Although it may seem a little odd for a maths student one of my long standing interests has been in the myths and legends of ancient Greece. Whilst I do not claim to be an expert on said subject I do have a little knowledge I would like to impart.

First why do these legends exist, well at one time the ancient Greeks did indeed worship dieties such as Zeus, Apollo and Athene, although it is also possible that the stories told of them formed the basis for entertainment in their society much as soap operas do today.

However what ever the reasons behind them it is almost impossible to find one definitive version of any legend, although the only contentious point is usually who sired the hero/villian of the piece. I think this is because most legends not surrounding the gods themselves are about the sons and daughters of Gods and with so many different dieties being worshipped all followers would like it believed that this particular hero was in fact the son/daughter of their chosen God as opposed to any other one.

The creation story is a good example of differing people having different believes, my own research has found 4 different creation myths, one claiming Eurynome (the goddess of all things) rose naked from chaos and finding nothing to rest her feet on seperated the sea from the sky, before taking the form of a dove and laying the universe egg from which all creatures, planets, stars etc tumbled out. A second says Night was courted by the wind and laid a silver egg froim which Eros was hatched and set the universe in motion. A third (more about the creation of Earth) says that Mother Earth rose from chaos and bore Uranus as she slept, he then caused fertile rain to fall. Finally one says that first there was Darkness and then Chaos. From the union of Darkness and Chaos came Night, Day, Erebus and the Air and from the unions of these came such beings as Doom, Old Age, Mother Earth, Sky and Sea. This final legend deals with the creation of all emotions etc in the human condition as well as more physical objects. however it also gives each of the emotions a physical form as the son or daughter of whoever.

Anyone with a passing knowledge of the Christian bible will be well aware of the story of Noah's Ark. There is however a similar legend to be found in Greek mythology. The story runs that the people of the city of Lycaon angered Zeus and in his rage he let loose a great flood meaning to wipe out the whole race of man. But Deucalion, son of Prometheus was warned of the flood by his father and set about to build an ark which saved him and his wife whilst all other living creatures perished. The ark floated for about 9 days until it came to rest on a mountain (The exact one was a matter of dispute). It is said that he was reassured by a white dove he sent on an exploratory flight. They then went to a (now waterlogged) shrine and prayed for the human race to be renewed. Hermes, messenger of the Gods was sent to tell them to throw the bones of their mother over their shoulders and it shall be done. Deciding that he meant the bones of Mother Earth they threw rocks over their shoulders and they became men or women depending on whether it was Deucalion or his wife who handled them. So the human race was reborn. Others maintain that there were more survivors of the flood, people who were lucking enough, or forewarned, to be on mountain peaks at the time of the flood.

This may or may not be an appropriate time to do a quick who's who of Greek Gods before recounting another few stories but either way here you go:

Zeus: The son of Cronus and Rhea. It had been foretold that one of Cronus' children would dethrone him and so Cronus took to eating his children. Rhea was outraged and bore Zeus in secret. Years later he fought Cronus and won as well a tricking him into disgorging his elder brothers and sisters. He bacame King of Heaven and alone could wield thunderbolts, he was also a womaniser who lay with countless woman wore bore him numerous children, much to the disgust of his wife (and sister Hera).

Hera: Daughter of Cronus and Rhea, wife and sister of Zeus. One of the children who was swallowed and disgorged by her father. Often angered by Zeus' affairs and by the children these affairs resulted in, especially Heracles (aka Hercules).

Apollo: Son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis, God of Music and Prophecy.

Artemis: Goddess of Hunting, one story says that when Actaeon saw her bathing in a stream and stood to watch. So that he would not boast of this Artemis changed him into a stag and then had his own pack of 50 hounds tear him apart. She was therefore less merciful than Athene.

Aphrodite: Goddess of Desire, rose naked from the sea and owner of a magic girdle that made people fall in love with the wearer. She was given in marriage to Hephaestus the lame Smith God but she carried on an affair with Ares. Hephastus, learning of the affair forged a bronze hunting net which he secured to the bed and which trapped the lovers naked within. He then called on all Gods to witness the dishonour. Sadly this just made matters worse as both Hermes and Poseidon also fell in love with her.

Poseidon: God of the sea, brother of Zeus. He married a mortal woman Amphrite but was as good at staying faithful to one woman as his brother Zeus.

Hades: God of the Underworld, brother of Zeus. Hades fell in love with Core, daughter of Demeter, and abducted her. Demeter demanded her return and it was agreed that it would be done if she had eaten no food in the underworld. Sadly Core had eaten pomogranite seeds and so it was agreed that she would spend 3 months of the year as Queen of the underworld with the title Persephone and the remaining 9 months with her mother.

Hermes: Son of Zeus and Maia. Messenger of the Gods, uses winged golden sandals which carry him with the swiftness of the wind.

Ares: God of War, loves battle for it's own sake, he never favours one side or the other but fights on either as the mood takes him.

Athene: Goddess of War, a more skilled fighter than Ares, also a more merciful and kindly Goddess, although once when a man accidently saw her bathing she responded by blinding him, but gave him inward site as compensation.

Demeter: Goddess of rhe corn field, mother of Core who placed a blight on the Earth when she discovered her daughters abduction, refusing to lift it until Core was returned to her.

Eros: Some say he was hatched from the world egg whilst others maintain he was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes. God of love he showed no respect for age or station shooting barbed arrows at random causing the men and women they struck to fall in love.