For the ancient Greeks, ‘mythos’ or ‘myth’ was the domain of the imagination and concerned all that could not be proved or verified, but which nevertheless contained its own truth. Myth was diametrically opposed to ‘logos’ or ‘logic’, which was concerned with all that could be stated in rational terms and included objective truths that were the same for all.

In ancient Greece, myths were never a matter of doctrine, and though closely connected to religion, were were never imposed upon the people by any religious authority. Each individual was free to believe or disbelieve the myths, interpret them as he chose, or even reinvent them should he be so minded. For instance, Plato created a new myth to explain the nature of love. Mankind, imagines Plato, was created so that each person had two heads, four ams and four legs, and was endowed with such terrible strength that the Creator, who was the king of the gods, became afraid of his own creation and decided to make mankind weaker. He therefore split each person into two, each half becoming an individual who, though complete and able to function, still hankers for his or her missing half. This need for another to make oneself complete, says Plato, is love. Other poets took similar liberties with myths, which, free from the constraints of rational thought, could be fashioned as the poet pleased, to illustrate a point, to persuade, or even only to please.

As in all mythologies, the gods of the ancient Greeks were endowed with human qualities, with the strength and weaknesses of mankind. Thus Zeus can fall in love, Hera can be the jealous wife, Hephaestus can be lame, Hermes a trickster, and Ares, the god of war, can be wounded in battle.

Read on to join these ancient gods and goddesses in their adventures.