Mythology Of Greece And Rome (1969)

The people of ancient Greece and Rome found much about the world and [music] man that they did not understand. Higher powers seemed to cause the wild waves of the sea, the thunder in the sky, and the Earth's changing seasons. The Greeks invented gods to explain [music] these mysteries. They made up stories, stories which explained emotions and taught moral lessons. We call these stories [music] myths. According to the myths, Olympus was the home of the gods. Jupiter was their king, and his anger caused thunder and lightning. In the watery depths of the ocean dwelt Neptune, god of the sea. When Neptune was displeased with mankind, [music] he made the sea rough and stormy. Ceres was the goddess of the harvest. It was she who made the fields rich with grain, the trees heavy with fruit, and the world bright with flowers. >> [music] [music] >> The change of seasons was explained by a myth about this goddess and her beloved daughter, Proserpina. Deep within the Earth, far below the green fields of Ceres and Proserpina, lived Pluto, god and king of the underworld. Pluto was a lonely king, ruling his dark kingdom without a queen. One day, Pluto rose from the underworld to search for a wife. >> [music] >> And from the shadows, he saw Proserpina. >> [music] [music] [music] [bell] >> Down to his underground kingdom, he took the frightened girl. And there he placed her upon a throne to reign forever as his queen. Helpless, Proserpina grieved over the loss of her mother and the sunlit earth above. A stranger to darkness, she feared this land of endless night, the dwelling place of the spirits of the dead. >> [music] >> Over the earth, the heartbroken Ceres wandered, searching for a daughter she feared she would [music] never see again. With each passing day, >> [music] >> the girl's sorrow increased. >> [music] >> King Pluto could do nothing to bring back her happiness. >> [music] >> All over the world, the once green forests and fields withered and died. For in her sorrow, Ceres neglected the plants on the earth. But while the trees of the earth died, a pomegranate tree in the underworld lived and bore fruit. Proserpina did not know that whoever ate food in the underworld could never leave. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Famine spread over the earth, and the gods of Olympus feared that Ceres would let mankind perish unless her daughter was returned to her. So, Mercury, the messenger of the gods, was sent to rescue the girl. >> [music] [music] >> Pluto would not permit Proserpina to leave his kingdom forever, but he agreed to [music] a compromise. Since she had eaten part of it, she must spend part of each year as queen of the land of the dead. So it is that every year, while Proserpina is in the underworld, Ceres is sad. Everything dies, and it is winter. And springtime will not come back to the earth again until her daughter returns. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> According to Greek and Roman myths, the gods controlled not only nature, but also man's behavior and emotions. Love, one of the strongest emotions, was caused by Venus, the beautiful goddess of love, and her son Cupid, the god of love. >> [music] >> With his bow and magic arrows, Cupid could make anyone fall in love, even Apollo, the god of the sun. >> [music] >> Struck by Cupid's arrow, Apollo [music] was destined to fall in love with the first woman he saw, a young girl named Daphne. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Cupid had another kind of arrow, an arrow which caused hatred and fear, and he decided to play a trick on Apollo and Daphne. Struck by the arrow, Daphne became very frightened [music] of Apollo. Cupid's arrows were very powerful. While one caused Apollo to pursue Daphne in love, the other made Daphne run from him in fear. >> [music] [music] >> When Daphne saw Apollo coming closer, she became so terrified, she begged the gods to help her. >> [music] [music] >> Sadly, Apollo watched the girl transformed by the gods into a laurel tree. >> [music] >> As a reminder of his first love, Apollo took a small branch from the tree and made a laurel wreath. A wreath to be worn always as a crown of honor. To the tree, he gave eternal life. And since that time, laurel trees have been forever green. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Many Greek [music] and Roman myths had a moral to teach people how they should behave. One of these is the story of Bellerophon, a man who became extremely proud and ambitious. >> [music] [music] >> One day Bellerophon saw Pegasus, the flying horse. >> [music] >> No man had ever [music] been able to tame Pegasus. But Bellerophon was favored by the gods, and he became the first man to ride the flying horse. >> [music] >> There lived at that time a fiery monster called the Chimera, which caused much death and destruction in the land. With his winged horse, Bellerophon set out to slay the monster. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> With the help of his flying horse, Bellerophon accomplished [music] many heroic deeds. Great was his fame, and he became very proud. But one day he became too ambitious. He attempted to fly to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, where mortal man was forbidden to go. When Jupiter, the mightiest of the gods, saw Bellerophon approaching, he became very angry. And he caused Pegasus to throw his proud rider. >> [music] [music] >> Although Bellerophon's life was spared, he was lamed by his fall. Lonely and despised by the gods, he never saw the flying horse again. >> [music] >> There are many other myths which tell of heroic adventures and teach a moral lesson. Or explain nature's mysteries and human behavior. These myths are part of our heritage from the people of ancient Greece and Rome. >> [music]