenes from myths.
Gods and heroes were the protagonists of these myths. The heroes of Greek-Roman antiquity were often demi-gods, superhuman beings generally born of a deity and a mortal. In exceptional cases, they could also be ordinary men with extraordinary courage, able to stand up to the gods, and who had proved their valor by overcoming trials and facing incredible feats.