Three Questions

What does it mean to be civilized?

Being civilized means that a person or place is brought to a stage of social, cultural or moral development that is considered more advanced than other people or places.

What does it mean to be a hero?

A hero is a person who is admired and looked up to by others for their exceptional achievements. Being a hero means others look up to you and admire you for your accomplishments in life.

Is it possible to be over civilized?

My opinion is that it is not possible to be over civilized because social, cultural, and moral aspects of life can always improve, for the reason that nothing is perfect. The flawed inherent features of these aspects of life creates limitless room for development.

The Mycenaean Civilization

"Between about 1700 and 1100 B.C., a separate Bronze Age civilization flourished on the Greek peninsula. Until the late nineteenth century, this civilization - like that of the Minoans - was known only through the mythology that later developed around it..."

What I found to be most interesting about the Mycenaean civilization was that they were known only through the mythology that established around it. The civilization is not being reminisced for being civilized, or for events that altered the way other civilizations were formed, but rather the Mycenaean civilization is remembered by the myths that were formed around its culture, and religion.

Hero Worship

"Hero worship still plays a vital part in our political lives. It inspires both terrorists and those who combat them. It shapes the rhetoric of our election campaigns. It helps determine the choices made by democratic voters and it eases the dictators' ascent to power."

This passage sums up what hero worship is in a nutshell. Worshipping a hero can have positive or negative ramifications, and shapes the morals we practice today. Today's foolishness, and the personalities possessed by people today are configured by heroes and the story's of heroes.

My Conception of a Hero

“Virtue is not necessarily qualification for heroic status: a hero is not a role model. On the contrary, it is of the essence of a hero to be unique and therefore inimitable.”

~ Lucy Hughes-Hallett

The quote by Lucy Hughes-Hallett accurately describes the way I perceive a hero; not necessarily someone with high or moral standards, and also not necessarily someone that people look up to or try to imitate. Heroes are rather unlike anyone else, and so much so that it makes the hero someone that is impossible to copy.

Gaea's Role

Among the first three immortal beings Gaea played what seems to me like the most important role in the creation of the titans and gods. Gaea was clever, and not unlike any human mother today. She created Uranus, Ourea and Pontus along with other immortal children. Gaea was responsible for all Greek gods and without her "mother-like" qualities, the myths we know today would all have something missing.

The "Sacred" Sacrifice

Something that caught my eye while reading was how easily the Matriarchal culture-which tended to be a peaceful society, could sacrifice "the sacred king" in such violent ways. However, as time passed the Matriarchal society eventually put an end to the slaughtering of the sacred king's and was persuaded into using animals as a replacement for the young boys and king.