Significant Concepts in Greek Mythology
Arete |
A Greek word meaning excellence.
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Hubris |
Hubris can be roughly translated as pride, although that doesn't quite capture the full meaning to the Greeks - hubris meant a particular individual thinking that they knew better than or could control the Gods. The classic example of hubris is Oedipus - Oedipus attempted to evade the prophecy stating that he would kill his father and marry his mother and in doing so, made the prophecy come true.
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Pollution |
In ancient religious thought, certain actions "polluted" a person, or made them metaphysically dirty. For this reason, certain acts - such as giving birth or death - were forbidden within a deity's sanctuary because of the potential pollution. Worshipers attending particular religious rituals might participate in cleansing or purification rituals, meant to cleanse a person before they approached the god.
A significant source of pollution was murder, and this idea of pollution was closely related to early ideas about justice. If a community failed to punish or cast out a member who had committed murder, that community became polluted as well. Pollution was catching, if you will. This provided the impetus for communities to expel and punish those who committed such crimes. The idea of pollution, however, is one that is grappled with in many mythological texts, considering such questions as:
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