As an introduction to the myths, characters, and events of ancient Greece, I have enjoyed reading aloud D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths to my class. During the beginning of our time with this book, the students often asked, “Is this true? Did this really happen?” Of course many parts of the books are not true—Zeus and Hera are not sitting atop a mountain in Greece, mankind was not fashioned by Prometheus, and centaurs, cyclopes, and nymphs are not to be found in the catalogue of God’s creatures. However, some myths echo biblical narratives, and although the details in the myths have been distorted, the students were quick to point out the similarities. Here are a few of my students’ favorite myths that show a striking resemblance to Scripture.
In the story of the goddess Hera, she receives a gift from Mother Earth: an apple tree bearing golden apples of immortality. This tree is planted in a special western garden where it can be safe from greedy hands; any mortal who picks an apple from the tree will die. This tree is also guarded by a dragon with a hundred heads. While the story progresses in another direction, my students were delighted to point out how this part of the story mimics the tree with the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
Another myth tells of Pandora, a woman crafted by the gods who through her folly brings all manner of evil to mankind. Zeus gave her one command and one command only—not to open a certain box. She breaks this command, releasing vices and misery to attack men. At the last second, she slams the lid shut again, preserving the last contents of the box, namely, Hope. Though mankind is tormented by her deeds, they are not hopeless. Zeus in his disgust at mankind’s depravity decides to flood the earth, but one righteous man and his wife remain. The virtuous couple, Deucalion and Pyrrha, are warned by Prometheus of the coming flood and are told to build an ark. Emerging alive after the destructive waters subside, they light a fire on an altar in thanks to Zeus. With her unleashing of misery and promise of hope, Pandora is reminiscent of Eve, and Deucalion clearly calls to mind Noah.
In yet another myth, a prince named Phrixus is close to death, for his father has been convinced that the boy must be sacrificed. The king stood with knife in hand, poised to slaughter Phrixus upon an altar, but at the last second, Zeus sent a golden ram, which swooped down from heaven to save Phrixus and whisk him away. This ram’s golden fleece would become the object of Jason’s quest in another myth. Here the biblical account of Abraham and Isaac is apparent.
It’s not surprising that the peoples descended from Adam and Eve and then from Noah and his wife would include parts of these accounts in their lore. It’s also not surprising that without God’s preservation of the true accounts, man’s fallen memory would fail to retell these stories correctly. Christians can enjoy these myths as the entertaining stories that they are, while giving thanks to Christ that we have the pure truth of God’s Word.
In Christ,
Miss Engwall
