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Was the rule of Zeus ever challenged?
Zeus became king of the gods and absolute ruler of the cosmos when he overthrew his father Cronus in the Titanomachy.
I wonder if his reign was ever challenged after that?
Ouroboros
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What sources describe the rivers of the Underworld?
Many stories about the Greco-Roman Underworld mention the rivers flowing through it: the Styx, the Acheron, the Lethe, the Pyriphlegethon, the Cocytus, the Eridanus, and sometimes others.
Sources differ about which ones are actually rivers, though.…
Draconis
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How does the Christian Hell come to be called Hell? Is it related to the Norse Hel?
In the Greek New Testament, Hell is referred to by three names, two Greek (Hades, Tartarus) and one Hebrew (Gehenna). But in English, it becomes Hell.
This is related to the Old Norse hellir, and proto-Germanic hallo, meaning cavern or enclosed…
DukeZhou
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Why does the astrology sign for cancer seem to represent a yin and yang?
So there appears to be an astrology tag with very few questions. This somewhat represents mythology around cancer specifically.
Why does the astrology sign for cancer seem to represent a yin and yang?
According to this
This is also seen as two…
William
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Who's afraid of steel? Is iron different?
In Swedish folklore, carrying something made of steel – a knife, a pair of scissors, or anything really – is said to ward off various dark forces, anything from trolls to witches. Where does this belief originate, and where (in folklore in which…
peterorme
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Elves and Dwarves in Norse Mythology
It's a common claim that modern fantasy elves and dwarves are based on those found in Norse mythology, but there doesn't actually seem to be a lot of detail given about them that I have found, particularly elves.
I know the stories of dwarves making…
adaliabooks
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Why do so many cultures have monsters that prey on families?
While researching La Llorona and vampiresses, I noticed that lots of cultures have predominantly female monsters that use deception to prey on families. Lamia that prey on young men and children, deer women that seduce and kill young men, incubi…
Anonymous
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Odysseus raid on the Cicones at Ismaros (Odyssey Book 9 lines 40-66)
Open question for thoughts and explanations re Odysseus’ raid on the Cicones (also called Kikonians) while on his way home from the Trojan War, on any of my questions below and/or other thoughts of your own.
In Homer’s Odyssey Book 9, Odysseus tells…
Timothy
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Are there Christian influences in the Dionysiaca?
Two works by Nonnus of Panopolis survive to this day:
The Dionysiaca, an epic poem about the life of Dionysus,
The Paraphrase of John, a rewording of the Gospel of John.
This is a rare example of an ancient author producing works in different…
yannis
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Why does the river Styx have power over the Olympians?
Zeus is supreme except when he vows on the river Styx. If he breaks such an oath, he will die.
From what does the most famous of stygian watercourses derive such awesome power?
DukeZhou
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9
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Why is it believed that characters from the Irish myth cycles were once gods?
I have a passing familiarity with some of the stories from Irish myth, at least in their translated form. One thing that has always puzzled me about these tales is the presumption among scholars that the characters represent gods. Yet the stories…
Bob Tway
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The repertoire of the Sphinx
In ancient Greek tradition, what riddles did have the Sphinx in her "repertoire", besides the famous:
Which creature goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and
three feet in the evening?
Wikipedia also mentions this one:
There are…
Rodia
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What is the inspiration behind the dark forest in Dante?
The entrance to Dante's underworld is situated somewhere in a dark forest:
Midway in the journey of our life
I came to myself in a dark wood,
for the straight way was lost.
Ah, how hard it is to tell
the nature of that wood, savage, dense…
Girsan Virlee
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9
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Why did Ovid omit the Heroic Age?
According to Wikipedia, Ovid's Four Ages of Man are very similar to Hesiod's Five Ages Man, with the exception of the Heroic Age.
Why didn't Ovid include the Heroic Age?
Girsan Virlee
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9
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Why did Dudo consider the Greeks to be the ancestors of the Danes?
In the first book of the Gesta Danorum, Saxo Grammaticus tells us that "Dudo, the historian of Normandy, considers that the Danes are sprung and named from the Danai" 1. Dudo is presumambly Dudo of Saint-Quentin, and "Danai" (Danaoi/Danaans) is one…
yannis
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